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To better reach the communities beyond its traditional Hispanic customer base, Banco Popular is changing its name to Popular Community Bank. And to better serve its existing smartphone-toting but computer-shy customer base, it's rapidly rolling out advanced mobile banking services.
March 27
Popular Community Bank has named a former JPMorgan Chase (JPM) executive to lead its New York metro commercial banking group.
Sophia Haliotis will serve as a senior vice president for the $8.7 billion-asset Popular Community, the U.S. unit of the $36.3 billion-asset Popular (BPOP) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She will lead the commercial banking and real estate teams' expansion in the retail, industrial, multifamily apartment and nonprofit refinancing sectors, Popular Community, based in Rosemont, Ill., said this month.
"We are excited to leverage Sophia's strong knowledge of the New York metro commercial real estate marketplace, as well as other urban areas along the Eastern Seaboard."
Brian Doran, New York metro region executive for Popular Community, said in a news release. "She has a track record of success in enhancing credit structures and implementing procedures to improve work flow, rapid customer response and client satisfaction."
Haliotis was responsible for structuring and approving JPMorgan's commercial real estate loans in the New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Boston and Pennsylvania markets. She also managed underwriters, analysts, sales associates and other support staff handling a variety of property types, including multifamily, retail, office, industrial and mixed use.
Popular Community Bank, which was formerly called Banco Popular, opened its first branch in New York in 1961 to largely serve the Hispanic community. The company recently completed a two-year rebranding in the U.S. that included
