PeoplesBank Announces Leadership Changes, Expansion Plans

HOLYOKE — The PeoplesBank board of directors voted to approve the following leadership changes: Tom Senecal is now chairman of the board and CEO, while Brian Canina has been promoted to president and chief operating officer, and Hayes Murray has been promoted to executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer.

The leadership changes will provide Senecal with more opportunities to plan and manage the growth and revenue activities of the bank, including retail operations, consumer lending, small business, municipals, and commercial and industrial divisions. Canina will continue to be responsible for finance, facilities, PeoplesWealth, the Business Solutions Group, and information technology. In his new role, he will also be responsible for human resources, marketing, and corporate responsibility.

“We surpassed $4 billion in assets in 2023. We have more than 300 employees and operate across two states with 20 banking centers, with an additional five locations when our headquarters, ATM, and VideoBankerITM locations are included,” Senecal said. “That’s quite a bit of recent growth, which is a credit to the hard work of our entire team.”

Canina added that “our commitment to the communities we serve has also grown. Our charitable giving continues to be a strength for us, with almost $6 million donated over the past three years alone, and over $11 million over the past 10 years. Our employees are also a volunteer strength in the market, donating thousands of hours of volunteer service to area nonprofits and charitable causes. It’s the power of a mutually chartered bank that allows us to achieve such records. Our purpose will continue to be to serve the banking needs of our customers and the communities where they live.”

Senecal and Canina both underscored the importance of increasing the bank’s presence in the market. To that end, the board of directors also approved plans to open banking centers in Glastonbury and Avon, Conn., in addition to seeking other opportunities for future expansion.

Senecal joined PeoplesBank in 1995 and held positions in finance and commercial lending before being elected as president, CEO, and chairman in 2016. He is a graduate of Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and attended the Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth College. He serves on the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. board of directors and is also a corporator for both the Loomis Communities and the Horace Smith Fund.

Canina joined PeoplesBank in 2009 and served as executive vice president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer prior to being appointed to his current position. He is a graduate of Bryant University and formerly served as a certified public accountant. He is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and a recipient of the Wharton Leadership Certificate, as well as president of the Finance and Accounting Society of New England. He serves on the board of directors for Helix Human Services.

Murray has more than 20 years of experience in the financial-services industry. He is a graduate of Gordon College and earned a master’s degree in accounting from Western New England University. He is also a certified public accountant. Prior to joining PeoplesBank in 2021, he served as chief financial officer of a de novo bank in Western Mass. and spent more than a decade in public accounting. He is a member of a Finance and Accounting Society of New England.