Peapack Private names Kotronis as senior managing director, commercial real estate

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corp. and Peapack Private Bank & Trust have appointed Paul Kotronis as senior managing director of commercial real estate to bolster their lending platform. Kotronis will focus on expanding the bank’s presence in the New York and New Jersey markets while driving relationship-based deposit growth. This strategic hire highlights the bank's commitment to strengthening its multifamily and commercial real estate finance capabilities through experienced leadership.

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corp. and Peapack Private Bank & Trust announced the appointment of Paul Kotronis as senior managing director of commercial real estate, a role focused on expanding the bank’s lending platform and driving deposit growth. Joseph Fingerman, senior managing director and president of commercial real estate at Peapack Private, noted that Kotronis’s expertise in multifamily and commercial finance is expected to enhance the firm's ability to serve clients in the New York and New Jersey markets. The appointment underscores a strategic effort to strengthen the bank's regional presence through relationship-based growth and disciplined lending.

Kotronis brings more than two decades of experience in commercial real estate finance, with a history of building large-scale platforms and managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios. Prior to this role, he served as group director and senior vice president at Signature Bank, where he managed a $5 billion commercial real estate portfolio and originated over $4 billion in loans. His tenure at Signature Bank involved leading a team of lenders and analysts while maintaining strong credit performance and cultivating relationships with prominent real estate sponsors.

In addition to his work at Signature Bank, Kotronis previously served as director and senior vice president at A&E Real Estate Finance. During his time there, he was instrumental in launching a commercial real estate debt fund platform and developing the underlying lending policies and underwriting standards. His professional background is characterized by a focus on balancing growth objectives with rigorous risk management and regulatory compliance, which will be central to his new responsibilities at Peapack Private.