07/14/2014

Citizens Financial Group Appoints Stephen T. Gannon General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer

Former deputy general counsel for Capital One Financial Corporation also held previous positions with Wachovia Securities, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

PROVIDENCE, RI – Citizens Financial Group, Inc. today announced the appointment of Stephen T. Gannon as General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, effective August 11. He joins the company from Capital One Financial Corporation, where he was Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel.

Gannon has more than 30 years of experience providing legal advice and counsel to financial services institutions. Prior to his role at Capital One, he served as General Counsel for Wachovia Securities’ retail brokerage group and as a securities lawyer with firms including Leclair Ryan, where he led the securities litigation practice. He also previously served as a branch chief and staff attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and has participated in financial industry organizations including SIFMA, the Financial Services Roundtable and The Clearing House Association.

"Steve is exceptionally qualified to lead our legal team as we prepare to separate from RBS and become a standalone, publicly traded company," said Bruce Van Saun, Chairman and CEO for Citizens Financial Group. "Steve’s extensive legal background in financial services, including his expertise in securities law and regulatory matters, makes him a very strong addition to our executive committee."

Gannon succeeds Sheldon Goldfarb, who is stepping down to focus on his responsibilities with RBS Americas after serving for six years as Citizens’ General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer.

Active in a number of community and professional organizations, Gannon earned his J.D. and undergraduate degrees from Georgetown University. He is a native of Massachusetts.

About Citizens Financial Group Inc.
Citizens Financial Group Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $126.9 billion in assets as of March 31, 2014. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Consumer Banking helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,100 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank and Charter One branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in selective markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance.

Citizens operates via subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.