Sterling National Bank Names Thomas X. Geisel President of Specialty Finance

MONTEBELLO, NY--(Marketwired - April 27, 2015) - Sterling National Bank, the principal subsidiary of Sterling Bancorp (NYSE: STL), announced today the appointment of Thomas X. Geisel as Executive Vice President and President of Specialty Finance.

Geisel will lead Sterling's specialty finance teams which include Asset Based Lending, Factoring and Trade Finance, Payroll Finance, and Equipment Finance. Sterling has been a leader in providing working capital for businesses through asset-based lending solutions for over 85 years. He will also be responsible for leading the commercial banking team based at 650 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

"Tom's leadership approach is a perfect fit with our team-based delivery strategy here at Sterling," said Jim Peoples, Chief Banking Officer of Sterling National Bank. "With his diverse background and proven track record as a public company CEO and Board member, we are confident Tom will be a valuable asset in helping us grow our business."

Geisel was most recently the Managing Partner of Templar Ventures LLC, a New Jersey-based merchant bank that focuses on investing in privately held and growth-oriented small and middle market companies. Prior to founding Templar, Geisel served as President & CEO of Sun Bancorp Inc., a publicly traded commercial bank.

Prior to joining Sun, Geisel held a number of senior leadership positions with KeyCorp from 1999 to 2008, eventually serving as President of KeyBank's Northeast Region, which comprised nine districts across New York, New Jersey, New England and Florida, with assets of approximately $20 billion and revenue exceeding $550 million.

Geisel's other professional experience includes five years as a partner in a New Jersey-based merchant banking boutique and 10 years representing the U.S. Department of Justice in various capacities domestically and as a diplomat in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"Sterling is a world-class organization, and I'm thrilled to be a part of the team," said Geisel. "I look forward to working with our banking professionals to expand Sterling's capabilities across key markets."

Active in both business and community organizations, Geisel is a Member of the Board of Directors and the Ad-hoc Strategic Planning Committee of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Southern New Jersey Development Council (SNJDC).

About Sterling National Bank
Sterling National Bank, the principal subsidiary of Sterling Bancorp, specializes in the delivery of service and solutions to business owners, their families, and consumers in communities within the greater New York City area through teams of dedicated and experienced relationship managers. Sterling National Bank offers a complete line of commercial, business, and consumer banking products and services. For more information, visit www.snb.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may concern Sterling's current expectations about its future results, plans, operations and prospects and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including inflation; the effects of, and changes in, trade; changes in asset quality and credit risk; introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives; capital management activities; customer disintermediation; and the success of Sterling at managing these risks. Other factors that could cause Sterling's actual results to differ from those indicated in forward-looking statements are included in the "Risk Factors" section of Sterling's securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included herein are only made as of the date hereof, and Sterling specifically disclaims any obligation to update these statements in the future.