Eric Feldstein

Eric Feldstein has been named M&T Bank Regional President of Western New York – the company’s headquarter market and where it was founded 165 years ago – in addition to his role as Head of Business Banking, beginning in March. Feldstein will transition the role from Shelley Drake, who is retiring.

“Eric is one of the most experienced bankers we have at M&T and is a leader in every sense of the word,” said Mike Keegan, M&T Bank executive vice president and head of community markets. “Our unique community model empowers local leaders to combine their banking expertise with a deep understanding of their communities in order to deliver a differentiated customer experience and uplift our communities. Eric’s passion for helping local businesses and customers was never more evident than during his leadership of the bank’s participation in the Paycheck Protection Program, which changed countless lives for the better. We’re confident he’ll bring the same level of leadership and dedication to this new role.”

Under its local engagement model, M&T separates the geographic areas it serves into community regions led by regional presidents. Because they know their communities best, these teams work to create differentiated strategies to serve their markets, combining the capabilities of a large institution with the care and empathy of a neighborhood bank. They also make decisions locally about community activities, grants and lending. The Western New York region is the company’s largest community market with close to 8,000 employees and 66 branches across Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming Counties. In 2020, M&T contributed close to $10 million to more than 250 nonprofit organizations across the region.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as regional president,” said Feldstein. “As a community-focused bank, it’s our job to ensure our local economies are vibrant and growing. Buffalo isn’t just our headquarters, it’s where we were founded in 1856 to serve the needs of the local manufacturers and traders who put Buffalo on the map.”