Clinton, NJ -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/04/2009 -- Unity Bank has announced the appointment of Richard J. Grossi to head its Compliance Department, and oversee the bank’s internal and external regulatory and compliance responsibilities. Grossi, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Seton Hall University before earning his law degree at Catholic University of America, is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association and New York Bar Association.
Prior to this appointment, Grossi served as vice president in charge of compliance management and as senior legal counsel for Banco Popular. Working out of its New York City headquarters, Grossi had direct oversight of all regulatory issues impacting the bank and its mortgage subsidiary, including the coordination of investigations of identity theft and data breaches.
Grossi began his career in banking at Summit Bancorp in New Jersey, before moving on to The Bank of New York where he provided legal advice and guidance to both senior and middle management retail, commercial and corporate trust officers.
After graduating law school, Grossi joined law firms in Washington DC and in New Jersey, handling general civil and commercial litigation on both the federal and state level. He is now a member of the American Bar Association’s Bankers Compliance Advisors, and a member of the Compliance and Regulatory Division of the New York State Bar Association and New Jersey State Bar Association.
Commenting on his appointment, Grossi pointed out that Unity Bank conducts its business guided by four simple, self-imposed commandments. Says Grossi, “One of those commandments is ‘always do the right thing’ when it comes to employees and customers alike. Internally and externally, I am pleased to take on the responsibility of holding to a guiding principal so basic to common sense values, that it is often overlooked at larger institutions.”
According to James Hughes, President of Unity Bank, the decision to bring Richard Grossi to Unity Bank was an easy one for him and his review committee to make. “Richard is a true financial service professional,” said Hughes, “with exceptional communication skills and a rare depth of experience in the areas of regulatory law, compliance, and contract review.
He’s going to feel right at home here at Unity.” Unity Bank began as First Community Bank in 1991 with two branches and thirty employees. Today, it has over one hundred and eighty employees in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties in New Jersey, and Northampton County in Pennsylvania.
For more information about Unity Bank, call Rosemary Fellner at 800.618.BANK (2265), or visit http://www.unitybank.com.