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Chris Ward

EVP, Head of the Business Banking Sales

Chris Ward is executive vice president and head of Business Banking sales at Citizens Bank, one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions. Ward oversees more than 390 colleagues and is responsible for end-to-end business sales with annual revenues up to $25 million across the 11 states in Citizens’ New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions.Ward is a 25–plus-year veteran of the financial services industry. Prior to joining Citizens, he served at BBVA as executive vice president and global director of the small and medium enterprise segment (small business banking). Prior to that, he was BBVA Compass’ U.S. franchise’s small business segment director. He has also held leadership positions in retail banking and consumer lending.Ward earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida Atlantic University. He continued his education at the Consumer Banker Association’s Graduate School of Retail Bank Management, the BBVA/IESE Business School Corporate Management Program in Spain, the Center for Creative Leadership’s Looking Glass 360/Leading for Organizational Change program and the BBVA/Babson College Entrepreneurial Strategies for Growth in Madrid, Spain.