COLUMBUS, OH / ACCESSWIRE / February 1, 2024 / Bringing nearly 20 years of commercial finance experience, Jonathan Smith joins Northwest Bank, a full-service financial institution offering a complete line of business and personal banking solutions, as executive vice president, head of SBA lending.

In this new position, Smith will oversee the continued growth of Northwest's SBA lending program and support the bank's other strategic business banking initiatives. He joins an experienced team of SBA lending specialists, currently led by Sales Manager Lindsay Cost.

"Jonathan brings a wealth of business development expertise to Northwest, and we look forward to further developing our SBA lending program under his leadership," said Jay DesMarteau, head of commercial banking. "Jonathan's appointment to this new role affirms Northwest's commitment to supporting small businesses and providing them with the resources they need to grow. He's the right leader to help us expand nationally."

Prior to joining Northwest, Smith served as vice president, senior loan officer at Live Oak Bank where he worked to expand the bank's SBA loan portfolio throughout New England. Smith has also held leadership roles at Harvest Small Business Finance, Northeast Bank, TD Bank and IFS Capital.

"I'm excited to leverage my previous banking and business development experience to lead Northwest's SBA lending program," said Smith. "I look forward to working alongside Northwest's highly skilled team of SBA lending experts to provide flexible financing solutions to meet the needs of small businesses across the bank's footprint."

Smith graduated from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts, and currently resides in New Hampshire with his wife and four daughters.

About Northwest

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. is the bank holding company of Northwest Bank. Founded in 1896 and headquartered in Warren, Pennsylvania, Northwest Bank is a full-service financial institution offering a complete line of business and personal banking products, as well as treasury management solutions and wealth management services. Northwest currently operates 134 full-service community banking offices and eight free standing drive-through facilities in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Indiana. The common stock of Northwest Bancshares, Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market ("NWBI"). Additional information regarding Northwest Bancshares, Inc. and Northwest Bank can be accessed on-line at www.northwest.com.

Contact: Melanie Clabaugh
(814) 728-7328
melanie.clabaugh@northwest.com
www.northwest.com

SOURCE: Northwest Bank