Marquette Savings Bank Announces CEO Successor
Erie, Pa., January 21, 2022 The board of trustees at Marquette Savings Bank has announced that Michael Edwards, the bank’s longtime chief executive officer of 20 years, will retire in July 2022. After an extensive process that included the engagement of a CEO succession firm, along with a review of national and internal candidates, the Marquette board of trustees has appointed the bank’s executive vice president and director of business banking, John Dill, to succeed Edwards.
“Marquette has enjoyed remarkable success under Michael Edwards over the last 20 years,” said Stephen Danch, chairman of the board of trustees at Marquette. “His ability to navigate the direction of the bank during tremendous changes in banking is a testament to his leadership. The process of finding a new CEO began more than two years ago. The board worked with Kaplan Partners, a national succession consulting firm, to identify critical-to-success attributes necessary to lead Marquette into the future. In addition to a result-driven track record and leadership qualities, the board valued local knowledge, alignment with the Marquette ‘hometown touch’ culture and community commitment. John Dill exceeded all our prerequisites.”
The CEO transition will begin April 1, 2022. At that time, Edwards will become CEO emeritus to assist in the leadership transition until he retires in July.
John Dill is no stranger to Marquette Savings Bank, having started his career there as an accountant in 1985. He rejoined the bank in 2017 as vice president of business banking after spending more than 21 years in commercial banking throughout our region. Since rejoining Marquette, Dill’s responsibilities have progressed from senior vice president of business banking to executive vice president, director of business banking. Most recently, John assumed oversight for the loan department in addition to his duties in business banking, becoming executive vice president, chief lending officer. During his tenure, the business banking book of business and personal loan volume have grown significantly, realizing a record-breaking year in 2021.
Dill’s expertise helped the bank attain national recognition for its ability to secure Paycheck Protection Program assistance for local businesses during the height of the pandemic, helping local businesses remain viable while retaining employees. “Throughout John’s tenure, he has demonstrated his ability to attract talented professionals, inspire teams, guide cross-functional departments and build business,” said Danch. “He brings a well-rounded set of skills necessary to continue the momentum Michael Edwards has achieved and to define the direction of the bank for the future.”
Edwards started his Marquette career in 1988 as an accountant at a time when the bank’s total assets were just over $217 million. He was promoted to vice president and controller during the 1990s and became CEO in 2002, succeeding longtime CEO Frank Vogt. Today, Marquette’s total assets are $1.2 billion, with 150 employees, and 12 locations in Erie and Crawford counties.
John Dill will assume duties as CEO on April 1, 2022. “I look forward to continuing the momentum Michael has established here at Marquette, and working toward attaining the goals and expectations the board has for our organization,” said Dill. “I am fortunate to be able to be a part of an organization with such a strong culture of customer commitment and the ability to make a difference right here in our community. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously.”