Valley Bank Strengthens Leadership Team to Accelerate Partner Banking, Digital Innovation, and Customer Care

Valley National Bank, a subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp announced the appointment of three senior leaders: Rodrigo Suarez as Head of Partner Banking, Stephen Schroth as the Head of Digital & Assisted Channels, and Ed Montesdeoca to lead Customer Care & Strategy. Together, these appointments underscore Valley’s continued investment in innovation, customer experience and digital transformation.

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Partner Banking is a key component of Valley’s long-term growth strategy, enabling the Bank to collaborate with fintechs, technology platforms, and financial services innovators to deliver integrated banking solutions. In his new role, Suarez will lead Valley’s partner banking strategy, overseeing fintech partnerships, embedded banking solutions, and payment platforms designed to support innovation-driven companies and unlock new sources of growth.

Suarez brings extensive experience building and scaling partner banking platforms. Most recently, he was Chief Banking Officer at Piermont Bank, where he built the Bank’s payments, fintech partnerships, and embedded banking business from inception into a platform generating hundreds of millions of dollars in deposits and billions in payment volume. Under his leadership, Valley will continue expanding its partner banking capabilities with a focus on scalable infrastructure, compliant innovation, and durable partnerships aligned with Valley’s relationship-driven approach.

“Rodrigo brings a rare combination of strategic vision, operational rigor, and deep expertise in partner banking and embedded finance,” said Russell Barrett, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “As we continue to evolve our business model, his leadership will help us scale thoughtfully, strengthen our platform, and create sustainable, long-term value for Valley and our partners.”

Schroth brings more than 25 years of banking experience and deep expertise in digital product strategy, channel management, and experience design. He will be responsible for driving a cohesive, end-to-end digital and assisted channel experience for Valley’s customers. Schroth previously served as Executive Vice President & Head of Consumer Digital at KeyBank before founding Key Design Studio, the Bank’s first in-house human-centered design and innovation studio.

Montesdeoca brings more than 25 years of experience transforming and scaling operations for financial institutions, with a strong focus on customer experience and strategic execution. He will lead Valley’s customer care and strategy efforts, delivering exceptional customer experiences through strong service quality and operational discipline. He joins Valley from Capital One, where he served as National Service Executive for their Retail Bank and U.S. Card businesses, leading a global team of more than 5,000 associates. At Capital One, he also enabled the organization’s first generative AI initiatives within contact center operations to enhance automation and optimize customer journeys.

“Stephen and Ed bring deep expertise, fresh perspectives, and a strong track record of execution,” said Patrick Smith, Senior Executive Vice President and President of Consumer Banking. “Their leadership will help us elevate how we serve our customers, strengthen our capabilities across digital and service channels, and continue delivering on Valley’s promise of relationship banking.”

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