Griffiths to take helm at yearend as
Greg Dufour retires after nearly two
decades as President and CEO
CAMDEN,
Maine, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of
Directors of Camden National Corporation (NASDAQ: CAC) and its
wholly owned subsidiary, Camden National
Bank (together, "Camden National" or the "Bank"), today
announced the appointment of Simon
Griffiths, age 50, as the successor to current President and
Chief Executive Officer, Gregory
Dufour, age 63, effective December
31, 2023.
Griffiths will join Camden National on or around November 20, 2023, as Executive Vice President
& Chief Operating Officer. He will become President and
CEO of Camden National, as well as a member of the Board of
Directors of each organization, effective January 1, 2024. Dufour will remain with Camden
National as an advisor for several months following his retirement
on December 31, 2023.
"It is a great privilege for me to join Camden National during a
time that holds great opportunity for growth with an organization
so deeply rooted in the communities it serves," said Griffiths. "I
am committed to maintaining the award-winning culture and customer
service fostered during Greg's distinguished leadership. I look
forward to working closely with Greg, alongside an outstanding
leadership team, Board of Directors, and employees who are all
dedicated to delivering for customers, communities, and
shareholders."
Griffiths most recently served as Executive Vice President -
Head of Core Banking at Citizens Bank, managing the retail and
business banking channels, including nearly 1,100 branches,
commercial real estate, deposit and checking business, and new
market expansion. He joined Citizens Bank in 2015 from Santander Bank, where he served as Executive
Vice President, Managing Director Retail Network. Griffiths started
his banking career at Washington Mutual Bank in 2002, which was
acquired by JP Morgan Chase in 2008, earning a Six Sigma Black Belt
and rising swiftly through the bank over his 12-year tenure,
gaining significant leadership responsibilities in operations and
sales and service, with increasing market manager leadership.
Griffiths received his Bachelor of Laws at the University of
Sheffield in England. He became a board member of Invest in
Girls in 2019, which merged with the Council for Economic
Education, where he now serves on the Invest in Girls Program
Advisory Committee and actively volunteers with Minds Matter.
Griffiths, who has a seasonal home in Hancock County, Maine, will relocate with his
family to Maine to join Camden
National.
"It has been an honor to serve as Camden National's President
and CEO," said Dufour. "In my 22 years with Camden National, I have
been fortunate to work with a great team of fellow employees and
our Board of Directors in serving our customers, communities,
shareholders, and each other. I am delighted that our Board
of Directors has selected a successor with deep experience and
commitment to guide the Bank into the future. I look forward to
working closely with Simon and the executive team to ensure a
smooth transition."
Dufour joined Camden National as Senior Vice President of
Finance in 2001 before being named President of Camden National Bank in 2004 and President and
Chief Executive Officer of Camden National Corporation on
January 1, 2009. Under his
leadership, Camden National Bank has
grown total assets from just over $2
billion to $5.7 billion and
strategically expanded throughout Maine with over 57 banking centers and three
loan production offices located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Over
the years, Dufour has served Camden National's communities as a
member of the Board of Trustees of Coastal Healthcare Alliance and
MaineHealth, where he served as Chair of the Board of Trustees from
2020 to 2022, and various other community and industry
organizations. He also played a critical role in establishing
Camden National's Hope@Home program providing vital funding to
local homeless shelters and spearheading the Bank's Horizons
leadership development programs.
The appointment of Griffiths is the culmination of an extensive
CEO succession planning process led by Lawrence Sterrs, Chair of the Board of
Directors. A special committee of the Board, comprised of
independent directors, oversaw CEO succession planning, assisted by
a nationally recognized executive recruiting firm.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Greg for
his tremendous contributions and for stewarding Camden National
through sustainable disciplined growth and purpose, highlighted by
outstanding performance, superior customer experience, and
commitment to our communities over the last two decades," said
Sterrs. "We remain committed to our strategic direction and
communities. Simon is an exceptional leader and a seasoned banker
with a history of delivering results through a strong focus on
operational excellence, talent development, and digital
transformation. We are also delighted that Simon has firsthand
knowledge of our local communities."
ABOUT CAMDEN NATIONAL CORPORATION
Camden National Corporation (NASDAQ®: CAC) is the largest
publicly traded bank holding company in Northern New England with
$5.7 billion in assets and was
proudly listed as one of the Best Places to Work in Maine for the past three years. Founded in
1875, Camden National Bank is a
full-service community bank dedicated to customers at every stage
of their financial journey. With 24/7 live phone support, 57
banking centers, and additional lending offices in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Camden
National Bank offers the latest in digital banking,
complemented by award-winning, personalized service. To learn more,
visit CamdenNational.bank. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
Comprehensive wealth management, investment, and financial
planning services are delivered by Camden National Wealth
Management.
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SOURCE Camden National Corporation
