The Huntington National Bank Announces Retirement of Raj Syal, Chief Human Resources Officer; Sarah Pohmer Joins as Successor

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Mar 13, 2024, 08:30 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Huntington National Bank ("Huntington") today announced that Raj Syal, Chief Human Resources Officer, will retire Oct. 1, 2024, and will be succeeded by Sarah Pohmer, effective May 6.

A native of Alberta, Canada, Syal's 37-year career began with TD Bank in a number of consumer banking and sales roles, where a temporary assignment in HR turned into a career of increasing leadership responsibilities for HR teams across Canada and the United States. Syal was ultimately appointed as Head of HR supporting TD's US wholesale businesses in New York City. In 2006, Syal joined Bank of America and became Head of HR for Global Fixed Income. Prior to joining Huntington in 2015, he was Chief Human Resources Officer for Markit, a financial information services business that is now part of S&P Global.

"In his nine-year career at Huntington, Raj has made a lasting impact, driving a colleague-centric culture that has become a differentiator for us," said Steve Steinour, Huntington's chairman, president, and CEO. "Raj's depth of experience has been instrumental as we prioritized colleagues through two bank mergers and numerous other growth initiatives. During his tenure, Huntington has received notable external recognition by Fortune, Vault, the Association for Talent Development, and Workday for our colleague program development, all while welcoming thousands of new colleagues to the Bank. On behalf of our board of directors, I thank him for his years of service to our colleagues, customers, and communities. His accomplishments will continue to resonate throughout our Company for years to come."

"As I look back on my time with Huntington, I am grateful for the opportunity and life-long friendships I leave with, but also extremely proud of the many achievements the human resources team and leaders of the Bank have delivered together. I am honored to have been able to support our colleagues and partner with our Executive Leadership Team for the last 9+ years," said Syal.

"I am pleased to welcome Sarah to Huntington," Steinour continued. "Sarah brings a deep understanding of the dynamics of human resources in a financial institution, while supporting large and complex businesses on a global scale. She has a natural passion to look out for others and is the ideal leader to take our cultural and colleague experience journey to the next level; she is a very strong addition to the Executive Leadership Team."

Pohmer was previously with JPMorgan Chase for 24 years, most recently in the role of Managing Director, Head of Human Resources for the Consumer Bank. Prior to that role, she was Head of Human Resources for Cards and Connected Commerce, and, previously, Head of Human Resources for Business Banking and Staff Functions. Sarah obtained a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Dayton and a Master of Arts in Organization Psychology from Columbia University.

"I am thrilled to be joining Huntington to work with such a talented group of executives and colleagues," said Pohmer. "Together, I am confident we will advance our strong cultural and colleague experience journey to new heights. As a long-time central Ohio resident, I have long admired Huntington as a brand that stands out for serving our colleagues, customers, and communities."

About Huntington
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (Nasdaq: HBAN) is a $189 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1866, The Huntington National Bank and its affiliates provide consumers, small and middle‐market businesses, corporations, municipalities, and other organizations with a comprehensive suite of banking, payments, wealth management, and risk management products and services. Huntington operates approximately 1,000 branches in 11 states, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Visit Huntington.com for more information.

SOURCE Huntington National Bank