Anthony S. Abbate presently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Interchange State Bank and Interchange Financial Services Corporation and Interchange State Bank whose headquarters are in Saddle Brook, NJ.

  Mr. Abbate has gained a widespread reputation as a dynamic leader in the financial services industry through his many involvements in industry organizations, both statewide and locally. As an articulate champion of community banking philosophies, he is a powerful lobbyist for banking interests having given testimony before the House Banking Sub-Committee and the New Jersey Assembly and Senate Banking Committees.

  In addition, he is regularly asked to address issues of banking and finance on such radio stations as WABC, WEVD and WOR as well as such television networks at CNN and CNBC. He has appeared on USA-TV Cable’s "Bloomberg Small Business," Cablevisions News 12, and is a frequent guest on the "Bill Bresnan Show" on WEVD.

  Mr. Abbate authored a number of articles including one in "Bank Director" magazine entitled: "Good Things Come in Small Packages," in which he discusses the current merger activities in the industry. He has also authored "From Image Building to Culture Shift at Interchange State Bank," published in the "Journal of Retail Banking Services," magazine (1996); "Interstate Banking: More Harm than Good," "American Banker" (1996); and "Our Foreclosure Laws are Broken and Should be Fixed," "Northern New Jersey Business" newspaper (1994).

  Since joining the bank in 1980 and becoming President and CEO in 1981, he has led the bank’s asset growth from $77 million to over half a billion and expanded to 12 branches in Bergen County. Interchange shares its primary and secondary areas with more than 500 banks, however, it has claimed 20% of the available market in those same areas.

  Mr. Abbate’s introduction of sales concepts through employee motivation and incentive programs and the formation of a marketing department were unique ideas in the early days of deregulation, and his new approach to promotion led to the creation of many new products. Mr. Abbate is most proud of the corporate culture he has developed at Interchange, specifically the sense among employees of a well-defined career path and the appreciation of their contributions.

  He attributes this success to strategic planning and highly analytical and administrative techniques which have consistently resulted in improved organizational effectiveness.

  His many accomplishments have repeatedly been documented in such banking industry publications as Independent Banker, Bank Management magazine and American Banker. In 1987, he received the IRIS Award of Excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators for an editorial appearing in the Record newspaper entitled: "Community Banking is Alive and Well." In addition, Mr. Abbate earned a place in a recently published banking book entitled: "High Performance in the ‘90s:" Leading the Strategic and Cultural Revolution in Banking," authored by banking consultant Cass Bettinger.

  In 1993 and 1996, he received a Bronze CEO of the Year Award from Financial World Magazine through a survey which named him as one of the nation’s three best bank CEOs for banks with $300 to $500 million in assets. In 1994 he was honored with the Ramapo College Foundation’s Distinguished Citizen’s Award. In May 1996, he was recognized by the Commerce & Industry Association of NJ’s Leadership Recognition of "Chairman’s Award." He was also recently named "Man of the Year" by the Saddle Brook Chapter of UNICO National. In 1997 he was named Banking and Finance Honoree by the Boy Scouts Bergen County Council.

  Mr. Abbate is serving, or has served, as: New Jersey state Director of the Independent Bankers Association of New Jersey (IBAA); Chairman of the IBAA’s Marketing Committee; member of the IBAA’s Long Term Planning & Policy Development Committees; Chairman of the Board of Commerce & Industry Association. He is past President of the Community Bankers Association of New Jersey; and past President of Pathways for Youth, NYC. Member of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, NYC, having served on a number of committees.

  Mr. Abbate attended the Southern Methodist University Program on Investments, the Bank Controllership Program at the University of Wisconsin and the American Institute of Banking.

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