MIAMI LAKES, Fl– BankUnited, Inc. announced that Rajinder P. Singh, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, will succeed John A. Kanas, the Company’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, as President and CEO effective January 1, 2017. Kanas will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Singh, along with Kanas, was one of the founding organizers of the Company in 2009, and has been instrumental in driving the turnaround and growth of the Company.
“Raj has been a proven partner of mine and I am excited about and proud to see him step into his new role,” said Kanas. “With his operational and managerial skills, strategic vision and dedication, he is the ideal person to be at the helm of this company. Under Raj’s leadership, BankUnited will continue to build upon its reputation as a premier financial institution.”
Singh commented, “I am honored to assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer in 2017. I look forward to working closely with the Board, our senior management team and our dedicated and hard-working employees as we continue to execute the strategy that has been instrumental to the Company’s success over the last several years, building a growing, profitable, safe and sound institution.”
Replacing Singh as Chief Operating Officer will be Thomas M. Cornish, who currently serves as the bank’s President, Florida region
Singh has served on our Board since July 2013, and one of the founding organizers of our Company. He has been our Chief Operating Officer since October 2010, and prior to that, he served as our Head of Mortgage Banking and Corporate Development since May 2009.
From April 2008 to May 2009, Singh led the financial services practice of WL Ross & Co., a private equity firm and one of the original investors in the Company. From December 2006 through April 2008, Singh served as Executive Vice President for Capital One’s banking segment which includes retail, small business and commercial banking businesses in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Louisiana and Texas and a national direct deposit gathering franchise. Previously, he served as Head of Corporate Strategy and Development for North Fork from February 2005 to December 2006. During his tenure, North Fork was acquired by Capital One for $13.2 billion. Prior to joining North Fork in February 2005, Singh spent nine years at FleetBoston Financial Corporation and last served as Managing Director of Corporate Strategy and Development.
Singh earned his M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and his B.S. in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi.
