After 40 years in commercial banking, Brendan J. Dugan decided to return to his alma mater, St. Francis College, as President in 2008. He had served as Chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees before that, and as a member of the Board for 15 years.
Mr. Dugan’s last banking position was Chairman & CEO of Sovereign Bank’s Metro NY/NJ Division. Sovereign had recently acquired Independence Bank where Mr. Dugan served as a senior executive since 2003. Prior to joining Independence, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Citibank Commercial Markets (2001-2003), President of European American Bank (1991-2001) and President and Chief Executive Officer of NatWest USA (1974-1991).
While at each of these institutions, Mr. Dugan helped develop and manage the implementation of growth strategies in the areas of Commercial and Retail Banking, Leasing and Real Estate Lending. Mr. Dugan is also a Director of Cox and Company, a manufacturer of aerospace parts for military and civil applications.
Reflecting a commitment to community involvement, Mr. Dugan is a board member of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities and the Futures in Education Endowment Fund. He also serves on the Finance Council of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.
In the past he was active with the New York Bankers Association and was a member of its Board of Directors and Legislative Policy Committee. In June 2009, Mr. Dugan was inducted into the Pontifical Order of the Knights of St. Gregory the Great by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
Other community organizations bestowing honors upon him in the past include the Greater Jamaica Development Corp., the Anti Defamation League of B’Nai Brith, Helen Keller Services for the Blind, the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, the American Jewish Congress, Neighborhood Housing Services, Good Shepherd Services, Touro Law School, St. Francis College, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, The Boy Scouts of America, and Brooklyn Legal Services Corp.