Financial Services >> CEO Interviews >> December 3, 2002

Jay Sidhu – Soveriegn Bancorp Inc (sov)

Sidhu, Jay
Jay Sidhu is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Customers Bancorp, Inc. Only a few years after his widely publicized departure from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania-based Sovereign Bancorp, Mr. Sidhu returned to banking. In 2009, backed by a group of investors, many from his Sovereign days, Mr. Sidhu acquired New Century Bank, an ailing $265-million institution only miles away from Sovereign Bancorp’s offices. In four years the bank, renamed Customers Bancorp, Inc., has grown into a $4 billion institution and tripled its branch network. Mr. Sidhu says the bank is focused on low-risk, high-return investments, and giving larger institutions a run for their money on customer service. Profile
TWST: Can we start with an overview of Sovereign Bancorp and how

you see the company today?

Mr. Sidhu: Our company is a $40 billion bank holding company with

over a 10-year track record of