Provident Bank elevated Anthony Labozzetta to president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1.

He was previously director, president and chief operating officer of Provident Bank, as well as for Provident Financial Services Inc., the holding company for bank.

Labozzetta succeeds longtime CEO and Chairman Christopher Martin, who now assumes the role of executive chairman and will continue to provide guidance and leadership to the board.

Labozzetta joined Provident in late 2020 through the merger with SB One Bank, where he served as president and CEO.

“During his tenure as Provident’s President and COO, Tony has proven himself to be an advocate for elevating both the customer and employee experience. His philosophy is rooted in Provident’s vision, mission, and guiding principles,” said Martin in a statement. “I speak for everyone when I say that I am fully confident in Tony’s abilities and he is more than ready to build upon Provident’s strong foundation,” he added.

“Our goal for the bank is to take it to the next level by advancing our efforts to provide a fulfilling experience for our employees, and delivering on our commitment to create deep emotional connections with our customers and increase shareholder value,” said Labozzetta. “I look forward to continuing to work with Chris, the Board, and Provident’s executive leadership team to execute our strategic objectives.”

At SB One Bank, Labozzetta led the organization through two successful mergers and expanded its footprint to 18 locations throughout New Jersey and New York.

Prior to SB One, he was an executive vice president at TD Banknorth and TD Bank, and before that, senior executive vice president and COO with Interchange Financial Services.

Labozzetta was previously recognized as one of America’s Business Leaders in Banking by Forbes and as American Banker’s Community Banker of the Year.