Five Star Bank doubles down on Rochester with new regional president

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Five Star Bank is strengthening its presence in the Rochester market with the addition of a newly created Rochester regional president position, part of a broader restructuring of the bank’s commercial banking operations.

Patrick Keating, a long-time banking executive with ties to the region, has been appointed to the new role.

He leads Five Star’s efforts across Greater Rochester and the Southern Tier, serving as the local face of the bank at a time when businesses seek stability and guidance amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

“There’s a need right now for banking partners that are visible, local and responsive to community needs,” Keating said. “Larger banks may have other priorities, but this region is Five Star’s priority.”

Keating, who joined Five Star in 2013 as vice president of commercial banking, most recently served as the Western New York regional president. He brings nearly 20 years of industry experience, including time with M&T Bank, and is known for his client-first approach and deep knowledge of the regional business landscape.

Based at Five Star Bank Plaza in downtown Rochester, Keating will be responsible for driving commercial growth in the region, while also supporting expansion of the company’s retail banking, wealth and municipal offerings.

His oversight includes commercial lending, treasury management and merchant services, in addition to helping connect business owners to wealth management, retail banking and residential mortgage solutions, and supporting banking services for municipalities, local governments and school districts.

The bank’s local footprint includes eight branches in Rochester and its suburbs, and 26 branches across Greater Rochester and the Southern Tier. Keating anticipates growth in the bank’s local workforce, highlighting a robust internship-to-career pipeline aimed at attracting new talent.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, Keating also plans to expand his involvement with local nonprofit organizations.

The new leadership role comes as Five Star Bank’s parent company, Financial Institutions Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI), has been undergoing a strategic restructuring to sharpen its focus on core services.

That effort has included streamlining operations, investing in commercial banking capabilities and exiting non-core business lines.

In 2024, the company announced the sale of its insurance subsidiary, SDN Insurance Agency LLC, in a $27 million all-cash deal with NFP Property & Casualty Services Inc. It also began an orderly wind-down of its Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) offerings.

To further support growth, Financial Institutions completed an underwritten public offering late last year, raising approximately $95 million.

CEO Martin Birmingham said at the time that the proceeds will be used to strengthen the company’s balance sheet, expand lending capacity and position the bank for long-term performance.

As of June 30, Financial Institutions had roughly $6.1 billion in assets and continues to focus on growing its community banking franchise and wealth management services through Five Star Bank and Courier Capital LLC.

“Everything we’re doing is designed to make us more responsive and more effective in serving our communities,” Keating said.

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