Keith Mestrich is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Amalgamated Bank. The bank, a uniquely progressive institution headquartered in New York City with 14 branches in the metropolitan area, has $4 billion in commercial assets and operates a Trust and Investment Management business with over $40 billion of assets under management. Amalgamated Bank also maintains offices in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, and has a national customer base.
Mestrich brings with him 25 years of experience working with the bank’s core constituencies in the labor movement, non-profit advocacy groups, progressive philanthropy, and political organizations. He joined Amalgamated in June of 2012 and directed the bank’s Washington Region where he coordinated the bank’s operations.
In describing what makes the Amalgamated Bank such a special place, Mestrich explains:
We have a unique heritage. We were founded by a union of immigrants nearly a century ago and began as the bank for working people. We proudly enabled everyone to participate fully in our financial system and work towards achieving the American Dream. We pioneered free savings accounts, checking accounts, unsecured credit and second chance bank accounts for those people who had credit problems in the past.
We have a unique mission and vision. Our mission is to be the progressive bank for the progressive community. We want to create a financial institution specifically designed for organizations, companies and people who share a progressive vision of wanting to make an impact and a difference on society. Our customer base – which includes the Democratic Party, Hillary for America, leading campaign committees, thousands of labor unions, non-profits and foundations – are active, involved and committed to making our communities stronger, smarter, fairer, cleaner and safer. We are a bank that understands their needs, offers expert advice and guidance and ultimately, provides the financial solutions necessary to reaching their goals. By funding and investing in them, we help our customers reimagine, rebuild and reform society.
We have a unique culture. We’re as progressive-minded as our customers. We were the first bank to raise our wage to $15 an hour for all employees. When customers open accounts or use their debit cards, we contribute money to progressive organizations. We help fund affordable housing. We have advocated for paid sick leave, and fair wages. We volunteer and get involved in our community.
There are 6,000 banks in America, all with similar products and services. But we believe that we are the only one that truly understands, enables and celebrates the progressive community.
Prior to joining Amalgamated Bank, Mestrich served as the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief of Staff for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). In his capacity at SEIU, he also served as a trustee on three separate Taft-Hartley funds and on the Investment Committee for the SEIU Master Trust.
Mestrich is a 25-year veteran of the labor movement, beginning his career as a researcher at the AFL-CIO where he gained experience assisting unions on hundreds of organizing, bargaining and political campaigns. In 2002, he went to work for UNITE, the bank’s majority shareholder, where he served in various capacities including Director of Corporate Affairs, President of one of the union’s locals and Executive Assistant to the International President. Following the formation of Worker’s United, he was named the new union’s first Chief of Staff.
Mestrich is a Fellow of the inaugural class of the Finance Leaders Fellowship Program and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Roosevelt Institute, Democracy Alliance, Progressive Congress, Sidney Hillman Foundation, Capital and Main, The Workers Lab, Working America Education Fund, The Public Utility Law Project, Hot Bread Kitchen and the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition. He serves on the Advisory Boards of Girls Who Invest and The Patriotic Millionaires, is a Trustee on the Consolidated Retirement Fund, and was recently named one of Washington Life Magazine’s “Power 100” top influencers.
Mestrich received a degree in Political Science and Public Policy from Kalamazoo College where he graduated magna cum laude and was inducted as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and family.