M&T Bank Opens New Advice & Guidance Center in Westhampton Beach

M&T Bank cut the ribbon on its new Advice & Guidance Center on Main Street in Westhampton Beach on Tuesday, September 12.

In a nod to the financial clout of East End residents and businesses, company executives pointed out that the center is the first of its kind for the bank, which significantly expanded its regional footprint on Long Island and across New England in 2022 with its $8.3 billion acquisition of People’s United. Designed to present a more upscale and personalized atmosphere than a traditional bank, the newly renovated space will offer concierge services in private modern meeting rooms. The center will be staffed by what the company describes as “premier senior relations bankers,” including business banking, mortgage and wealth management professionals.

“This is a really momentous occasion for M&T. I’ve been here for 26 years and I’ve seen us grow from a small community bank to a larger bank that kept its community feel,” said Jason Lipiec, M&T’s Long Island Regional President. “The point of this whole Advice & Guidance Center is that we tailor our product to what the community needs.”

“A facility like this enables us to take a whole different approach to banking,” added Stan Glinka, M&T’s VP/Director of Platinum and the new location’s Senior Branch Manager. “It’s a more relaxed environment, and it gives clients a chance to actually sit back and talk more about what their financial needs are and not feel like they’re on a time schedule.”

Glinka noted that the center, which the bank will operate in tandem with Wilmington Trust, M&T’s wealth management partner, will also be used extensively for community outreach and education, citing upcoming on-premises educational events with Northwell Health Center, the Suffolk County Bar Association and other organizations.

“One of the biggest things I want to get across today is that this facility will be used for the community. We’re out here to educate and empower” said Dan Shaughnessy, Practice Leader and Managing Director of Wilmington Trust, which was acquired by M&T in 2011. “This is incredibly exciting for us. It’s a way for us to show our commitment to the East End in a physical, tangible way. We want to show the business community, the nonprofit community and the families out here that we’re committed to supporting their needs, whether it’s mortgages, retail banking, commercial banking or wealth management.”

The bank’s commitment to community outreach was also evident at the ribbon-cutting. At the close of the ceremony, M&T presented a check for $10,000 to Clarke McCombe, executive director of the Gertrude and Leonard McCombe Foundation, a private Riverhead-based charitable organization that funds wellness and cancer treatment.

As he accepted the check on behalf of his foundation, McCombe recounted some of his family’s experiences after his mother was diagnosed with cancer — experiences that ultimately led to the founding of the organization.

The center is also home to an ample art gallery and exhibition space. The inaugural installation in the space features a series of works by East End artist Lynn Mara. Plans are to rotate in works by different local artists approximately every four months.

In addition to a full roster of corporate executives from M&T and Wilmington Trust, the event was attended by several local politicians, including Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming and Maria Moore, the Mayor of Westhampton Beach and a current candidate for Southampton Town Supervisor.

In brief remarks, Moore made it a point to mention her financial industry bona fides to a room overflowing with banking and wealth management executives.

“Some of you may not know that in another life, I was a bank attorney,” Moore pointed out. “For 20 years I was the regulatory in-house attorney for Emigrant Bank in New York City — so banks are near and dear to my heart, and I feel that we’re very fortunate to have not one but two M&T locations in our village.”

“We worked very hard to support the efforts of the Westhampton Beach Trustees and the Mayor in revitalizing this downtown.” added Fleming. “I’m so proud that the town of Southampton, the East End of Long Island, and specifically, the Village of Westhampton Beach is now home to this innovative approach to financial services.”

As attractive and inviting as the shiny new Advice & Guidance Center may be, clients need to know that a solid institution lies within its walls. In order to create that level of trust, M&T’s Jason Lipiec recommends keeping it simple:

“Do the basics of banking well,” Lipiec advises. “Don’t get out over your skies and do things that you don’t know and understand. Have clients understand that you’re here for the long run and that they can be comfortable that they’re dealing with the right institution.”

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