In his new position, Mr Kirby will oversee each of NewAlliance Bank's primary lines of business, retail banking, business banking, trust services and NewAlliance Investments. He will report directly to NewAlliance chairman and CEO Peyton Patterson.

Mr Kirby joins NewAlliance after 24 years with SunTrust Bank. Over the course of his tenure with SunTrust, he gained broad management experience and deep business line expertise. In his most recent role, he was corporate executive vice president, responsible for the retail banking line of business, the commercial line of business, consumer product management, call center operations and corporate marketing.

Previously, Mr Kirby oversaw all facets of SunTrust's eBusiness strategy, including internet marketing, product development, website content and all web-based services.

Ms Patterson said: "Gene is an extraordinary banker, so it is with great enthusiasm that we welcome him to the NewAlliance team. Throughout his career, Gene has consistently demonstrated the ability to develop forward-looking business strategies and drive bottom line growth."

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