NEW YORK, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sovereign Bank Executive Vice President Jasbir Chopra has been named Managing Director of Business Banking for Sovereign's Metro NY-NJ Division.

"This new position reflects the bank's expanded commitment to the region's business community," said Metro Division Chairman & CEO Brendan J. Dugan. "Under Jasbir's leadership this initiative will result in new and improved products and services for emerging companies as Jasbir Chopra applies his 30 years of diverse commercial banking experience."

Chopra said, "Providing the region's businesses with a focused blend of retail and commercial banking products will enable us to provide better resources for the growth of the region's promising companies and talented entrepreneurs."

Chopra, who will continue to serve as Chief Administrative Officer for the Metro NY-NJ Division, became part of Sovereign when the bank acquired Independence Community Bank, which he had joined in 2004.

Previously, he was Executive Vice President for the Commercial Markets Group at Citibank (and formerly EAB) where he formulated the strategic direction, organizational structure and business plans for launching new initiatives for small and middle-market business. Prior to this he was with Fleet and NatWest Bank where he was Head of the International Division. He started his banking career in 1978 as a trainee with National Bank of North America in New York.

A resident of Syosset, N.Y., Chopra graduated from City College School of Engineering and received his M.B.A. in International Business from CUNY's Baruch College.

About Sovereign

Sovereign Bancorp, Inc., ("Sovereign") SOV, is the parent company of Sovereign Bank, a financial institution with $87 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, 2007 with principal markets in the Northeast United States. Sovereign Bank has 750 community banking offices, over 2,300 ATMs and approximately 12,000 team members. Sovereign offers a broad array of financial services and products including retail banking, business and corporate banking, cash management, capital markets, wealth management and insurance. Sovereign is the 18th largest banking institution in the United States. For more information on Sovereign Bank, visit < http://www.sovereignbank.com > or call 1-877-SOV-BANK.

Sovereign Bank is a registered trademark of Sovereign Bank or its affiliates or subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

Source: Sovereign Bank