11.07.25

M&T Eschews Temptation of National Presence

by: Caitlin Mullen

M&T Bank is rejecting the trend of pursuing national scale, choosing instead to focus on dominating its existing markets along the East Coast. At the BancAnalysts Association of Boston conference, CEO René Jones emphasized the challenges of maintaining culture and consistent decision-making across a wider footprint, though the bank remains open to strategic acquisitions that strengthen its regional position. With $211 billion in assets and 960 branches, M&T is investing heavily in technology, tripling its tech spending over eight years, insourcing most IT functions and building a team of around 1,000 engineers. The bank is prioritizing system resiliency, data integrity and effective use of vendor-provided AI to enhance operations.

Read the full article on Banking Dive