Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. completed its previously announced executive leadership transition. Effective immediately, Edward O. Handy, III has assumed the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation and the Bank, and Mark K.W. Gim has assumed the role of President and Chief Operating Officer. Their appointments follow the March 2nd retirement of Joseph J. MarcAurele as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Handy served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Washington Trust since November of 2013. In his new role, he leads a team of more than 600 employees dedicated to providing a full range of financial services, including commercial banking, mortgage banking, personal banking and wealth management and trust services through Washington Trust offices located throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Gim joined Washington Trust in September of 1993 and most recently served as Senior Executive Vice President of Wealth Management and Chief Strategy Officer.

Through his leadership of Washington Trust Wealth Management, from 2013 to 2017, wealth management assets under administration grew from $4.8 to $6.7 billion. In his new role, Gim is responsible for corporate strategic planning and daily operations of the Company's key business lines, including Retail Banking, Mortgage and Consumer Lending, and Wealth Management.