By Michael Souza
PBN Staff Writer

Mark Crandall has been regional president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island at The Toronto-Dominion Bank and TD Banknorth Inc., since Dec. 31, 2006. He also became regional president for Connecticut in April 2012.Crandall also serves as senior vice president of U. S. personal and commercial banking at TD Bank. He has served as an executive vice president and regional commercial-lending manager of TD Banknorth Inc. Crandall discusses TD Bank’s growth plans and its growing presence in Rhode Island.

PBN: What are your responsibilities as a regional president?

CRANDALL: I have direct responsibility for all of our stores, a total of 232 across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. That includes about 3,500 employees.

PBN: How has TD Bank fared in your region over the last year?

CRANDALL: If you have been in our stores or spoken with our people, then you know that our model is one of convenience. We’re open early in the morning and late at night, and on Saturdays and Sundays. We do everything we can to make the banking experience easier for our customers. People can access the bank any time of day or night.

That model has worked in helping us build our deposit base, and not just in this region. We are opening new stores and each one has either met or exceeded our expectations.

PBN: How have you fared with commercial customers?

CRANDALL: We continue to grow our commercial base even though competition has stiffened substantially over the last 12 months, as many banks are re-entering the market to rebuild their assets. For a while we were having things our way but now it’s a little more difficult. We have taken on more customers, with some of them leaving their old bank. We continue to take market share from other banks but the growth this year is probably less than last year.