First Bank CEO Among N.J.’s “Top 40 Under 40” in Business

HAMILTON, N.J. - Sept. 4, 2014 - PRLog -- Patrick L. Ryan, president, CEO and board member of First Bank (http://www.firstbanknj.com) in Hamilton, has been selected by NJBIZ Magazine as one of its 2014 “40 Under 40” top business people in the state.  The 39-year-old Mercer County resident and his co-honorees will be recognized at an awards banquet Sept. 29 at The Palace at Somerset Park, in Somerset.

40 Under 40 celebrates forty of New Jersey’s most accomplished young business men and women who have been making news in their fields and who share a commitment to business growth, professional excellence and the community, according to NJBIZ.  An independent panel of judges scored each nominee on four criteria: professional accomplishments, leadership, vision and community service.

As part of the investment group that recapitalized the bank through a $20 million infusion in November, 2008, Mr. Ryan has guided First Bank through significant growth, while fostering its hometown bank feel and embracing its local communities.  There are currently eight branches in New Jersey with a ninth in Cranbury to open later this year.  First Bank completed a $23 million public offering in November 2013 and trades on the NASDAQ Global market under the ticker symbol “FRBA.”

“I’m personally very proud to receive this honor, but I also see it as validation of First Bank’s success and our commitment to the communities we serve,” says Mr. Ryan.  “And for that, this is a group award for all of our employees too.”

Prior to First Bank, Ryan was in charge of strategic planning and corporate development for Yardville National Bank in Central Jersey.  A veteran of Goldman Sachs, Mr. Ryan also worked in corporate development for an Internet company called Medsite, and served as a consultant with Bain and Company in Boston, where he worked on private equity consulting projects as well as general growth strategy and cost control assignments.

Mr. Ryan is involved with several non-profit organizations including the Hamilton Partnership, the Mercer County 200 Club, the Robert Wood Johnson Hamilton Hospital Young Professionals Group, the Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick, the Community Bankers Association, the NJ Bankers Association, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.  He previously served on the Board of Trustees for the State Theatre in New Brunswick, N.J., on the Board of Directors at the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce and as a board member for the Middlesex County Workforce Investment Board.

A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., Ryan earned his MBA from DartmouthUniversity’s Tuck School of Business.  He lives in Pennington, N.J., with his wife Ashley and their three children, Liam, Lily and Quinn.

To view the entire list of 40 Under 40 honorees, visit http://www.njbiz.com

About First Bank

First Bank is a New Jersey, state-chartered bank. First Bank offers a traditional range of deposit and loan products to individuals and businesses throughout NJ and Eastern PA. First Bank's common stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "FRBA."  For more information, visit http://www.firstbanknj.com.