CBA Announces Atlantic Union Bank’s Maria Tedesco as New Board Chair

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Bankers Association’s (CBA) Board of Directors today elected Atlantic Union Bank President and Chief Operating Officer Maria Tedesco as 2026 Board Chair. Tedesco, a banking executive with more than three decades of industry experience, assumed the position following the successful tenure of Citizen Financial Group, Inc. President Brendan Coughlin who will remain on the Board as Immediate Past Chair.

CBA President and CEO Lindsey Johnson, Board Chair Maria Tedesco, and Immediate Past Chair Brendan Coughlin issued the following statements on the Board transition:

“Congratulations to Maria Tedesco on being elected as Board Chair, as well as to Immediate Past-Chair Brendan Coughlin for his strong leadership during a transformative year. Maria brings a deep commitment to serving consumers and supporting the retail banking industry at a time when the policy and regulatory environment remains highly complex. We are also extremely grateful for Brendan’s unwavering commitment to leading this industry, especially during such a pivotal time. In partnership with our Board and member banks, I am confident CBA will continue to drive progress on behalf of the millions of Americans our industry serves every day.” – CBA President and CEO Lindsey Johnson

“I am grateful to CBA’s Board of Directors for entrusting me with the role of Chair at such an important moment for our industry. Retail banking is central to the financial health of millions of hardworking Americans, and I look forward to working alongside my peers to ensure we continue to meet consumers’ evolving needs. CBA plays a critical role as the leading voice for America’s leading retail banks, and I am honored to help carry that mission forward. Together, we will continue advocating for common-sense policies that promote innovation, fairness, and access across the well-regulated banking system.” – Board Chair Maria Tedesco

“It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of CBA’s Board of Directors over the past year. During a period of change and challenge, our Board and America’s leading retail banks demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting consumers and strengthening the industry. Congratulations to Maria on stepping into this important role – I am confident she will provide outstanding leadership as we continue advancing CBA’s mission and driving the industry forward.” – Immediate Past Chair Brendan Coughlin

U.S. Bank’s Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer and Business Banking Products Arijit Roy was also elected as CBA Board Chair-Elect for the upcoming year. Tedesco, Coughlin, and Roy will comprise CBA’s Executive Committee.

About Maria Tedesco

Maria Tedesco is President and Chief Operating Officer of Atlantic Union Bank and leads all business lines, including consumer and commercial banking, treasury management, mortgage, wealth management, equipment finance, and all enterprise-wide support functions including technology, operations, marketing, digital strategy, product management, business line risk and customer experience.

Prior to Atlantic Union Bank, Maria was Chief Operating Officer for Retail at BMO Harris Bank based in Chicago and was responsible for retail products, segments, customer experience, indirect auto, consumer lending, small business lending, business banking strategy, channels and risk. Prior to that she served as Senior Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the Retail Bank at Santander Bank, N.A. where she was responsible for leading the US retail strategy and business channels, including branch network, online, mobile, investments, mortgage, call centers, ATMs, marketing, product marketing, customer experience and program management office. Before Santander, Maria spent 20 years at Citizens Financial Group, Inc. ultimately becoming Group Executive Vice President and Executive Director of Retail Banking and Business Banking for the company.

Maria was named one of Most Powerful Women in Banking Team Award by American Banker in 2012 and 2017. In 2015 and again in 2024, she was named one of the Most Powerful Women to Watch by American Banker. Maria was named one of the Bold Women of Richmond by Richmond Magazine in July of 2020. Most recently, named Virginia’s Leading Women in 2021 and received the 2024 Richmond YWCA Outstanding Women Award in Business.

She received an M.B.A, from Northeastern University and her B.S. from Ithaca College.

Maria is immediate past chair of ChamberRVA and is Chair-Elect of the Consumer Bankers Association. She serves on the board of directors of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Bankers Association. She serves on the Virginia Resource Authority board, chairing the Compliance Committee and sitting on the Portfolio Risk Committee. She is co-chair of the ABA Black Bankers ERG and is on the board of the Richmond Forum. Maria serves on the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee for the Workforce and Education Industry Council. She is also member of the Virginia Business Council and Greater Richmond Partnership.

About CBA’s Board of Directors

CBA's Board consists of senior retail banking executives at the nation’s leading financial institutions. In addition to announcing new leadership positions, the Board also reaffirmed CBA’s goals for the upcoming year, including:

• Participate with our members via our committees, the backbone of our organization;
• Advocate on behalf of our members and their customers with regulatory agencies and federal legislators; serve as the industry’s definitive resource for CFPB engagement, analysis and insight;
• Communicate broadly the vital services banks provide American consumers; and
• Educate the next generation of retail banking leaders.

To view CBA’s full list of Board Members, please click HERE.