Chief Operating Officer recognized nationally for leading the bank’s largest-ever technology transformation.

PeoplesBank, a mutually chartered bank serving Western Massachusetts and Connecticut, announced that Aleda DeMaria, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, has been named to American Banker’s 2026 list of the Most Innovative People in Finance. The recognition honors DeMaria for leading the largest technology transformation in the bank’s history, replacing a decades-old core system with a modern, cloud-native banking platform.

DeMaria is one of just 50 executives nationwide named to the inaugural list, recognized alongside technology and innovation leaders from the country’s largest financial institutions—including JPMorganChase, Goldman Sachs, Citi, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley.

“Aleda is a builder. She has the rare ability to see where banking is headed and to bring an entire organization along with her,” said Brian Canina, President of PeoplesBank. “This recognition reflects not only her vision, but her insistence on getting the foundation right so we can deliver for our customers and our communities for generations to come. We could not be prouder to have her on our leadership team.”

Completed ahead of schedule for the $4.5 billion-asset institution, the core conversion enrolled more than 24,000 customers on its first day. The new platform positions PeoplesBank for a new generation of digital banking, with roughly 100 new initiatives already underway, including artificial intelligence and process automation. Over the past year, DeMaria led nearly 30 digital transformations spanning the bank’s core, consumer, and small-business systems.

“The passion for innovation has always been there in me. As a community banker, I was always looking for ways to do more for our customers—whether by better leveraging the technology we already had or finding new, accessible tools we could put to work,” said Aleda DeMaria, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at PeoplesBank. “My approach is to make sure the foundation is there before we build the house. We brought people into the hard conversations early, and that is how we get things done as successfully as we do.”

The transformation built on a foundation DeMaria helped establish in 2020, when PeoplesBank launched ZYNLO Bank, its first digital-only brand. ZYNLO has since grown to close to $300 million in deposits and over 15,000 customers nationwide, serving as the proof of concept for modernizing the entire bank.

“Now that the foundation is in place, we’re able to pursue goals we simply couldn’t reach before—leveraging AI, faster payments, and new technology to better serve our customers,” DeMaria added. “2026 is a defining year for PeoplesBank.”

More about the bank’s leadership team is available on the PeoplesBank leadership team page. American Banker’s full Most Innovative People in Finance 2026 ranking can be found at americanbanker.com.

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About PeoplesBank: PeoplesBank is a leader in innovation, corporate responsibility, environmental sustainability, and employee engagement. Our three LEED-certified offices are environmentally friendly, and we have financed over $350 million in wind, hydroelectric, and solar energy projects.

As a community bank, we have a unique ability to help the communities we serve through volunteer efforts and millions of dollars in donations to charitable and civic causes.

PeoplesBank is a mutual bank and therefore is responsible to our depositors, our employees, and the community. This organizational structure allows us to focus on the long-term viability of the bank and the best interests of our customers. We currently have 20 banking centers located in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Media Contact

Matthew Bannister, Senior Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Sponsorships

413.493.8704

mbannister@bankatpeoples.com