BUFFALO, N.Y., Sept. 18, 2017 -- M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB) ("M&T") announced today that it is joining with nearly 300 other leading companies in signing the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion^TM, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.  

By signing this commitment, M&T is pledging to take action to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected and where employees feel encouraged to get involved and help lead the way in the company's diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts.

"At M&T, we want to be the best place our employees ever work.  We are intensely committed to providing all employees with an inclusive professional environment – an environment where individual differences are respected and valued and where all employees feel they belong. In making this pledge we are taking an important step forward to collaborate with other leading companies and engage in a richer dialogue to bring about tangible change -- the kind that can continue to move our company forward," said Robert G. Wilmers, M&T's Chairman and CEO.

The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion^TM is led by a committee of CEOs and leaders from Accenture, BCG, Deloitte US, The Executive Leadership Council, EY, General Atlantic, KPMG, New York Life, Procter & Gamble and PwC. The coalition represents nearly 70 industries, all 50 U.S. states and millions of employees globally. Each signatory committed to taking the following steps:

1. Foster workplaces to support open dialogue on diversity and inclusion.  Companies will create and maintain environments, platforms and forums where employees can learn more about each other's experience and perspectives.
2. Implement and expand unconscious bias education.  Companies will roll out or expand education to help employees recognize and minimize potential blind spots, to better facilitate more open and honest conversations within their companies. The initiative is making non-proprietary education modules available to other companies free of charge. This training will be live on the hub: CEOAction.com.
3. Share best practices.  Companies will learn from each other to evolve existing strategies. This will create accountability to track progress and share regular updates with each other.

The coalition of nearly 300 signatories has already shared more than 200 best practices, exchanging tangible learning opportunities and creating collaborative conversations. As part of that sharing, the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion^TM website includes a case study on M&T's Diversity Development program.

The first CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion^TM Summit will be held this November. Attendees will collaborate with one another to identify opportunities for greater employee engagement within their own programs, review best practices and mentor others on their journey.

For more information on the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion^TM, or to get involved, please visit CEOAction.com.

About M&T Bank
M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.

© 2017 M&T Bank. Member FDIC.

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