BUFFALO, N.Y.—M&T Bank marked the official completion of a $4 million renovation of its Center for Learning and Development in Buffalo, N.Y. with the cutting of a ceremonial ribbon. The 10,000-square-foot facility underwent a comprehensive redesign, allowing the company to double the learning environment to accommodate recent employee growth. 
 
“We are committed to the continued growth and development of our employees, so it is important to have a robust training center that is comfortable and inviting and also fosters curiosity and continuous learning,” said Janet Coletti, head of Human Resources at M&T Bank.
 
Located on the first floor of the company’s M&T Center building at One Fountain Plaza, the renovated center features five lecture classrooms, three of which can be combined to accommodate up to 200 people, equipped with modern video conferencing capabilities and free-floating desks to facilitate hands-on group work. Two computer labs, with 12 work stations each, were also added to the space.
 
An estimated 1,000 employees from across the company’s Northeast operations are expected to visit the center for leadership programs, professional training and departmental conferences each week—an increase of 48 percent over previous years.
 
The company offers 242 instructor-led in-person courses on subjects ranging from technology to customer service that employees can register to take at the facility, as well as 245 instructor-led webinar courses and more than 1,200 self-paced, web-based courses. In 2017, the company held more than 300 instructor-led courses in the previous five-room facility attended by more than 4,200 employee attendees, including a couple thousand out-of-town employees.
 
“We never miss an opportunity to show off the new Buffalo when our out-of-town colleagues come in for a visit,” said Lynne Kreiner, manager of Learning and Development Operations and Analytics at M&T Bank. “We encourage them to stay downtown, check out the restaurants and shops—we have a lot to offer.”
 
M&T Bank opened the Center for Learning and Development in 1994—when the company had just 3,200 employees in Western New York. Today, M&T Bank is a company of 17,000 professionals—including more than 7,000 in Western New York—with deep expertise on a wide variety of topics.
 
M&T Bank held a grand opening event on October 18, 2018, which included tours of the new facility. More than 100 individuals attended the grand opening, including employees and other invited guests.
 
About M&T 
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. Member FDIC.
 
Media Contact: 
Julia Berchou
(716) 842-5385
Jberchou@mtb.com