A Message from M&T Bank Chairman and CEO René Jones

Colleagues -

At M&T Bank, we stand in support of all people who experience hatred and violence based solely on who they are and, yet again, we find ourselves standing in shock, dismay and outrage. In times like these, I find myself reflecting on who we are and the work we do to make a difference in people’s lives. We are a community bank but we’re also a bank FOR communities—deeply committed to our customers and advocating on their behalf. We are, at our core, candid and compassionate. We speak up and refuse to stand down. 

We take pride in being there for our communities when they need us most and certainly now is one of those times. Being a bank that is truly for our communities means that our work isn’t limited to the occasional response to national events—no matter how troubling those events might be. No, our work—the work we do together on behalf of the communities we live in and the customers we represent—is and must be ongoing and enduring.

I think about the work we do to fund women and minority-owned businesses. I think about the investment we provide in affordable housing and community development. I think about the work we do to support schools. I think about the work we do to partner with cultural institutions.

And I think about you. M&T has always been a collection of causes—the aggregation of what’s important to each and every one of us and the communities we represent. In a time like this, when tensions are boiling, we need to focus on the work we do every day to make our communities better, more inclusive places—places that afford each and every person a basic dignity and respect no matter what they look like, where they come from or what they believe.

We’ve taken a hard look in the mirror over the last several months and asked ourselves what we can do better, what we can do differently. Tough, probing conversations fostered a sense of empathy and understanding that quickly turned into action with momentum. That work, like all that we do together, is gathering speed. 

The events of the past few days remind us that the historic patterns of systemic racism are not easily broken. I, for one, am tired—but not too tired to do something about it. I’m intensely proud of the way you represent our company in the places and spaces where we do business, and I will never stop thinking that together we can make an enormous difference.

 

René F. Jones

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer