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Customers Bank Chairman and CEO Jay Sidhu Honored as Penn State Berks Graduation Commencement Speaker


Wyomissing, Pa (May 6, 2019) – Jay Sidhu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Customers Bancorp, Customers Bank and BankMobile, was honored to offer the commencement address to Penn State Berks graduates and their families on Saturday, May 4.

As a very successful and prominent business leader and recipient of numerous industry awards and accolades, Sidhu highlighted lessons he has learned in his own career and encouraged students to make their mark in the community and in the world.

Speaking to the students, Sidhu said “. . . to be successful in life, you must have a vision or a dream and a plan to achieve that vision. I believe that the future is not something we just enter. The future is something, with God’s help, we create. You must visualize and dream this future. If you don’t know what you want, mediocrity is what you will get.”

Sidhu also provided guidance and encouragement to the students through examples from his own journey to success. “There were … numerous obstacles along the way. From time to time, things looked hopeless, and I’m sure you will experience that too. But persistence and drive to achieve the vision, fortunately, does prevail to those who never ever give up,” stated Sidhu.

“Students are full of vibrant energy. They’re at the beginning of their careers and full of hope to apply their talents and abilities to create positive changes in the world,” stated Sidhu. “It’s very important to let them know that everyone at some point has faced hurdles and failure in their career. The important kernel to carry through life is how you learn from both your and others struggles and how those moments help you achieve greatness.”

Customers Bank, with offices spanning from Washington, DC to Portsmouth, NH and westward to Chicago employs about 750 team members. Increasingly, the Bank is hiring developers and technology professionals to support its digital transformation.

Customers Bank is a generous contributor to education at all levels and workforce development efforts throughout its footprint.

Sidhu is a 1973 graduate of the Wilkes University M.B.A. program. In 2004, Wilkes University founded the Jay S. Sidhu School of Business and Leadership in his name, combining a strong core business education with the development of skills for authentic leadership and ethical business practices. The School offers degree programs for undergraduate and graduate students.

The full text of Sidhu’s speech can be found on his LinkedIn page at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/class-2019-4-keys-success-jay-sidhu/

About Customers Bank
Customers Bank is a super-community bank with $10.1 billion in assets as of March 31, 2019, offering commercial and consumer banking services along the I-95 corridor from Washington, DC to Boston; and in Chicago. Commercial products include cash management; commercial and industrial loans; small business loans; SBA government-guaranteed loans; commercial and multi-family real estate loans; and financing for leasing businesses and residential developers.

Customers Bank provides consumer banking services including savings, checking, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit; residential mortgages; and consumer loans. Additional consumer products include “BankMobile Vibe online banking,” marketed by the BankMobile Division and “Ascent Money Market Savings,” marketed by the Customers Bank Digital Banking Division.

Customers Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Customers Bank is an equal opportunity lender. Customers Bank takes pride in delivering extremely high levels of customer service while charging comparatively very low fees; service that makes our clients say, “Wow.”

Commercial clients enjoy Single Point of Contact service with one team to handle all banking needs. Retail bank clients are afforded Concierge Banking® Services that brings banking to them, when and where they need it.

Customers Bank, with its headquarters located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, is a subsidiary of Customers Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company. The voting common shares of Customers Bancorp, Inc. are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CUBI.