Merchants Trust Co. gets new president

© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Merchants Bank has announced that Robert G. Ripley Jr. has joined Merchants Trust Co. as president.

With 30 years of experience in financial services, including wealth management, portfolio management and trust operations, Ripley comes to Merchants Trust from State Street Bank and Trust where he was a division vice president.

Founded in 1870, Merchants Trust Co. manages investments and administers trusts and is a division of Merchants Bank, which is the only statewide, independent bank headquartered in Vermont. The bank has branches in Springfield and Manchester as well as ATMs in Bellows Falls and Wallingford.

“Bob is a seasoned banking and trust professional, with decades of expertise in wealth management and trust services,” said Merchants Bank President and CEO Geoffrey Hesslink. “We are thrilled to have him leading the next phase of Merchants Trust’s growth.”

In addition to State Street Bank, Ripley has also served as executive vice president at Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank.  He holds a BS in Accounting from Bentley University, an MST from Bryant University and a MBA from Nichols College.