IDB Bank Taps Robert Plante to Drive Information Systems Strategy

As IDB's new EVP and CIO, banking veteran Robert Plante will be responsible for the technical strategy, innovation and engineering of the bank's information systems network.

Finding a CIO who is a good fit for a bank isn't always an obvious decision. When IDB Bank ($9.1 billion in assets) needed to fill the vital position, however, it landed an industry-recognized technology leader to head its IT operations: banking veteran Robert Plante.

The New York-based community bank named Plante EVP and CIO at the end of February. He will be responsible for the technical strategy, innovation and engineering of IDB's information systems network.

Plante brings 25 years of experience to IDB. Most recently, Plante was EVP and CIO of global finance company CIT Group, where he oversaw IT strategic planning and executive and service delivery for the firm's business units. Plante's past efforts at CIT resulted in the firm receiving recognition among the InformationWeek 500 2003 ranking of the most innovative companies employing IT in their businesses. [InformationWeek also is a TechWeb property.]

"[Plante] brings a tremendous wealth of experience to IDB," IDB Bank president and CEO Reuven Spiegel said in a release. "His appointment underscores the value we place on leveraging technology to uncover tremendous business opportunities while managing the IT complexities to support today's banking demands."