Inside DCG

George K. Darling, Chief Executive Officer

George is the Chief Executive Officer of Darling Consulting Group (DCG), a firm that provides comprehensive business solutions to financial institutions, primarily in the areas of Balance Sheet Management and Strategic Planning.

George’s professional experience includes: thirty years with his own company, two years as a senior executive with a $2 billion financial institution, two years with a Big Five Accounting firm and ten years with IBM. He is a nationally-recognized resource for assisting financial institutions in the areas of interest rate risk management, liquidity management and capital planning.

George is a contributing editor to the monthly Bank Asset/Liability Management newsletter, and a co-author of The Business of Banking for Bank Directors published by Robert Morris Associates. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Matthew D. Pieniazek, President

Matt is the President of Darling Consulting Group (DCG), working nationwide with financial institutions in the areas of asset liability management, capital management, strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition to assisting in the development of solutions for earnings enhancement and risk mitigation, Matt is active in helping institutions manage through the rigors of the current economic and regulatory environments. He is also a frequent speaker and author on balance sheet management topics.

Prior to his 20 years with DCG, Matt was an Audit Manager and Consultant at KPMG Peat Marwick. He has his MBA from the University of Chicago, and a BBA in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame.

James D. Brown, Principal

A Principal of Darling Consulting Group (DCG), Jim works with financial institutions around the country to provide asset liability management advisory services. In addition to serving as a senior consultant, Jim mentors the firm’s newest advisors and senior financial analytics staff. His years of experience working with a diverse group of financial institutions at DCG enable him to act as a key resource for the team members who form the backbone of the firm’s balance sheet management services.

Prior to joining DCG’s predecessor company in 1981, Jim worked in both the commercial credit and operations areas of a major international bank. He holds a BA in Economics from Haverford College.

Michael J. Carney, Jr., Principal

Working with a broad range of clients, Mike provides advisory services in the areas of asset liability management, strategic planning, budgeting and capital management. Mike has written and spoken for trade associations/publications on such topics as balance sheet management, selecting asset liability management software and preparing for regulatory exams. Working at DCG since 1983, he has installed and supported modeling systems for more than 300 financial institutions, and he formerly directed DCG’s financial analysis staff, overseeing the preparation of balance sheet models, reports and analyses for banks, thrifts and credit unions.

Mike is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.

Frank L. Farone, Managing Director

Frank consults nationwide with CEOs and CFOs of banks to increase earnings through the proactive management of capital, liquidity/funding risk, and interest rate risk. He is a frequent speaker and author on topics such as industry issues and trends, funding solutions, regulatory issues, interest rate risk management, capital management, and derivatives hedging techniques.

Frank was designated a “top-rated” speaker by FMS and is well known for his popular seminar “Turbo Charging Your ALCO Process” having helped thousands of bankers across the country.

Frank graduated magna cum laude from Siena College in Albany, N.Y., and holds an accounting degree from Albany Business College. He lives in Winchester, Massachusetts. He is an avid golfer and runner, having completed numerous marathons, including several Boston Marathons over the past 25 years.

Michael R. Guglielmo, Managing Director

With over 20 years in asset liability management, Michael provides both technical and strategic consulting to a diverse group of financial institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Michael is also a frequent author and speaker on a variety of balance sheet management topics.

During his tenure at DCG, he has served in various capacities including Director of Financial Analytics. In addition, he has served as a technical resource for the development of DCG’s products and services.

Prior to joining DCG in 1992, he managed the asset liability management and strategic planning process for a large regional bank in the northeast. Michael is a graduate of Fairfield University with a degree in Economics.

Darnell Canada, Managing Director

Darnell has been working at Darling Consulting Group since 1996. As a Managing Director, Darnell has experience working directly with community banks and credit unions, providing guidance and advice on ways to improve financial performance through proactively managing balance sheet risks and prudently making use of capital markets instruments. Additionally, Darnell counsels financial institutions that seek independent guidance on enhancing the overall effectiveness of their ALM processes. He is a writer on various topics related to asset liability management and is a contributor to several professional publications. He is a speaker and active educator, who has enjoyed participating in a wide range of educational programs for the banking industry, including the ABA’s Stonier School of Banking.

Prior to joining DCG, Darnell was a field office examiner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the department of Safety and Soundness. He has received a BS in finance from Bentley College and a MS in finance from Boston College.

Keith Reagan, Managing Director

Keith is a Managing Director at Darling Consulting Group. He has nearly 20 years of experience working directly with community banks helping them improve their overall performance through proactive management of liquidity, interest rate risk and capital and by developing strategies that best fit the risk/return dynamics of their balance sheets. Keith has served on the faculty of ABA’s Stonier School of Banking, has written many articles for a variety of professional publications and is the editor of DCG’s monthly periodical, the DCG Bulletin.

He received a BS in Business Administration/Finance from the University of New Hampshire. Keith lives in southern New Hampshire with his wife and two children.

Robert M. Lallo, Managing Director

Bob offers an extensive background in financial management for community banks. Prior to joining DCG, Bob served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for a $950 million publicly-traded savings bank, helping to grow the institution from a $350 million, five-branch bank to nearly $1 billion in assets and 17 branches in nine years. He also managed the bank’s $450 million investment portfolio, which was comprised of a variety of bonds, mortgage-backed investments and equity securities.

Prior to moving into the banking field, Bob worked as an audit manager in the commercial auditing division of Arthur Andersen LLP. A CPA, Bob is a graduate of Boston College, with a BA degree in accounting and finance.

Jeffrey A. Reynolds, Managing Director

After serving as an auditor in the insurance and banking industries, Jeff joined DCG in 1996. His analytical and managerial skills led him on a career path within DCG that culminated in his current role as Managing Director. In this capacity, Jeff’s primary responsibility is advising clients on ways to enhance earnings while more effectively managing their risk positions. He regularly assists clients with strategic and capital planning projects and has also served on numerous due diligence teams for client acquisitions. Jeff is a frequent author and speaker on a variety of balance sheet management topics and has served as a guest faculty member for the ABA’s Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

An Eagle Scout, Jeff volunteers in his community as a Boy Scout leader and assists with leadership development programs. He received a BS degree in Business Administration from Salem State College in Massachusetts.

Mark A. Haberland, Managing Director

Mark is a Managing Director at Darling Consulting Group. In this role, Mark works directly with financial institutions to help provide solutions for their asset liability management process. He provides support to clients in the areas of liquidity risk management, ALM modeling, regulatory compliance and executive level education.

Mark has been with DCG since 1997, starting his career as a financial analyst before being promoted to a team manager and eventually Director in the analytics department. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the banking industry in the areas of asset liability management and bank auditing.

Mark lives on the north shore of Boston with his wife and two children. He is a graduate of St. Michael’s College in Vermont with a degree in accounting.

Judi Kenney, Director of Financial Services

Judi is currently the Director of Financial Services at DCG. She is primarily responsible for overseeing DCG’s ALM model validations and process reviews, liquidity reviews and other specialized services. In this capacity, she regularly assists institutions of varying asset sizes throughout the country on their risk management processes while overseeing a team of highly skilled consultants.

Judi has over 20 years of banking industry experience with over 15 years in the area of asset liability management. Prior to being named Director, Judi was a Manager within the Financial Analytics department at DCG, where she managed a team that provided custom modeling and strategy simulation services for DCG advisory clients nationwide.

Judi’s education includes an MBA from Boston University and a BS in accounting from Syracuse University. She lives north of Boston with her husband and two children.

Keri Crooks, Senior Consultant

Keri joined the DCG team in 2002. She presently consults directly with ALCO groups and boards of directors at banks, thrifts and credit unions in the area of asset liability management with the goal of enhancing high performing institutions. She takes a hands-on approach at developing strategies to best fit the risk profile for each bank’s balance sheet, while also balancing trends and pressures alive in the current industry.

Additionally, Keri is the project manager for Liquidity360°, DCG’s proprietary liquidity risk management software, where she is responsible for providing clients with advanced solutions to proactively address funding imbalances and successfully navigate growing regulatory expectations.

Keri received a BS in Business Administration/Finance from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Travis W. Thompson, Manager – Business Development

Travis is the Manager of Business Development at Darling Consulting Group. In this role, he interacts with financial institutions all over the country on a wide range of strategic and balance sheet management issues. He is also instrumental in advising them how to manage their interest rate risk, as well as improving their overall ALCO process.

Working at DCG since 1998, Travis also held the position of team manager for the analytics department where he was responsible for DCG’s advisory service clients’ modeling, reporting and analytics.

An active member of his community, Travis is chairman of his town’s school board and an appointed member of the town’s budget advisory committee. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.