On Friday, July 24th, Needham Bank announced the promotion of five individuals to the executive management team. Peter Bakkala, Kevin Henkin, Michael Sinclair, Danielle Walsh, and Jim White were promoted to the position of Executive Vice President in recognition of their hard work and leadership skills.
In a memo to staff, Joe Campanelli, Needham Bank’s President and CEO, stated, “During the unprecedented challenges from the pandemic, Needham Bank stepped up and worked together as a team originating almost one thousand PPP loans totaling over $160 million, saving an estimated 16,000 jobs.” He added, “As we move forward in executing our strategy, it is appropriate we recognize key leaders and adjust our organizational structure to better align with our goals and objectives.”

Peter Bakkala- EVP, Chief Risk Officer
Mr. Bakkala is and will continue to be responsible for overseeing Enterprise Risk across the bank in addition to all aspects of Compliance and Fair Lending. He maintains strong relationships with business line leaders along with the Bank’s regulators.
Mr. Bakkala joined Needham Bank in 2016; prior to that he was President of Government and Professionals Banking at Citizens Bank.
A graduate of Connecticut College, Mr. Bakkala also holds a Masters in Economics from Trinity College and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Northcentral University. In addition, he serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors for Connecticut College.

Kevin Henkin- EVP, Chief Credit Officer
Mr. Henkin will continue to manage and oversee all aspects of credit administration. He possesses a deep knowledge of credit, the economic environment, industry trends and dynamics and the regulatory environment along with a strong alignment with Needham Bank’s Strategic Plan.
Prior to working at Needham Bank, Mr. Henkin served as Chief Executive Officer at Cobblestone Management, LLC. He has also had several positions increasing in responsibility at First Commons Bank, Admirals Bank, Webster Five Cents Savings Bank, and Fleet and Shawmut Banks.
He holds an MBA from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management and a B.A. from Assumption College in Worcester.

Michael Sinclair- EVP, Residential & Consumer Lending
Mr. Sinclair is responsible for one of the Bank’s largest business line with over $1 billion in residential loan assets. He oversees all aspects of Residential and Consumer Lending and will also be in charge of new product development and deployment including credit cards and student loans.
He began his banking career at Quincy Savings Bank in 1981 and later served as Vice President – Secondary Markets, at Abington Savings Bank. In 1995 he accepted a position as Vice President – Retail Lending at the Hingham Institution for Savings. Sinclair joined Needham Bank in 2018 as Senior Vice President Director of Residential and Consumer Lending.
Sinclair has an MBA, with a concentration in banking and finance, from Fairfield University; a Graduate Degree from the National School of Banking, also from Fairfield; and an Associate’s Degree from the New England College of Finance in Boston.

Danielle Walsh- EVP, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Over the past 11 years at the Bank, Ms. Walsh has successfully led the Accounting department and oversees all aspects of the Bank’s financial reporting, including all regulatory reports, peer bank analysis and corporate financial reports. She manages business line reporting, financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting for the Bank and will now oversee investments as well.
Ms. Walsh joined Needham Bank in 2009 from South Coastal Bank, where she was Vice President, Treasurer and Controller and prior to that, she worked as an auditor for Wolf and Company, P.C in Boston.
Ms. Walsh holds an undergraduate degree in Business Finance and a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Salve Regina University. She also attended The Wharton School where she earned a Certificate of Leadership and the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking where she received a Graduate Degree.

Jim White- EVP, Chief Administrative Officer
Mr. White will be responsible for implementing new technologies as well as delivering Digital Banking products and services. With his strong leadership, Needham Bank will leverage their significant investment in technology and its infrastructure will be critical to support the Bank’s ambitious plans for continued growth.
He will continue to guide Reporting & Analytics, Deposit Operations, Loan Operations, and Facilities. In this role, he will assist the Chief Operating Officer in managing the bank consistent with Board approved policies, budget and strategy.
Mr. White has held senior roles at both Santander Bank and Sovereign Bank. He also serves as a Board Member for the North East Contact Center Forum and is actively involved with the Duxbury Alternative Energy Commission.
Mr. White holds an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University, where he earned a BS in Finance and began his banking career in the school’s co-op program. He also holds an MBA from Suffolk University in Boston.
In addition, the promotion of nine officers was announced. The promotions are as follows:
- Craig Connolly- First Vice President, Controller
- Krista Girelli- Assistant Vice President, Credit Portfolio Analyst
- Sarah Gosselin- Assistant Vice President, Residential Construction
- Kristine Santiago- Assistant Vice President, Consumer Credit Administrator
- Erica Shom- Assistant Vice President, Community Relations Officer
- Kyle Willand- Assistant Vice President, Senior Financial Analyst
- Cassie Keegan- Bank Officer, Fraud & Loss Prevention Manager