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René F. Jones is chairman and chief executive officer of M&T Bank, a diversified, community-focused banking franchise with more than $150 billion in assets and a network of 700 branches across states from New York to Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Before being named chairman and CEO in December 2017, he served as chief financial officer from 2005 to 2016, responsible for managing the financial actions of the company. In 2005, he was named to M&T’s Management Group, the senior executives responsible for the company’s strategic direction.

Born and raised in Ayer, Massachusetts, Mr. Jones received a Bachelor of Science in Management Science from Boston College. He began his career in accounting at the Boston-based office of Ernst & Young, and at a private equity firm, and then received a Master of Business Administration at the University of Rochester. In 1992, he joined M&T as part of the Executive Associates Program.

Mr. Jones participates in several organizations to help advance the business community, including the boards of ACV Auctions, Boston College and the Jacobs Institute, as well as the advisory council for the University at Buffalo. He also served on the Board of Governors Federal Advisory Council as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York representative.

As one of only a few Black CEOs in the Fortune 500, Mr. Jones is passionate about equity of opportunity, both inside and outside the company. He serves as a steward of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism and on the capital advisory committee of Aux21, a seed-stage firm investing in the future of global commerce with a focus on companies led by immigrant founders.

Mr. Jones also works to advance arts and culture through his participation on the boards of the Burchfield Penney Art Center and Massachusetts Historical Society.