Paul J. Ward

Paul Ward has over 25 years of work experience, starting in 1994 as an Auditor at KPMG. Paul then joined NBT Bancorp Inc. in 1995, where they held the role of Director of Internal Audit (Vice President) until 2000, and then became the Director of Risk Management (Senior Vice President) until 2006. Since 2006, Paul has been working at Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE:CBU), first as the Vice President of Risk Management and currently as the Chief Risk Officer (Senior Vice President).

Paul Ward earned their Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, Magna Cum Laude, from the State University of New York at Oswego in 1994. Paul then went on to receive an Associate of Science degree in Accounting, Magna Cum Laude, from SUNY Canton in 1992. In 2003, Paul completed their education by obtaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Syracuse University. Additionally, Paul has obtained certifications in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) from The Institute of Internal Auditors Inc. in 2012, and they are also a Certified Risk Professional (CRP) accredited by BAI.