Citizens Financial grows coast-to-coast reach with private-banking unit

While Citizens Financial Group operates 1,110 branches in 14 states, mostly in the eastern half of the U.S., it has now launched a private-banking unit with a coast-to-coast reach.

Citizens Financial Group CFG hired 150 people, among them 50 senior bankers from First Republic Bank who were hired in June, as well as 25 people focused on wealth management and private banking. It’s opening up six private-banking offices in New York City, Boston and Palm Beach, Fla., as well as three in the San Francisco Bay Area, with plans to…