Cross River Announces Evan L. Russo as President

Former Lazard Asset Management CEO and Lazard CFO to help accelerate Cross River’s next phase of growth, as innovative technologies reshape the global financial system

FORT LEE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CRB Group, Inc., the parent company of Cross River Bank ("Cross River”), a leading technology infrastructure platform powering embedded financial solutions serving as the trust anchor for global banking and money movement, today announced that Evan L. Russo has been appointed President, effective October 1, 2026.

Mr. Russo previously served as CEO of Lazard Asset Management and CFO of Lazard Ltd. and has served as Cross River’s Lead Independent Director since April 2026. Mr. Russo will report to Cross River Founder, CEO and Chairman, Gilles Gade, and will continue on the Board of Directors while relinquishing his role as Lead Independent Director. Shimshon Gross, who has served on the Board since Cross River’s inception in 2008, has been appointed Lead Independent Director.

In his new role, Mr. Russo will partner with CEO Gilles Gade to accelerate Cross River’s growth, strengthen the company’s institutional operating model and further establish Cross River as the trusted infrastructure layer powering payments, banking, digital assets and AI-enabled financial services. He will help lead Cross River's global expansion while building the operational, financial and governance capabilities required to scale the company and support its next phase of growth.

"Technology is revolutionizing how money moves around the globe, but it still moves through regulated infrastructure, which requires leaders who have built and led significant global financial institutions,” said Gilles Gade, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Cross River. “As we enter this next chapter, Evan and I will bring complementary strengths to the path ahead. I will continue to focus on our vision for the future of financial infrastructure, our technology, and strategic partnerships, while Evan brings the institutional leadership, strategic focus and operating discipline required to scale that vision. Together, we are building the leadership structure and capabilities to capture the significant opportunity ahead for Cross River.”

Mr. Russo brings more than two decades of experience across investment banking, capital markets, asset management and financial services. Before joining Cross River’s Board, he served as CEO of Lazard Asset Management, where he led the firm’s global asset-management business. Previously, he served as CFO of Lazard Ltd. and Lazard Group and as co-head of Lazard’s Capital Markets and Capital Structure Advisory practice. As a Managing Director in Financial Advisory, he advised corporate clients on strategic M&A, restructuring and financial transactions.

Before joining Lazard, Mr. Russo held positions in the Investment Banking Divisions of Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital. He began his career as a corporate attorney at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. Mr. Russo received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a JD from Columbia Law School, and a BA from Queens College.

“Cross River has built something unique: a technology-driven financial infrastructure platform built on a regulated banking foundation, with the connectivity and capabilities to support the next generation of financial solutions,” said Evan L. Russo, President of Cross River. “As financial activity becomes increasingly programmable, global and AI-enabled, the importance of trusted, scalable and regulated infrastructure will only increase. Cross River is exceptionally well-positioned at the intersection of these powerful trends. I am excited to work alongside Gilles and the entire Cross River team to scale the platform, strengthen our institutional capabilities and position Cross River as the partner of choice for companies shaping the future of financial services.”

About Cross River
Cross River builds technology that powers the future of financial services. Leveraging its proprietary real-time digital banking core, Cross River delivers innovative and scalable embedded payments, cards, lending, digital asset and agentic solutions to millions of consumers and businesses. Cross River is backed by leading investors and serves the world’s most essential technology and fintech companies at the forefront of innovation. As a leader in the industry, Cross River is reshaping global finance and financial inclusion. Member FDIC. Find out more at www.crossriver.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261013012967/en/

Media Contact
Cross River
Mackenzie DeLuca
201-808-7000 ext. 778

Source: Cross River Bank

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