8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):  September 25, 2019

METROPOLITAN BANK HOLDING CORP.

(Exact name of the registrant as specified in its charter)

New York	001-38282	13-4042724
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

99 Park Avenue
New York, New York	10016
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(212) 659-0600

(Registrant’s telephone number)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (See General Instruction A.2. below):

□ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

□ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

□ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

□ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4c)

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	MCB	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company ☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. □

Item 8.01     Other Events

On September 25, 2019, Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp., the holding company for Metropolitan Commercial Bank (the “Bank”), issued a press release announcing that it has appointed Imran Riaz as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Risk Officer following the retirement of Karen Rojeski, Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Risk Officer of the Bank, which became effective on September 20, 2019. Ms. Rojeski will remain with the Bank as a consultant to assist with the transition through December 31, 2019.

A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01     Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d)   Exhibits.

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release dated September 25, 2019

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

	METROPOLITAN BANK HOLDING CORP.
Dated: September 25, 2019	By:    /s/ Mark R. DeFazio
	Mark R. DeFazio
	President and Chief Executive Officer

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. Announces Appointment of Imran Riaz as New Chief Credit Risk Officer Following the Retirement of Karen Rojeski

Company Release - 9/25/2019 8:00 AM ET

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (NYSE: MCB) (the “Company”), the holding company for Metropolitan Commercial Bank (the “Bank”), today announced that it has appointed Imran Riaz as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Risk Officer following the retirement of Karen Rojeski, Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Risk Officer of the Bank, which became effective on September 20, 2019. Ms. Rojeski will remain with the Bank as a consultant to assist with the transition through December 31, 2019.

Mr. Riaz has more than 29 years of experience in the financial services industry.  Most recently, Mr. Riaz served as a Risk and Analytics Consultant at Paras Consulting since October 2016 where he developed credit policy, credit rating models, automating risk rating systems and helped prepare banks to comply with CECL requirements.  From August 2015 to September 2016, Mr. Riaz served as Chief Credit Officer at Scottrade Bank where he led all aspects of credit administration, credit adjudication, underwriting, portfolio management, loan workout, and appraisal and environmental review.  From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Riaz served as Chief Credit Officer at Sun National Bank.  From 1989 to 2013, Mr. Riaz served in various credit risk administration roles at TD Bank, N.A., including serving as Managing Senior Credit Officer where he led organization-wide credit approval and portfolio quality for special lending.

Mark DeFazio, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, stated, “We are pleased to welcome Imran Riaz to our team at Metropolitan Commercial Bank.  Imran brings extensive experience in credit risk management and credit administration. He has excellent leadership skills as well as successful experience within the financial services industry. We look forward to working with Imran to continue delivering long-term sustainable and profitable growth and stockholder value.”

Mr. DeFazio continued, “We also thank Karen for her eight years of hard work and dedication to Metropolitan Commercial Bank.  She has had a long and distinguished career in the financial services industry and we wish her well in her retirement, and appreciate the assistance she will provide in her consulting role.”

About Metropolitan Bank Holding Corporation

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (NYSE: MCB) is the holding company for Metropolitan Commercial Bank. The Bank provides a broad range of business, commercial and personal banking products and services to small and middle-market businesses, public entities and affluent individuals in the New York metropolitan area. Founded in 1999, the Bank is headquartered in New York City and operates six locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Great Neck, Long Island. The Bank is also an active issuer of debit cards for third-party debit card programs. Metropolitan Commercial Bank is a New York State chartered commercial bank, a Federal Reserve System member bank whose deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC, and an equal opportunity lender. For more information, please visit www.mcbankny.com.

Contacts

Investor Relations Department

212-365-6721

IR@MetropolitanBankNY.com