August 24, 2000

People’s Names Robert D’Amore Executive Vice President

Bank Veteran Responsible for Marketing and Regional Banking

BRIDGEPORT, CONN.
Robert R. D’Amore has been named executive vice president, Marketing and Regional Banking at People’s Bank (Nasdaq:PBCT). A 20-year People’s veteran, D’Amore will lead the transformation of People’s branches to full financial services centers. People’s currently operates 141 branches, including 50 full-service branches inside Super Stop & Shop stores.

D’Amore replaces Michael J. Leone, executive vice president, who now heads People’s new e-Business division.

“Bob has the track record and the experience to expand upon the strength of our highly successful branch system, while enhancing the value of our core franchise,” said John A. Klein, People’s president and chief executive officer. “Bob is a seasoned People’s executive with the leadership skills to drive transformational change in our branch distribution system. This is essential as we broaden our capabilities as a full financial services company providing specially tailored solutions to our customers’ financial needs.”

D’Amore also will be responsible for People’s 30-branch expansion plan and for the execution of People’s supermarket banking strategy ? the most successful supermarket banking operation in the country, said Klein.

D’Amore’s proven experience in retail banking includes managing the business in 30 branches in People’s Hartford Region from 1996 until this spring. Under his leadership, People’s opened branches in several new communities, including Putnam, Torrington, Norwich and Middletown. In addition, D’Amore has been one of the key strategists in the design and implementation of Financial Needs Awareness training for our retail distribution staff statewide.

Most recently, D’Amore led Retail Investor Services, a new area of the bank that focuses on consumers’ total needs, including providing financial and investment guidance for the growing number of consumers at all levels who invest in stocks and mutual funds.

D’Amore, a Bridgeport native who graduated from Central High School in 1970, joined People’s Bank in 1981 as a management trainee. D’Amore worked as an assistant branch manager and branch manager in the Milford area until he became assistant vice president, Training and Development. In 1989, D’Amore was made vice president, Residential Lending in the Hartford Region. In 1991, D’Amore returned to Bridgeport to become first vice president and manager, Mortgage Sales and Marketing. In 1996, he was named senior vice president, manager, Hartford Region for People’s.

Prior to joining People’s, D’Amore was a teacher at Milford’s Joseph Foran High School and at Hartford’s Richard J. Kinsella School.

D’Amore holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Central Connecticut State University and completed the requirements for a sixth-year certificate in administration from Fairfield University. An active community leader, he serves as an overseer for the Bushnell Auditorium, a corporator of St. Francis Hospital, an advisory committee member for Habitat for Humanity and treasurer of the Greater Hartford Visitors and Convention Bureau.

D’Amore is a former board member of the Metro Hartford Chamber of Commerce, the Hartford Downtown Council, the Connecticut Opera Association and Capital Region Workforce Development. Recently, D’Amore was the co-chair of The Bushnell’s Big Bash 2000 and the Riverfront Recapture Mark Twain Riverboat Cruise event.

A former Milford resident, D’Amore is a past chairman of the Milford Board of Police Commissioners and a former member of Milford’s Board of Aldermen. D’Amore lives in Glastonbury with his wife Pam and their two daughters.

People’s (peoples.com) is a diversified financial services company providing commercial, consumer, insurance and investment services. Founded in 1842, it is the largest state-chartered bank in Connecticut with managed assets of more than $13 billion, 141 branches and 220 ATMs. People’s is a leader in commercial banking, residential lending, Savings Bank Life Insurance sales and supermarket banking. An international credit card issuer, it ranks 17th nationally as an issuer of MasterCard and Visa credit cards. People’s subsidiaries offer brokerage services, asset management, equipment financing and leasing, and insurance services.

CONTACTS:
Deborah P. MacDonnell, manager, External Communications, 203-338-3255 or dpmacdo@peoples.com

Roberta Burns-Howard, vice president, Corporate Communications, 203-338-2378 or rjburns@peoples.com.