KeyBank Appoints Scott Ward to Senior Management Team for Key Recreation Lending CLEVELAND, July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Key Recreation Lending, the marine and RV lending division of KeyBank USA, appoints Scott Ward to the new position of senior vice president, where he will be responsible for manufacturer banking services and strategic business development. Ward will report to Key Recreation Lending CEO and KeyCorp executive vice president Kenneth R. Landon. "Scott's in-depth understanding of the marine industry, his worldwide network of industry leaders, and his past experience with Key make him the ideal candidate for this newly created position," said Landon. "He has a proven track record of more than 15 years of successful sales, marketing and management experience in the marine business. I am confident in his abilities to help us take Key Recreation Lending to the next level of success." Ward's appointment is an important step in the development of the manufacturer program, which allows Key to offer the complete range of banking services needed by marine manufacturer clients - everything from credit facilities to 401k plans to deposit plans and international letters of credit. Ward also assumes responsibilities for building alliances with other industry vendors, managing the consumer and business-to-business e-commerce programs with product manufacturers, dealers, brokers and suppliers. He will also remain active in sourcing merger and acquisition targets and to provide strategic direction to the line of business. Ward previously served as an executive management team member at The Allied Richard Bertram Marine Group, Inc., one of the largest marine dealers in the U.S. In that position, he was largely responsible for the strategic planning, development and financial performance of the company. He was also part of the management team that successfully aligned the Allied Marine Group and Richard Bertram Yachts to form The Allied Richard Bertram Marine Group. Ward also previously served in key management positions with Key Recreation Lending from 1993-2000, including national retail sales manager. In that position, he was responsible for establishing, developing and managing the National Marine/RV sales function relating to indirect retail, manufacturer relations and direct retail loan procurement. About Key Recreation Lending Key Recreation Lending, a division of KeyBank USA, is a leading marine and recreation lender with over 50 years of experience. Key provides retail financing programs and commercial lending products to over 1,000 dealers nationwide, including floor plan, real estate and equipment financing; working capital loans; acquisition facilities; manufacturer programs; and treasury management services. For more information, visit http://www.key.com/marine or http://www.key.com/krldealer . About KeyCorp Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of more than $84 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. The company's businesses deliver their products and services through KeyCenters and offices, a client-focused workforce, a large ATM network, telephone banking centers and a Web site, Key.com(R), which provides account access and financial products 24 hours a day. DATASOURCE: KeyCorp CONTACT: Michael Sias, , or John Quinn, , both of Haber & Quinn Public Relations, +1-954-764-6011; or Jennifer A. Raynor of KeyBank, +1-216-689-5273, or Web site: http://www.key.com/ http://www.key.com/newsroom http://www.key.com/marine http://www.key.com/krldealer

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