Orange Bank & Trust Company

Jacob Rahiman serves as Chief Human Resources Officer at Orange Bank & Trust Company, a Middletown, NY-based commercial bank with approximately $2.7 billion in assets. Overseeing talent acquisition, leadership development, compensation, employee relations, payroll and HR systems, he also works closely with the CEO, board and leadership committees on broader organizational priorities. He supports the compensation committee and serves as a member of the governance and risk management committees. Rahiman’s career in human resources spans more than 25 years across financial services, investment management, fintech and commercial banking.

Shaping a Leadership Approach across Diverse Organizations

My path in human resources took shape after earning my bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and master’s degree from Columbia University. I began at Citigroup in an HR generalist role supporting the investments and technology businesses; afterward, I joined Charles Schwab as senior HR partner to the Chief Operating Officer.

I then spent 10 years at New York Life supporting its investment management group before taking on senior responsibilities at the parent company level. After that, I joined fintech firm NEX Group as Head of Americas HR before transitioning into commercial banking at Valley Bank.

Becoming the CHRO of a publicly traded company had long been a career goal. At Orange Bank & Trust, the role has allowed me to align organizational design, succession planning and talent initiatives more closely with business strategy.

Working across different organizations and leadership environments reinforced a clear lesson: Business performance is closely tied to how companies structure and develop their people.

That perspective shaped my priorities when I joined Orange Bank & Trust. We reorganized the team into two focused divisions— talent management and total rewards. Talent management focuses on recruiting, employee relations and leadership development, while total rewards manages compensation, payroll and benefits.

Developing Leadership Pipelines through Talent Mapping

A major initiative involved building a more structured approach to talent and succession planning. We created a separate cadence outside the traditional year-end review cycle to assess performance, potential and future leadership needs across the organization.

Working closely with senior business leaders, we used a nine-box framework to identify high-potential employees and evaluate succession readiness across business units.

From there, we developed pathways for those individuals.

One outcome was the launch of a leadership academy.

Now in its third year, it’s designed for employees identified through succession planning and talent assessment efforts.

This work also gained external visibility—a bank director referenced our succession planning approach after I attended its conference for smaller banks in Nashville, TN.

The broader emphasis on leadership development also strengthened long-term workforce planning. As a relatively small but high-performing commercial bank, we remain focused on understanding where we want to grow and which capabilities we need to support it. This includes talent pipelines across lending, relationship management, technology and wealth management. Talent development must align with long-term business direction.

Integrating AI into Workforce Development

The focus on long-term workforce development has also influenced how we approach technology and employee experience. Across the industry, organizations are focusing on practical AI applications that can improve operations, decision-making and employee development processes.

At Orange Bank & Trust, I work closely with our Chief Information Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Innovation Officer on a range of technology initiatives. One of our key focus areas within HR has been enhancing employee development planning through AI-supported processes.

We’re currently developing a system that uses performance reviews, job descriptions, manager feedback and employee career interests to help create more individualized development plans across the organization. We’re also exploring how AI can continuously refresh those plans and support ongoing learning initiatives—particularly for key talent. Technology should ultimately support stronger development outcomes and help organizations respond to evolving workforce expectations.

Strengthening Retention through Employee Engagement

One of our most important organizational priorities has been employee retention. At a smaller bank like ours, even moderate turnover can create operational challenges. We evaluated turnover patterns and identified improvements across recruiting and onboarding.

“Talent development must align with long-term business direction.”

We also revamped the onboarding process to help employees integrate more effectively into the organization from the start. I also stayed closely connected with many new hires during their first several months at the bank to ensure they felt supported throughout the transition.

We further adjusted our recruiting approach using predictive assessment tools to better evaluate cultural alignment and communication styles during hiring. Instead of just filling positions, we identified individuals who could succeed within the organization over the long term. Over the last 18 months, turnover has stabilized; this lets us dedicate more attention to employee development and workforce planning.

Expanding the Role of the CHRO

The broader involvement in workforce planning and organizational development reflects how the CHRO continues to evolve within modern organizations.

The CHRO role is expanding beyond traditional HR responsibilities. Managing the HR function remains important, but CHROs now contribute directly to implementing business strategy alongside CEOs and senior leadership teams. I work closely with business leaders on growth initiatives and workforce strategies tied to commercial objectives. This includes supporting growth verticals such as hiring business developers in targeted segments to help drive stronger deposit growth for the bank. Over the last few years, I’ve spent more time within our business units and field offices to better understand the realities our leaders and employees face every day. That level of direct engagement is key—HR leaders need a strong understanding of the business itself, not just the people processes surrounding it.

Creating a More Connected and Agile Organization

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that organizations move quickly, and leaders need to adapt just as quickly. Listening remains essential, particularly when entering a new organization or addressing challenges, but leadership also requires decisive action. Communication plays an important role in that process. Employees need visibility into organizational priorities and initiatives; we strengthened communication channels through employee town halls and regular updates, including monthly CHRO news posts on the intranet.

We can’t execute strategy effectively unless employees understand where the organization is heading and how they contribute. Maintaining alignment between people, communication and business strategy is essential for organizations to operate with clarity and agility.