Boston-based Santander Bank has named Keith Alves head of sales and strategy for its business banking group.

In this role, Alves is responsible for teams that acquire and grow banking relationships with companies in the $3 million to $20 million range. He comes to Santander with a long record of success in the financial services industry, including 20 years at both Citizens Bank and its predecessor through acquisition, Mellon Bank, in a variety of positions in the commercial and business banking sectors. Most recently, was the regional executive for the Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois business banking markets.

"I’m very excited that Keith has joined Santander and will lend his expertise to our business banking group," Ken Martin, head of business banking and director of New England middle market banking at Santander, said in a statement. "Keith will lend fresh energy and ideas to this critical aspect of our efforts to provide real change to the way commercial banking is done in the U.S."