Lee Powlus. Photo courtesy of Rockland Trust.

Rockland Trust Co. has appointed a new chief technology and operations officer: Lee C. Powlus.

Powlus was a senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer at People’s United Bank, a $65 billion CT-based regional bank acquired by M&T Bank in 2021. Powlus led all tech and operations functions at People’s, including information and cyber security, project management, digital and real estate services.

Hanover-based Rockland Trust said Powlus will be a part of the bank’s executive leadership team and report to CEO Jeffrey Tengel. Powlus replaced Rockland’s former chief operating officer Rob Cozzone, who left the organization in March less than a month after the departure of former long-time CEO Christopher Oddleifson to head up Avidia Bank, based in Hudson.

The bank said in its announcement that Powlus’s four decades of experience in information technology, operational and digital transformation, data security, project management and knowledge management strategies will help the bank with its commitment to tech and innovation.

Before People’s United, Powlus led the Information Technology team at Chittenden Corp., an $8 billion-asset commercial bank in Vermont.

“Rockland Trust has a 116-year strong commitment to innovation that enables the best possible customer and colleague experience,” Powlus said in a statement. “I’m inspired by this mission and I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues to create efficiencies, explore new opportunities, and focus on the fundamentals that make Rockland Trust a special place to bank and work.”