Sovereign Bank Opens New Call Center in New Bedford, Mass.

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Sovereign Bank Opens New Call Center in New Bedford, Mass.
                Facility Will Create More than 100 New Jobs

    BOSTON, April 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sovereign Bank announced
today that it will open a new call center in New Bedford, Mass. that will
create more than 100 positions. The center will handle calls from customers
of New York-based Independence Community Bank, which is in the process of
being acquired by Sovereign, as well as calls from other customers within
Sovereign's service area.
    The center will be located in the former Seacoast Financial Services
headquarters building which Sovereign took ownership of when it acquired
Seacoast in 2004.
    "Sovereign Bank is making a commitment to the people of New Bedford
that should give every citizen the confidence that we can compete in the
worldwide market for quality employment and careers," said Mayor Scott W.
Lang. "I sincerely appreciate Sovereign's investment in our community and I
look forward to working closely with them to bring more employment
opportunities to our city."
    Minnie Saleh, Sovereign Bank's regional president for Bristol County,
said, "We recognize the challenges our city faces and are extremely pleased
to bring this opportunity to New Bedford. The creation of these jobs
reflects our continued commitment to our community and our appreciation for
the support we have received over the years."
    The new facility is scheduled to open in June. Hiring for the center
will begin this month and continue through the summer months. The call
center will provide service to customers from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days
per week.
    "We're committed to employing local talent to provide high-quality
customer service at Sovereign," said James White, Director of Sovereign
Bank's consumer call center operations. "As we grow the call center will
serve as another key touch point in building our relationship with
customers and better serving their needs."
    Sovereign will hold a two-day job fair for anyone interested in
applying for a job at the new call center. The job fair will be held April
11 and 12 at Sovereign's New Bedford headquarters at 1 Sovereign Way.
    About Sovereign Bank
    Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. ("Sovereign") (NYSE: SOV) is the parent company
of Sovereign Bank, a $64 billion financial institution headquartered in
Wyomissing, Pa., with more than 650 community banking offices, over 1,000
ATMs and approximately 10,000 team members with principal markets in the
Northeast United States. Sovereign offers a broad array of financial
services and products including retail banking, business and corporate
banking, cash management, capital markets, wealth management and insurance.
Sovereign is the 18th largest banking institution in the United States. For
more information on Sovereign Bank, visit http://www.sovereignbank.com or
call 1-877-SOV-BANK.
    Sovereign Bank, its logo and lantern are service marks of Sovereign
Bank or its affiliates or subsidiaries in the United States and other
countries.
SOURCE Sovereign Bank
http://www.sovereignbank.com
CONTACT:
Ellen Molle of Sovereign Bank,
+1-617-548-9932, or emolle@sovereignbank.com