Marguerite Marino Donato, best known as Maggie, has not had a linear progression to her role as the first female CFO and the youngest member of senior leadership in PS Bank’s history.
She has had to make difficult decisions throughout her career, but always follows her heart and what is best for her family. At each turn, she measured all of the options.
“Do not regret a well-thought-out decision. Without those difficult decisions, I do not think I would be where I am today,” said the senior vice president at PS Bank.
Donato oversees the finance and deposit operations departments of PS Bank. She prepares all financial statements, regulatory reporting, and budgets and works with bank leadership to develop the strategic plan and strategize opportunities for the bank to grow.
Following graduation from St. Joseph’s University, the young woman worked in public accounting in Philadelphia and Northeastern Pennsylvania. After serving as assistant director of finance at a local college, she felt like it was time for a change and began a new career path in the banking industry first at Penn East Federal Credit Union before taking her current position at PS Bank.
Donato says she is very fortunate to be surrounded by people who have really believed in her throughout her career. She began in banking with no experience in the industry, yet she says the leadership team trusted her financial background as a certified public accountant. Anthony J. Gabello, president and CEO of PS Bank, has served as her mentor over the last two years by seeing potential in her and offering her the opportunity to come into a bank that is over 100 years old and make her department her own. “I appreciate Tony’s guidance and support,” she added.
The businesswoman attributes her success to hard work and the eagerness to understand the big picture. “I go to work every day with the understanding that my job is more than finance and accounting. I need to understand all aspects of the bank and work with every department to keep growing professionally, and to set our institution up for future success. I find value in having a team that supports one another. It’s very important to understand that we are all working toward the same goal,” she notes.
Her husband, Randy, has always provided her with encouragement and support to grow in both her education and career. Her mother and father, Teresa and Ralph Marino, taught her responsibility from an early age and taught her to set a good example for her younger twin siblings, Caroline and Patrick Marino.
As a working mom with a 3-year-old, daughter named Nina, Donato understands that the saying “it takes a village” is absolutely true. “The love, support, and help from my family are unmatched,” she adds.
As a CPA, she belongs to the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, in which she serves on the local connections committee and was the former chairperson, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She recently completed the Leadership Lackawanna Executive Program and has volunteered with Junior Achievement. Donato also holds a master’s degree in accounting from Keystone College.