Mark J. Czarnecki, former president and chief operating officer of M&T Bank, will be posthumously honored as the 2017 Buffalo Niagara Executive of the Year by the School of Management. Czarnecki also served as vice chairman of the UB Council.

Czarnecki’s sons, Christopher and Gregory Czarnecki, will accept the award in his honor at the 68th Annual School of Management Alumni Association Awards Banquet on Nov. 9 at the Millennium Hotel Buffalo.

In his 40-year career with M&T, Czarnecki rose from assistant branch manager to president and COO, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Buffalo-based company with more than $120 billion in assets. In addition, he served as a member of the board of directors of M&T Bank and M&T’s Management Group.

Czarnecki first joined M&T in 1977 after earning his bachelor’s degree from the UB School of Management. He later completed his MBA at Canisius College.

During his long tenure with M&T, Czarnecki became one of the most respected bankers in the region, moving through managerial roles in retail banking, business banking, commercial lending, securities and investments. He joined M&T Investment Group in 1994 and, the following year, was named president of M&T Securities. In 1997, Czarnecki was appointed executive vice president, overseeing the entire Investment Group. He was named president in 2007 and COO in January 2014.

In the community, Czarnecki was chairman of the board of trustees of the Westminster Community Charter School, chairman of the New York Bankers Association, past chairman of the Buffalo Zoological Society and a board member for the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

At this year’s School of Management commencement ceremony, Czarnecki was posthumously honored with the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, UB’s highest honor, in recognition of his commitment and contributions to the progress, well-being and vitality of UB and Western New York.

Czarnecki died Feb. 26 at age 61 after a long battle with cancer.

Established in 1949, the Buffalo Niagara Executive of the Year award is presented annually to an individual who resides in or has a major impact on the region, and whose career has been distinguished by executive success and civic leadership. Recent honorees include Candace S. Johnson, president and CEO of Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Jody Lomeo, CEO of both Kaleida Health and the Great Lakes Health System of Western New York; and William Gisel Jr., president and CEO of Rich Products.