TCF Financial announced its board of directors elected Craig R. Dahl, TCF’s president and CEO, to the additional role of chairman of the board, effective immediately. Dahl succeeds William A. Cooper, who served as chairman from 1985 until his death earlier this year.

“Since being elected to TCF’s board in 2012, Craig has demonstrated strong leadership in establishing a clear vision and strategy for TCF’s long-term growth which makes him uniquely qualified to lead our board,” said Vance Opperman, lead director for TCF’s board of directors. “Over his 18-year career at TCF in various roles of progressing responsibility, he has established an experienced leadership team that has enabled us to meet the evolving needs of our customers and repositioned TCF to meet the changing demands of the financial services industry. The board has full confidence in the strategy that Craig is executing and in his ability to effectively lead the board.”

Dahl added, “I am grateful for the experience and support of TCF’s board of directors as we chart the next phase of our growth by aligning the organization around our strategic pillars. The strength of our board and the wide range of expertise of our directors has always been a competitive advantage for TCF. As chairman, I look forward to working with lead director Opperman and the entire board to drive value for our customers, team members and shareholders.”

Dahl joined TCF in 1999 as president and chief executive officer of TCF Equipment Finance. He later was named president and chief executive officer of Winthrop Resources and in 2012 he was named a vice chairman of the board of directors. In 2015, he was promoted to president of TCF Financial and became chief executive officer in 2016. Prior to joining TCF, Dahl held a number of leadership positions with a major financial services company for 22 years.