Title: VP, Commercial Banker
Company: Synovus Bank
Length of FEI sponsorship: 8 Months
Work email: [email protected]
Work phone number: (727) 451-4309
Tell us a little bit about your career, educational/professional background and how you got to where you are today.
For those who believe “the third time’s a charm,” my career is somewhat of a testament. After receiving an undergraduate degree from Indiana University (Bloomington), I started my professional career in a sales role with the Tampa Bay Lightning. After a couple seasons working in ticket sales, I made the jump to what I call my second career, working in advertising at a small boutique firm in Tampa.
During that time, I began to realize I was more interested in the financial side of the business. I spent the next several years exploring options and refocusing my career efforts. Ultimately, I ended up going to grad school at the University of South Florida and graduated with a MS in Finance in 2014.
Over the past 8 years, I’ve been working in commercial/middle market banking, initially with SunTrust Bank, and now with Synovus. I started my banking career going through a year-long training program, and then joined the credit side of the bank as a middle market analyst/portfolio manager. I’ve been in my current role as a relationship manager since September 2019.
What is one piece of information you wish someone had told you when you first started your career?
Bloom where you’re planted. To elaborate… Like a lot of people leaving college, I assumed my career would be a path that was “straight, up and to the right.” When it didn’t happen as I thought it would, frankly, I got discouraged, frustrated, and somewhat lost for a short period of time. The older I get, the more I realize the path of “straight, up and to the right” is often more the exception than the rule. For many, there are bumps along the way and things don’t always work out exactly as planned. My focus now is to take full advantage of opportunities as they are presented and continue to reinvent myself as needed.
What do you love most about working in the finance profession?
Particularly from the vantage point of banking, I love the interaction of working with numbers and people to solve what can sometimes be complex issues or client needs. It’s a great mixture of art & science. I deal with many types of people and companies, which offers a lot of variety and brings in a bit of the “art” to working on any deal or relationship. At the same time, the numbers serve as a basis of fact and “science” to help keep conversations somewhat candid and provide a sense of uniformity.
Do you think it takes a certain kind of personality to thrive in your field? What traits are most important?
I don’t think there’s one certain type of person or personality that can be successful in banking. However, I do think that two extremely important traits are needed to be successful - a propensity to be curious, and an ability and willingness to listen. Each client and company have a unique story, and in my opinion, we need to ask questions and understand that story before we can provide any real value.
What are some of your personal hobbies outside of work?
I have two young kids (Braydon, 6, and Annabelle, 4), so most of my free time is spent with them or at one of their extracurricular activities. Otherwise, I enjoy golfing, traveling, running, and being out on the boat.