Signature Bank, a New York-based full-service commercial bank, announced the appointment of several professionals joining both its Asset-based Lending (ABL) Group as well as its wholly owned subsidiary, Signature Financial LLC.
Three professionals were named to the ABL Group, led by Group Director and Senior Vice President Robert Love: Robert Abraham, Vice President, New Business Development; Melissa Anchundia, Vice President, Underwriting; and Michael Grande, New Business Development, Transportation and Logistics.
Abraham, with 30 years of business development and lending experience in the credit, risk management and lending areas of banks, commercial services and accounting companies, joins from Lakeland Bank, where he was Team Leader Asset-Based Lending – Senior Vice President. In this capacity, he managed the ABL Department, developing new business. Prior, he was First Vice President for ABL at IDB Bank, where he managed a large ABL portfolio.
Anchundia has spent 17 years in finance, most recently as Vice President of Credit Administration at Bank Hapoalim, where she provided credit and collateral oversight for all their lending teams. Prior, she spent seven years at Wells Fargo Capital Finance, most recently as Vice President and ABL Relationship Manager, managing a portfolio comprised of middle market asset-based transactions in consumer products and earlier, as Assistant Vice President, Operations Analyst, designing and implementing strategic system analysis.
Grande is a seasoned finance executive who specializes in transportation and logistics finance. He spent the past 25 years providing transportation companies credit facilities to fund acquisitions, growth, working capital, equipment and turnaround financing. Most recently, as Senior Vice President for Santander, he helped the institution build an East Coast presence, providing transportation-related credit facilities. Earlier, as Senior Vice President for the Business Credit Services division of CapitalSource Finance, LLC, Grande helped build a national asset-based loan platform with a focus on transportation intermediaries.
Concurrent with the ABL expansion, Signature Bank also grew its specialty finance business unit, appointing five professionals to the post of Vice President - Executive Sales Officer, including Katherine Adams, Steve Brantley, Karle Armitage, Andrew Jones and Anthony Zaccari. The new additions are strategically located in various areas of the country and responsible for covering specific geographic territories or business segment specialties. The appointment of these professionals brings the total number of Signature Financial’s direct sales team to 33 professionals nationwide.
Adams is based in Hattiesburg, Miss. and has 22 years of equipment finance experience. Prior, she was Vice President at The First, a National Banking Association, also in Hattiesburg, where she was responsible for operations. She also was First Vice President at BancorpSouth Equipment Finance in Hattiesburg for 14 years. In her tenure, she worked in various other related roles, including Director of Operations and Commercial Credit Officer.
Brantley, with 20 years of specialty finance experience, is also based in Hattiesburg. Earlier, he was a Vice President and Commercial Lender for The First, a National Banking Association, in Hattiesburg, responsible for identifying and closing new equipment loans. Previously, he spent 15 years as Vice President, Territory Manager at BancorpSouth Equipment Finance (Hattiesburg). In addition to his role as an equipment generalist, Brantley will also source commercial marine opportunities in the Gulf Coast for Signature Financial.
Armitage, with a 40-year career in finance, is based in Boise, Idaho, and was a Territory Sales Manager at First Midwest Equipment Finance (Boise) before joining Signature Financial, a position in which he focused on construction loans. He spent 38 years at Wells Fargo Equipment Finance in Boise, also in the construction lending arena.
Jones, who was named Executive Sales Officer as well as Vice President—Franchise Finance, is based in Stuart, Fla. In this capacity, he will focus on new business development in the franchise finance arena. He had served as Business Development Officer and Vice President of Franchise Finance at PNC Bank in Horsham, Pa., originating cash flow-based franchise loans to multi-unit operators of franchised quick serve and fast casual restaurants. Prior, he was Business Development Officer and Vice President at United Capital Business Lending and brings 25 years of franchise-related finance experience to Signature Financial.
Zaccari, with 15 years of finance-related expertise, most recently spent 13 years at Caterpillar; for the past seven, he was Corporate Account Manager for Caterpillar Financial, responsible for serving its pipeline and energy infrastructure clients throughout North America. Previously, he worked in the direct lending group, FCC Equipment Finance, with responsibility for Southern Texas and Louisiana. Zaccari is based in Cypress, Tex., a Houston suburb, and will focus on the construction market throughout southwestern Texas as well as clients with general equipment finance needs.
“We are pleased to attract all these seasoned finance professionals to the Bank, each of whom comes with a niche expertise that will complement various areas of our diverse lending businesses. With the hiring of these highly experienced specialty banking professionals, the Bank is advancing its diversification strategy and expanding its presence throughout the country. By bolstering our ABL and specialty finance businesses, we are further solidifying our market position in these key areas. We look forward to contributions each of these professionals will make in their new roles, and to their impact on these lending businesses,” said Signature Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph J. DePaolo.