Hartford Business Journal

19 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEBER 20, 2021 team to learn more about the busi- nesses that they are advising as well as meet with management regularly to ensure that needs are met and that PeoplesBank is able to provide proac - tive solutions. "We suggest opportuni- ties that we have and that they might not be aware of, but that could help their business become more efficient and profitable." Being proactive is just one of several advantages that the commercial bank - ing team can bring to business custom- ers, according to David Ference, First Vice President, Commercial Banking, at PeoplesBank. "It's the knowledge and experience our team of 18 commer - cial lenders and business bankers has gained from working with so many ventures and across industries. That said, every business is unique and we "It's not complicated," explained Joseph Westcott, First Vice President, Commercial Banking, at PeoplesBank. "A willingness to listen and learn about an individual business is critical, of course, but in the end, you have to be able to provide them with the best solutions. That's how you earn the right to become a trusted advisor." Joseph is part of a commercial banking team that has deep experience, much of it in doing business financing and business banking locally. PeoplesBank also has a unique and nearly acqui - sition-proof structure. As a mutual bank, PeoplesBank cannot be bought or sold, and has no investors to divert profits to. Those profits can therefore be invested in technology, customer service and the communities that the bank serves. It is a model that Vicky Crouse, First Vice President, Commercial Banking, at PeoplesBank, feels brings a unique advantage to its business customers and the communities it serves. "Our decisions, whether it is a business loan or a donation to a nonprofit, are all made locally. We know what is important regionally and we can bring a speed to decision-making that is just not possible with an out-of-state, investor-owned bank." Indeed, that speed just begins to scratch the surface of the PeoplesBank business banking approach. According to Vicky, it allows her and members of the PeoplesBank commercial banking learn and understand what it will take to help our customers succeed. In that way, we're not just commercial bank - ers. We're also valued advisors." David also feels that PeoplesBank is the right size. "We are always bringing new tools and technologies to our business customers. That commitment to innovation is important and under - scores the advantages of our size. We can out-local the larger banks, but our capacity and size allows us to really outperform the local banks." Keeping things simple is also very important to Shaun Dwyer, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking, at PeoplesBank. "Business owners have enough stress and their business bank - ing absolutely should not contribute to that. Our role is to be their advisor and take some of that stress off their plate." According to Shaun, PeoplesBank uses a unique metric to measure the perfor - mance of its business banking success. "Our pride is in seeing our customers' businesses grow. We don't take the credit for that growth, but at the end of the day, we enjoy their success. The more they thrive, the more we thrive." Wesley D. Tanner First Vice President, Commercial Banking wtanner@bankatpeoples.com David J. Thibault, AAP, NCP First Vice President, Cash Management dthibault@bankatpeoples.com Tracy Sicbaldi Vice President, Cash Management and Institutional Banking tsicbaldi@bankatpeoples.com Gina Scherbner Assistant Vice President, Cash Management and Institutional Banking gscherbner@bankatpeoples.com Cynthia Wszolek Assistant Vice President, Cash Management cwszolek@bankatpeoples.com Joseph Williams Assistant Vice President, Business Banking jhwilliams@bankatpeoples.com Cheri Mills Assistant Vice President, Business Banking cmills@bankatpeoples.com "Our pride is in seeing our customers' businesses grow. We don't take the credit for that growth, but at the end of the day, we enjoy their success. The more they thrive, the more we thrive." — Shaun Dwyer, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Vicky Crouse Shaun Dwyer L to R: Joseph Westcott, Frank Crinella, David Ference, Gina Scherbner Don't you have to go to a big bank for innovative business services? "Not at all. We have had full cash man- agement services, including Positive Pay, remote deposit capture, mobile banking and more, for years. Our innovative solutions are cost-effective and user-friendly with more advanced features and more functionality than those offered by other banks. We are continually evaluating our products and services to help businesses man- age their business banking effectively and securely. Being a mutual bank, that makes it easier for us to make these investments, because we don't have stockholders influencing our deci - sions. We are committed to serving the financial needs of our business community. Oh, and, of course, as a local bank, we understand what local businesses need." PeoplesBank promises Real Simple Banking. How does this apply to West Hartford businesses? "I'm going to go back to experience. We have a large business banking team dedicated to businesses of all sizes – big and small. Once a business experiences the PeoplesBank differ - ence, they know exactly what I mean. I want to see local businesses succeed and am excited about our new West Hartford Banking Center." Gina, why do you think West Hartford businesses have a new advantage? "Well, in my experience, businesses benefit from having innovative tools and experienced advice from a bank that knows and understands the local market. We have the products and services that bigger banks have, but with the added benefit of being a truly local bank." West Hartford Businesses Have a New Advantage. bankatpeoples.com/westhartford 877-888-1388 Measuring Success One Business at a Time. SPONSORED CONTENT

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