Ben is a Vice President, Business Banking Relationship Manager & Commercial Lender for M&T Bank, providing financing & deposit services to businesses that generate between $5MM & $50MM in revenue as well as commercial real estate owners. Prior to M&T Bank, Ben was in a similar role at BankUnited and Santander Bank for 2, and over 5 years respectively, and has been in the Financial Services industry for over 15 years. His professional career began as a stockbroker at Westrock Advisors in early 2007, a mid-sized retail brokerage firm where he obtained his Series 7, 63 and Life Insurance licenses. Prior to that, Ben’s work experience was in the restaurant industry and held about every position from bus boy to manager. Before becoming a stockbroker, he was the Food & Beverage Director of a medium- sized 100 room hotel in Great Neck, NY and attributes much of his interpersonal, negotiating and sales skills to his time in the food industry.
In addition to full-time employment in the banking industry, when not with his family, Ben keeps his personal time very busy with various entrepreneurial projects, including and several apps/ websites/products in multiple stages of development, funding and revenue. Ben has a passion for collaboration and partnerships, bringing people from various parts of his networking and professional circles together and fostering meaningful connections.
Ben Chairs, Co-Chairs or sits on multiple non-profit and organizations committees for fundraising and event planning, as well as advisory boards of several of his client’s businesses. He sits on the Board of, and is the Chair of the Membership Committee of the Long Island Elite, a 501(c)3 charitable networking organization, as well as an Advisory Board Member of The Viscardi Center, a multi-programmed K-12 school for disabled children and related services in Albertson, NY. He is also the Event Co-Chair of ACLD’s annual Poker for a Purpose event. In recognition of his networking, philanthropic and community involvement, among other reasons, Ben was recently honored in February, 2020 as a “Class of 2020 Long Island Business News’ 40 Under 40 winner.”
Ben graduated from Hofstra University in Dec. of 2005 with a BBA in Business Management and has been living on Long Island since, even though he proudly hails from Philadelphia. Ben, his wife Georgiana and their three children, Isabella (11), Mason (9) and Emerson (5), live in Northport, NY.
In the future, Ben plans to pursue his MBA, continue to be a leading commercial lender on Long Island for his clients and prospects, grow several entrepreneurial projects to critical mass and continue to better himself as a father, husband, business partner, leader, entrepreneur and professional.
