Middle Market Underwriter, Corporate Banking
JPMorgan Chase Bank, Peoria
Paul got his start in the banking field through ISU's Finance Internship program. He has taught at the college level, sponsored several of our internship students, and returned to campus to speak to the Financial Management Association.
He is pictured at JPMorgan Chase's Peoria facility.
Area of Finance specialization: Financial Institutions Management
Hometown: Peoria, Illinois
FIL 318 Management of Financial Institutions. I had other good finance classes too, but the institutions course was the first one that gave me direct insights into things I wanted to do in my career.
The fantastic ISU-Bradley basketball games at Horton Field House. The “new” Redbird Arena is great, but there was always a special feel to the games when they were played in Horton. I also have happy memories of being involved in intramural softball and basketball, walking through the quad during different seasons of the year, and getting an A in an internship with a helpful but demanding supervisor who, I later learned, “never gives A's.”
Throughout my career I have dealt with commercial lending. I started as a credit analyst, and over time was given authority over larger loan amounts and supervised other credit analysts. In my current position I underwrite loans to existing and prospective middle market credit customers, companies with annual revenues of up to $500 million. I make general use of many things I learned in upper-level finance courses, and on a daily basis I utilize the foundational credit analysis skills gained in FIL 240!
Being less than an hour away, I've had a special opportunity to stay close to ISU, and to the Finance program in particular. I have supervised interns, and am pleased to have helped many ISU Finance graduates get started in their professional careers. ISU has a strong reputation in the business community; I'm always proud to discuss my school experiences with associates and current students. In addition to my day job, I have been a part-time business instructor at Midstate College for 11 years. The school focuses on non-traditional students, and I draw on both my banking career and my ISU student days to give them a unique perspective. The positive classroom experience at ISU has fueled a desire to give something back.
