Kenneth G. Sullivan
Commercial Credit Risk Executive
*** ******** *****, *******, ************ 18940 *********@*****.*** 215-***-**** / 513-***-****
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kensullivancreditrisk/
PERSONAL PROFILE
Commercial Credit Risk Executive working in the banking & financial services industry with over 35 years’ experience of timely and consistent underwriting of new credit relationships and the management of credit operational risk. I deliver guidance on complex structuring, analysis, and underwriting, ensuring accuracy of risk and facility ratings. Extensive experience in the monitoring of loan covenants, delinquencies, annual reviews, and renewals of existing credit relationships. I am often called to assist companies who want to build out strategies to address new and expanding markets; and for businesses who need to operate in a Three Line of Defense Business Model, I bring creative approaches to business process, creation of procedures, and templates to address the tasks at hand. When a company wants to expand the bench strength of the senior management team, I deliver the expertise to organize and run credit departments and other areas of technical address including documentation, asset management, and portfolio management, across multi product sets, for example, large corporate, middle market, vendor finance, healthcare finance, federal leasing, municipal finance, and franchise finance. For a clear illustration of how I can assist your organization, please refer to the examples below.
KEY ASSIGNMENTS & PROJECTS
STRATEGIZING TO GROW BUSINESSES THROUGH EXPANDED PRODUCT OFFERINGS
At one financial institution, I took the concept of a Third-Party Wholesale Vendor Platform from an idea to reality. I grew the business to include over 30 Vendor programs producing $750M in annualized volume. At another, I wrote the playbook for Vendor Finance, including Visio work flows, policies, procedures, the development of a forms library, and the roll-out to all constituent groups. I have co-authored business strategy refreshes enabling an organization to step outside its boundaries to achieve a presence on a national stage. Expanded products have included Investment Grade and Large Corporate Customers, National Municipal, and Surface Transportation (Trucking, Marine, and Rail).
CREATING ORGANIZATIONAL AGILITY IN A THREE LINE OF DEFENSE BUSINESS MODEL
Developing communication streams to effectuate organizational cohesiveness positively while removing gaps from processes. At Fifth Third Bank, all stakeholder groups would come together to identify gaps and differences of opinion in the investment consideration. This enabled parties to improve structuring nuances. It tightened the underwriting document and took 1 to 2 days out of the origination process, as well as breaking down interdepartmental silos.
At Siemens, Fifth Third, and TD Bank, reporting, and the creation of dashboards made for a better shared experience with the Third Line of Defense (Audit/Loan Review). Information sessions ensured they understood daily activities in the unit, current trends and developments, and gave reassurance that the portfolios were being managed in an appropriate manner. The result was improved line of sight and a collaborative approach to managing and mitigating risk.
EXPANSION OF MANAGEMENT BENCH STRENGTH TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND DELIVERY CAPABILITY
At TD Bank the use of Salesforce took on a role far greater than that of a sales management tool, and volume forecasting product. Our teams used the software as a portal to deliver information and trigger a call to action. Pre-established fields enabled origination staff to submit a new underwriting request, initiate an asset management review, and kick-start the documentation creation process. It provided a vehicle to push the call to action by a support group. It meant the underwriting could move forward from remote locations. It improved accountability, communication, and reduced the life cycle of a transaction from origination to funding.
At Ally Bank, I provided direction & guidance to team members, with regards to the implementation of credit processes & procedures relating to the business. Gathering sufficient information in order to make sound decisions regarding finance opportunities was key as was collaborating with the Ally Bank commercial Chief Risk Officer, ensuring compliance with all Bank corporate standards. Analyzing the commercial processes and procedures while providing appropriate feedback on Commercial Risk Management ensured balance between Risk and Revenue.
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE
Chief Credit Officer, Transportation Finance
HITACHI CAPITAL AMERICA Oct. 2018 – May 2019
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Responsible for leading the Credit function including direct, and indirect retail originations and wholesale floorplan activities. Responsible for directing policy, and ensuring efficient procedures are in place that mitigate risk inherent in any loan portfolio. The position is responsible for attainment of lending objectives, and overall direction of the Transportation Finance credit and operations departments including overall loan and portfolio quality.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Evaluated and made adjustments to retail credit flow, and structured process environments.
Created methodologies associated with the onboarding and review of new Broker and Dealer relationships, and the Qualification of third- party vendor programs.
Introduced the greater use of data and analytics to evaluate results of the portfolio, and effectiveness/efficiency of individuals contributing to the process.
Increased volume in the Heavy- Duty Truck space and Medium Duty -Truck spaces over forty (40%) percent in a short period of time
Reduced delinquencies, and assisted the business unit to a return to profitability and sustainable growth.
Created Playbooks/Training materials which: A) Broadly define objectives; B) Describe and document processes; C) Provide compliance with SOX requirements; D) Serve as a training tool for new personnel; and E) Serve as a job-aide and reference material for existing personnel.
SVP, Chief Risk Officer
ALLY BANK, LEASING AND EQUIPMENT FINANCE Nov 2017 – October 2018
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Responsible for managing the Equipment Finance Credit/Risk Team, providing coaching to team members & Commercial Underwriters. Portfolio Size: $498MM
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
In 9 months provided oversight as to the growth in Group’s Portfolio from ten Customers with $233MM in booked and unfunded commitments to thirty-two Customers with $ 498MM on book and in backlog.
Supported the refinement of business practices, and the creation of new processes and forms/templates to facilitate process and the ease of doing business.
SVP / Director Credit Management Oct 2012 – Jul 2017
TD EQUIPMENT FINANCE
RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsible for managing the credit underwriting, and credit administration function of TD Bank Equipment Finance. Portfolio Size: $3B+, New Originations $900M per annum.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Grew the Equipment Finance Portfolio from $1.9B to $3.1B in four and a half years.
Managed the Portfolio with negligible delinquency and no charge-offs during my tenure.
Effectively managed relations with third lines of defence (Audit), achieving green or high pass on all credit scorecards and loan reviews. Green or high pass on all Monitoring and Escalation reporting, and solid audit results from AML/KYC and from Comprehensive Bank Internal Audits.
Completely revamped the Business Unit’s Policies, Procedures, Standards, Templates, and Training Tools.
Wrote the playbook/strategy for the businesses entrance into the wholesale vendor market space. This included Visio workflows, policies and procedures, development of a forms library (raw and annotated), and development of portfolio management best practices.
Co-Authored the Equipment Finance Businesses Strategy Refresh enabling the Group to step outside of the footprint constraints in certain instances, including Investment Grade and Large Corporate Customers, National Municipal, An Investment Basket for Surface Transportation, An expanded Credit profile for end User Customers in the Vendor Space.
Wrote Comprehensive “White Papers” for Trucking, Marine, and Rail in support of the expansion efforts.
SVP / Chief Credit Officer Sep 2006 – Oct 2012
FIFTH THIRD EQUIPMENT FINANCE
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provided oversight for Lease/Loan origination/underwriting, and credit administration processes. Portfolio size: $4.5B, New Originations $800M to $1.1B per annum.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Grew the Direct Book of the Bank’s Equipment Finance Portfolio from $3.3B to $4.5B.
Underwrote approximately $6B in new funding over a six-year period.
Managed the Portfolio with Delinquency levels, and Charge-off Levels below industry standards, during a period in which we navigated through one of the worst recessionary periods of our time (late 2007 to early 2010)
Received clean audits and loan reviews during all years of my tenure.
VP, Credit and Operations Oct 1998 – Sep 2006
SIEMENS FINANCIAL SERVICES
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Chief Credit Risk Officer for SFS’s Vendor and Capital Markets Groups. Held the position of Vice President of Credit and Operations for both the Captive and Third-Party Vendor Business Lines.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Member of the Management Team which created a Third-Party Wholesale Vendor Platform. Grew the Business from start up to include over thirty vendor relationships and $750M per annum in volume.
Wrote over $2B in Computer Hardware, and Software financings.
Successfully managed the consolidation of the Siemens Captive Platform and Third-Party Platforms.
Maintained strong portfolio performance over my tenure with the Organization.
Member of the design team which created a Service Center of Excellence model across all business units.
Promoted - VP Credit and Operations Third Party Vendor Programs to VP Credit and Operations Captive and Third-Party Vendor Programs
.
VP, Credit Apr 1988 – Oct 1998
BELL ATLANTIC CAPITAL
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Vice President of Credit. Team Lead for Bell Atlantic Capital’s Middle Market Equipment Leasing function.
Promoted - Senior Credit Analyst Middle Market & Franchise Finance to VP Credit Underwriting Middle Market.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Science, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY Major: Accounting / Minor: Economics
AWARDS
President’s Club Award Siemens Financial Services (Maui, Hawaii & Paris, France) 2001 & 2002
Chairman’s Club Award Bell Atlantic Capital (Oahu, Hawaii & Grand Cayman Islands) 1995 & 1996
Presidents Club Award, Chrysler Capital (Nassau, Bahamas) 1984
President’s Distinguished Service Award, Beneficial Commercial Leasing 1981
TRAINING COURSES
TD Bank: Build for the Future; Voice of Leadership; 23 courses on Leadership (learning management system)
Fifth Third Bank: Situation Leadership; Communicating with Influence, Leadership Challenge (2-day retreat).
Moody’s KMV (NYC): Technology and Training for Managing Credit Risk.
Kellogg Graduate School, Northwestern University, Advanced Financial Statement Analysis and Reporting
Standard and Poor’s (NYC) Corporate Credit Risk Analysis