M&T Bank has named a new leader for its middle market banking group.
Buffalo based M&T has promoted Shelley Drake to regional president for Western New York. Drake, who has more than 45-years experience at M&T says, in her new role she will be overseeing the commercial banking middle market lending group.
"Middle market to us would be companies that have revenues from $10 million all the way up," Drake said.
Commercial customers can be anything from for-profit corporations to not-for-profits, to healthcare entities.
"If someone is building a new building, we want to be there to help build that building. And if someone needs lines of credit, I mean, all the basic banking needs that a commercial customer would need, that's what we're here to do," Drake said.
She'll also be taking a leadership role within M&T's community banking team which "makes sure the bank is delivering the right products and services to all of M&T's customers." She will also continue serving as president of M&T's Charitable Foundation which distributed nearly $5 million in grants to local groups last year alone.
"We're very heavily involved in education through our Buffalo Promise Neighborhood initiative, as well as many of the colleges and private schools. And we are very involved in arts and culture and in healthcare," Drake said.
M&T, she says, also supports local agencies that provide basic services like food and shelter to residents in need.
