M&T Bank expands capabilities with creation of CRE innovation office and hiring of new execs.

Buffalo, NY M&T Bank has launched its new commercial real estate (CRE) innovation office, an integrated team focused on building comprehensive solutions for CRE clients. The CRE Innovation Office aims to creatively connect financial products to clients’ needs, including various types of CRE lending, debt capital markets, and agency & insurance company placements.

The innovation office, led by Brooke Cianfichi, will create new solutions, including aiming to onboard strategic third-party capital for the benefit of clients. M&T hired three executives based in N.Y.C. to support this effort. M&T Realty Capital Corp., a subsidiary of M&T, is authorized to originate loans under all three agency programs: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD.

“M&T has deep experience in the commercial real estate space, and the Innovation Office marks our commitment to continued expansion in diversified commercial real estate solutions,” said Peter D’Arcy, head of commercial banking, M&T Bank. “This is a substantial opportunity to build upon our already strong capabilities in this space and it further complements M&T’s trustworthy and forward-thinking approach to exceed client expectations.”

“Often when a client approaches a large financial organization, they can feel siloed into one group or another, with those groups not communicating efficiently,” said Cianfichi.

“At M&T, we recognize the value of connecting the client to what they need in a coordinated way, as a trusted advisor providing a creative solution.”

Cianfichi, executive vice president, brings almost 20 years of banking, sales, real estate finance, and fundraising experience to the role, along with a future-forward, customer-centric view. As CRE Segment Lead covering strategy for M&T’s $48B CRE debt commitments and the creator of the CRE Innovation Office, she is responsible for overseeing the development of new capital solutions in commercial real estate for new and existing clients.

Three new hires with deep and varied commercial real estate backgrounds recently started in the CRE innovation office.

Lopa Kolluri, Senior Vice President, comes to M&T from HUD, where she served as the head of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) overseeing $1.2 trillion in insured mortgages and leading 2,800 employees. With over 25 years of experience in affordable housing and community and economic development in the public and private sectors,

Kolluri will lead the CRE Innovation Office’s “Strategy + Build” approach as Business Strategy Senior Manager, drawing on her extensive knowledge and experience in executive-level management of housing finance policy, operations and transactions.

Laura Murphy, Senior Vice President, comes to M&T from TF Cornerstone, where she was responsible for all debt capital market activities across the company, including mortgage financing for development projects, acquisitions, and existing properties, as well as corporate facilities and lines of credit. As Senior Strategic Initiatives Manager, Murphy will focus on the execution of new solutions.

Ashley Mitchell, Vice President and Lead Commercial Segment Support Analyst, will focus on improving business efficiencies, building out revenue-generating initiatives and helping evolve the line of business for the future. Mitchell most recently played a key role in the CRE Strategy Team at People’s United Bank.

“In conclusion, we understand the client well because many of us were once the client,” said Cianfichi. “The clients’ needs guide our priorities today and into the future.”