Jane McMinn, Senior Vice President, Regional Credit Officer
S&T Bank
STBank.com
800.325.2265
Why did you decide to go into your profession?
When I graduated from a liberal arts college with dual majors in mathematics and business administration, it was more about what I didn’t want to do. I knew that I didn’t want to be a math teacher or an actuary, but I wanted to use my math aptitude in my career. As a newly graduated student, like many young and eager college grads, I wanted to move out of the area. Fortunately, the job market in Florida was soft, and I received two offers from banks in PA. Rather than go the retail path, I chose to join a commercial credit training program, which led to becoming a commercial middle market lender, manager of a lending team and now a Regional Credit Officer at S&T Bank. And looking back, I now know that I made the right decision to stay in PA.
What makes your approach to your job different or unique?
I try to put myself in the “other person’s shoes.” As a regional credit officer, my job is to protect the assets of the bank, mitigating risk, but recognizing that loans need to be made, to grow the bank. I’m new to the position, having been on the sales and management side of commercial lending for most of my career. This is a benefit—remembering how competitive the marketplace is—so my approach is to try to reach a compromise. While not every opportunity can or should be approved, throughout the course of my career, I have seen many missed opportunities by the credit officer not listening and keeping an open mind to different approaches.
What’s the most fun or gratifying part of what you do?
Helping companies grow and be successful, which trickles down to their employees and families. Many years ago, I questioned whether I was making an impact and helping society. I’ll never forget when a fellow graduate student and I were having a conversation, in the parking lot at Penn State Harrisburg following class, about the direction of our lives. He was the one who opened my eyes and helped me understand the significance and importance of my career to the local economy and its citizens. This came home during the recession, when I structured loans to help companies survive and keep people employed in their local communities.
