Brooks Sawyer

Assistant Vice President - Originations, Citizens Business Capital

40 Under 40 Category: Business Development

Biography:

Brooks joined Citizens Business Capital in 2017 as an assistant vice president on the originations team in Atlanta. Since joining Citizens, Brooks has been responsible for sourcing, structuring, and executing asset-based transactions in Citizens, growing Southeast and Southwest markets. The originations team is focused on developing strong relationships and lead opportunities with clients in the South, partnering with Citizens Commercial Bank coverage and product partners to provide thoughtful capital solutions for working capital, M&A, and other growth initiatives.

Brooks got his start in asset-based syndications for Regions Business Capital after graduating from the University of Georgia in 2012. In this role, he supported the organizations, left-lead opportunities for transactions typically exceeding $50 million. While a part of Regions Bank, he also helped create the banks Enterprise Value Group and was an underwriter focused on structuring and executing asset-based and leveraged cash flow transactions for the bank. He was member of Regions Management Associate and Commercial Credit Training programs in 2013. Brooks lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife, Ellen, and their son, Luke.

What is the best professional advice you have been given and how have you implemented it?

The best professional advice I’ve been given has stuck with me since the beginning of my career and has flowed into other aspects of my life over time: “Learn something new every day”. It may seem obvious, but the delivery of the message was centered around developing a variety of skills that can be applicable to your career later and I’ve continued to try to make use of that advice every day (although some days are better than others).

I think this piece of advice is especially important to give to young professionals because the learning curve is often so steep early in a career that this becomes an achievable goal that can be referred back to whenever junior talent feels overwhelmed with the flow of information. I also believe that, especially early in my career, this prompted me to ask a lot of questions and to work with as many different persons as possible to gain their perspective and has also given me a window into a variety of different careers in the industry and find the best fit for myself and my organization.

How do you think the commercial finance industry can attract more young professionals?

One part of the nature of the industry that I would say I didn’t have a great understanding of while I was studying at the University of Georgia is that the work in the industry is so diverse and that there is the opportunity for every day to be different than the previous one. I believe many young professionals would have their interest piqued if they understood that, by working in an industry that is so transactional in nature, they will have the ability to see many different companies and industries which will do two things: 1.) it will give you the opportunity to see and learn something new every day and 2.) the constant learning and variety of that knowledge will contribute towards making you more successful throughout your professional career.

How would you define what a good leader is, and what can you do to reflect those characteristics as you progress in your career?

I’ve had a handful of mentors to this point in my career whom I think of when I think of a leader and there have been a couple consistent traits that they tended to share. The number one thing that has always been important to be in a leader is open communication. The great leaders I’ve worked with have always been exceptional at communicating their thoughts, questions, and issues to people who may not always share the same communication style. I’ve had mentors that were very subtle and very upfront, depending whom they were talking with and I find these conversations to be much smoother when both parties are on the same page.

I also believe strong leaders have a great grasp on the relative strengths and weaknesses of those whom they lead and using this information to put people in the right position. I have had the good fortune to have mentors who saw an opportunity for me based on what I was good at and they acted proactively to get me into a role that would help me develop.

I’ve tried to use these examples when I work with junior talent to make sure I’m relaying my message correctly while also hearing what they have to say and make sure they are learning the business.