Cole Buckfelder

Director, Loan Sales and Syndications Group, Wells Fargo Capital Finance

Biography:

Cole Buckfelder is a director in the Loan Sales and Syndications group within Wells Fargo Capital Finance.  Cole is responsible for originating, structuring and executing syndicated asset- based loans for large corporate and middle-market customers.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“UNC”) and a Master of Business Administration from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. 

Cole has worked on the syndication of asset-based loans since graduating from business school at Chapel Hill in 2008. During his career with Wells Fargo, Cole has become a critical player in all phases the loan sales and syndication business, and has played an important role in over $50 billion of syndicated asset based transactions, including some of the largest transactions in the industry. Cole is a great teammate who has made a difference across Wells Fargo’s business units with a combination of credit and market skills, hard work, and determination to find the right solution for his clients.  Cole has been a difference maker away from his professional responsibilities as well. He has been active in SFNET events, serving on several industry panels in recent years. He is also an active member of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Advisory council. Cole and his wife, Cristina, live in Charlotte, North Carolina along with their two children, Charlotte and Robert.

What advice would you offer to someone just starting out who wants to be a difference maker in their organization?

Two things.  First, ask a lot of questions.  There’s a lot to learn, especially when you are new to the industry or an organization, and I always find that it’s best to ask questions and learn from others rather than trying to go it alone.  Second, think outside the box.  A great way to differentiate yourself is being creative and coming up with unique solutions to problems. 

Tell us about any charities you are involved in and why their missions are important to you.

I give most of my volunteering time and energy to my alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, particularly Kenan-Flagler Business School.  My initial reason for getting involved was quite simple: I wanted to give back to an institution that gave so much to me.  I received both my Bachelor and Master in Business Administrative from Kenan-Flagler and wanted to make sure future students had the opportunity to receive the same foundation I did.  Since joining the Alumni Council at Kenan-Flagler, my motivations have grown.  I mentioned earlier that being creative and solving problems with unique solutions is a great differentiator and that’s exactly what Kenan-Flagler is doing.  The school is focused on the future of education by using technology to foster real-world and experiential learning.  As a result, future Kenan-Flagler students won’t get the same educational foundation that I did… theirs will be stronger.

You’ve played a key role in some of the largest transactions in our industry. What do you enjoy most about these deals?

I thrive off the competition that these deals create and the challenges that they present.  Another enjoyable aspect of the large deals is that they provide me an opportunity to build relationships with other bankers across the industry.  Relationships are vitally important in this business and I find that the strongest relationships are built in the trenches, when you are working through a deal.  By default, the large deals require more lenders which means more people that I get to work with and build relationships with. 

How do you balance work/personal time?

I’d be lying if I said I have this figured out; in fact, it’s a constant struggle.  There are so many people and tasks that require attention on a day-to-day basis in this line of work, it’s impossible to give everyone the time they deserve.  Like most people, family is my number-one priority, but I readily admit that I ask my family to sacrifice quite a bit for my job.  Fortunately, I am blessed with a strong and understanding support system – primarily my wife – that knows my job requires me to be working more than most and it will occasionally throw a wrench in our plans.  Two keys for me are that (1) my family’s support and understanding needs to be appreciated and rewarded and (2) certain events are sacred and cannot be interrupted by work for any reason. 

How can commercial finance organizations retain their best and brightest?

I believe the most important driver of retention is engagement and the easiest way to keep the best and brightest engaged is to challenge them.  If someone isn’t challenged by their work, they are going to grow bored and look for something new.  The key is discovering what challenges an individual and being open to allowing that person to find challenge in a new role if that’s what it takes.  Personally, I’ve stayed engaged after more than a decade in syndications because no two deals are ever the same and leaders like Barry Bobrow and Dorothy Killeen entrusted me with greater responsibility when the challenge of the next deal wasn’t enough.