On April 30, Regions Bank announced Amy Barrentine had been elevated to serve as head of Regions Business Capital, a specialty finance business within the bank’s Corporate Banking Group.

An important competitive differentiator for Regions Bank, Regions Business Capital develops tailored services for companies at all stages of their life cycles. From managing periods of rapid growth, to navigating performance volatility, strategically leveraging acquisitions, to managing shareholder distributions, and more, Barrentine’s team specializes in helping clients build responsible growth and achieve clear goals.

Barrentine is an experienced leader who joined Regions in June 2022 as manager of Originations, where she and her team sourced new opportunities with clients in key growth markets across the country utilizing Regions Business Capital’s products. Barrentine has over 30 years of experience serving public and private companies in a diverse range of industries. Prior to joining Regions, Barrentine served as the managing director in the Asset-Based Lending Group at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc., now Truist Securities. Barrentine succeeds Courtney Jeans, who was recently elevated to a new role within the bank’s Risk Management division. 

Here, Barrentine discusses her career trajectory, her goals in her new role and what makes ABL a critical financing tool.

TSL: Can you walk us through your career trajectory and how you entered the asset-based lending industry?

Amy Barrentine: With a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, I was a congressional intern the summer before I graduated and saw my future as a legislative aide and perhaps, followed by a law career.

That was the plan.

But my congressman announced he would not be seeking re-election, and I knew if I went that route, I’d likely have a job for two years. And that didn’t seem like a great plan or at least one that lacked certainty.

So, I pivoted. I moved to Boston and landed a job at Bank of New England luckily in the workout group. In the middle of the New England real estate recession, I was surrounded by people dealing with distressed credits and restructuring, working to optimize outcomes for borrowers and the bank alike. I found my passion for banking. That was 36 years ago, and I am grateful for the “pivot”. That early foundation in distressed credit situations is probably one of the most important points g in my career that ultimately led me to asset-based lending.

After four years in workout and cold New England winters, I moved back south, with a few years in credit risk review for a bank holding company that owned multiple community banks, and then joined NationsBank, now Bank of America, where I initially worked in corporate banking. And that’s where I was introduced to asset-based lending.

My boss at the time recognized my workout experience and believed I would be great in ABL, so she introduced me to the head of the ABL group, and I moved into the business as a portfolio manager, then into underwriting.

I joined SunTrust at the very early stages of building their ABL platform. We had to originate the deal, underwrite it, and manage it, because there wasn’t a built-out infrastructure yet.

I left briefly to go to Gordon Brothers, a leading appraisal firm for the asset-based lending industry, which I think made me a better lender. It gave me a much deeper understanding of asset valuations and liquidations. I learned a lot over those two years, but realized I missed the deals. So, I returned to banking.

I went to back to SunTrust as an originator and in 2015 took over leading the originations team focused on the CML/MM market, a role I served in during the Truist merger. That experience, while challenging when you consider a bank merger of equals that closed three months before a worldwide pandemic, was rewarding and positioned me for this new role.

I joined Regions Bank in June 2022 and am honored to now lead the team in Regions Business Capital.

When I step back and look at it, there was nothing linear about my career. I got into asset-based lending somewhat by happenstance, and I stayed because I genuinely love the business. We are doing incredible work at Regions Business Capital, and I’m so proud of our team and the opportunity to lead it into the future.

How has asset-based lending evolved over the course of your career?

Amy Barrentine: When I first got into ABL, it was a very different product than it is today. Back in the late ’90s, it was much more associated with distressed situations. Borrowers were often coming into ABL because there were fundamental problems in their business. So, you had this concept of patient capital. You were financing companies that needed time to stabilize or restructure. And that’s where my background in workouts actually aligned very well with ABL.

Today, the product has evolved dramatically. ABL is now a working capital financing tool that companies use across their lifecycle. It’s used by companies that are growing rapidly and need support for working capital builds. It’s used by companies with timing mismatches in cash flow. It’s used for acquisitions, liquidity events, or to provide flexibility during periods of volatility.

The product has expanded from something that was more niche and somewhat stigmatized to something that is broadly accepted and strategically used. And honestly, I think that’s a great thing. Because it means that we’re not just stepping in when something is wrong—we’re working with clients to help them grow.

What are your short-term and long-term priorities in your current role at Regions?

Amy Barrentine: I came into this role in December, and we have a really strong foundation here. We have a team with tremendous credibility in the bank as strong credit and risk stewards, and I want to make sure we maintain that.

We’ve grown significantly over the last four years. Much of that growth was tied to what we saw during COVID—supply chain disruptions, inventory build, and borrowers needing liquidity to get product off the boats. There was real demand for ABL financing, and we grew alongside that.

So, in the near term, my focus is really on maintaining the integrity and discipline that we’ve built while continuing to take an appropriate level of growth and market share. I want to make sure that as we grow, we are still doing it in a very thoughtful and methodical way, and that we continue to deliver the same level of performance that we historically have.

At the same time, I’m very focused on how we scale the business more effectively and efficiently. One of the areas we’re looking at is our collateral management systems. We’re evaluating more robust systems that can ingest client data and help with the borrowing base calculations. Because one of the biggest objections we hear, especially from middle-market clients, is the reporting burden.

Longer term, I want us to continue to grow the platform by continuing to invest in technology, continuing to invest in talent, and making sure we are positioned as a leading ABL platform in the market. It also means continuing to expand how we think about the business, not just as ABL, but as part of a broader working capital continuum. We offer asset-based lending, supply chain, receivables purchase, securitization, equipment finance. Regions is known for delivering holistic solutions to clients, and we will continue to work alongside our banking relationship managers to grow delivery of those solutions to clients.

Another important long-term focus for me is talent. We have a lot of very experienced professionals who are retiring, and we need to make sure that we are developing the next generation of leaders. And that ties back to training and development. We must pass on the knowledge, especially around things like bankruptcy, liquidation, and credit structuring.

At the end of the day, my goal is to grow the business, but grow it in a way that preserves Regions’ strong associate culture, reinforces our credit discipline, and positions us for the long term. We are known as a strong, disciplined ABL platform that delivers for our clients and for the bank, and I look forward to leading this next chapter.

Why do you believe ABL is such a critical financing tool for the middle market?

Amy Barrentine: ABL plays a critical role in the economy. According to data from our trade association – the Secured Finance Network, asset-based lending is approximately a $540 billion industry.  Despite its relatively small size its impact is significant. The capital we provide allows companies to invest in inventory, expand operations, and pursue strategic initiatives. It supports acquisitions and liquidity events. It helps companies navigate periods where cash flow might be constrained.

And one of the things I really like about middle-market ABL is that you can see the impact. You can see how the financing is being used within the company and within the community.

From a bank perspective, it’s also a very disciplined product. We’re underwriting to collateral, we’re monitoring the borrowing base, and that creates strong performance. We’re not relying solely on projections—we’re lending against assets that we understand and monitor continuously.

It’s a product that benefits both borrowers and lenders, and it plays an important role in supporting economic activity.

How important is credit discipline in ABL, and how does it shape decision-making?

Amy Barrentine: Credit discipline is everything. If there’s one thing that was foundational to my career, it’s understanding credit. The better you understand credit and risk, the better you can structure a deal and advocate for the client. And in ABL specifically, that means understanding the collateral, the borrowing base mechanics, and what happens in a downside scenario.

We underwrite to liquidation. That’s a core principle. We’re asking ourselves, if something goes wrong, can we monetize the collateral and get repaid?

That’s where some borrowers can get uncomfortable, because when you talk about net orderly liquidation value, they hear “liquidation” and immediately react. And you have to explain to them that it’s not about expecting failure—it’s about disciplined underwriting. It’s about being comfortable supporting them if their operations face challenges because of our confidence in our asset underwriting.

What are the key considerations in structuring ABL solutions today, especially in more complex capital stacks?

Amy Barrentine: Structuring has become more complex, particularly with the growth of multi-tranche deals and different forms of capital, but the fundamental principles haven’t changed. You must understand how you get repaid, you must understand your position in capital structure, and you must think through how things play out if the business does not perform as expected. Intercreditor dynamics are very important. When you have multiple lenders, alignment is critical. If lenders have different views on risk or different approaches to managing a situation, it can create challenges.

And it’s not just about the downside—it’s also about how you work together throughout the life of the deal. That’s why relationships matter so much in this industry. We know each other, we understand how each other thinks, and that leads to better outcomes. One thing I will say is that not everything that looks like ABL is ABL. Just because something is on a borrowing base does not mean it has the same discipline, monitoring, and structure that defines true ABL. That distinction matters when you’re thinking about risk.

How do you think about the broader working capital continuum—ABL, supply chain finance, and other products?

Amy Barrentine: I think about it as a continuum of working capital solutions. Not every client is going to use every product, but there are opportunities to combine them in ways that create strong outcomes.

You can have ABL alongside supply chain finance or receivables purchase programs. You can incorporate equipment finance where it makes sense. The key is to understand the client’s needs and match the right product to fit those needs. It’s also about returns and discipline. We’re not just providing capital—we’re providing capital that needs to make sense from a risk and return perspective. And I think the ability to offer multiple products within a coordinated framework is a real advantage. It allows us to be more flexible and more responsive to what clients need.

What role do technology and AI play in the future of ABL?

Amy Barrentine: I think AI and technology will make us better. It will make us more efficient and give us better visibility into data and trends.

One of the biggest pain points in ABL has always been reporting. Clients will say, “I’m going to have to hire someone just to do reporting for you.” So, if we can use technology to streamline that—ingest data, calculate borrowing bases, provide predictive analytics—that’s a huge benefit.

I see it augmenting what we do. It can handle repetitive and data-heavy tasks and allow us to focus more on analysis, structuring, and client relationships. And I think it’s coming at the right time, because the industry is facing a wave of retirements. Having tools that improve efficiency will help us manage that transition.

How is the industry addressing talent development and attracting new professionals?

Amy Barrentine: Training is critical. Whether it’s formal programs, like credit training or certificate programs, or internal initiatives, we must invest in developing talent.

Here at Regions, we built a leadership development program that included people from every function within ABL—underwriting, portfolio management, operations, collateral management. It gave people a broader understanding of how everything fits together, and it gave them a voice to contribute ideas and solutions.

I also think culture is incredibly important. People want to work in environments where they feel valued, where they’re part of a team, and where they can grow. Great talent attracts great talent. I am very proud that Regions Business Capital has attracted great talent.

And finally, I think we need to do a better job of telling our story. When people understand the impact of what we do, how we support businesses, how we contribute to the economy, it becomes a much more compelling career path.