40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Brady Chianciola

Brady Chianciola: 27

Assistant Vice President and Regional Manager, PeoplesBank

Brady Chianciola knows the importance of mentoring — from both sides.

After enrolling in the PeoplesBank Management Program in 2005, just before graduating from UMass Amherst, he rose quickly through the ranks, moving from commercial finance to managing a branch to assuming a regional role in 2008, the year he earned his MBA at the Isenberg School of Management.

Now, he’s responsible for the operation of eight branches. “I’m in charge of making sure they provide great customer service, they’re following the policies and procedures of the bank, they’re hitting their sales goals, and that the buildings look good and the customers are happy.”

But Chianciola can also be found in the community, representing bank President Doug Bowen (a 2009 BusinessWest Difference Maker) on that program’s Project Literacy component, or visiting schools to discuss financial literacy — effectively serving as a mentor on an issue close to his heart.

“You can graduate from college without taking one class on personal finance, which blows my mind,” he said. “You take history classes, and you might never need to know history — but everyone needs to know about checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, Roths. If everyone knew about personal finance, we wouldn’t be in this economy. People wouldn’t be getting mortgages they can’t afford. It’s a hot-button issue of mine. I wish more people knew about it.”

Whether it’s working with individual branches or reaching out beyond the bank walls, Chianciola, who also co-founded a book club for employees, said he appreciates not being stuck behind a desk.

“I like going from one branch to another, talking to different sets of people. I like the interaction with the employees. And I like going out into the community.

“Giving back to the community is part of our culture,” he added. “If I didn’t work for Peoples, I probably wouldn’t be doing the things I’m doing, but being here just makes me want to do more.”

And the cycle continues. — Joseph Bednar

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