Financial services is a broad and robust sector in Western Mass., running the gamut from banking and lending to insurance and accounting to wealth management.
On the following pages, meet leaders from two local institutions — Matt Lauro, senior vice president and Western Massachusetts Commercial Lending team leader at MountainOne, and Deb Esposito, senior vice president and Business Banking officer at Greenfield Cooperative Bank.
We asked these financial leaders to share why they were first drawn to their work, how their journeys brought them to their current leadership roles, how the rewards and challenges of banking and finance have evolved, and why this sector presents attractive options for young people seeking a meaningful career.
Faces of Finance is part of BusinessWest’s Faces of Business series, which was launched with Faces of Construction earlier this year. So read on as these hardworking and thoughtful professionals tell you what they love about their work, what they do for fun, and why they’re deservedly proud of the success they’ve built.
Matt Lauro
Senior Vice President, Western Massachusetts Commercial Team Leader, MountainOne
Matt Lauro, Senior Vice President, Western Massachusetts Commercial Lending Team Leader, MountainOne
Matt Lauro says he’s the product of “outstanding mentorship.”
That started the summer before his junior year of college, when he interned at Fidelity Management and Research Co., which encouraged networking and collaboration, setting an example of the kind of leader he would eventually be.
“I fell in love with analyzing different industries and businesses and listening to executive management speak about all the changes that would exist in my career lifetime,” Lauro recalls. “I loved the hybrid challenge of communicating with people and utilizing analytic abilities.”
In 2021, his career brought him back to Western Massachusetts. Through his network, he was introduced to Robert Fraser, president and CEO of MountainOne. “Bob was looking to add depth to our commercial lending team. I met with Bob and Richard (Dick) Kelly, our senior commercial risk officer, and the rest is history.”
These days, as MountainOne’s commercial leader for Western Massachusetts, Lauro is responsible for motivating, managing, and expanding a team of commercial bankers, as well as growing the region’s commercial portfolio. In addition, he oversees a diverse portfolio of clients across the Commonwealth.
“I am lucky,” he says. “I have an incredibly talented team in place with many years of experience, and we have built an outstanding portfolio of high-quality companies and individuals.”
He has achieved this during a time of significant challenge and opportunity in the financial-services sector. “The economic environment and the industry are evolving rapidly. The key opportunity is for banks and bankers to lead these changes,” he explains. “For instance, a banker who stays updated on economic trends can engage in more informed conversations with clients, fostering stronger, long-lasting relationships. It’s not just about making loans; it’s about managing relationships over the long term and helping clients navigate through periods of uncertainty.
“Additionally,” Lauro adds, “investing in new technology, introducing innovative products, and enhancing the customer experience are crucial for offsetting the long-term trend of rising costs.”
In all, it’s been a gratifying career, one he says young people would be wise to consider. While there’s no straight-line path to success, he offered some advice to anyone pursuing this field.
“Maintain intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn from the right people. Create a network of individuals that you can rely on for advice and lean on for their own expertise. Create mentorship opportunities for yourself, and identify people that you look up to and aspire to have careers similar to. Work tirelessly to master the skills most important in your path.”
Lauro’s life is much more than his work at MountainOne, of course.
“My family is my biggest motivation, and spending time together is my favorite hobby, whether that be on long drives, walks, or dinners,” he tells BusinessWest. “Between my wife Susanna, my daughter Annie, and our dog Nipsey, we have created an incredible support system for one another, and we’re very grateful for our lives together.”
He added that his parents instilled a sense of civic involvement while growing up, and he saw how committed they were to causes they were most passionate about — an example he has followed with his own family. He and his wife serve on several nonprofit boards and donate countless hours to charitable foundations; Lauro currently sits on the boards of Grit & Gratitude Wrestling Academy, Pittsfield Affordable Housing Trust, and Berkshire County Education and Correction.
“Overall, we are interested in continuing our involvement with youth and animal-welfare causes across the Commonwealth,” Lauro adds. “We take tremendous pride as a family with our charitable giving, nonprofit involvement, and community involvement.”
While his long-term professional goal is to be president of a financial institution, Lauro says he’s focused on helping to make MountainOne the best commercial banking organization it can be, and takes pride in that work.
“Personally, I am most proud of the flexibility I have in my career. I have been a peak performer at every level and have been flexible and curious enough to be a part of multiple different banking teams with different goals and accomplishments,” he notes. “Professionally, I am most proud of our portfolio of clients that our team has built. We have developed an outstanding commercial portfolio comprised of accomplished business owners, investors, and developers. I have spent countless hours with many of these individuals and have learned a great deal from them myself.”
In short, “our team plays to win,” Lauro says. “We win when our customers excel, when we forge new relationships, and when we collaborate creatively to develop effective solutions. The most gratifying part of the job is working with our customers to find ways to add value. As a team, we take great pride in being able to create tailored solutions for each client.”
Deb Esposito
Senior Vice President – Business Banking Officer, Greenfield Cooperative Bank
Deb Esposito, Senior Vice President – Business Banking Officer,
Greenfield Cooperative Bank
Young people have plenty of options when it comes to choosing a career. For Deb Esposito, the factors were simple.
“I had an interest in business and finance, and a passion for everyone to enjoy a better financial future,” she says of her entry into the world of financial services — a path that has led to her latest role as senior vice president and Business Banking officer at Greenfield Cooperative Bank (GCB).
“As a senior in high school in the Midwest, I was recruited out of a business program, hired into a local bank, and worked there until I graduated from college,” she recalls. “After my college graduation and my foundation in banking, it was a natural career path for me to continue in.”
In her current role — a newly created one at GCB — Esposito leads the growth and development of new and existing business relationships in partnership with the Commercial Lending, Government Banking, and Retail departments. She also takes an active role implementing marketing strategies to strengthen the bank’s brand awareness across Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties.
The bank offers some explanation why that new role is important. “As a community bank, Greenfield Cooperative Bank strives to provide a full compliment of products and services to our customers. Debbie is a terrific addition to GCB’s team and will ensure we continue to provide excellent service to the businesses throughout Western Mass.”
That service, Esposito notes, includes “the ability to host consultative conversations with clients, companies, and organizations and walk away with a business plan of action for them. I’m able to guide them on banking solutions they need for efficiency, their cash flow and lending needs, challenges they may be facing, the growth or sale of their company, and so much more.”
To do that, she says, she needs to stay current in terms of financial matters such as the economy, the Federal Reserve and potential rate adjustments, stock-market activity, and banking regulation changes. “As a subject-matter expert, clients seek our guidance on managing their financial affairs, both on a personal level and business level.”
Esposito holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, and marketing from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and a nonprofit certification with a financial focus from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. With more than two decades of experience in the financial industry, she brings a wealth of expertise in business, commercial, and cash-management solutions. Prior to joining GCB, she served as vice president of Cash Management Sales for PeoplesBank and vice president, senior Treasury Management relationship manager for Citizens Bank.
She is also committed to community involvement, actively volunteering for various organizations across Western Mass.
“A recent favorite was our team build day for children play homes with Habitat for Humanity,” she notes. “An annual favorite includes my husband and I volunteering at the Boston Marathon finish line, scoring all runners and interacting with the press and media from various countries.”
It makes sense that she seeks roles that get her outside. “I am a outdoor enthusiast, originally from the Midwest, who loves the Northeast and the four seasons,” she tells BusinessWest. “Family time includes biking, hiking, traveling to Maine to enjoy the coastal beaches, Vermont and New Hampshire for the mountains, and so much more.”
In addition, “I’m an avid fan of all Boston sports as we are nicely spoiled by the success of our New England teams.”
That sense of gratitude extends deeply into Esposito’s work at GCB.
“I am pleased to have worked with a variety of excellent mentors who shaped my financial career to where I am today,” she says. “In my new role as senior vice president with Greenfield Cooperative Bank, I’m proud to be a part of a local community bank that mirrors my vision of helping people achieve their financial goals.”
It’s a challenging but satisfying career she says would be suitable for any young person with a desire to learn — and help people.
Her advice for them? “Be patient — very patient — in your career, and the rewards will follow. Enlist a good mentor and be a sponge to absorb knowledge in each of your roles. Enjoy being a professional networker and stay active in your community.”
Esposito’s recognition that each client is unique, and their banking services should never be one-size-fits-all, as well as her ability to listen to her customers and develop tailored financial solutions, is clearly the right fit for this important new position.
“We are thrilled to welcome Debbie to the Greenfield Cooperative Bank team,” says Tony Worden, president and CEO of GCB. “Her extensive experience and deep understanding of the local business landscape will be a tremendous asset as we continue to provide our customers with innovative financial solutions.”
