Aaron Sceva

VP, Business Development, U.S. Bank

40 Under 40 Category: Business Development

Message from Aaron Sceva

Biography:

Aaron Sceva is vice president, business development for U.S. Bank’s Asset Based Finance division. Based in Chicago, IL, Aaron manages the Illinois and Wisconsin territory in which he sources direct and syndicated asset-based opportunities for middle-market companies and private-equity sponsors.  Aaron began his asset-based lending career in 2006.  Prior to his current position, he served as a portfolio manager from 2010 – 2014, a field examiner from 2007 – 2009 and a credit analyst from 2006 – 2007, all with the U.S. Bank Asset Based Finance division.  Aaron earned a bachelor in accounting from the University of Cincinnati (2006) and is currently a third-year student at the Pacific Coast Banking School.  He lives in Chicago with his wife, Chancé, and dog, Hughey.  

Aaron currently serves as the President and Director of the SFNet Midwest Chapter.  His prior involvement with the Midwest Chapter includes serving as its First Vice President, Treasurer and as a committee co-chair and volunteer. 

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

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”  This quote, and the advice it provides, has influenced my interactions with colleagues and customers throughout my career.  It has been my experience that, when you put in extra effort and analysis, it often makes the difference when it comes to building strong relationships and winning new opportunities.  

What effect has the COVID crisis had on your professional life?  

In addition to my current role, and because of the economic issues caused by the pandemic, I’ve been able to utilize my background and provide support to our portfolio team.  It’s a challenging time in our lives, but everyone in our group has been focused on being as supportive as possible and I’m proud of the way we are all working together.  Also, I’m definitely looking forward to the day we can return to the office; I miss seeing all of my co-workers and colleagues.

Another impact COVID has had on my professional life is that my wife and I are both working from home.  Like many city dwellers, we’ve had to make some interesting changes to our apartment in order to create a functional workspace.  Our dining table became a two-person desk, our coffee table became our dining table, our second bedroom became the conference call center and our dog became the office mascot! 

How have you managed to stay in touch with colleagues and clients during this time of working remotely?  

I’ve found the SFNet virtual panels have been a great way to stay connected and keep up to speed with what’s going on in the industry, I’ve also been able to participate in a few happy hours through Zoom.  At U.S. Bank we’ve been using video calls more and more, which I think does a good job of keeping everyone engaged.  That said, the vast majority of my day-to-day interaction has been through e-mail and phone/conference calls, as I think people are still warming up to the idea of participating in video calls.  Overall, I think the increase in video/virtual meetings has been a positive and I’m looking forward to the continued evolution of video conferencing.    

How do you define a good leader? 

A good leader is someone who recognizes the talent of those around them and encourages their development by providing guidance and honest feedback, good or bad.  A personal experience of good leadership that I often think about came when I was early in my career.  Following a tough meeting with a client, my division leader called to give me encouragement for how I handled the situation and then shared his thoughts about items to consider and areas where I could improve.  What I’ve always appreciated about that moment is that, while it was likely routine for him, I was early in my career and it was a new situation for me.  As a leader, he recognized it was the right moment to provide me with feedback and encouragement that was focused on my development. 

What advice would you give to forthcoming generations of talent aspiring to win this award? 

The process of learning is critical to your on-going development, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid to admit when you’ve made a mistake.  In those moments it may feel uncomfortable to put yourself out there, but it’s those same moments that will help you build your foundation and continue to grow in your career.