Adam Davis

Managing Director, Wells Fargo Capital Finance

40 Under 40 Category: Business Development

Biography:

Adam Davis is a managing director on the Wells Fargo Retail Finance marketing team. Based in Boston, he is responsible for originating asset-based transactions for retail industry clients across North America.

Adam joined the Retail Finance Division of Wells Fargo Capital Finance in 2005, where he was a senior relationship manager on the portfolio team.  During his eight-year tenure on the portfolio, he worked closely with key clients and on numerous transactions including new business underwritings, refinancings, up-tiering targeted relationships, and restructurings.  In 2013, Adam transitioned to the marketing team to support and expand Wells Fargo’s retail coverage in the U.S. and Canada.

Prior to joining Wells Fargo Capital Finance, Adam was a relationship manager at Beasley Media Group, Inc. and was focused on advertising and marketing for consumer and retail clients.  

Adam earned his B.S. in finance and marketing from Boston College.

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

Over the years, I have been fortunate to have great mentors who have provided strong, sound advice. Whether it was a family member, friend, or colleague, I have been blessed to be surrounded by people who support me and understand the passion I have for my industry. There are two pieces of advice that I have tried to incorporate into my career and personal life, including being a husband and father. 

The first, and arguably the most important, piece of advice I’ve received is to be patient. My mentor first offered this advice early in my career, and now looking back, I realize how important it is. As a young professional eager to climb the corporate ladder, I struggled with being patient. I wanted to take on as many challenges as quickly as I could to prove myself in my industry.  It took a while for me to fully understand that good things take time and to not doubt the process.

The second best piece of advice I’ve received is to “be the best you can be.” My father would say this expression to me every day throughout my childhood. I always appreciated his advice because it was never about being the best or winning. At the end of the day, whether it is a major project or big game, if you can reflect and say to yourself that you put in everything you had, that is all you can ask of yourself. I often find myself repeating this to colleagues and friends when asked for advice, and plan to do so in the future with my son.           

How would you define what a good leader is, and what can you do to reflect those characteristics as you progress in your career?

To me, a leader empowers others, advocates for diversity and embraces change.  A good leader is someone who wants to empower and elevate others around them by helping them develop while also identifying and leveraging their strengths. Diversity is a critical part of being a good leader because it allows those around you to understand that a diverse team is a stronger team.  Bringing together different backgrounds, cultures, experiences, knowledge bases, and perspectives only strengthens the team by encouraging creativity, cultivating thoughtful discussions, and developing new ideas and innovative solutions.     

Whether organizational or technological, I believe it is important to embrace and adapt to change. In my experience, change might have a short-term impact, but if viewed at 10,000 feet, it is likely the best for the long term.  As a leader, you need to be optimistic, vocal about the positives, and see the glass as half full because that attitude will resonate with others as they try to understand the impact themselves. The most successful leaders are the ones that quickly realize the need to adapt to change in order to thrive.     

Lastly, a leader is not only someone who will take responsibility for their decisions, but also requires accountability of others. Today’s leader is not a task-giver or micro-manager, but a mentor who helps guide their mentees in the right direction while embracing collaboration and team work. 

As I continue to go through my career, I strive to demonstrate these characteristics. However, it is important to also accept failure along the way and to seek feedback in order to continue to grow and be a champion for others.  For me, personally, this has proven to encourage participation and improve motivation.