Amma Mahmood

Director, Underwriter Manager, CIT Group

40 Under 40 Category: Underwriting

Biography:

Amna first started her career at CIT in 2007 as a client credit analyst, after graduating from Baruch College with a Bachelor’s degree in finance and investments.  Within two years, Amna started handling a small portfolio of her own while assisting senior account executives and eventually started handling a full portfolio of accounts.  In 2014, she moved into the client underwriting team and became a senior underwriter in the Northeast region, working on large and complex transactions.  In July 2017, Amna was promoted to underwriting manager for the Northeast region.  Additionally, Amna runs the rotational Analyst Program for Commercial Services, which provides training to the new hires and also acts as a mentor to the young professionals at CIT. 

What role has mentoring played in your career?

Mentoring has played an integral role in my career.  It’s not always easy to transition from a school/student mentality to being in a work setting full time.  CIT understands that and provided me with great mentors right from the beginning.  Knowing that you have someone to lean on or even to ask a silly question is extremely important, especially at the beginning of a career when one is learning the very basics of the role. It eliminates some of the pressure of not knowing a lot in early stages.  My mentors have also provided me with networking opportunities which have also played an important role in my growth. With time I realize that I could be a mentor and be of help to other young professionals. 

It is such a rewarding feeling to be able to extend my hand to young(er) professionals and provide them the guidance they need.  Frankly, it’s a reminder of the process I went through and makes me appreciate those that extended their counsel to me when I needed it the most.  That’s not to say I no longer need my mentors; believe me, I still harass them.

How did you wind up in the industry? We know most kids don’t say “I want to be in commercial finance when I grow up.”

Luck! It was not my dream to be in commercial finance. I needed a job to support myself and I was applying for jobs across the financial industry. I had a few offers, but had it narrowed down to two options: one was the position with the CIT analyst program and the second was a starting position in Merrill Lynch’s operations area. Even though I knew nothing about factoring or asset-based lending, I chose CIT’s offer because I felt I would learn more from a front desk position, and I sure did! The 2008/2009 financial crisis had me question my decision more than a few times. But it’s not just about what brought me to this industry, it’s also what kept me in it. And that was the people, especially those I worked with and for within CIT.  They kept me in check, challenged me, educated me, and allowed me to prosper.  Looking back, it’s hard to believe how fast ten years flew by.

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

Learn the details! That’s the only way you can excel at what you do.  Once you learn the nitty gritty details and mechanics of a business (whether it’s operations, legal, credit or structure), it allows you to see the bigger picture and the day-to-day work is easy.  This was instilled in me when I first started handling a small portfolio and I have carried it with me since.  Underwriting is all about understanding the needs of the prospect and knowing how the various parts come together in order to get a deal done.  So do your “homework,” ask the questions, and obtain the details.