Marcella Szalai

Senior Closing Manager, Capital One

Biography:

Marcella Szalai is the Senior Closing Manager for Capital One’s New York Middle Market team. She has 14 years of commercial loan closing experience serving as both outside counsel for Bank of America and Citibank, and as a loan closing officer. After graduating from Stanford University with a B.A. and M.A., she attended Boston University School of Law. Thereafter, Marcella clerked for a judge at the Massachusetts Land Court before joining Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge LLP (n/k/a Locke Lord LLP) as a Commercial Real Estate Finance Associate where she practiced for seven years in the firm’s Boston and NYC offices. Prior to joining Capital One in early 2016, Marcella was a loan closer at HSBC in their Commercial Real Estate department where she closed complex syndicated and direct term loans and construction loans for their U.S. portfolio.

Marcella was a 2017 Q1 recipient of CONA’s Commercial Banking ACE Award in recognition of her exemplary commitment to Capital One’s Culture, Mission and Values and was further selected by senior leadership to be 2017 Annual ACE Award recipient entitling her to attend CONA’s annual ACE Awards trip.

What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry?

Challenges are inevitable, but one way to overcome them is to appreciate the significance of a customer-centered service experience. Your internal customer base is just as important as the external. You’ll be surrounded by a sea of intelligent gogetters, so you need to build your own unique brand. My father was a waiter for over 44 years. He learned the likes and dislikes of his regular clients. To this day, he reminds me to treat people with the utmost kindness and respect. I have followed suit. It’s the customer service experience you provide from beginning to end that matters most.

What do you know now that you wish you knew in the beginning of your career?

Be proactive rather than reactive in your career path. Anticipate that job changes happen. I interviewed for my current position only because my prior job was relocating. I would have missed out on the phenomenal opportunity to be a people manager. Check out the view from the edge every now and again. Then you’ll be better prepared to know when to jump. You’ll feel more empowered when the impetus for change comes from within, and when you’re ready to leap, don’t forget to take a running start!

What kind of role has mentoring and/ or sponsorship played in your career? 

I liken mentoring and sponsorship to the old proverb that it takes a village to raise a child. This has been critical to my success. I’ve taken nuggets of advice from a host of individuals (my parents, colleagues, friends and even that cab driver on the way to the airport) and implemented what I felt worked for me. Remember the goal is not to be exactly like the most successful people around you. You don’t need to change your entire personality. Adopt the best characteristics from those you admire while remaining true to yourself. I find that sponsor- ship happens best when it’s organic and your workplace champions it. Although I’ve never actively sought it, I’ve found that the leaders at Capital One actively seek to promote talent. If you achieve the right combination of the dynamic duo of mentoring and sponsorship in your career, you’ll have a solid foundation so that you always land on your feet.

What do you think the industry could do to attract and retain the best and the brightest today?

We no longer live in my parents’ era when sticking to the same job for a lifetime was the norm. With today’s modern technology of “swipes and likes,” it is difficult to maintain attention spans and excite minds. People need to feel like they have room to grow both professionally and person- ally in their work environment. The key is fostering an atmosphere where people can move not only vertically but also horizontally. I am fortunate to have landed in a workplace that not only promotes personal development but is supportive of role changes. Bright individuals possess a natural thirst for learning. With that in mind, the industry needs to provide opportunities for continuous education and advancement so that people feel just as engaged and motivated at work as when they are swiping and liking.