Reisa Babic

Senior Vice President, Group Manager Specialty Finance Division, Avidbank

Biography:

Reisa Babic currently works at Avidbank as a senior vice president and was recently promoted to group manager of the specialty finance division.  Reisa has been in the banking industry for more than 25 years.  Earlier in her career, she worked at Wells Fargo and Comerica Bank.  Most recently, she spent over 10 years at Silicon Valley Bank working with venture-backed, high-tech companies before coming to Avidbank.  She currently leads a team of seven talented relationship managers and credit analysts who collectively manage over $200MM in commitments.  Her experience covers customer relations, credit underwriting, documentation, compliance, legal review for asset-based lending, factoring, and cash flow lending transactions.  She is passionate about coaching and mentoring her team to become better versions of themselves personally and professionally.  Reisa received her B.A. from Sonoma State University.

When Reisa is not at work, she is spending time with her 11-year old son, who is her “life saver,” watching him play soccer or basketball.  Being an 11-year cancer survivor, she is an active volunteer with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, supporting those diagnosed with cancer and helping them understand there is hope. 

What is your approach to change in the workplace?

The only thing that is constant is change. In the workplace, change can present opportunities that you may not have known existed.  Embrace the potential opportunities, remain open-minded and positive and always ensure there is constant communication.  

How do you balance work/personal time?

There is no simple solution to the perfect work/life balance, as I have discovered.  What may be important to one person, may not be at the top of the list for others.  It truly depends on where you are in your career and life, in general.  I find it’s beneficial to make a list of things I need to complete each week and list the importance of each.  Staying focused during the day with limited interruptions, if at all possible, helps to get things crossed off the list.  Knowing when to delegate to others, understanding their strengths and setting timelines for completion is critical.  Knowing your own personal limits, and when you need to say no, has always been the hardest part. Personally, my health and my son come before anything else.  I need to focus on myself to be able to care for my son.  He understands my commitments at work and when I need to take a little extra time to get things done.  I do my best to stay present and in the moment with him as I know he is only young once.  I focus on setting reasonable expectations both at work and home.  I make sure to make time for myself on the weekends or after my son is in bed.  At the end of the day, I am not perfect and don’t have it all figured out. 

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

I think it is relevant for anyone starting out in the industry to understand it’s ok to ask questions; don’t be shy.  Take every opportunity to meet new people and network.  Understand the space you are in and decide if you want to be a generalist or a specialist in a particular sector.  Read, listen to podcasts, get educated and be relevant so you can have an educated conversation.  Clients and colleagues will look to you as a valued resource and advisor.  Most importantly, don’t ever lose your sense of self.  Be your own person and build your own brand. 

What do you love most about your role?

I love interacting with the people I work with!  Plus, I have an amazing team of young professionals who are intelligent and driven.  The company promotes a very collaborative environment.  It helps that I am surrounded by people who genuinely care about my development and professional growth.  My job is rewarding because I get to help companies achieve their financial goals.