Sabrina Singh

Vice President, Retail Business Development and Senior Portfolio Manager, BMO Harris Bank

Biography:

Sabrina Singh, based in Chicago IL, joined BMO Harris Bank’s Asset-Based Lending group in 2014 and is responsible for sourcing, structuring and executing asset-based lending transactions nationally for retailers in the apparel, department stores, auto parts, beauty, sporting good and other retail spaces.  Prior to BMO Harris Bank, Sabrina was with Citizen’s Bank (formerly RBS Citizens) as an underwriter and portfolio manager in the Commercial Bank and in the Asset Finance Group working on secured lending transactions for both middle-market and large corporate clients in diversified industries. She also spent some time underwriting leveraged loans for private equity sponsors at Orchard First Source Capital. Originally from Canada, Sabrina started her career in Toronto at RBC Capital Markets, working in Corporate Banking on large institutional cash flow transactions. Sabrina graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Economics and received her MBA from McMaster University. Sabrina chairs the Women’s Initiative for Networking and Success (W.I.N.S.) committee for BMO Harris Bank and is a member of the Secured Finance Network, formerly Commercial Finance Association,. She resides in Arlington Heights, IL with her husband and two children.

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

Be collaborative, not competitive. I believe it’s healthy to compete with yourself to do better and achieve more than what you’ve done in the past. However, in my career what I’ve found to be the most beneficial is being collaborative with my colleagues and peers. I’ve always learned more by asking questions and being open to diverse opinions, as it can provide me much needed perspective on a subject matter that would be difficult otherwise. It also helps you to perform better at your job and propel you further in your career as opposed to always trying to do it by yourself.

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

I wish I spoke up more! I made the mistake earlier in my career of thinking I was too junior and that my opinion probably did not matter. However, the reality was that many times there were others who would speak up and voice the very opinions that I was thinking internally. I believe senior leaders are always on the lookout for fresh perspectives that all of us can bring to the table. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas; you never know where it may lead.

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

My mentors have played an instrumental role in my career by offering their objective opinion when I’ve been at pivotal decision-making points. I’ve found the best mentors I’ve had were relationships that formed organically. These were men and women that I looked up to and I was proactive in reaching out to them to hear their career stories and they were open to helping me and see how their experiences could apply to my own career.  Their insights and experiences have been invaluable to me and I appreciate the friendships that have developed as a result. On the other side of the spectrum, I think it’s great when junior colleagues reach out and I’m always open to having good career conversations over a cup of coffee.

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

One way to continue to attract and retain talent in our industry is to create a sense of community and impact for the people who work in it.  Many of the best and brightest are motivated self-starters that seize opportunities where none appear readily available and tend to thrive in an environment where they can take risks on executing new ideas. It’s important to cultivate that type of community and keep it in mind when hiring talent. Additionally, when organizations and the industry acknowledge these achievements, it creates value for the individual to know that what they are doing actually matters. A reward does not always have to be monetary to create impact and lasting value for the best and brightest to remain motivated and vested.