William Dicicco

SVP - Senior Product Specialist - International, Bank of America Business Capital (BABC)

40 Under 40 Category: Loan Documentation

Biography:

William R. DiCicco is a senior product specialist within Bank of America Business Capital (BABC), the bank’s asset-based lending group.  He is responsible for structuring multi-currency, cross-border, asset-based loans for clients in the middle-market, retail and large corporate segments.   

William joined the bank in 2004 as a senior field examiner within the asset-based lending group of LaSalle Bank (predecessor company acquired Bank of America) and progressed into roles as a credit analyst and underwriter. He transitioned to a senior asset-based portfolio specialist role in 2007 and was tasked with managing a portfolio of syndicated loans consisting of both public and private middle-market companies across a range of industries.  Most recently, in 2014, joined BABC’s international structuring team and has closed in excess of 100 cross-border transactions for clients within 15 foreign jurisdictions. 

William attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in finance in May 2004.  He currently resides in Chicago with his wife, Kayley, and is a member of the bank’s IGEN affinity group and is an active member of the Secured Finance Network.

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

Never be afraid to ask a question.  

My dad gave me that advice the night before I started my first job at the bank.  While I did not fully appreciate it at the time, I have come to realize that something as simple as asking questions early and often is the best way to be successful in whatever you are trying to accomplish. 

I was guilty early on in my career of not asking questions as I was convinced I could figure anything out myself and most importantly I did not want to be perceived as not knowing something (or even worse asking a ‘dumb’ question).  I quickly found out that doing something wrong or having to go back after the fact was much worse than the perception of not knowing something upfront.  It took some time to overcome that initial fear but it has become a critical part of my job today.

It may sound cliché to say but each of our clients are unique in how they run their business and these differences can impact the solutions or advice we provide them.  This is particularly evident for me as even the subtlest of nuances, when structuring an international credit facility, can alter the outcome.  Understanding these key fact patterns early is not only the most critical part of the process but it is also the best time to make a great impression.  Our clients want to tell us about their business and, if they know they have a partner that is taking the time to understand them it can be the differentiator in this competitive market. 

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

The trait that I most often associate with a good leader is empowerment. 

I had the opportunity to speak on my first SFNET panel a few years back. Admittedly, I was nervous to take on this challenge as I wasn’t sure if I had enough experience to serve as a panelist.  I asked for guidance on what I should talk about and I was encouraged to be confident and simply share my personal experiences on the subject. 

After the panel I reflected back on the event and realized I developed my experiences because I had leaders who always empowered me to make decisions. I certainly made my fair share of bad decisions; but, because I had leaders that put me in the position to make the decision, I learned from each situation and developed a deeper skill set.  I was able to pull from that during the SFNET panel and, without even realizing it, I gained the confidence through my experiences to tackle anything.

What advice do you normally give to the junior talent you mentor/what advice would you give to forthcoming generation of talent aspiring to win this award?

Take pride in your work.  I always approached every task or project with the mindset that ‘this is a reflection of me’.  The smallest of details can make the biggest difference in how you are perceived by your colleagues.  People do notice when you take the extra time to ensure the task is done right.