M&T Bank has begun a series of steps to grow its Commercial Equipment Finance Division and serve more commercial and municipal customers across the country.

The changes include a team of experienced equipment financing specialists appointed to management roles and the development of a transactional sourcing desk to acquire equipment financing transactions.

John Wolfe has been named director of Business Development. Wolfe will oversee the organizational sales team serving commercial clients within the bank’s footprint and develop the group specializing in acquiring equipment financing transactions. He has been with M&T Bank for 33 years, spending the past 11 years in the Commercial Equipment Finance Group responsible for business development efforts in the Mid-Atlantic footprint along with transactional business, including large ticket and renewable energy. Prior to his move to the Equipment Finance Group he was in M&T’s Finance Division.

Reporting to Wolfe will be Scott Weissmann, group manager responsible for direct originations within M&T’s regional markets, and Mark Adiletta, group manager responsible for renewable energy and transactional business for a nationwide platform.

Weissmann’s career spans 30 years, including 12 years of experience at M&T Bank, holding positions as equipment finance representative, commercial banking senior relationship manager and sales manager. He will be responsible for managing equipment finance business development activities across the bank’s eight-state footprint.

Doug Simon has been appointed head of Equipment Management. He has more than 20 years of experience in the equipment finance industry with a background in equipment management including residual evaluation, negotiating renewals and purchase options, as well as off-lease equipment remarketing.

Lou Zachman has been named director of Risk Mitigation. Lou has more than 20 years of experience in the banking and equipment finance industries focusing on credit and risk management functions. Additionally, Lou has experience as a senior relationship manager and in Private Equity.

“M&T Bank has a 160-year track record as one of the nation’s top performing regional banks. We’ve built strong relationships with customers across our retail bank footprint and these steps to begin financing more commercial equipment nationally is a natural evolution for this business,” said Frank Campagna, group vice president for Equipment Finance at M&T.