WBA Essentials of Commercial Lending Boot Camp
The WBA Essentials of Commercial Lending Boot Camp will start at 9 am on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 and conclude at 4 pm on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
As we continuously look to review and offer updated educational content and formats, this new program is taking the place of our former WBA Introduction to Commercial Lending School.
The Essentials of Commercial Lending Boot Camp provides bankers with foundational principles for effective commercial loan underwriting and credit analysis. This two-day interactive boot camp will equip bankers to analyze the “whole credit” and make evidence-based loan approval and structuring recommendations. These skills are vital in today’s community banking environment, where bankers must have the knowledge and flexibility to respond to a wide range of loan requests.
The instructor’s facilitation approach encourages engagement, which enhances the participant learning experience. Attendees will apply lending, underwriting, and credit analysis principles through class discussion, real-world examples, and case studies. Worksheets for calculating Debt-to- Income, Debt Service Coverage, and Global Debt Service Coverage are included.
Who should attend: This series is targeted to Commercial Lenders, Small Business Lenders, Credit Analysts/Underwriters, Loan Review Officers, Retail Lenders, and Management Trainees. This course is “down-to-earth” and particularly relevant for bankers who specialize in lending to small businesses and mid-size commercial borrowers. This course is excellent preparation for our Advanced Commercial Lending School.
Boot Camp Facilitator: Christie Drexler
Christie Drexler is the President of Drexler Consulting, LLC, a financial services consulting and training business founded in 2020. Drexler Consulting focuses on developing purpose-driven, competent, and confident servant leaders in all roles of banking. Drexler Consulting partners with banks and bank associations across the United States to deliver Lending, Retail Banking, Business Development, Customer Service, and Management and Leadership Training. Drexler Consulting, LLC is an Alliance Partner of Performance Solutions, Inc., which has served the banking industry for more than forty years and specializes in offering BSA and Compliance Training throughout the United States.
Prior to founding Drexler Consulting, Christie had accumulated twenty-six years of direct experience in the financial services industry, working for both community and large regional banks. Her experience has been expansive to include successfully navigating Retail and Commercial Banking careers. She has served as Division President, Market President, Chief Credit Officer, Chief Retail Officer, and Regional Sales & Service Manager. Christie has a B.S. in Finance from Berry College and an MBA from Georgia College and State University. She is a passionate facilitator and coach who strives to live the values and leadership strategies she teaches in her training programs.
Benefits of the Series:
· Gain a solid foundation for a career in small business lending, commercial lending, retail lending, credit analysis, or loan review.
· Become aware of the common mistakes and pitfalls in commercial lending and credit analysis.
· Analyze financial information presented in business and personal tax returns.
· Effectively utilize financial spreading software and interpret information provided in the various spreading reports including Common Size Financial Statements, UCA Cash Flow Statements, Financial Statement Ratios, and Projections.
· Understand why knowledge of UCA cash flow analysis is an under-valued, yet critical skill for all small business and commercial bankers.
· Fully analyze relevant details, understand and mitigate key risks, and clearly summarize “the story” of the credit in your credit memo.
· Build your commercial lending competence and confidence and increase your credibility with customers, credit partners, senior managers, and regulators.
Attendees are required to:
· Attend and engage fully in training.
· Bring a calculator to class. A laptop is recommended but not required.
· Bring printed copies of the training manual and resource manual to class.
Registration Information:
The registration fee of $535 includes program registration and instruction, electronic materials delivered via email a few days prior to the school, and daily lunch buffets and refreshment breaks
- PRINTED MATERIALS OPTION: If you prefer to have printed materials provided with your boot camp registration, there is a fee of $100.00 for the printed materials that can be added to your registration. Registrants wishing to purchase the printed materials need to be registered by April 4, 2025.
Refund Policy: A refund, less a $150 administrative fee, is provided for written cancellations received by WBA on or before April 16, 2025. All requests for cancellations or substitute registrations must be provided in writing to WBA Education.
Need a hotel room near the WBA office?
Several hotels are located in the same business park as the WBA office. Please visit the WBA website for a listing of available negotiated rates.