Craig C. Cuffie Jr

Work History

Chelsea Groton Bank

Glastonbury, CT

11.2020 - Current

Produced streamlined and succinct reports outlining financial data to assist management with making strategic plans and operational decisions.
Participated in organization re-branding and targeting of new markets and programs to attract and retain members.
Prepared and recorded meeting minutes and documented actions taken as result of board meetings, committee meetings and special sessions.
Attracted and retained new members through organizational rebranding and targeting marketing campaigns to specific audiences.
Developed all documentation, including reports and financial sheets for annual budgets and senior leadership goals.
Developed and maintained annual budgets for board of directors and executive department.
Attended weekly meetings and special sessions of Leadership and Executive Leadership Teams and contributed to major administrative initiatives, policies and decisions.
Planned budgets and communication initiatives for comprehensive facility management and allocation of space and funds.

Bank Of America Merrill Lynch

Farmington, CT

08.2020 - 11.2020

Directly manage 12 – 25 Business Credit Officers.
Perform 2nd review and sign off on more complex/higher level authority cases.
Directly oversee underwriting in lending to small, medium, large, middle market, and commercial businesses.
Well versed in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Develop business management goals and objectives that tend to growth and prosperity.
Design and implement business plans and strategies to promote the attainment of goals.
Provided resources and expertise for conversion, validation and training required for company-wide software updates.
Oversaw all reporting, documentation and recordkeeping requirements for department.
Maintained full knowledge of current regulatory environment and made proactive adjustments to meet changing requirements.
Collected data and performed trend and variance analysis to mitigate risk arising from bad debt.
Wrote and implemented standard operating procedures for credit personnel to achieve consistency in unit operations.
Reported key performance indicators to department heads for management of positive cash flow and to adjust credit risk policies and procedures.
Attended ongoing professional training to facilitate accurate and productive credit management.
Obtained and reviewed credit reports, credit references, credit insurance and financial statements to establish credit limits for new accounts.

Bank Of America Merrill Lynch

Farmington, CT

04.2016 - 11.2020

Manage 10-20 Mortgage Underwriters I, II, and III, monitoring the productivity and quality adherence of each employee
Motivate associates to meet production, quality, and service standards along with providing direct coaching and feedback regarding quality, customer experience and problem resolution.
Deliver results via weekly huddles, monthly scorecard conversations, and semi-annual performance evaluations.
Individual monthly goals delegation based on site-wide goal and FTE count.
Conduct interviews for the Mortgage Underwriter position during each round of hiring.
Strong familiarity with compliance including HMDA, ECOA, TILA, RESPA, and FCRA.
Excellent knowledge and familiarity with FNMA/FHLMC guidelines.
Consulted with representatives of regulatory agencies to complete accurate filings and uphold strict compliance.
Produced specific and succinct reports outlining financial data to assist management with making strategic plans and operational decisions.

Bank Of America Merrill Lynch

Farmington, CT

06.2013 - 03.2016

Specialized in reviewing self-employed borrowers (who’s revenues were in the hundreds of millions and sometimes billions) which required review of 1065 Partnerships, 1120 Corporations, 1120S S-Corps, 1040 Schedule C Sole Proprietorships, K1S, Balance Sheets, Profit and Loss statements, and many more tax documentation.
Balanced the need for loan-volume growth with the equally important necessity of optimum underwriting quality to minimize risk while maximizing profitability.
($2 Million Dollars Credit Exposure Risk Authority Tolerance).
Maintained meticulous attention to detail in underwriting mortgages.
Evaluated the financial strength of borrowers to determine risk and repayment capacity.
Leveraged knowledge of loan products to help restructure turned-down loans for subsequent approvals.
Maintained compliance with lending, underwriting and government requirements.
Maintained mortgage program compliance with federal agencies such as VA, HUD and FNMA.
Balanced risk against profitability to make optimal business decisions and guided junior team members in making similar critical decisions.

Cuffie Communications LLC

Bloomfield, CT

03.2009 - 05.2013

Established and administered annual budget with effective controls to prevent overages, minimize burn rate and support sustainability objectives.
Reduced personnel turnover and promoted employee development by recruiting team-oriented candidates and implementing new training practices.
Devised, deployed and monitored processes to boost long-term business success and increase profit levels.
Established, optimized and enforced business policies to maintain consistency and high-quality standards across operations.
Managed day-to-day business operations, including accounting, finance, HR, marketing and public relations.
Recruited, hired and trained initial personnel, working to establish key internal functions and outline scope of positions for new organization.
Reduced budgetary expenditures by effectively negotiating contracts for more advantageous terms.
Stayed current with market trends to determine optimal pricing of goods and services and to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Maximized efficiency by coaching and mentoring store personnel on sales principles, industry practices, company procedures and Point of Sale system.
Managed key accounts, including developing sales presentations and promotion initiatives to drive product sales and increase brand awareness.
Devised, deployed and monitored processes to boost long-term business success and increase profit levels.
Applied performance data to evaluate and improve operations, target current business conditions and forecast needs.