Paula Cook
1565 Behrens Drive Cedarburg,WI
Summary
Dynamic SBA sales leader with a 20+ year proven track record driving growth, building high-performing sales teams, and developing business within internal and external market partnerships. My collaborative leadership style, combined with strong communication and analytical skills, supports scalable, strategic sales success.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
SVP SBA National Sales Director
Huntington National Bank
Columbus, OH
08.2016 - Current
- Lead, coach, and co-direct Huntington's SBA business development teams to meet and exceed SBA growth-funded year-over-year targets of $1.2 billion, while managing credit appetite and industry program fluctuations.
- Grew the SBA line of business from $550.0 million in annual booked business in 2017 to over $1.2 billion through 2024, via new market expansion, creative pricing strategy, structuring, and building out national capabilities to lend into.
- The Legacy Footprint team generated over $1.5 billion (last three-year average) in new application submissions annually, with a 70% average approval rate, and 61% pull-through to close—all exceeding company targets. Averaged $50.0 million per month in closed loans within the bank's legacy footprint markets.
- Consistently exceeded annual goal expectations, with consistent year-over-year portfolio growth. 1Q 2025 production is 10% ahead of plan in a historically slower period.
- #1 SBA lender, ranked nationally in loan units for seven consecutive years.
- #1 SBA lender within Huntington Bank's footprint in units and dollars for sixteen consecutive years.
- Built out new market expansion (IL, CO, MN, TN, FL, PA) with recruiting, onboarding, and cultivating new COI relationships to be a market leader in SBA production. Markets are now within the top three SBA lenders, if not number one in their respective states.
- Created corporate culture amongst the team, scoring a 96% favorable Voice of the Team response, compared to the corporate 82% benchmark.
- Strategic network implementation with each market to demonstrate industry authority and key COI connections, representing over 40% self-sourced overall production.
- Coach team and sales leaders on building relationships with COIs to generate pipeline opportunities for business acquisitions, commercial real estate, partner buyouts, debt refinancing, and startup/franchise work.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align initiatives, while partnering with credit, operations, closing, and in-market teams for end-to-end processes.
- Engaged in eligibility and SBA SOP changes and interpretations, incorporating any corporate overlay to the program's guardrails, and trained to it.
- Analyze market trends to identify opportunities for growth, to remain competitive in the marketplace. IE - Up-Market Strategies.
- Approve and negotiate pricing, deal structures, purchase agreements, and contracts with colleagues and customers.
- Assist in credit review, structure, and approval overrides with credit partners to find solutions to opportunities.
- Assist in growth strategies such as capacity modeling, goal setting, and incentive compensation for line of business.
- Conduct performance reviews with sales managers to evaluate team effectiveness and front-end activities.
- Created and collaborated with marketing and communication teams to create promotional materials that support sales efforts, and go-to-market differentiation material.
- Participated in industry events such as NAGGL, CARW, SIOR, AM&AA, MBBI, and SMB conferences and seminars to represent and stay engaged with the SBA community and trade organizations.
- Monitor competitors' activities, and adjust price offerings and promotions accordingly to drive additional volume and opportunity.
- Conduct regular meetings with regional sales teams to share progress, best practices, recognition, and assess performance quotas.
VP SBA Business Development Officer
Wells Fargo & Company
Milwaukee, WI
02.2012 - 07.2016
- Responsible for all SBA lending in the state of WI, within the bank's footprint, nationwide, and for externally referred business.
- Increased self-sourced production by 130% year-over-year in 2015, generating 60% of overall production externally.
- Increased personal overall production by 200% from 2014 to 2013.
- Two-time 'Big Dawg' award recipient. Elite Club recipient, finishing #2 in the region.
- Customer satisfaction scores ranked 6.75 on a 7.00 scale, resulting in the top-scoring producer in the region in 2015.
- Recognized as a 'fast track' development officer with exclusive, expedited approval channels and underwriting teams.
VP District Manager
Wells Fargo & Company
Geneva, Illinois
12.2004 - 02.2012
- Managed Milwaukee and Illinois markets during this time to refocus the existing team, increase production levels, and boost morale in the market.
- Surpassed company, division, and regional standards and expectations immediately through results, growth, and team member development.
- Improved the sales team to the top 10% of 35 districts in the division for the percentage of 'new business generated' in loans.
- Increased district rankings to #1 and #2 (out of 9) in the region in loan production.
- Conducted regular store visits to ensure compliance with company policies, standards, and regulations.
- Mentored team members by demonstrating best practices for sales and customer service.
Credit / Sales Manager
Wells Fargo & Company
Milwaukee, WI
12.1996 - 12.2004
- Increased operation from $3.0m to over $28.0m in receivables during the assignment.
- Averaged 185% of the overall growth plan, and 158% of the overall profit plan.
- Earned Top Gun award and regional 1Q contest winner based on percentage of growth and profit.
- Task Force participant for new product rollouts with upper management.
- Led the sales team to achieve quarterly targets and improve performance.
Education
BBA - Finance
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WISkills
- Skilled in sales strategy, oversight & analysis
- Driver of results for growth and market expansion exceeding sales goals
- Pace setter for employee culture/ motivation / performance & recruiting
- Training and mentoring new and legacy colleagues Participant in corporate mentorship program
- Driver of new client relationship management with referral sources
- Significant collaboration amongst internal channels including credit, operations and closing departments
Midwest Business Brokers & Intermediaries ( MBBI )
- Current Executive Board Member - MBBI, Illinois
- Current Board Member - MBBI, Wisconsin
- Past President, MBBI, Illinois 2020. Past President, MBBI Wisconsin 2017
- Represent on numerous committees
Co-Founder
- 12 Days of Hope Non For Profit, partnering with Family Promise
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
SVP SBA National Sales Director
Huntington National Bank
08.2016 - Current
VP SBA Business Development Officer
Wells Fargo & Company
02.2012 - 07.2016
VP District Manager
Wells Fargo & Company
12.2004 - 02.2012
Credit / Sales Manager
Wells Fargo & Company
12.1996 - 12.2004
BBA - Finance
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
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