Steven Reel
Steven Reel is director of structured finance in First Citizens Innovation Banking’s Santa Monica office, where he provides targeted financial services to support the unique needs of groundbreaking technology companies in Southern California. He finds the pace of innovation electrifying and thrives on advising clients on his area of expertise — structuring credit and the use of debt in capital strategy. He began his current role in March of 2016 and is also responsible for managing a large and diverse loan portfolio and developing young talent at the company. He joined First Citizens Innovation Banking as vice president in the structured finance division in 2013.
Steven is passionate about serving the specific finance needs of early-stage innovative companies and their investors. He sees his role as assisting good people to find success, whether through making loans and connections or providing advice, counsel and advocacy.
While Steven currently operates in the hotbed of today’s fast-moving, forward-thinking West Coast entrepreneurs, his career roots reach back to the Midwest. After starting his career as a CDO trust analyst at LaSalle Bank in Chicago, he moved to Huntington Bank in Pittsburgh. As a commercial portfolio manager, he structured, underwrote and managed a credit portfolio of middle-market clients that included a diverse mix of companies from manufacturing to professional sports franchises. In this role, this lifelong hockey player had the good fortune to work with the Pittsburgh Penguins – not only as their banker by day, but evenings and weekends as a youth coach. Steven had the opportunity to coach the children of some of the team’s players and executives, including the son of legendary star player Mario Lemieux – who now owns the Penguins.
Steven graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in finance, and as a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. In his off-work hours, he enjoys exploring the LA restaurant and live music scene with his wife, Lily; golfing and yes, he still plays ice hockey.