First Niagara Financial Group promoted Laurent (Larry) Favre to the position of President of First Niagara Commercial Finance (FNCF). As such, Favre will lead the bank’s asset-based lending business while focusing on growth strategy and providing a strong complement to the bank’s other commercial lending activities.
Favre has nearly 25 years of commercial lending and credit experience, most recently as First Niagara’s senior credit officer for specialty lending, which included credit responsibilities for the asset-based lending business. He joined First Niagara in 2010 from NewAlliance Bank shortly before First Niagara acquired NewAlliance. He held various leadership roles involving asset-based lending, leasing, and mergers and acquisitions.

His prior experience also includes J.P. Morgan Chase, where he was responsible for managing a multibillion-dollar portfolio of middle-market and corporate asset-based lending and leveraged finance clients. He has also held various leadership positions with GE Capital Commercial Finance and FleetBoston Financial, where he focused on middle market and corporate commercial finance and leveraged lending.

Favre is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting.