Wells Fargo unveiled the new organizational structure for its restaurant finance banking team.
The company tapped Meghan Hinds to lead the team. Hinds has more than 20 years of experience in banking, primarily in corporate banking and debt capital markets. Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 2006, she worked at Bank of America in the specialized industries group. Hinds, who is based in Boston, also played professional basketball in Copenhagen, Denmark. Hinds’ restaurant team will focus on all segments of the restaurant industry, including corporate restaurant owners and franchisees of national and regional brands.
“Restaurant owners have faced unimaginable challenges over the past 18 months. We support this industry and aligned our group to have the strongest, brightest team in place to help serve our customers,” Monica Cole, head of Wells Fargo’s agribusiness, food and hospitality team, said.
“We aligned our team in a way that provides consistent coverage and segment expertise to our borrowers,” Hinds said. “This ensures clients are at the center of everything we do.”
Hinds chose industry veteran Jake Nash to lead the business development effort for the group as head of business development.
“Jake is widely respected and a tremendous asset to our customers,” Hinds said. “He brings a broad perspective and sound understanding of industry dynamics, which will help contribute to our growing platform.”
Nash joined Wells Fargo with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry, first at Bank of America and most recently at MUFG. His background includes credit and originations and experience in corporate finance with an emphasis in middle-market restaurant transactions. He has led and structured a variety of deals in his career, including large syndicated transactions, dividend recapitalizations and M&A financings for franchisees, franchisors, and operating companies.
Todd Alcantara, Heidi Piché and Rob Rechkemmer will all serve as segment leaders for the restaurant finance banking team.
Alcantara joined Wells Fargo’s restaurant finance group in 2002. He has served in various capacities and has experience in the franchisee, middle-market, real estate and convenience store segments. Alcantara has managed Wells Fargo’s franchisee portfolio for the past four years after a five-year stint managing the middle-market team. Prior to Wells Fargo, he spent three years in accounting and purchasing for an international manufacturing company. He is based in Carlsbad, CA.
Piché has more than 20 years of banking experience, primarily focused on helping middle-market restaurant companies raise capital for growth and/or M&A activity. She has spent the majority of her career with Wells Fargo as a business development officer for the restaurant finance group managing and developing client relationships. Piché most recently served as an officer in the credit resolution group providing risk management and industry expertise to clients most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, she worked at Bank of America in its restaurant finance group. Piché is based in Boston.
Since joining Wells Fargo’s restaurant finance group in 2017, Rechkemmer has worked as a senior portfolio manager and most recently as a member of the underwriting team involved in transactions across the restaurant platform. Rechkemmer joined the restaurant finance group from Wells Fargo’s leveraged finance group in corporate and investment banking, where he was the primary product partner within the debt capital markets group that supported restaurant finance and covered the consumer and retail space more broadly. Rechkemmer has been with Wells Fargo for more than 18 years since joining predecessor firm Wachovia in 2003 after graduate school. Prior to graduate school, Rechkemmer worked in investment banking and private equity. He is based in Charlotte, NC.
Wells Fargo’s restaurant finance team is part of the company’s agribusiness, food and hospitality group, which is led by Cole.
