Commercial Banking & Commercial Finance Archives - ThinkingAhead

Managing Partner

About Stephanie Maas, CPC

Stephanie Maas is a Partner within the Commercial Banking and Commercial Finance Team and leads the Mid-Atlantic practice. She was recruited to ThinkingAhead to lead the Mid-Atlantic region where she has continued to thrive in building this niche. For 25 years, she has been one of ThinkingAhead’s top producers. She is also the host of The Talent Trade, ThinkingAhead’s podcast for executive search professionals.

Stephanie is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a B.S. in Business Administration. She also holds the Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) designation, and was named Partner in 2007.

Stephanie is active in several non-profit organizations, including: Habitat for Humanity, Avon Breast Cancer Foundation, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Room at the Inn, YCAP, and the Martha O’Bryan Center. She lives in Nashville with her three children.

Expertise:

Executive, VP, and C-Suite Leadership
Business Bankers
Business Development Officers
Commercial Lenders
Compliance Officers
Corporate Banking Lenders
Credit Administrators
Credit Analysts
Loan Administrators
Loan Officers
Portfolio Managers
Regional Managers
Relationship Managers
Risk Managers
Special Assets Workout
Team Leaders
Treasury Management Officers
Turn Around/Restructuring
Underwriters

Specialties:

Commercial Banking
Commercial Finance

Client Partners

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Partner

About Courtney Rice, CPC

Courtney Rice is a Partner in the Nashville headquarters of ThinkingAhead. She recruits candidates in credit, business development and senior management for client companies in the following areas:

Commercial Real Estate Banking and Finance
Commercial Mortgage – Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, Conduit, Life Company
Specific expertise in Agency – Conventional, Seniors, Affordable, Small Balance
Specific expertise in MAP and LEAN approved underwriters
Community Development Lending and Finance

Courtney and her husband live in the Nashville area with their daughter and collection of pets that include a new puppy and two cats.

Prior to joining ThinkingAhead, Courtney worked as a sales manager with Southwestern Advantage, recruiting and training college students for their summer sales & leadership program.

Courtney is a Certified Personnel Consultant and a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Engineering Arts with dual cognates in Business and Logistics.

Specialties:

Affordable Housing
Commercial Real Estate
Construction Lending
Fannie/Freddie/FHA
Healthcare Finance
Homebuilder Finance
Multifamily Commercial Mortgage

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If you’d like to learn more about Courtney’s perspective as a recruiter, watch this brief video…

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Partner

About Jay Boone, CPC

As a member of the Commercial Banking and Commercial Finance team at ThinkingAhead, Jay Boone is a search consultant whose specialty is working with commercial banking professionals. With over 30 years of recruiting experience, his search practice has been focused in commercial banking and financial services throughout the Southeast since 2007.

His clients include community banks, larger regional banking institutions, as well as international banking and finance organizations.

Jay has been married to his wife Lee for over 40 years and they have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and five grandchildren.

Prior to joining ThinkingAhead, Jay had 14 years of experience as a regional director in the staffing industry and twelve years of experience in project management, sales and sales management in the real estate industry. He holds a BS degree from Lambuth University. He is a past board member of the Tennessee Staffing Association, an active member of the Tennessee Recruiters Association, is a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), an elder in the Presbyterian Church and is a past member of the pastor nominating committee at his church.

He was the 2012 recipient of the Ralph Mosley Award of Excellence which recognizes high ethical standards, commitment through years of service, consistent performance, a positive influence on the company and its employees and active community involvement. In 2021, he was presented with the Fellows Award at ThinkingAhead which is a distinction that is reserved for recruiters who have over 10 years of service with the firm, five years as a partner with the firm as well as surpassing a financial contribution milestone.

Expertise:

Executive Leadership & C-Suite
Senior Lending Officers/Team Leaders
Area Executives/Presidents
Portfolio Management/Credit/Underwriting
Middle to Senior Level Sales Management
Business Development Officers/Relationship Managers
Compliance Directors/Operational
Risk Officers

Specialties:

Commercial Banking & Commercial Finance

Impactful Results

“It was a real pleasure working with Jay. His communication was clear and concise, and he truly makes sure the candidates he pursues are thoroughly prepared and qualified for the positions he is called to fill. I would highly recommend utilizing Jay as an organization or as a candidate looking for a banking position. He’s an awesome advocate for those he serves.”

Market President

Regional Bank

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Partner

About JW Heflin, CPC

As a member of the Commercial Banking and Commercial Finance team at ThinkingAhead, JW Heflin is a search consultant and Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) whose specialty is working with equipment finance and leasing professionals throughout the United States. His clients include small to large banks, independent commercial finance institutions, and captive finance companies.

Before joining ThinkingAhead, JW worked with Southwestern Advantage in their summer sales and leadership program. During his four-year tenure with the company, he consistently ranked as one of the top salespeople in the country. Before landing at ThinkingAhead, JW spent five years with Cintas where he consistently ranked as a top sales professional each year. JW is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Bachelors Degree in International Business. While attending OSU he played rugby…and survived to tell about it. He resides in Wichita, Kansas with his wife Amy and their daughter Grace and son Karter.

Expertise:

Executive, VP, and C-Suite Leadership
Managing Directors/Presidents
Middle to Senior Level Sales Manager
Middle to Senior Level Credit Managers
Business Development Officers
Credit Analysts and Underwriters
Operations/Lease Administration/Documentation

Specialty:

Equipment Finance & Leasing

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Partner

About Derek Schlender, CPC

Derek is a Recruiter and Partner with the Commercial Banking and Finance team at ThinkingAhead. He leads the SBA/Government Guaranteed Lending practice nationally, placing director and manager-level leaders, business development officers, underwriters, and operations specialists.

In 2022, Derek was the recipient of the Ralph Mosley Award, a peer-nominated award that represents the highest honor at ThinkingAhead. Derek attended the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia with a degree in business management, and is a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC). He and his family of five live in the Nashville area.

Expertise:

SBA Subject Matter Expert
Director/Leadership Placement
Sales, Credit, and Operations

Specialty:

SBA Lending

Impactful Results

“Derek was one of the best recruiters I have ever worked with. He stayed in contact throughout my job search and was always available when needed. He was able to work with me in getting a job that was in my career path and without him it wouldn’t have been possible.”

VP, GGL Operations Team Leader

Regional Bank

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Partner

About Josh Karamol, CPC

Josh is a Partner Recruiter with the Banking & Commercial Finance Team at ThinkingAhead and a Certified Personnel Consultant. For nearly a decade, Josh has been recruiting top talent in the commercial banking field throughout the northeastern United States. He specializes in matching candidates and clients in credit, compliance, business development and senior leadership within the Commercial Banking industry.

Josh graduated from the Siedman School of Business at Grand Valley State University with a degree in Business Administration. He is married with three children and lives in Michigan. Josh enjoys being active through sports, home projects, and the outdoors with his family.

Expertise:

Executive, VP, and C-Suite Leadership
Business Development Roles
Compliance Roles
Credit Roles

Specialties:

Commercial Banking & Commercial Finance

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Associate Partner

About Greg McLogan

Greg is an Associate Partner and Executive Recruiter with the Banking & Commercial Finance Team at ThinkingAhead. With over 20 years of experience in executive search, corporate recruiting, and talent acquisition, he has built a reputation for connecting top-tier talent with high-growth organizations nationwide.

He specializes in placing professionals from mid-management to the C-suite for companies ranging from emerging businesses to Fortune 1000 firms. His background includes roles at Korn Ferry, PNC Bank, Citizens Bank, and Stryker, where he led full-cycle recruiting and strategic sourcing efforts. Known for his ability to build strong relationships with both clients and candidates, Greg serves as a trusted advisor throughout the hiring process.

Greg earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Psychology from Hillsdale College. He lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan with his wife Shannon, a Clinical Pharmacist at Bronson Hospital. They have two children: Lily, a Marketing student at Michigan State University, and Luke, their joyful son with special needs who works part-time on a farm and has a deep love for animals.

In his free time, Greg enjoys mountain biking, traveling, reading, attending concerts, and spending quality time with his family.

Expertise:

Executive, VP, and C-Suite Leadership
Managing Directors/Presidents
Commercial Credit Managers
Commercial Relationship Managers
Credit Analysts and Underwriters
Portfolio Managers
Treasury Management Officers
Operations
Wealth Management Advisors

Specialties:

Commercial Banking
Commercial Finance
Wealth Management

Impactful Results

“Greg is a talented and knowledgeable recruiter. He is attentive to detail and does a great job of understanding the hiring managers needs before sourcing candidates. Greg makes small adjustments along the way to make sure that feedback from clients is taken into consideration before sending additional candidates for consideration. I recommend Greg as a true professional in the talent acquisition market.”

VP, Product Owner

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About Donald Cook

Donald is an Executive Recruiter specializing in Asset Based Lending on the Commercial Banking & Commercial Finance Team at ThinkingAhead. Donald is a graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He started his professional career in Sales before transitioning into Recruiting in 2015 and most recently spent the last 5.5 years as an Executive Recruiter in the Life Science/Biotech space achieving multiple monthly and yearly production awards. He currently lives in the Northeastern part of Maryland with his wife and two children. When he’s not working, Donald enjoys cooking, sports, outdoor activities and the beach.

Expertise:

Executive and C-Suite Leadership
Business Development Officers
Field Examiners

Specialty:

Asset Based Lending

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About Sonnie Acosta

Sonnie Acosta is a dedicated Recruiter specializing in the commercial banking and finance industry. With a background rooted in high-performance sales and leadership, Sonnie brings a strategic, people-first approach to talent acquisition, helping firms identify and attract top-tier professionals.

Before transitioning into recruiting, Sonnie built a successful career in sales, working with high-end clientele and delivering tailored solutions in competitive markets. Earlier, Sonnie spent four years with Southwestern Advantage, where she not only excelled in door-to-door sales but also took on leadership responsibilities — recruiting, mentoring, and developing a high-performing team and broader organization.

Sonnie holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication Media Studies and a master’s degree in Business from Texas A&M University. This combination of communication expertise and business acumen fuels a sharp understanding of both client and candidate needs, making Sonnie a trusted partner in the hiring process.

Expertise:

Executive, VP, and C-Suite Leadership
Managing Directors/Presidents
Commercial Credit Managers
Commercial Relationship Managers
Credit Analysts and Underwriters
Portfolio Managers
Treasury Management Officers
Operations

Specialty:

Commercial Banking
Commercial Finance

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