Susan Hickey, first vice president and assistant portfolio manager at Crestmark Bank, will be a panelist at the Women in Commercial Finance Forum at the Lauderdale Yacht Club on Tuesday, March 14. The South Florida Chapter of the Commercial Finance Association is putting on the event.

Hickey and fellow panelists will share insights about career opportunities for women in banking and finance, examples of successful career paths, the role of mentoring in career advancement/skill mastery, and challenges overcome along the way.

Hickey began her career in banking and finance more than 25 years ago and has been with Crestmark since it received its bank charter in 1996. She has had a front row seat and has been an important contributor to Crestmark’s growth from a Michigan-based start-up to a highly regarded national lender offering a wide range of financial solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses in diverse industries. In her role, Hickey has worked with clients in transportation, manufacturing, staffing, petrochemical, government contractors, and apparel and furniture manufacturing/distribution. As portfolio manager, Hickey works closely with the team of East Division account executives to ensure that Crestmark’s clients’ financing needs are met, to assess portfolio risk, and to improve department efficiencies.

Hickey heads a Crestmark community outreach program that provides high school students with an interactive learning experience on personal finance, including how to manage a monthly budget and what to consider when making key financial decisions as adults. The program reaches more than 600 high school students annually.

Hickey says, “I highly recommend a career in banking and finance to young women starting out because of the diverse options, and many different paths available. In addition, I’ve appreciated the opportunity to give back to the community with initiatives in financial learning. The Women in Commercial Finance Forum is offering a great opportunity for me to share some of the things I’ve learned along the way.”

To learn more about the event, visit the Commercial Finance website at www.cfa.com/florida.