Office Space Spotlight: M&T Bank

With nearly 150 businesses renting Anderson Group office and retail spaces in the Albany, Guilderland, and Colonie area, we’re fortunate to witness many of their accomplishments firsthand. This month, we’re focusing a spotlight on one of our “Best Regional Bank” nominees in our Best on Wolf Road Contest, M&T Bank.

M&T Bank opened their 125 Wolf Road branch in 1994, and have been a great resource to not only those with office space in our building, but within the community as a whole. Brea, the Wolf Road Branch Manager, recently joined the M&T team after working in the business for nearly 30 years.

We asked Brea 5 questions about her experience at M&T Bank:

What is your background at the company and how did you get involved?

I joined M&T Bank in 2021, but I have close to 30 years of experience in banking. I learned about M&T through friends who appreciate how they treat their customers. I know it sounds cliché, but M&T truly is a client-centric company, and when joining I knew I’d be able to make a meaningful difference. As the current Branch Manager of our Wolf Road office, I am fortunate to work with a very seasoned and friendly team, and some of the best customers in the business.

What is unique about the business?

At M&T, we combine the capabilities of a large institution with the care, empathy and local engagement model of a community-based organization. It’s a unique strength that we leverage to provide meaningful experiences and deliver intuitive solutions that meet our customers’ diverse needs. For instance, we don’t make “sales calls” – we ask, “what are your goals this year – and how can we help you achieve them?” We truly put our customers at the heart of everything we do.

What types of services do you offer?

We offer everything from basic checking and savings accounts to mortgages, home equity loans and investments – but the true service we offer is caring about our clients and helping them grow.

How has the business expanded or grown?

Our bank has always been focused on building deep, lasting relationships – with our customers, our colleagues and our communities. During the pandemic, we took steps to be more intentional in how we connect and how we sustain relationships. We launched an online platform to make branch appointments with our bankers and an online Financial Education Center to help our customers and communities access educational resources that deepen their financial literacy. These tools have helped us sustain and even grow collaboration internally and with clients.

We are also in midst of acquiring People’s United Bank, which will make M&T the leading community-focused bank in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, and the 11th largest US-based bank with approximately $200 billion in assets. In addition to this, we’ll have a network of more than 1,100 branches and over 2,000 ATMs that spans 12 states from Maine to Virginia and the District of Columbia.

What’s next for the business?

M&T is a bank for communities, and our work is driven by our purpose – to make a difference in people’s lives. We don’t just do business here; we live here, we’re raising our families here, we get involved and support causes that make the Capital Region a better places to live. Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in projects that support economic growth, and build lasting relationships in all the communities we’re a part of, supporting local businesses, schools, universities, sports, arts and social organizations and government institutions. Our work to advance diversity, inclusion and belonging is also ongoing – we invest in underserved areas, support underrepresented businesses and intentionally recruit and develop diverse talent from our communities.

We are thrilled to watch M&T bank create lasting change and make such an impact on people and businesses in the Albany Area and beyond! We are proud to lease to a tenant with a mission we stand behind, and can’t wait to see how the Wolf Road M&T branch moves forward with the help of The Anderson Group! 

Need to rent office spaces or conference rooms in Albany, Guilderland, or Colonie? We have flexible office space options available for businesses of all sizes. We also offer the ability for you to rent our conference rooms for a full or half day, as well as by the hour. Contact us today.