JOSEPH W.

HARPSTER
95 Oxford Street
Glen Ridge, NJ, 07028
H (973) 783-4493
C (917) 499-0139
email: jhf48398@westpost.net

SENIOR CREDIT EXECUTIVE

Large Corporate / Middle Market / Commercial Real Estate
Domestic and International Private Banking / Brokerage Firms
Domestic and International Commercial Banks / Trading Counterparties
Highly motivated, driven credit executive with 35 plus years of experience in r
apidly growing banks and expanding product line environment.
Strengths include balanced credit judgment manifested by excellent track record
, problem solving ability, recruiting and interpersonal skills.
Good leadership and team building skills with flexibility to adapt to a wide va
riety of situations in order to accomplish objectives in rapid growth and fluid
environment. Proven capability to maintain high credit standards in aggressive
lending environment.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
HERALD NATIONAL BANK, New York, NY April 2008 to November 2010
Executive Vice President Chief Credit Officer
Responsible for overall lending and credit function of a de novo bank formed in
2008.
Chairman of Credit Committee.
Built portfolio of $300 million of excellent credit quality middle market and c
ommercial real estate loans in first year of operation.
Directly responsible for credit quality, loan documentation, credit administrat
ion, regulatory compliance, and credit policy.

HSBC Bank USA, New York, NY, 2000 to April 2008

Senior Vice President. Head Credit Officer for Corporate Institutional Banking,
Leverage Finance, and Project Finance Divisions. Reported directly to Chief Cr
edit Officer (2003 to April 2008).
Senior Credit Executive responsible for approving credit applications, covenant
s, structures, documentation, internal grade, regulatory classification, waivers
/amendments of loan covenants, ad hoc approvals, line overages/exceptions for tr
ading floor relationships and hurdle rate requirements.
Local authority of $ 35 million for new money and $100 million for renewals.
Responsibilities included ongoing monitoring of the portfolio and management of
the watch list to maintain excellent credit quality.

Executive Vice President Head of Financial Institutions Group (2000 to 2002)

Senior executive in charge of business relationships with commercial and investm
ent banks, insurance companies, finance companies, hedge funds, and payment cent
er operations. Reported directly to Senior EVP Corporate and Institutional Ban
king.
 Directly responsible for business plan, budget, operations, post-acquisition in
tegration, recruitment and credit quality.
Integrated HSBC/Republic teams after merger.
Functionally reported to Global Head of Financial Institutions Group based in L
ondon.
Republic National Bank of New York, New York, NY, 1979 to 2000
Managing Director Deputy Head International Banking (1998 to 2000)
International division comprised of branches/subsidiaries in 14 major cities thr
oughout Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Canada focused on correspondent and pri
vate banking and middle market lending.
Head of International Syndicated Lending and Chairman of International Credit C
ommittee
o Responsible for originating and managing international syndicated loan portfol
io comprised primarily of banks and large international corporations and soverei
gn entities.
o Responsible for managing Overseas Credit Support Unit that supervised credit q
uality in all foreign offices. The unit interacted with international entities
to prescreen credit proposals and monitor overseas credit portfolios.
Member of Executive Credit Committee. Committee met weekly to consider approva
ls/renewals of larger ($ 10 million +) customer credit proposals for both the do
mestic and international divisions.
Directly responsible for managing correspondent banking business for Eastern/Ce
ntral Europe and Russia, a rapidly expanding area with intense KYC responsibilit
ies.
Chief Credit Review Officer (1981 to 1997)
Managed a professional staff (40 at peak) that conducted global asset quality an
d credit administration examinations of approximately 60 operating units of Repu
blic and Safra Republic Holdings throughout the world.
Active participant in weekly Executive Credit Committee meetings.
Participated in real estate workout committee meetings. Supervised problem com
mercial and residential real estate loans acquired during active acquisition pro
gram.
Developed and administered internal loan grading system to proactively detect p
roblem situations.
Headed asset quality due diligence for all potential acquisitions since 1985.
Thirteen acquisitions were evaluated and six were purchased.
Supervised compilation and provision assessment of nonperforming loans/assets i
ncluding troubled debt restructurings. Also, initiated charge off recommendatio
ns.
Developed methodology and supervised quarterly assessment of the adequacy of th
e loan loss reserve.
Credit liaison with bank regulatory agencies and outside accounting firm.
Assistant Credit Review Officer (1979 to 1981)
Conducted asset quality examinations throughout the Republic system

Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 1973-1978

Conducted examinations of commercial banks and bank holding companies throughout
the 2nd Federal Reserve District (New York State, Northern New Jersey, and West
ern Connecticut)

EDUCATION
MBA: Concentration in Finance; ST. JOHNS UNIVERSITY, New York, NY; 1978
BA: Economics and History; LAFAYETTE COLLEGE, Easton, PA; 1973