Past experience of running his own business has given Joe Fendi a better understanding of entrepreneurship now that he is a commercial lender.
After working for Wells Fargo’s home mortgage department, Joe ran his own mortgage company with several partners, gaining knowledge of the finance and mortgage lending industry, as well as small business.
Joe, NMLS #671758, now serves as VP, commercial lending, for INB’s Chesterfield, Mo., loan office.
Originally born and raised in Miami, Fla., Joe moved to the St. Louis area in 1995. He first attended Lindberg High School before his family moved to St. Charles County. He graduated from St. Charles West High School and attended the University of Missouri St. Louis in international business - a natural fit for Joe, whose mother is from Venezuela and father is from Sicily.
After his experience with Wells Fargo and running his own company, Joe’s partners bought him out in 2006. He joined Monarch Growers International, where he was a manager for the import/export company.
Back to Banking
Two years later, he rejoined the finance field with PNC Bank. “I was vice president of business banking in the mid-market space. I worked with businesses from $1 million to $25 million in revenue,” Joe says.
In 2015, Joe took on a new role with Bank of Edwardsville, which was acquired by Busey Bank. Then, 2018 brought him to INB.
“INB has been a fantastic bank; it’s a very customer-centric, friendly environment,” Joe says. “It’s been a great place to work with great leadership. I love INB’s ability to execute quickly. In our market, you’ve got to move fast.”
Down Time; Family Time
When he’s not working with his clients, Joe most loves to spend time with his wife of 14 years, Mary Ann, and their two daughters, Libby (7) and Amelia (3). Libby’s interests - dance competitions, horseback riding, swimming and gymnastics - keep the family on the move. Joe also enjoys visiting his parents in Florida and attending clay sporting events.
“I got into sporting clays from a client invitation; I was horrible at it but loved the challenge, so I started practicing more,” he laughs.
Joe also serves as president of his homeowners’ association and participates in the annual St. Louis Fair and America’s Birthday Parade every Fourth of July.
The opportunity to build INB’s presence in the St. Louis region is exciting for Joe. And with so much experience to propel him, he looks forward to serving his clients in their growth stages.
“I’m excited about the continual expansion of the St. Louis market with INB and what the next couple of years have to come for the organization as a whole as we expand,” he says.
Joe's NMLS number is 671758.