CEIS Consultants

James H. Brown, Executive Consultant

Mr. Brown is an Executive Consultant with CEIS providing services to the banking industry evaluating the quality of loan portfolios and the effectiveness of an organization’s overall credit risk management.

He has over 30 years experience from his prior association with regional banking, money market banking, and investment banking. As a commercial banker, Mr. Brown was a correspondent banker, senior middle market lender and manager, and Senior Banker Corporate Finance and team leader. As an investment banker, he was a principal responsible for corporate finance roles from advisory on restructurings and M&A to the placement of private debt and equity. Beyond banking, Mr. Brown held positions as Finance Director for energy and other finance related firms.

Mr. Brown’s prior associations included Fieldstone Private Capital Group, NYC, Bankers Trust Co., Manufacturers Hanover Trust, and Franklin National Bank. He graduated from Long Island University with MBA in Economics (Cum Laude) and from Fordham University with BA. His language proficiency includes French and German.

Paul E. Carr, Executive Consultant

Mr. Carr is an Executive Consultant with CEIS whose functions include loan review, and marketing and business development.  He has over 35 years of commercial banking and consulting experience and began his career with Chemical Bank (New York) as a management trainee and progressed through the various line functions to attain several senior level positions including President of an upstate New York subsidiary bank, President of Connecticut start-up operation and District Head of a large middle market lending district in NYC. He also was Senior Vice President and area manager for Banco Popular de Puerto Rico’s New York operation as well as Chief Executive of a start-up community bank located on Long Island.

Mr. Carr graduated from St. Bonaventure University and received his MBA in Finance from Iona College.

Michael K. Crawford, Senior Reviewer

Mr. Crawford is a Senior Reviewer with CEIS providing loan review services for domestic portfolios.  He has over 30 years experience from his association with commercial banks, bank agencies and consulting activities. Mr. Crawford’s responsibilities included those as Senior Loan Officer, member of ALCO, Credit and Management Committees, Senior Credit Officer, and other functional segments of banking organizations. He was previously associated with Danske Bank, New York, Banco Totta & Acores, New York, First Fidelity Bank, New Jersey, and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company.

Mr. Crawford’s experience includes structuring and delivering commercial loan training curriculums; participating as faculty member of NY State Bankers Association Executive Development Program. He graduated from Colgate University.

Edward F. Denneen, Senior Review Consultant

Mr. Denneen is a Senior Review Consultant with CEIS and provides loan review services concerning the commercial and consumer portfolio segments of commercial and savings banks.

He has over 29 years banking experience from his prior association with money market and regional banks as well as from his business and consulting activities. He has held positions at Chemical Bank and at Republic National Bank of New York.

Mr. Denneen began his career at Chemical Bank where he developed his credit and compliance review experience. While at Chemical he managed credit risk review departments and teams concentrating on commercial and consumer portfolios. While at Republic, he was team leader for on-site reviews including: middle market, private banking, corporate banking, international banking, commercial real estate, capital markets, consumer credit, residential mortgage, and factoring.

Mr. Denneen received his BS from Hofstra University, and completed the Chemical Bank credit and other related training programs. Training included the Fair Isaac’s Systematic Approval (FICO-Scorecard)) and the ABA – BankCard Management School program.

Caridad Errazquin, Senior Consultant

Ms. Errazquin is a Senior Consultant with CEIS that brings with her over 25 years of expertise gained from her consulting, commercial banking, and treasury management experience from both domestic and international banks.

Her responsibilities included managing diverse portfolios such as those focused on high net worth clients, commercial real estate, general commercial, and international trade. Loan types included trade finance, asset based, commercial real estate mortgages, syndicated credits, etc.

Ms. Errazquin has held several senior level positions including Senior Vice President, Senior Commercial Lending Officer, Vice President, Commercial Banking Group Manager, and Vice President of Corporate Banking.  She has experience in structuring, underwriting, and proactively monitoring assets in distress to ensure satisfaction of borrower’s obligations.  

Her prior associations were with Colonial Bank, Intercredit Bank N.A., The International Bank of Miami N.A., Bank Leumi Le Israel, Barnett Bank of South Florida, and Florida National Bank. She is a graduate of Florida International University with a Masters in Business Administration Finance.        

Alan Harper, Senior Reviewer

Mr. Harper is a Senior Reviewer with CEIS having 30 years experience in the commercial banking industry.

Mr. Harper’s background includes Citicorp as International Economist, New York Mercantile Exchange as Editor and Marketing Specialist, and Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd as Senior Vice President supervising and controlling credit exposures to customers based in the Americas. Mr. Harper experience includes assessing and maintaining portfolio quality, process and procedure as well as strategies for lending to specialized industries.

Mr. Harper graduated with honors in economics and mathematics from McGill University, Montreal; obtained his MA in Economics from Columbia University, and received an Advanced Certificate in Finance from New York University. He is fluent in French.

Thomas J. Lewis, Executive Consultant

Mr. Lewis is an Executive Consultant with CEIS and has over 35 years experience in the commercial banking industry.

Mr. Lewis’ banking experience was with JP Morgan Chase since 1969 where he held varied positions including senior level portfolio responsibilities. He was most recently SVP/Credit Executive responsible for credit approval, portfolio oversight, and credit quality relating to $6B portfolio exposure to middle market firms located throughout the Northeast and Middle Atlantic states.

Previously, he was Credit Executive Chase Executive Regional Banking, and New England Regional Manager.

Peter McGovern, Executive Consultant

Mr. McGovern is an Executive Consultant with CEIS and has over 30 years experience in the commercial banking industry.  Mr. McGovern is a credit-oriented consultant with successful track record in loan management in the credit-intense middle market segment; skill set includes credit analysis, conventional and leveraged finance credit structuring, relationship management, and credit remediation.  Loan portfolios under his management were in excess of $1 billion to middle market clients.  He was formerly associated with Citigroup, Key Bank of New York, Citicorp Industrial Credit, Connecticut Bank & Trust, and Bankers Trust Company.  He has an MBA in Finance from New York University and BS from Villanova University.  Additionally, he is NASD series 7 & 63 qualified.

Alice Mills, Consultant

Ms. Mills has over 30 years experience from her consulting activities and former associations with commercial and investment banks.  Her last position prior to joining the CEIS team was as Managing Director.  She was associated with Madison Park Partners, Caylon Securities (Credit Agricole subsidiary), Emerald Capital Securities, Sumitomo Bank, and Citicorp/Citibank.  Her responsibilities included deal management and deal development, capital markets, securitizations and syndications, leveraged buyout and acquisition financing, and credit administration.

John J. Moolick Jr., Senior Review Consultant

Mr. Moolick, is a Senior Review Consultant with CEIS, and has been involved in all phases of the commercial banking industry, including extensive lending and risk management experience, for more than 30 years.

After more than 15 years at European American Bank where, after graduating from the Executive Credit Training Program, John advanced to become an area manager and supervisor of a team of commercial lending officers. Subsequently, he joined a community bank in New York State as the Senior Lending Officer. Mr. Moolick restructured lending functions, re-wrote lending policies and procedures and developed portfolios while improving loan portfolio quality.

For more than seven years Mr. Moolick concentrated on credit audit and loan administration functions at Barclays Bank and NatWest Bank. He developed systems to track and reduce problem and non-accrual loans, directed examinations of domestic and international lending activities, prepared reports evaluating risk management and risk identification adequacy, and reported on adherence to established credit policies.

Mr. Moolick graduated from Pace University in 1972, with a BBA in Finance and Accounting and received his MBA in Management and Finance in 1973 from St. Johns University.

Esther Pascual-Diaz, Senior Review Consultant and Editor

Ms. Pascual is a Senior Review Consultant and has over 23 years experience from her consulting, mortgage banking and commercial banking experience.  Her prior associations were with Banco Popular North America, The International Bank of Miami, Intercredit Bank, Espirito Santo Bank of Florida, and Florida National Bank.  She is a finance management professional with over 22 years in the financial analysis and generation / mangement of commercial transactions.  Her responsibilities included managing loan portfolio segments, supervising the loan processing, underwriting and closing functions, managing commercial real estate and construction portfolio segments, and managing credit administration.

Marcia F. Notowitz, Review Consultant

Ms. Notowitz, is a Review Consultant with CEIS, having spent her career lending primarily to middle market companies in New Jersey.

With 32 years of experience, Ms. Notowitz managed relationships for over 14 years, as Vice President of PNC Bank. Her background includes identifying, restructuring and monitoring payment plans for troubled loans. At National State Bank, Ms. Notowitz was a branch manager and also responsible for lending activities at three branches.

Ms. Notowitz graduated from New York University in 1964, with a BA in Literature and accomplished graduate work there at the Graduate School of Business Administration.

Henry J. Pullman, Senior Consultant

Mr. Pullman is a Senior Consultant with CEIS providing loan review services as well as various corporate finance, banking and credit courses. He has over 30 years experience in the commercial banking industry.

Mr. Pullman held management positions at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co., Fuji Bank and Trust Company, and at Barclays PLC / Barclays Capital. His responsibilities included managing lending groups whose markets included general corporate credit as well as specialty markets such as communications, energy, utilities, structured assets and others. He also managed credit audit and credit risk review functions.

Mr. Pullman obtained graduate and undergraduate degrees from Cornell University.

Charlene J. Ray, Senior Consultant

Ms. Charlene Ray has over 25 years experience as a commercial banker and as a consultant. She is a Senior Consultant with CEIS providing loan review and problem loan reclamation services.

After completing the Management Training at Chemical, Ms. Ray was fast tracked to vice president. Her responsibilities during the period with Chemical included managing, as Assistant Director and later as Credit Deputy, asset quality in metropolitan credit services, and middle market banking, respectively. Subsequently, she joined Standard Chartered Bank and managed line lending team with NYC and international clients; as Deputy Manager assumed responsibility to include credit audit; and as Midwest Regional Manager directed loan reclamation efforts. The latter responsibility was later expanded to include the Canadian workout staff.

Ms. Ray received an MBA from Columbia Graduate School of Business, MS from Boston University, and an undergraduate from DePauw University. She completed Senior Credit Workshop at the University of Manchester, England; Graduate Institute of Bank Management, Adelphi University and other programs. She is affiliated with the American Woman’s Economic Development Corporation, Business Network International, Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York, MIT Enterprise Forum, National Association of Women Business Owners – NYC, and the Woman’s Economic Roundtable.

Robert H. Ray, Executive Consultant

Mr. Robert Ray is an Executive Consultant with CEIS and has over 25 years experience as a commercial banker and analyst.

Mr. Ray was associated for approximately 14 years with Moody’s Investors Service as Senior Vice President and Managing Director. During that period he chaired Rating Committees and managed resources concentrating in industries such as telecom and media, health care, chemicals, forest products, transportation, and capital goods. Assignments included period in London managing team of analysts responsible for corporate ratings of issuers domiciled in Europe. Prior to joining Moody’s, Mr. Ray was associated with regional and community banks in New Jersey and New York advancing to vice president.

Mr. Ray graduated with MBA from Pace University in New York and undergraduate degree in economics from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania.

Christopher G. Webbe, Senior Consultant

Mr. Webbe is a Senior Consultant with CEIS and had over 30 year experience as a commercial banker and consultant. He provides loan review services for domestic and international portfolio segments.

Mr. Webbe was formerly associated with Park Avenue Bank in New York; Banco Rio de la Plata, New York Agency; Daiwa Bank Limited, New York; and Lloyds Bank Limited, New York Office and London Office. His career included responsibilities as Senior Credit Officer; manager and agent for Agency; Chief Inspector, and manager of lending functions. Mr. Webbe’s lending and management experience includes international as well as domestic portfolios.

Mr. Webbe graduated from The Leys School, Cambridge, and Cambridge University (MA Honors). He is fluent in Spanish.

Ronald C. Wolinsky, Senior Review Consultant and Editor

Mr. Wolinsky, is a Review Consultant with CEIS, and has been involved in all phases of the commercial banking industry, including extensive lending and risk management experience, for more than 25 years.

Mr. Wolinsky spent much of his career with Mizuho Corporate Bank, which was formed in April 2002 by the merger of The Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, The Fuji Bank and The Industrial Bank of Japan. His affiliation had been with The Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank prior to the merger. His experience included leading a team of lenders specializing in leveraged finance and middle market lending and significant work out experience in both the corporate finance and real estate fields, managing bankrupt accounts and maximizing recoveries. His resume further includes credit administration functions, including the preparation of credit analyses, management of credit analysts, and development of projections models and methodology for tracking and reporting covenant compliance.

Mr. Wolinsky graduated from the University of Michigan in 1977, with high distinction and a BA in Sociology, which was followed by an MBA in Finance (Dean’s List) from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Mr. Wolinsky graduated from the University of Michigan in 1977, with high distinction and a BA in Sociology, which was followed by an MBA in Finance (Dean’s List) from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Frank T. Ziella, Senior Reviewer

Mr. Frank Ziella is a Senior Reviewer with CEIS and has over 30 years experience as commercial banker, bank examiner, and consultant.

Mr. Ziella spent approximately 14 years with the State of New York Banking Department as an Examiner, Senior Bank Examiner and lastly as Principal Bank Examiner. During that time, he was responsible for the review of field examination reports, primary contact with a multitude of financial institutions in connection with regulatory matters, and involved in the liquidation of NY branch of Argentine bank and appointed title of “Special Agent”.  Subsequently, he joined the Bank of Tokyo / Mitsubishi and advanced during the 16 years to General Manager and Chief Credit Examiner. During this association, he was responsible for the annual examinations and review of exposures booked in branches, agencies, and subsidiaries in 15 major North American locations.