The go-to guy. The coach. The face of the company.
In the recent past, Atwood “Woody” Collins III has assumed these roles as president of M&T Bank?s Mid-Atlantic region.
It was Collins, who three years ago spent two long days meeting with the mayor, city officials, nervous employees and a slew of Baltimore news reporters when then little-known M&T Bank paid $3.1 billion to acquire Baltimore-based Allfirst Bank.
“I came down to announce the merger. The next day it wasa marathon. Nobody knew who we were,” Collins said. “The first three months, I must have interviewed over 1,000 employees. They could identify a face with the company.”
Collins oversaw the many details of the merger.
An estimated 650 people lost their jobs, but M&T moved its Baltimore operations unit to a renovated Montgomery Park in southwest Baltimore to keep remaining jobs in the city. The bank then moved its mutual fund division from the bank?s Buffalo, N.Y., headquarters to Baltimore.
M&T donated $1 million to the Hippodrome Foundation, which in turn named the home of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center the M&T Bank Pavilion. In a dramatic move, the bank signed a deal to spend $75 million over 15 years with the Baltimore Ravens, which included renaming the stadium M&T Bank Stadium.
“It was a terrific way to get the brand name out and to let the community know that we are here to stay,” Collins said.
“M&T Bank is committed to serving this area for the long run and our partnership will go a long way in helping us achieve common goals,” said Ravens owner Art Modell.
The agreement also includes several community programs related to the Ravens such as sponsoring the marching band and honoring disadvantaged youth as well as fundraising, volunteer and education projects.
Collins said he too is committed to Baltimore, having bought a condominium in the city.
“I?m very bullish on Baltimore.”
Aris Melissaratos, secretary for Maryland?s Department of Business and Economic Development, called Collins “a great business leader.”
He added that Collins has a willingness to partner with the community.
“I?d list him as one of the state?s two or three top business leaders,” Melissaratos said.
ATWOOD “WOODY” COLLINS
» Education/credentials: B.A. Yale University, History
» First job: Research assistant, J.P. Morgan
» Birthdate: Jan. 10. 1947
» Birthplace: West Hartford, Conn.
» Number of daily E-mails: Too many
» Number of daily voicemails: Too many
» Essential websites: yahoo.com, google.com
» Best job perk: People I work with
» Career objective: Have customers see M&T Bank as the No. 1 bank
» Favorite gadget: GPS (global positioning system)
» Original career objective: Earn enough money to pay rent
» Sports/hobbies: Boating, golf
