Hancock Whitney Continues Growing Asset Based Lending Team

GULFPORT, Miss. (July 14, 2023) — Hancock Whitney Business Capital, the asset based lending (ABL) division of Hancock Whitney, has added two more commercial finance professionals to the company’s ABL team. Patrick Aarons and John W. Willis will help build the asset based lending platform for middle market clients primarily in 12 states across the southern United States and are both based in suburban Atlanta.

Aarons, a Roswell, Georgia, resident, recently joined Hancock Whitney as a senior portfolio manager and underwriter. With more than 30 years of asset based lending experience, he has served in various senior roles at five financial institutions and three commercial finance platforms. A native of Davenport, Iowa, Aarons earned his accounting degree from the University of Iowa.

Willis, a native of Fort Valley, Georgia, and resident of St. Simons Island, Georgia, is a senior relationship manager with Hancock Whitney. During his 35-plus years of commercial finance experience as an asset based lender, he has served as a field examiner, account manager, underwriter, and business development officer with several regional and national financial institutions. Willis holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia.

“Patrick Aarons and John Willis are very successful veterans of the asset based lending arena and bring outstanding commercial lending and client relationship management expertise to our growing Hancock Whitney ABL team,” said Mike Knuckles, the executive who leads Hancock Whitney Business Capital. “We look forward to their helping us help our clients grow and succeed.”

Asset based lending is focused on providing working capital credit facilities where loan availability is governed by a highly structured, closely monitored borrowing base. Hancock Whitney Business Capital works closely with clients to understand their working capital financing needs and structure financial solutions that will help the businesses attain their financial goals.

More information is available at https://www.hancockwhitney.com/asset-based-lending.