Get to know some of United’s Asian team members this Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

United recognizes that the diversity of its team supports the Company’s overall mission to provide excellence in service to its stakeholders. Its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion fosters respect and a shared purpose that aligns with the Bank’s core values and community leadership. Since the Bank’s founding in 1839, its leading principles have helped United grow from a single-office bank to a premier regional banking company with a strong presence throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Today, the Company holds approximately $30 billion in assets and serves a consumer and commercial customer base that is diversified across lines of business as well as geography, with more than 225 offices located throughout Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, as well as Washington, D.C., where it is the largest community bank headquartered in the D.C. Metropolitan region.

United’s employees are its greatest asset – when team members thrive, so do customers and so does business. That’s why, this Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, United is spotlighting some of its Asian employees, their accomplishments, and the work they are doing to support their communities, bolstering the Bank’s commitment to ensuring that employees from entry-level to management are empowered to reach their full potential and make a difference, contributing to a culture that is entrepreneurial, efficient, relationship-based, and service-oriented.

Gaurav Nayyar has lived several lives before beginning his banking career. Born and raised in Punjab, India, he wasn’t initially sure where his path in life would take him. From starting his own business back in India to working odd jobs – including as a machine operator at an automobile supplier immediately after immigrating to the U.S. – he was ultimately able to build a successful 14-year career in the financial services industry.

Today, Nayyar is a regional credit officer based in United Bank’s D.C. region. In this role, he provides assurance to management that all loans under his purview are of sound quality. He negotiates loans, covenants, pricing, and more on behalf of the Bank and ensures that United gets paid for the risk it’s taking.

But every successful career has to start somewhere. After a few years in the workforce in his early twenties, Nayyar made the decision to go back to school and get his degree. In 2010, he received a Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus on accounting and finance from University of Michigan – Dearborn, and kickstarted his banking career as an underwriting associate at Comerica Bank in the Motor City. When he was ready to make a change and was considering his options, he says the speed and responsiveness of United’s hiring process showed him that the Bank was serious about bringing him on board, and that is what ultimately influenced his decision to join the Company. And so, after five years, he left Comerica Bank and headed to D.C. to begin his career with United Bank as a senior credit analyst and team lead. Over the next nine years, Nayyar would grow with the Bank, progressing in his career from a credit analyst and team lead role to the credit department manager, credit officer, and then, finally, a regional credit officer.

Outside of work, Nayyar likes to stay active and support his community of Ashburn whenever he can. He loves hiking with his wife and two kids. He enjoys spending his free time playing tennis, volleyball, and cricket. He also frequently volunteers with local organizations like Junior Achievement’s JA Finance Park, the Children Science Center, and Homestretch, and he serves on his HOA’s finance committee.

What has your experience been like as an Asian business leader?

Well, not many people look at me and think I work in banking, let alone commercial lending. When I meet folks in my community and I tell them that I don’t work in the medical, engineering, or IT field, they are almost always shocked. I’m sort of unique in my community, but I think of that as a good thing. Representation matters, and I know a lot of people find comfort in working with someone who understands their background and unique perspective. Being able to help the people in my community navigate their financial challenges makes me feel good. I feel like I’m doing them a service and giving back.

How has your identity factored into your leadership style?

It’s well known that India is considered the land of spirituality. Being from India, it naturally makes me a spiritual person. This spirituality translates into a sense of calmness that I try to bring to everything I do, including how I approach leadership. In fact, when I think about an exemplar leader that inspired me, former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni would be my top choice. He is the calmest captain of all time and his ability to stay cool and level-headed, even under immense pressure, is why he’s known as one of the most successful Indian captains in cricket.

It's important to create a safe space for young people and those just starting out in their careers, one where they can be vulnerable and unafraid to make mistakes, with a caveat, that they build upon to opportunities for improvement. And this is something that starts from the top of the leadership chain. I aim to be a calming presence on my team who signals that, no matter what we’re dealing with, we can depend on each other and still perform under pressure.

What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

If I had to sum it up in three short words, I’d say ‘united in diversity.’ There are a couple dozen groups that make up the Asian ethnicity, each with their own distinct culture. The fact that we can come together and celebrate these different cultures and still be collective is a huge deal.