Loyalty and leadership

“Instead of pursuing a specific path, I have general career objectives,” says Cavalieri. “Being receptive to unique opportunities has opened a lot of doors for me at M&T Bank.”

In the summer before his senior year of college in Michigan, a promising offer led Cavalieri back to Buffalo and the company. During his internship in M&T’s business banking division, the bank offered him a position in its management development program to begin after graduation.

“I loved the internship, so I thought M&T would be a great place to start and to learn the business,” he says. “Since then, every two or three years a new opportunity has presented itself, allowing me to continue my entire career there.”

After embracing numerous roles at the company, he had another chance to test his personal philosophy when his manager asked if he was interested in getting a graduate degree.

“I was working in the bank’s commercial insurance subsidiary at the time and my manager showed up at my desk one day and said ‘we need you to go get your MBA,’” says Cavalieri.

Cavalieri seized the offer and enrolled in the UB School of Management’s Professional MBA program, where he benefited from faculty with real-world experience. He says he especially enjoyed the school’s organizational behavior courses because he could immediately apply what he was learning at work.

“I looked forward to going to evening classes in person – even after working for ten hours – because the faculty, who were also working in corporate America, had a practical, real-world perspective,” he says.

Cavalieri’s dedication to both M&T Bank and continuous learning is demonstrated through his commitment to the Western New York community. He currently volunteers his time as treasurer on the board of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House. And, during the pandemic, Cavalieri served the local government as M&T Bank’s representative on the Erie County COVID-19 task force.

Now, Cavalieri is building upon this work in a newly created role at M&T as executive vice president, director of enterprise resilience, where he ensures the bank is prepared for all types of disruption.

When he’s not working, Cavalieri finds new opportunities even in his hobbies and interests. Whether cycling or entertaining an audience at as a DJ – a skill he picked up during the pandemic – he remains active outside of the office.

Reflecting on his career trajectory, Cavalieri says his personal philosophy of embracing every new adventure can resonate with current graduates.

“Be open to every conceivable opportunity,” he says. “Every move in your career will prepare you for the next.”

Written by Alexandra Richter