Our Leadership

James R. Saer | Director of Capital Markets

James R. Saer

Director of Capital Markets

  • B.A. in Finance, Investments, & Banking

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison

Mr. Saer is responsible for refining and executing Phoenix’s funding strategy by managing the company’s banking and equity relationships.

Mr. Saer began his career as a commercial real estate credit analyst at LaSalle Bank in Chicago, IL. After completing a formal credit training program, he was recruited by Wells Fargo’s Commercial Real Estate team. After 11 years of lending to some of the nation’s largest private and public developers, Mr. Saer relocated to Milwaukee to open Wells Fargo’s Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate Office. Within 3 years, the Wisconsin office grew from $0 to nearly $350 million in loan commitments. Mr. Saer’s success was honored with a “2012 Golden Spoke Award”—a prestigious award given to the top 1% of Wells Fargo employees that demonstrate excellent credit, sales, and relationship management skills.

After 15 years at Wells Fargo, Mr. Saer joined AnchorBank as its Commercial Real Estate Chief Credit Officer, where he was vital in assisting the bank in its exit from bankruptcy, raising additional capital, and returning the bank to profitability following the Great Recession. After its disposition to Old National Bank, Mr. Saer was promoted to Executive Vice President as the bank’s Divisional Chief Credit Officer of Commercial Real Estate.

Mr. Saer graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a major in Finance, Investment, and Banking. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and 3 children and is a supporter of several charitable organizations.