Joe Gianni is perhaps one of Greater Hartford’s best-known business leaders.
As the Greater Hartford president of Bank of America, he has a local leadership role at a multinational financial services company with the largest deposit market share in Connecticut.
He’s held the position since 2018, but has been with Bank of America and its predecessor banks in Hartford for much longer — since 1989. Early in his career, he worked at Connecticut Bank and Trust Co., then Fleet Bank after it acquired CBT.
He started at Bank of America in 2004, after it acquired Fleet. He’s not only survived each of the mergers, but found a way to rise up the ranks.
Before being named president, Gianni focused on government and community relations, engaging with public officials and local leaders on policy priorities, and also becoming well-known within the nonprofit community. He still plays a government-relations role.
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Like all bankers, Gianni is managing several headwinds.
Higher interest rates are causing borrowers to proceed cautiously with expansion and financing capital expenditures, Gianni told the HBJ earlier this year.
“CFOs in Connecticut are scrutinizing capital expenditures to ensure the projected return on any capital investment still makes sense given the higher cost of borrowing,” Gianni said. “Fortunately, after pausing to evaluate each decision, we are seeing many of our clients in Connecticut continue to proceed with equipment purchases. In the M&A market, the level of activity is slower than it was when borrowers had access to very low interest rates for acquisition financing.”
Gianni graduated from Providence College with a bachelor’s degree in political science and humanities. Born in Hartford, he currently resides in West Hartford.