Joshua Chefec has spent nearly two decades serving middle-market companies in New York City, building relationships grounded in integrity and deploying capital with discipline. His approach reflects a belief that success in banking is not measured by volume alone, but by the quality of judgment, the depth of trust, and the resilience required to navigate complexity.
The career began at FGI Capital, where Joshua Chefec was tasked with originating and structuring middle-market debt deals in the aftermath of the financial crisis. It was a landscape defined by caution and scrutiny, where credit decisions required not just financial acumen but an ability to parse risk through layers of uncertainty. He helped build the firm’s private equity coverage model, learning early that relationship banking at the mid-market level demanded both technical fluency and the capacity to anticipate the needs of sponsors navigating growth and transition.
By 2015, Chefec had moved to ExpoCredit, where he founded and managed the New York business development strategy. A bit over a year later, he joined LSQ as Regional Vice President, managing business development and cultivating relationships with private equity funds and banks. These roles sharpened his understanding of capital structure, asset-based lending, and the particular rhythms of sponsor-backed companies operating between the lower middle market and the mid-corporate tier.
The JPMorgan Chase Years
In April 2018, Chefec joined JPMorgan Chase as Vice President in Middle Market Banking and Specialized Industries. Over the next eight years, he would help scale one of the largest commercial banking teams in the firm’s middle-market segment, eventually co-leading a 30-person group covering Metro New York with nearly 1,000 clients and tens of millions in annual revenue. In a two year period,, He originated 29 new commercial banking relationships and generated nearly $10 million in new firm revenue in a 26-month period. He also defended and retained five large at-risk clients worth over $2 million in annual recurring revenue.
In 2022, he was named a Club Elite banker, a distinction awarded for performance across revenue generation, client satisfaction, and credit quality. That same year, he was promoted to Executive Director following a 360-review process that evaluated not only results but also leadership effectiveness and cultural contribution. In January 2023, he became Market Executive, overseeing strategy, execution, and team development for the Metro New York commercial banking business.
He made 23 hires since 2023, including 10 diverse hires, and worked to build a culture grounded in what he describes as servant leadership. The team onboarded over 300 new relationships during his tenure, with only two net charge-offs. His responsibilities extended beyond client acquisition to include performance management, career development, and partnerships with investment banking, syndicated finance, sponsor coverage, and risk management.
A Move to KeyBank
In April 2026, Chefec joined KeyBank as a Commercial Banking Leader in New York City. The move represented a shift to an institution that combines the product set and capital markets reach of a national firm with the agility and local expertise of a relationship-driven bank. KeyBank describes itself as purpose-built for the middle market, with sophisticated industry specialization and a bespoke coverage model.
Chefec states that the opportunity aligned with his belief in intentional, differentiated market coverage and an ownership mindset that prioritizes long-term partnership over transactional volume. The bank is actively expanding its presence in important markets nationwide, building teams focused on mid-corporate clients with a culture he describes as grounded in local decision-making authority and high-touch relationship management.
Credentials and Professional Formation
Chefec earned his CFA charter in 2018, a milestone that required years of disciplined study alongside the demands of a client-facing role. He holds FINRA Series 79, 63, and SIE licenses, reflecting a technical fluency across investment banking, securities, and capital markets functions. He is a member of CFA Society New York andthe Association for Corporate Growth.
He graduated cum laude from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Businesswith a Bachelor of Science in Management, concentrating in finance. Before that, he attended Great Neck North High School on Long Island, a competitive, high-achieving environment where he was a serious clarinetist. He earned all-county honors and first chair in high school, and performed at Carnegie Hall multiple times in solo and orchestra settings. He also played soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and tennis.
Advocacy and Financial Literacy
Chefec has volunteered with W!SE, an organization focused on preparing students for college and careers through financial education. He has also served as Tri-State Co-Chair of the JPMorgan Chase Working Families Network, a role that involved supporting colleagues navigating caregiving, work-life integration, and professional development.
He states that financial literacy and economic mobility are essential for long-term stability, and that young professionals and students should take a more active role in understanding financial systems and building personal discipline. His advocacy reflects a belief that access to financial knowledge should not be determined by geography or socioeconomic background.
Early Life and Resilience
Chefec grew up in Great Neck, New York, in a household shaped by both professional discipline and personal turmoil. His father is an attorney, and he learned early the value of advocacy and structured thinking. But his home environment was, at times, chaotic and conflict-stricken, marked by a parent experiencing mental illness. His parents divorced when he was 17.
He states that these experiences forced him to grow up faster than his peers, and that he overcame them by striving to be as good of a person as he could be, and by being resilient and focused and going after what he wanted. He describes his approach to adversity as grounded in mental toughness and grit, including positive thinking and not allowing himself to be self-defeating. He states that he thinks about what advice he would give to others in his situation, and tells that to himself.
Philosophy on Success and Leadership
Chefec believes success is ultimately self-defined and rooted in finding contentment across all aspects of life, including family, friendships, career, and personal interests. In his view, true fulfillment comes from continuously challenging yourself to grow, learn, and positively impact the lives of others while working to close the gap between your real and ideal self.
Rather than focusing on achievement in a single area, he emphasizes the importance of balance and overall well-being. As professional and family responsibilities continue to grow, maintaining that balance has become an even greater priority.
Integrity remains at the center of his leadership philosophy. He believes success in his industry depends on doing right by people, building strong and trusting relationships, and backing words with meaningful action. Clear communication, sound judgment, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to navigate complex situations thoughtfully are all qualities he values highly.
Chefec also prioritizes learning from a wide range of perspectives. Whether through books, news sources, or conversations with others, he intentionally seeks out diverse viewpoints and believes strong teams are built through diversity of thought.
While he values feedback and outside perspectives, he ultimately measures success by his own standards, recognizing that public opinion can often be inconsistent and influenced by external factors.
Looking Forward with Joshua Chefec
Chefec operates in an environment where the middle market remains underserved relative to its economic contribution, and where the convergence of private equity, venture capital, and family office capital has created new demands for banking partners who can navigate complexity with both technical rigor and relational intelligence. His approach prioritizes intentional client selection, credit quality, and long-term partnership over volume-driven growth.
At KeyBank, he is focused on building a team that reflects his belief in servant leadership, local decision-making authority, and bespoke industry expertise. The work remains relationship-driven, grounded in the conviction that trust, judgment, and integrity are not incidental to banking but central to it.
