Citywealth Leaders List, 60 second interview – Emily Dreas, Bank of America Private Bank
This week’s 60 seconds Citywealth Leaders List interview is dedicated to Emily Dreas, Managing Director, Senior Market Executive at Bank of America Private Bank.
Tell Citywealth readers a bit about your role
I run the Metro New York market for Bank of America Private Bank, our largest U.S. market. I lead a team of more than 250 colleagues across trust, investments, credit, and wealth planning, partnering closely with clients, business owners, and families to help them grow, protect, and transfer their wealth while building strong, collaborative teams internally.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I grab the 6:27 a.m. train into Grand Central from Rowayton, CT —which gives me time to set priorities and catch up on email. From there, it’s a mix of one on one meetings with team members, client conversations, and collaboration with peers across the firm. Given the size and growth of our team, I also spend a meaningful amount of time recruiting and developing talent. I enjoy hosting and attending client and team events that are both educational and engaging, and I’m active in YPO and other non profit boards, which provides ongoing opportunities to learn and connect, typically in the evenings. I also plan a lot of events around client engagement and working with our partners, accountants, art advisors, insurance, philanthropic advisors, attorneys, realtors, and the like!
Tell us about some recent, interesting client instructions or requests
What continually amazes me is that while our day jobs are helping solve complex financial solutions, my strongest client relationships are often built outside the formal scope of my role.
It might be a client asking me to take a quick look at a boat they’re considering and sending them some pictures, help their child make a meaningful professional connection, supporting a charitable cause personally that they care deeply about. Going the extra mile in these moments shows you care beyond the business aspects and that relationships are what matters most and isn’t that true in life too?
What challenges do your clients face and how are you helping them overcome them?
For business owners, one of the biggest challenges is balancing liquidity needs with continued investment in their businesses. We ask the client to approach this as a true partnership—leveraging Bank of America Private Bank’s credit capabilities, alongside planning and investment expertise, to support growth while preparing for future liquidity events and benefiting from the after transaction events that the credit helped support.
Equally important is ensuring that trust and planning strategies are in place well before a term sheet is signed, so clients are positioned to maximize outcomes. Collaboration across private, commercial, and investment banking is critical in helping clients navigate these moments successfully.
What is your proudest professional achievement?
Building and leading high performing teams while seeing people grow into roles they may not have initially imagined for themselves. Watching others succeed—and knowing I played a role in their development—is the most rewarding part of my career. When I’m down, I often think of the number of folks I’ve hired, promoted, encouraged into other roles.
What do you consider to be the most important attributes for a leader?
Humility. Just as our teams serve our clients, leaders exist to serve their teams—by listening, supporting, and creating environments where people can do their best work.
Who do you most admire and why?
Richard Branson. I’ve always admired how he commits fully to his ventures while maintaining a sense of joy, curiosity, and balance around family and life.
Where was the last place you travelled to for work or pleasure?
The Galápagos Islands—an incredible experience. The wildlife is unforgettable, especially the seals, they follow you everywhere like puppies!
If you weren’t in this industry, what else might you be doing?
Working so closely with founders and entrepreneurs is incredibly inspiring. I could see myself starting something of my own, perhaps focused on financial literacy—helping people better understand leverage, risk, and opportunity. Basic education around topics like mortgages and interest rates can be truly transformative when done thoughtfully, how do you negotiate a mortgage rate, put together different buckets of investing, and think through planning – sounds a lot like what I’m doing now but might have a more non profit tilt to help those that can’t access great advice.
How do you relax after a long day?
Dinner with my family is my favorite way to unwind on nights I’m home. With two busy careers, we’re intentional about making sure one of us is home in the evenings. While I gain energy from people and don’t mind a full calendar of day and evening events, true decompression comes on the weekends—and nothing clears my head quite like a long run in the summer or a skin up a mountain in the winter!
Bank of America Private Bank’s Citywealth Leaders List profile
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