Chris Leff Joins Busey as Executive Director, Real Estate Banking
Busey is pleased to announce Chris Leff has joined the organization as Executive Vice President & Executive Director, Real Estate Banking in our Chicagoland Market.
Chris provides strategic and operational leadership for the bank’s commercial real estate (CRE) platform. He is responsible for driving profitable growth, portfolio quality and market expansion while leading relationship management, portfolio oversight and team development. Serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and key clients, Chris plays a critical role in aligning real estate banking activities with the bank’s overall growth objectives, risk appetite and community presence.
Tony Hammond, President of Busey Bank, says the addition of Chris will build upon the organization’s growing Real Estate Banking segment.
“Chris brings over 25 years of experience building and leading high-performance teams across commercial real estate and healthcare,” he says. “With his deep financial acumen, extensive experience and collaborative leadership style, we believe he is a natural fit for this role.”
A credit-minded lending executive and culture driver, Chris has over 25 years of experience building and leading high-performance teams across commercial real estate and healthcare. Before joining Busey in 2026, he served as Senior Vice President at City National Bank, where he launched its Midwest market. His extensive background includes leadership roles with financial institutions such as HTLF Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Harris Bank.
Chris earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, double majoring in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, and Finance and Investment Banking. Specializing in International Business, he completed his study of European companies in real estate in London and Paris. Chris is active in the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association and the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, and was previously involved with the Real Estate Lenders Association, Chicago Real Estate Council and Real Estate Investment Association.