ROBERT WILMERS ENTERS AN upscale steak joint on the edge of downtown Buffalo, New York, just after 8:00 p.m., and though the crowd is sparse, it takes him 15 minutes to get to his seat.
First, the chairman and CEO of M&T Bank Corp. sees an old friend who wants to chat, and then there’s a client to schmooze. Near the entrance an M&T banker is sharing drinks with a group from IBM Corp., which just struck a new relationship with the bank. Wilmers is gently reminded of the banker’s name as he approaches, and easily engages in some small talk. The chance encounter with Wilmers, the 77-year-old dean of upstate New York banking, causes a small stir around the table.
With $78 billion in assets, Buffalo-based M&T is the U.S.’s 16th-largest bank, but Wilmers, its leader since 1983, still runs the place like a small community institution. And that means he never 
misses an opportunity to connect with clients in a way that can both help build the business and determine if they’re worthy of a loan.
His officers keep his calendar filled with client lunches and dinners as he moves around the bank’s geographic footprint. On these trips he feels compelled to offer his thoughts, no matter how controversial, on key issues confronting local communities or the industry.
“Banking is more fun and more interesting when you know your clients,” says Wilmers. “And it’s a lot easier to not make a dumb loan when you’re lending to the guy next door.” ....