2025 BankBeat Rising Stars in Banking: Cole Sabe

Banker finds similarities between former, current careersCole Sabe took an unconventional path to community banking. .Sabe, vice president and lending training officer for Finlayson, Minn.-based Northview Bank, was a funeral home director for several years, and still maintains his license. Though the careers seem much different on the surface, it’s their shared focus on relationships and empathy that Sabe is attracted to. “I’ve sat with people and dealt with a lot of tears and a lot of anger,” Sabe said. “In banking, there’s probably not a lot of tears or anger that could scare me to the point of not wanting to do my job. That’s probably the biggest takeaway for me is, not that it’s easy, not that hard conversations are simple — they’re not for any of us — but as far as someone who’s been able to have hard conversations with both borrowers and employees, it, from my experience, has gone fairly well because of that.”Sabe’s rapid growth at Northview Bank since he was hired in the fall of 2021 has led to his recognition as one of BankBeat magazine’s “Rising Stars in Banking.” Sabe, now 30, worked in funeral homes for a decade, the last four years as a funeral director. A graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Sabe and his wife, Katie, worked for a funeral home in Brainerd out of college. They then moved to Moose Lake. “When my wife and I found out we were pregnant with our first child, we realized quickly that we both couldn’t be on call to the extent that that would demand,” Sabe said. Sabe, who initially considered being an investment banker, decided to pursue community banking because of its relationship-focused model. Despite his baseline knowledge of the industry dating back to his childhood in the west central Minnesota town of Clara City, Sabe was initially unfamiliar with the day-to-day details of working at a bank. Sabe was doing consumer non-real estate loans in his first few months in his position, getting to know the ins and outs of banking and the regulations guiding the industry. He was named a mortgage lender four months into his career. In early 2024, bank leadership approached Sabe to offer him a lender training position. Sabe had been open about wanting to do more and be a leader in the organization. Today, Sabe oversees five commercial lenders. He also reviews sworn construction statements to ensure the build occurs and has the right contingencies for staff and numbers. “I was excited about it,” Sabe said of accepting the lender training position. “I had been open that I wanted to grow and do more and be in leadership. I always felt that you could be a really compassionate, warm, down-to-earth leader. And that’s what I wanted to do. That’s why I wanted to be a leader. It wasn’t even for necessarily personal reasons, or to excel myself. I just thought that was where I probably would have fit best.” Though Sabe knows hard financial numbers are crucial for the success of a bank, he sees the relationship-focused responsibilities leadership entails as even more important. “It’s always been my goal that my team knows that you’re never going to have to worry about what you’re going to have to tell Cole, because he’s never going to get upset,” Sabe said. “I might encourage you to change something different for next time, but I’m never going to be the person who you find making somebody else’s day worse.” Sabe looks to increase the confidence of the lenders he oversees. “There’s a lot of times they know the answer to questions, but they’re coming to me and it’s out of fear of, ‘well, what if I’m wrong,’” he said. “And I’m trying to remind them that you know what you’re doing, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.” Sabe’s nominator and coworker Tina Rabe echoed Sabe’s self-description, saying he “consistently takes on new roles and challenges with confidence and professionalism, quickly mastering complex responsibilities. His leadership style is both effective and inspiring; he is a fantastic manager who earns the respect of his team through clear communication, support and results-driven guidance.“Cole’s rapid rise and impact make him a standout in the industry and a clear example of future leadership in banking,” Rabe said. Sabe recently presented to two bank loan processing and servicing groups on why community banks exist and the bank’s focus on humanizing the people they lend to. “We genuinely care,” Sabe said. “We know our borrowers, we know our people. That’s a big deal.”Northview Bank is a heavy financier of second homes and cabins, which Sabe finds kinship in as an avid outdoorsman who loves the North Shore. Sabe and his wife have flipped two homes. The couple bought and completely renovated a 1940s lake home — bedrooms, bathrooms, the dining room, living room and kitchen — while keeping the original lake house style. They’ve since built a new home, seeking a one-level arrangement for their children. “My sharing in their excitement for what they’re about to do is genuine,” Sabe said. “It’s just not another file to me. I am genuinely excited to see people buying land and hear about their plans. And, I ask a lot of questions, because I’m genuinely curious about what they want to do.”