DeAndre (Andre) P. Sears is a business development leader, entrepreneur, and community advocate from Las Vegas, Nevada. His career shows what happens when discipline, relationships, and vision come together.
Andre began his journey in sports, playing football at San Diego Mesa College and Boise State University. Injuries kept him off the field, but they taught him resilience and the power of leading from the sidelines. That lesson carried into his career. He learned that success comes not just from individual talent but from building systems where teams win together.
Over two decades, Andre has held senior roles in banking, investment management, and trust services. At United Capital, Provident Trust, and later Peak Trust Company, he created referral networks, built scalable business systems, and secured multimillion-dollar partnerships. He is known for combining psychology and business strategy to understand how people make decisions about risk, trust, and money. His methods have produced steady growth, high retention, and stronger client relationships.
Education has always been part of his path. Andre earned a degree in psychology from Boise State and completed leadership programs at Harvard Business School. He also holds certifications in asset management and financial markets.
Outside of work, Andre gives back. He served on the board of the Southern Nevada Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, volunteers with Helping Hands of Vegas Valley, and supports youth athletics. He is also a golf enthusiast chasing the top 100 courses, a football fan, and a traveler who values culture and connection.
His story is about building trust, creating value, and leaving a lasting impact.
Q&A with DeAndre P. Sears
What does success mean to you?
Success, for me, has always been about building something that lasts. Early in my career, I chased numbers, new accounts, revenue growth, assets under management. Those things matter, but they don’t mean much if they aren’t tied to relationships and values. I’ve learned that success is when a client trusts you enough to call before making a big decision. It’s when a junior team member you mentored gets promoted. It’s when a partnership you started ten years ago is still active because both sides benefited. Numbers measure the moment, but relationships measure the long run.
How did your time as a college athlete shape your view of success?
Sports taught me humility. At San Diego Mesa College, I was voted offensive team captain. The next chapter at Boise State was tough. Injuries kept me sidelined. It forced me to lead without playing time. I had to figure out how to contribute from the sideline, how to support teammates who were on the field. That’s where I learned that success isn’t about personal spotlight. It’s about what you help others achieve. That lesson shows up every day in business.
You’ve worked across banking, investment, and trust services. What was a turning point in your career?
One turning point was during my time at Provident Trust Group. I helped create the Business Development Specialist role and built a playbook for how to grow client relationships systematically. The first year, we saw 30% year-over-year growth. But the real lesson was about scale. You can’t rely on charisma alone. You need frameworks that anyone on your team can pick up and run with. That’s when I shifted from being just a rainmaker to being someone who builds repeatable systems for success.
Can you share a time when integrity mattered more than winning the deal?
I remember competing for a multimillion-dollar RFP. Other firms promised faster timelines than were realistic. I refused to cut corners on due diligence. It cost us points in the scoring. But during follow-up, the client pressed us on risk controls. We had the best answer because we hadn’t skipped steps. We won the business. That experience confirmed for me that integrity compounds. You may lose a short-term opportunity, but in the long run, people remember who was honest and reliable.
What role does psychology play in your approach to business development?
My background in psychology shapes everything I do. People don’t make financial decisions based only on spreadsheets. They decide based on trust, risk perception, and emotion, then justify it with logic. I use that to design conversations, proposals, even dinner events. For example, I once shortened sales cycles by 25% just by restructuring CRM follow-ups to align with decision fatigue patterns. When you know how people really think, you can serve them better and help them avoid mistakes.
You’ve built referral ecosystems that drive a large part of the pipeline. What’s your secret to building those networks?
It starts with giving value before asking for anything. I hosted small dinners where I intentionally seated attorneys and advisors who didn’t know each other but could benefit from meeting. I’d send a recap email the next day with two suggested introductions. That small act built trust. Over time, those networks fed back into my pipeline. I tell people: referrals aren’t luck. They’re the result of creating value in ways that are memorable and easy for others to repeat.
What’s your view on balancing success in career with giving back?
If your career is thriving but your community work is absent, something is off balance. I’ve been involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Helping Hands of Vegas Valley, and the Southwest Stallions Youth Track Club. Each role kept me grounded. Fundraising for Light the Night or supporting kids to compete in Junior Olympics reminded me that success has to touch more than your own balance sheet. It has to improve the lives of people around you.
How do you personally reset or recharge when pursuing big goals?
For me, golf is both discipline and therapy. I’m chasing the goal of playing the top 100 courses in the U.S. It keeps me sharp because each course requires a different strategy. Travel also resets me. Visiting cigar lounges in different countries or watching a Cowboys game with friends reminds me that success is not just about work. It’s about experiences, health, and family. Without that, business wins feel empty.
What advice would you give someone just starting their career and aiming for success?
Don’t just focus on the quick win. Build systems that others can follow, and don’t cut corners on integrity. Learn to lead even when you’re not in the spotlight, because your influence often matters more than your title. And study how people make decisions. If you can understand the human side of business, you’ll always have an edge.