Stan Bril
Stan Bril attributes his determination and success in life to his own experiences as a child, watching his family struggle to escape communism and religious persecution, and ultimately relocating to a foreign country in order to start a new life.
Stan was born in Eastern Europe in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova. The son of Jewish immigrants, Stan and his family moved to the United States when he was just seven years old with the support of the Soviet Jewry Movement, an international human rights campaign that advocated for relocation rights on behalf of Jews in the Soviet Union, and HIAS, a Jewish-American, nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian aid to refugees. His family’s journey was both long and arduous. They spent two weeks in Austria and four months in a refugee camp in Italy, before finally arriving in the United States.
Stan’s parents had little money and limited employment opportunities, due to the language barrier. They also had to support three children; Stan, his older brother, Lenny, and his sister, Bella. Stan’s older siblings were in high school and preparing for college. His father worked diligently as a meat packer but soon found a better opportunity as a mechanic and worked his way up to a lead mechanic for a Volvo dealership. His mother found work as an aid to senior citizens and as a translator and liaison to newly arrived Russian immigrants. Stan explains, “We were only the fifth Russian family in Savannah”.
Stan started his primary education in America and quickly discovered his fondness for sports in middle school. He excelled at baseball and basketball but was especially gifted in soccer. Stan worked his way through high school and eventually matriculated to Brooklyn College, where he competed as an NCAA – Division I Soccer Player and played on the MLS (Major League Soccer) team, Metro Stars. Stan then completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance with Phoenix University.
After college, Stan moved to Philadelphia and worked as a loan officer, mortgage originator, and branch manager, learning the ins-and-outs of finance and the mortgage industry. During the height of the financial crisis of 2008, Stan realized how difficult it was for consumers to get approved for mortgage loans and decided to start a new business that would ultimately redefine lending.
In March 2009, Stan founded MCG, a private lending institution that focuses on real estate and business funding for commercial, rehab, construction, and business loans. While still developing his business, Stan furthered his education by attending Salem International University, earning an MBA in international business, economics, and finance.
As the founder and CEO of MCG, Stan oversees the day-to-day operations of the business, while dutifully managing compliance, developing business plans, creating financial and budget reports, and architecting systems and controls to identify potential risks. He also supervises an experienced team of professionals, who help businesses of all sizes grow and prosper in diverse markets.
Whether it’s investing in various businesses, funding real estate transactions, funding large business loans, handling acquisitions, or financing lines of credit for entrepreneurs, under Stan’s leadership, MCG has become a leader in the world of financial products and services.
Stan attributes much of this success to the company’s unwavering ethical practices and a stellar reputation, predicated on client testimonials. “For me personally, it isn’t so much about making money. It’s about doing good, clean business. Financial gain is relevant to this business model, but it’s important to do it right, and help people in the process.”
Stan adds, “Much of MCG’s achievement is built upon our ability to work with all types of consumers. We don’t have a specific requirement list because each deal is unique and unlike other lenders, who have much stricter lending requisites, we look at each deal individually.”
As a result of their business model, MCG has become a leader of commercial financing throughout the nation. They currently manage $200M+ in private equity funds, have independently funded over $1B in transactions, and have brokered more than $5B in transactions. MCG currently operates six offices in the U.S., as well as additional locations in Barcelona, London, Sofia- Bulgaria, and Chisinau, Moldova. Stan hopes to continue expanding MCG’s lending footprint along with their portfolio.
Stan elaborates, “Fortress Investment Group, a fund out of New York, currently manages over a $70B and have been around for 20 years. MCG has been around for half that time and we should have half of what they manage, but we don’t. It’s my duty to ensure that we’re continually evolving and pursuing the biggest goals. It’s a matter of always being cognizant of who’s above us and how we can get to the top.”
Running a business of this magnitude is a full-time commitment and requires relentless determination. Nothing made this more apparent than when Stan underwent open-heart surgery in 2013. After the surgical procedure, which remedied a genetic heart defect, Stan pushed even harder to succeed, even when facing adversity. Stan adds, “The human spirit is amazing and if you put all of your will and effort into something – you can achieve anything.”
Stan is equally committed to fostering a strong home environment and devotes all of his free time to family. He has been happily married to his wife, Albina, for nine years and together, the couple has two children; a son, Ethan, who is 7, and a daughter, Eliana, who is 6.