"They've shopped themselves around extensively for almost a year," said Mark Alpert, a banking analyst at Bear, Stearns & Company.

"Earnings have been in line with expectations or better," said Mark Alpert, a bank stock analyst at Bear, Stearns & Company.

"Expenses are way too high given the earnings power of their basic lending business," said Mark Alpert, the banking analyst at Bear, Stearns & Company.

"Chemical is doing a better job of working the middle market than many others," said Mark Alpert, banking analyst at Bear, Stearns & Company.

"Basically, this is all about capital," said Mark Alpert, an analyst at Deutsche Bank Securities.

"They need equity; that's their real weakness," said Mark Alpert, a banking analyst with Bear, Stearns & Company.

Gladwell cites Mark Alpert as a prototypical Maven who is "almost pathologically helpful", further adding, "he can't help himself".

His name is Mark Alpert.

- Mark Alpert is a slender, energetic man in his fifties.

Mark Alpert happens to be a connoisseur of electronic equipment.