Peoples Financial Services in Scranton, Pa., has accelerated its CEO succession plan.
The $5.5 billion-asset company said in a press release that Craig Best will step down as CEO on Dec. 31. Gerard Champi, the company’s president, will succeed Best.
Thomas Tulaney will succeed Champi as president.
Best had planned to step down on the first anniversary of Peoples’ acquisition of FNCB Bancorp, which closed on July 1. Champi, who had run FNCB, has always been set to become CEO.
Peoples said in that the change happened faster than planned because of the progress it has made integrating FNCB. The systems conversation was successfully completed on Oct. 15.