Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

Blue Ridge Bankshares in Va. discloses CEO resignation

Blue Ridge Bankshares in Va. discloses CEO resignation

Blue Ridge Bankshares in Charlottesville, Va., has a new leader. The $3.3 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that Brian Plum resigned as its president and CEO on July 12. He also resigned from the board. William Beale, who recently became bank CEO, succeeded Plum and joined the company’s board. Beale was president and CEO of Community Bankers Bank in Chesterfield, Va., from November 2018 to July 2020. Last

July 17, 2023
Guaranty in Texas restructured AFS securities in 2Q

Guaranty in Texas restructured AFS securities in 2Q

Guaranty Bancshares in Addison, Texas, restructured a portion of its securities portfolio during the second quarter. The $3.2 billion-asset company said in a press release that it retooled about $14.3 million of available-for-sale securities “with minimal realized losses” that should be earned back in less than a year. Several other moves offset the losses, including a $2.8 million gain from selling nonmarketable correspondent bank stock. A $299,000 annual service provided

July 17, 2023
Texas bankers’ association forms fintech accelerator

Texas bankers’ association forms fintech accelerator

The Independent Bankers Association of Texas has formed a fintech accelerator program. The association said in a press release that IBATx is designed to provide rapid commercialization and streamline bank access to fintechs. As part of the launch, IBATx formed a partnership with CollateralEdge, a Texas fintech that specializes in providing commercial loan support to community banks. “Community banks provide the fuel that propels our robust Texas economy, so providing

July 15, 2023
Former Howard Bank CEO joins Capital Bank’s board

Former Howard Bank CEO joins Capital Bank’s board

Capital Bank in Washington, D.C., has recruited a veteran banker to its board. The $2.2 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Mary Ann Scully had become a director. Scully, dean of the Joseph A. Sellinger, S.J., School of Business and Management at Loyola University Maryland, is the former chairman and CEO of Howard Bank in Baltimore. Howard Bank was sold to F.N.B. Corp. in Pittsburgh last year. Steve

July 14, 2023
Digital-only Jenius Bank debuts with personal loan product

Digital-only Jenius Bank debuts with personal loan product

Jenius Bank, the digital-only division of Manufacturers Bank in Los Angeles, has debuted a new personal loan product. Jenius, which is supported by Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, is planning other products, including savings and checking accounts and a mobile app. “Jenius Bank’s personal loans launch continues to fuel our mission to empower customers with smarter banking to create a richer life for themselves,” John Rosenfeld, the bank’s president, said in

July 14, 2023
Blue Ridge Bankshares in Va. skips 3Q dividend payment

Blue Ridge Bankshares in Va. skips 3Q dividend payment

Blue Ridge Bankshares in Charlottesville, Va., will not pay a dividend in the third quarter. The $3.3 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that its board decided to forego the payment, “based on the desire to preserve capital and available cash.” The company’s net income fell by 91% in the second quarter from a year earlier, to $1.6 million, reflecting lower mortgage revenue and negative fair value adjustments to

July 13, 2023
Bank-to-bank marketplace CapStack raises $6 million

Bank-to-bank marketplace CapStack raises $6 million

CapStack, a startup that is aiming to create an integrated operating system for banks, has raised $6 million. CapStack was launched in March by Michal Cieplinksi, co-founder of alternative financing startup Pipe, and Tzvika Perelmuter. The plan is to serve as a bank-to-bank marketplace, giving banks a way to buy and sells deposits and loans. The startup plans to “build the largest financial services infrastructure company,” Cieplinkski tweeted. “Today we

July 13, 2023
Former bank analyst Jennifer Demba joins Synovus

Former bank analyst Jennifer Demba joins Synovus

Another veteran bank analyst has accepted a job at a bank. Jennifer Demba announced on LinkedIn that she has become the director of investor relations at Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga. Demba had been a bank analyst for two decades, most recently at Truist Securities. She was at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey when BB&T bought SunTrust to create Truist. Several other bank analysts have made similar moves. Jefferson Harrelson left Keefe,

July 12, 2023