Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia has begun a strategic review. The $5.7 billion-asset company said in a press release that the decision came after “inquiries by multiple parties expressing interest in one or more potential strategic transactions.”Republic First said it had set up a strategic review committee of the board to review the inquiries and to evaluate a range of potential transactions and alternative strategies. The committee will seek to enter

SVB Financial Group in Santa Clara, Calif., has appointed an investment banker to its board. The $214 billion-asset company said in a press release Wednesday that Thomas King, an operating partner of Atlas Merchant Capital, had become a director. King, who was CEO of investment banking at Barclays from 2014 to 2016, will serve on the board’s compensation and human capital committee. “Over three decades, Tom has leveraged his global banking and corporate

The Bancorp in Wilmington, Del., is set to convert to a national bank charter. The $7.1 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Wednesday that its bank will begin operating as a national bank tomorrow. The Bancorp plans to move its bank’s headquarters from Wilmington to Sioux Falls, S.D., early next year. The company’s payments operations and other core businesses are already in South Dakota. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency,

First Seacoast Bancorp in Dover, N.H., plans to raise up to $36.3 million from its second-step conversion from a mutual to a fully stock-owned company. The $510 million-asset company said in a regulatory filing that it expects to receive $26.5 million to $36.3 million of net proceeds as part of the conversion. First Seacoast said it plans to invest at least half of the net proceeds in its bank. A portion of

Another former executive at First NBC Bank has pleaded guilty to charges tied to the New Orleans bank’s April 2017 failure. William Burnell, the bank’s chief credit officer from 2006 until its failure, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud First NBC. He was accused of misrepresenting information on monthly reports showing the quality of the bank’s assets. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana alleged in a press release

Citizens Financial Group in Providence, R.I., has agreed to buy College Raptor, an online college planning platform based in Iowa City. The $227 billion-asset Citizens did not disclose the price it will pay. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. College Raptor, founded in 2012, matches prospective students to schools based on academic and financial fit. It also helps those prospects evaluate and select a college. The acquisition “offers unique

Colony Bankcorp in Fitzgerald, Ga., is splitting up the roles of president and CEO.  The $2.7 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that R. Dallis Copeland Jr. had become its president. Copeland, who had been serving as a special adviser to Colony, succeeded Heath Fountain, who remains CEO. Colony said the move follows the decision by M. Eddie Hoyle to retire as chief banking officer on Dec. 31. Copeland, who

VisionBank of Iowa in Ames has agreed to buy Legacy Bank in Altoona, Iowa. The $595 million-asset VisionBank said in a press release that it expects to complete the purchase of the $176 million-asset Legacy in late 2022. The price wasn’t disclosed. “We are confident that the powerful synergies, additional market coverage and financial strength this partnership creates will drive long-term success,” Heather Miller, VisionBank of Iowa’s president and CEO, said in