Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

Kansas City Fed President Esther George to retire

Esther George is set to retire as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The Kansas City Fed announced that George will retire in January. George, who has been in the post for 11 years, is set to reach the central bank’s mandatory retirement age of 65. Egon Zehnder, an executive […]

Denver Community Credit Union rebrands as Zing

Denver Community Credit Union in Colorado has rebranded as Zing Credit Union. The $457 million-asset credit union said in a press release that it had considered rebranding since 2017 when it began to include more communities and members beyond Denver. “Interviews and focus groups guided the decision,” the credit union, which was formed in 1934, […]

Heartland in Ohio adds politician to its board

Heartland BanCorp in Whitehall, Ohio, has added the state’s lieutenant governor to its board.  The company said in a press release that Jon Husted became a director on May 17. He joined the $1.4 billion-asset bank’s board in March.  Husted “brings an enormous amount of knowledge, relationships and experience that will be beneficial to the […]

CEO of Northwest Bancshares in Ohio dies

The president and CEO of Northwest Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, has died.  The $14.4 billion-asset company said in a press release Wednesday that Ronald Seiffert, 65, died unexpectedly of natural causes. He was also the company’s chairman.  Northwest said that William Harvey Jr., its chief financial officer, was named interim president and CEO. Timothy Fannin, […]

Farmers and Merchants in Md. names next CEO

Farmers and Merchants Bancshares in Hampstead, Md., has found a successor for its retiring CEO. The $718 million-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Gary Harris will become its president on July 1. He will succeed James Bosley Jr. as CEO at the end of this year.  Farmers and Merchants worked with Kaplan […]

Integro Bank gets conditional FDIC approval

Organizers of Integro Bank in Phoenix have cleared another major hurdle.  The group said in a press release that it has received conditional approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Organizers must raise at least $27.9 million before being cleared to open.  Integro received conditional approval from the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions […]

Top bank associations oppose US CBDC

The nation’s biggest banking associations are opposed to the creation of a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).  The Federal Reserve had been seeking comments on whether or not to pursue a US CBDC, though the central bank has said it would prefer a legislative mandate before going down that path. The comment period ended […]

South State in Florida to close 30 branches

South State in Winter Haven, Fla., is planning to close 30 branches.  The $46 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Tuesday that 16 of the closures will be in Florida, six in South Carolina, five in Georgia and the rest in Virginia and North Carolina.  The branches represent about 10.5% of the company’s branch […]

JPMorgan Chase hires exec to lead fintech effort

JPMorgan Chase has hired a former PayPal executive to serve as its head of fintech partnerships for its commercial bank.  The $4 trillion-asset company said in a press release that it had hired Peggy Mangot to fill the position. She will oversee a team that will design, develop and implement strategies.  Mangot was in charge […]

FDIC watching banks’ balance sheets: Gruenberg

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is paying closer attention to banks’ balance sheets after rising interest rates led to higher levels of unrealized losses in securities portfolios.  While the banking industry has “high liquid asset levels,” Martin Gruenberg, the FDIC’s acting chairman, said in a Tuesday press release that “elevated levels of unrealized losses could […]

Former FDIC innovation chief lands new job

Sultan Meghji, who stepped down as chief innovation officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. earlier this year, has a new job.  Meghji tweetedon Tuesday that he will join Reciprocal Ventures as a senior adviser.  Reciprocal invests in early stage fintechs. Its portfolio includes Squads, an app that can be used to create decentralized autonomous […]

HomeTrust selects insider as next CEO

HomeTrust Bancshares in Asheville, N.C., is set to have a new CEO.  The $3.5 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Hunter Westbrook will succeed Dana Stonestreet at CEO on Sept. 1. Westbrook will remain president and CEO of HomeTrust Bank.  Stonestreet, who has been CEO since 2013, will remain chairman. He is set […]

Brookline in Mass. to buy PCSB in N.Y.

Brookline Bancorp in Boston has agreed to buy PCSB Financial in Yorktown Heights, N.Y.  The $8.6 billion-asset Brookline said in a press release Tuesday that it will pay $313 million in cash and stock for the $2 billion-asset PCSB. The deal, which is expected to close in the second half of this year, priced PCSB […]

Cambridge Bancorp to buy Northmark Bank

Cambridge Bancorp in Massachusetts has agreed to buy Northmark Bank in North Andover, Mass. The $5 billion-asset Cambridge said in a press release Monday that it will pay $63 million in stock for the $442 million-asset Northmark. The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, priced Northmark at 118% of its tangible […]

Ohio Valley Bank parent names new CEO

Ohio Valley Banc Corp. in Gallipolis has a new CEO.  The parent of the $1.2 billion-asset Ohio Valley Bank said in a press release Monday that Larry Miller II had also become CEO of its bank. Miller, who was the company’s chief operating officer, succeeded Thomas Wiseman, who remains chairman.  Ryan Jones was named Ohio […]

De novo bank opens in Georgia

Moultrie Bank & Trust, a recently approved de novo bank, has opened.  The bank opened on May 9, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. noted on its website. Organizers were required in a Dec. 13 order from the FDIC to raise $20 million before opening.  The group behind the de novo applied for deposit insurance last July.  A […]

FirstBanc to buy Ala. branches from Southern States

FirstBanc of Alabama in Talladega has agreed to buy two branches from Southern States Bancshares in Anniston, Ala.    The $850 million-asset FirstBanc said in a press release Monday that it will buy locations in the Alabama communities of Heflin and Ranburne. Most of the loans and deposits will also transfer to FirstBanc.    The […]

Proposed N.H. mutual gets state approval

Organizers of the proposed Walden Mutual Bank have received conditional approval from the New Hampshire Banking Department.  Walden Mutual, which is seeking to become the first new mutual in years, has already made a few loans. The bank would be based in Concord.  The group behind the effort is looking to raise at least $25 […]

Friendly Hills Bancorp forms truck lending group

Friendly Hills Bancorp in Whittier, Calif., has created a specialty lending group focused on financing commercial trucks and vehicles.  The parent of the $292 million-asset Friendly Hills Bank said in a press release Monday that its truck lending group will provide capital for buying or refinancing on-road medium duty and heavy duty vehicles.  The division […]

Cape Cod Five Cents names new CEO

Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank in Hyannis, Mass., has new leadership.  The $4.6 billion-asset bank said last week that Matt Burke had become its CEO, while Bert Talerman was named its president. They each succeeded Dorothy Savarese, who will remain executive chairman for one more year.  “Cape Cod 5 is an organization whose purpose […]

First Northern in California lines up next CEO

First Northern Community Bancorp in Dixon, Calif., is preparing for its next leader.  The $1.9 billion-asset company said in a press release Friday that Louise Walker will retire as president and CEO on Dec. 31.  Jeremiah Smith, First Northern’s chief operating officer, will succeed Walker on Jan. 1.  Walker will remain the company’s board, while Smith […]

Ames National in Iowa selects next chairman

Ames National in Iowa has a new chairman.  The parent of the $1.1 billion-asset First National Bank said in a press release that Thomas Pohlman had stepped down after five years as its chairman. He was succeeded by Patrick Hagan.  Pohlman, who has been on the board for 15 years, will remain a director until […]

Truist CFO Daryl Bible to retire

Truist Financial in Charlotte, N.C., is looking for its next chief financial officer.  The $544 billion-asset company said in a press release Friday that Daryl Bible will retire as its CFO. He will remain at Truist until they hire his successor.  “Daryl has played an instrumental role in the success of our merger of equals—one […]

Coastal Financial hires outsider as president

Coastal Financial in Everett, Wash., has a new president.  The $2.8 billion-asset company said in a press release Wednesday that it had hired Curt Queyrouze for the post. He succeeded Eric Sprink, who remains CEO.  Queyrouze previously served as president and CEO of TAB Bank in Utah.  “As Coastal becomes a more complex and rapidly […]

Women-owned bank set to debut in Houston

Agility Bank, a proposed women-owned de novo bank with a digital focus, is set to open next week. Organizers of the women-run bank, which is planned to open in Houston, made the announcement in a Wednesday press release. The bank will open with $35 million in initial capital.  The group behind the nationally chartered bank […]