Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff on Thursday announced a list of senior leadership changes that includes naming Bob Fehlman as president and COO of the company and its subsidiary, Simmons Bank.
Fehlman, who joined Simmons more than 30 years ago, most recently served as senior executive vice president, CFO, COO and treasurer.
"Bob has been instrumental in ensuring the financial strength of the Company, particularly during challenging economic periods, that has us well-positioned to continue to expand in our footprint while also continuing to meet the evolving needs of our customers," Chairman and CEO George Makris Jr. said in a news release.
The move comes after Marty Casteel, chairman, president and CEO of the Simmons Bank subsidiary, retired on March 31.
Succeeding Fehlman as executive vice president, CFO and treasurer is Jay Brogdon. Before joining Simmons, Brogdon worked at Stephens Inc. of Little Rock from 2008 to 2021, where he was most recently managing director in the firm's investment banking division. Brogdon will report to Fehlman.
"The changes announced today are a direct result of the success and growth we have experienced at Simmons over the past several years and reflects our need to continue to add depth and bench strength to our senior management team as we look to execute our key strategic priorities designed to grow our franchise," Makris said.
The company announced other changes, all of which are effective on Monday:
- Steve Massanelli is promoted to senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer of the company and Simmons Bank. Massanelli joined Simmons in 2014 as chief administrative officer and in 2018 added the responsibility of investor relations officer. He will continue to oversee an array of day-to-day duties, including mergers and acquisitions due diligence and integration, corporate real estate services, corporate security, records management and corporate insurance. He will continue to report to Makris.
- Sabrina McDonnell will be executive vice president and chief customer experience officer, reporting to Makris. She will oversee marketing and brand experience, product development and private client departments. She was previously executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Landmark Bank of Columbia, Missouri, which Simmons acquired in 2019. She was also president, COO and senior vice president of retail banking at First National Bank & Trust.
- Ed Bilek has joined the company as executive vice president and director of investor relations. Bilek most recently served as director of investor relations and corporate insurance at BBVA USA. He will report to Fehlman.
Simmons First (NASDAQ: SFNC) is a publicly traded financial holding company with $23.3 billion in assets. Its subsidiary, Simmons Bank, operates 198 branches across six states, including 68 in Arkansas.
