Simmons Bank of Pine Bluff on Tuesday announced that Ann Madea has been named chief information officer and executive vice president.
She takes over for Paul Kanneman, who's shifting to a role focused on strategic research associated with the identification, review and assessment of emerging technologies, Simmons said in a news release. Kanneman will also lend his experience on future mergers and acquisitions activity.
Kanneman began working with Simmons in 2014 as an advisor while at Grant Thornton LLP. He joined Simmons as CIO and executive vice president in 2017.
Madea was hired in November with plans for her to transition to CIO. She and Kanneman worked together to complete the systems conversions for two Memphis-area banks recently acquired by Simmons: Landmark Community Bank of Collierville and Triumph Bank of Memphis.
Madea will also be handling the conversion of Spirit of Texas Bancshares Inc. of Conroe, Texas, which Simmons announced in November it was acquiring for $581 million.
Simmons' overall information technology strategy and operations will be Madea's responsibility, as well.
Madea has over 25 years of technology experience, including the last 17 years at HSBC, one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world.
During her career at HSBC, Madea served in a variety of leadership positions, including the last four years as executive vice president and CIO U.S. Her primary focus centered on strategy innovation, strong global delivery, mergers and acquisitions, operations and leading technology and business transformation.
A previous version of this story spelled Madea's last name incorrectly.
