Simmons First Nationwide Corp. shuffles senior administration

Pine Bluff-based Simmons First National Corp. announced changes to certain leadership positions on Thursday (April 22nd). The following changes will apply from April 26, 2021:

Bob Fehlman has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Simmons First National Corporation and Simmons Bank. In these roles, he will continue to report to George A. Makris Jr., Simmons Chairman and CEO.

Fehlman joined Simmons more than 30 years ago, most recently as senior executive vice president, chief financial officer, chief operating officer and treasurer responsible for all of the company’s financial management and operations. Areas he oversaw included accounting, financial planning, investments, taxes, banking, IT, risk, and legal. He also provided key assistance in merger and acquisition activities, analyst and investor meetings, and directed the company’s capital management.

Fehlman’s successor as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer is Jay Brogdon. Prior to joining Simmons, Brogdon worked at Stephens Inc. from 2008 to 2021, where he was most recently Managing Director in Investment Banking. In that capacity, Brogdon advised community banks and financial services firms, most of which are in Simmons’ footprint. Before joining Stephens, he spent four years at Deloitte in the Audit and Enterprise Risk Services division. In his new role, he will report to Bob Fehlman.

“The changes announced today are a direct result of the success and growth we have seen at Simmons over the past few years, and reflect our need to continue adding depth and strength to our senior management team as we execute on our key strategic priorities want designed to grow our franchise, “said George A. Makris, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Simmons.

“Bob has been instrumental in securing the company’s financial strength, especially during difficult economic times. We are well positioned to continue expanding our presence while serving the changing needs of our customers,” said Makris. “We are also very pleased that a high-profile person like Jay has been added to our team. In addition to being very familiar with Simmons, Jay brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our senior management team that will continue to help us in the future. “

Other changes include the promotion of Steve Massanelli 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 became Investor Relations Officer in 2018. Massanelli will continue to be responsible for a variety of day-to-day duties including merger and acquisition business and integration, corporate real estate services, corporate security, file management, and corporate insurance. Massanelli will continue to report to George Makris Jr.

Simmons also announced that Sabrina McDonnell will report to George Makris Jr. as Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer. In this role, McDonnell will oversee Marketing and Brand Experience, Product Development, and Consumer Customers, and be responsible for developing initiatives to stimulate market share growth and customer relationships. McDonnell has 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, previously serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Landmark Bank. Her previous experience also includes serving as President and Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President Retail Banking at First National Bank & Trust.

Ed Bilek has also joined the company as Executive Vice President and Director of Investor Relations. Bilek has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and most recently was Director Investor Relations and Corporate Insurance at BBVA USA. Prior to that, he held various positions, including Head of US Shareholder Relations for BBVA and Director of Investor Relations at BBVA USA as well as Director of External Communications. His previous experience includes serving as Director of Investor Relations at Compass Bancshares, Inc. and Manager of SEC, Regulatory and Shareholder Reporting at KeyCorp, Inc. He will report to Bob Fehlman.