Centennial Bank recently revealed the appointment of Stephen Tipton to CEO, as well as Kevin Hester to President of Home BancShares and Centennial Bank in addition to his role as chief lending officer.
John Allison will remain as Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Home BancShares, and Tracy French will remain as Chairman of Centennial Bank, with a focus on special projects, having previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Since joining Centennial Bank in 2006, Tipton has served as a commercial lender, director of credit risk management, and regional vice president. In 2015, he was appointed to serve as the bank’s COO. Tipton has a wealth of experience in retail, business development, lending and acquisitions. He holds a bachelor of science in business administration degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
“I would like to thank the Boards of Directors of Home BancShares and Centennial Bank for the opportunity to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Centennial Bank,” Tipton said. “Over the past 18 years, I have been blessed to work closely with Tracy French and John Allison, as our bank has transformed into one of the premier financial institutions in the United States. I am honored to work alongside our leadership team and nearly 2,700 associates as we continue our mission of consistently exceeding the expectations of our customers and shareholders while enriching the communities we serve.”
Hester first joined Centennial Bank, which was then called First State Bank, in 1998 as executive vice president of lending. In 2010, he was appointed to chief lending officer. Hester has over 35 years of banking experience and obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Arkansas. He is also an honor graduate of the National Commercial Lending School in Norman, Oklahoma.
“It is an honor to be named President of Home BancShares and Centennial Bank, in addition to continuing my role as Chief Lending Officer. As a founding employee, I am very proud of all that we have accomplished over the last 25 years, and look forward to continuing to build on our reputation as one of the best banks in America,” Hester said.
For more information about Centennial Bank, click here.
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