TUPELO, Miss., March 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BancorpSouth, Inc.
(NYSE:BXS) has announced the upcoming retirement of
BancorpSouth Chairman of the Board Aubrey Patterson, upon the
expiration of his current term as a member of the Company's Board
of Directors, effective as of the Company's annual meeting.
Patterson will serve as a Chairman Emeritus following the
expiration of his term.
BancorpSouth benefitted significantly during the past year from
Aubrey Patterson's service during
the transition period of his successor, Dan
Rollins, to the CEO position. Mr. Patterson's in-depth
knowledge of BancorpSouth markets, diverse experiences and
leadership roles in the financial services industry helped make it
possible for the Company to complete the management transition in
an effective and timely manner.
"Aubrey's guidance, wise counsel, and efforts to ensure a smooth
and seamless transition upon his retirement as CEO, and during his
term on the Board, have been invaluable to our Company and to me
personally," said BancorpSouth Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman-Elect Dan Rollins.
Hassell Franklin, BancorpSouth
Lead Director and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee, added, "We thank Aubrey for his valued
leadership and for his efforts to ensure a successful management
transition. BancorpSouth has benefited tremendously from his
values, character and business acumen, and we owe him a great deal
of thanks and gratitude."
Aubrey Patterson commented, "I
again commend Hassell and the Board for its outstanding selection
of Dan Rollins to lead BancorpSouth
in the years ahead. Dan and his team have made significant progress
in moving our great Company forward during his first year as CEO,
and we are already seeing meaningful results. Although the
management transition has been successfully completed, I look
forward to continuing to assist Dan and the BancorpSouth team in
any way possible." Patterson served BancorpSouth as President
and Chief Operating officer from 1983 to 1990, Chief Executive
Officer and President from 1990 to 1991 and as Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer from 1991 to 2012.
During a professional career spanning over 40 years,
Aubrey Patterson represented
BancorpSouth with professionalism and integrity. From national
leadership positions as Chairman of the American Bankers
Association and as a board member of The Financial Services
Roundtable, a premier executive forum for leaders in the financial
services industry, he was respected and called on by government
leaders and industry peers across the country for advice and
counsel regarding matters impacting the financial services
industry. On a state and local level, Mr. Patterson has held
numerous leadership positions in economic development. He also
continues to be a statewide leader in education, serving as
President of the Mississippi Board
of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.
Dan Rollins added, "Community
service has been just as important to Aubrey. He is particularly
proud of his work with the Boy Scouts, serving as Yocona Area
Council Chairman and President. He is a recipient of the Silver
Beaver and Silver Antelope awards, and he currently serves on the
National Board of the Boy Scouts of America. He previously
served as a Trustee of the BSA National Foundation. Aubrey's family
and faith have never taken a back seat to any of his professional
and community service work. He is a Ruling Elder in his local First
Presbyterian Church and has served two terms as a member of the
Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees of the National
Foundation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and two terms as a Trustee of
Columbia Theological Seminary. Aubrey's
integrity and values have been an example for all of us to
follow."
BancorpSouth, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered
in Tupelo, Mississippi, with
approximately $13.0 billion in
assets. BancorpSouth Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
BancorpSouth, Inc., operates 292 commercial banking, mortgage, and
insurance locations in Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, including an insurance location in
Illinois.
SOURCE BancorpSouth, Inc.