BB&T Corporation today said it has named Bobby Blakley as president of its Buckhead-based North Atlanta Region and Derek Lane as president of its Peachtree City-based South Atlanta Region.
Blakley, who joined BB&T in 1988, has served as president of the South Atlanta Region since 2005. The Kernersville, N.C., native succeeds Tasia Katapodis, who has left BB&T.
Blakley, 41, has served as a BB&T financial center manager in Kernersville and Goldsboro, N.C., and a business services officer in Sanford and Greensboro, N.C. He was named as BB&T's area executive for South Atlanta in 2002 and president of BB&T's South Atlanta Region in 2005.
Blakley is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a 1988 graduate of the Southern National Management Development Program. (Southern National merged with BB&T in 1995.)
Lane, who joined BB&T in 1987, has served as senior credit officer for its Atlanta area operations since 2002. The Greensboro, N.C., native previously served as a business services manager in Goldsboro, N.C., senior credit officer in Charlotte, N.C., and senior credit officer and corporate banker in Asheville, N.C.
Lane, 51, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
"Bobby successfully built BB&T's franchise in South Atlanta and was instrumental in integrating some key Main Street Bank markets into the BB&T network in 2007," said Lars Anderson, president of BB&T's Georgia operations. "Lane's background and experience with BB&T in the Atlanta market make him a natural fit as Bobby's successor.
"Both Bobby and Derek bring a wealth of leadership and professional success to their new regional president roles. They have a keen understanding of what our clients expect and the know-how to deliver the BB&T brand of highly personal and competent client service."
BB&T divides its footprint into autonomous community bank regions - each with its own president - to keep decisions close to the customer. Regional presidents are responsible for commercial, small business and retail banking, and work closely with BB&T's mortgage and wealth management areas.
BB&T today also announced that Tom Findlay will succeed Lane as senior credit officer for BB&T's metro Atlanta area. Findlay joined BB&T in 1999 as a business services officer in Atlanta. He also has served as problem loan administrator and regional credit officer for metro Atlanta. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville.
With $132.6 billion in assets, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T Corporation is the nation's 14th largest financial holding company. It operates nearly 1,500 financial centers in 11 states and Washington, D.C. More information about the company is available at BBT.com.