Allen Phinney, Managing Director, Georgia Middle Market & Corporate Banking, Cadence Bank

In an interview with Focus:, Allen Phinney, managing director of corporate and middle market banking at Cadence Bank, said that Georgia remains an important growth market for the bank, driven by a strong economy, strategic expansion, and a relationship-focused approach. “An important way we demonstrate our commitment to our Georgia clients is by hiring executive-level talent who are based here. Over the past two years, our chief human resources officer, the president of asset management and trust, and the head of treasury management have joined Cadence and work in our new Midtown office,” Phinney pointed out.  

What changes over the past year have most impacted Cadence Bank and the industry as a whole?

We are a fundamentally strong, regional organization with 390 locations across the South and Texas. That gives us a great footprint in a very dynamic part of the United States.

In mid-2025, Cadence experienced two exciting milestones with the completion of two headline-making bank mergers. On May 1, we welcomed FCB Financial Corp., the holding company of First Chatham Bank, adding eight new branches in Savannah and coastal Georgia. Then on July 1, Texas-based Industry Bancshares joined Cadence Bank, bringing 27 full-service branches in Central and Southeast Texas.

In Georgia, we hold $3.6 billion in deposits, ranking us No. 13 in market share among banks in the state — a position we’re happy with. We don’t aspire to be the largest bank; we’re focused on growing strategically. In Atlanta, we hold $1.6 billion in deposits, which ranks us No. 21 locally, leaving us plenty of room to grow.

Cadence has had a strong presence in metro Atlanta for 20 years. We have seven branches in and around the city and 37 branches statewide, including our new Savannah and Georgia coast locations. The bank’s full range of capabilities are available throughout Georgia: corporate banking, commercial banking, retail, and private banking.

As part of our long commitment to Atlanta and its business community, we relocated our corporate offices in 2024 from Buckhead to a more spacious 999 Peachtree Street building in the heart of Midtown to be closer to clients and in the middle of the city’s busy business hub. 

Another way we demonstrate our commitment to the Georgia market is by hiring executive-level talent who are based here. Over the past two years, our chief human resources officer, the president of asset management, and trust and the head of treasury management, have joined Cadence and work in the Midtown office.

Finally, our strong team of bankers in Georgia continues to grow. We hired a new senior relationship manager, Jeffrey Rogers, at the director level, and promoted Bret Bernard — a rising star — from portfolio manager to relationship manager. These moves reflect Cadence’s investment in Georgia and position us for strong growth.

What do you attribute to the bank’s growth and success in Atlanta and Georgia?

Our strong balance sheet and reserves support a continued growth trajectory. Our loan pipelines are as full as they’ve been since 2020. My Georgia corporate banking team has several large- and medium-sized deals in the pipeline, and we’re ahead of plan for the year in loan growth and net income.

We’ve had strong recent successes, including leading a $71 million syndication for acquisition financing, completing a bilateral loan to purchase a manufacturing facility for a new client, financing a multi-location convenience store expansion, and increasing working capital financing for a large privately owned manufacturer. We also secured several new client relationships. These deals were complex and required creative solutions.

Much of our success is supported by Georgia’s business-friendly environment and programs that foster business expansion. Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country; it’s a great place to be.

Commercial and industrial loans make up about 40% of our loan portfolio, while commercial real estate loans account for a bit less than 30% — a strong position for the bank. All banks are seeking new client relationships and growth in loans and deposits, and we’re a bit ahead of our peers in that regard. 

What trends are you seeing in the industry today and how are you navigating them?

Almost everything we do is risk-based from a lending perspective, so anything affecting our clients is a trend that affects the bank. 

Tariffs, for example, are very much on our radar because they’re central to our clients’ planning and supply chain management. However, their impact among our Georgia clients has been relatively limited, and our clients generally have strong plans to manage tariff-related costs and uncertainty. We’ve discussed this extensively with every client.

Another trend is the growth of private credit — non-bank lenders — which tend to be more expensive and offer less favorable terms than traditional banks. Cadence has a long history of excellent capital allocation, and we continue to serve that role efficiently.

Competition for deposits has also increased, especially after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and we continue to seek deposits to fund the loans we excel at providing.

What are some of the challenges you’re working to overcome?

There’s talk of a slowdown in mergers and acquisitions, which would reduce the private equity financing pipeline. However, we’re still seeing opportunities, including a few large deals, which recently closed. 

Our approach to navigating these challenges is deeply relationship-based. I remind my team that we should strive to be our clients’ friends as much as their business partners. It’s how I prefer to do business, and it fits well with the bank’s mission. Clients find it refreshing, and this mindset helps us mitigate market risks because our clients are comfortable sharing information with us.

Fraud prevention remains one of the top risks we and our clients face. We routinely meet with clients to discuss their fraud prevention practices and encourage them to stay vigilant as risks continue to evolve. Having the head of treasury management here in Atlanta is a significant advantage, which is why Catherine Reddington attends substantive and prospective client meetings. Many of our fraud prevention tools are embedded in our treasury platform, and we’re constantly improving these tools and getting feedback about them.

What is your outlook for the Cadence Bank over the next few years?

Cadence Bank is very optimistic about the runway ahead, both for us and for Georgia’s economy. There are great leaders here.  Chris Clark at the Georgia Chamber, comes to mind. They are driving meaningful changes that support business growth, which benefits everyone.

Throughout our nine-state footprint, we see the same extended runway because of strong leadership and thriving economies. We have terrific bankers, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve worked at several banks and led several teams, but there’s no team that compares to the one I have now. We’ve expanded expertise in Georgia and across our footprint with the goal of building genuine relationships with our clients, treating them as friends as well as business partners.

Because of this approach, our loan pipelines and new loan growth remain strong, though I’d always like to see even more growth. We’re meeting tough objectives right now. Our footprint is concentrated in areas of strong economic growth. I have high confidence that our operating model, supported by our vision of helping people, companies, and communities prosper, will continue to propel Cadence Bank and our clients forward.