Gwynn Davey, President – Tampa Bay Region, ServisFirst Bank

August 2026 —In an interview with Invest:, Gwynn Davey, president of the Tampa Bay region at ServisFirst Bank, discussed the bank’s growth, Tampa Bay’s business climate, and the continued importance of relationship banking in a digital world. “Tampa Bay is a community where people care deeply about their neighbors and are committed to making a meaningful difference.” Davey says

What changes over the past year have impacted ServisFirst Bank?

Internally, this past year was a year of meaningful growth. The bank delivered strong performance including approximately 10% loan growth, 5% deposit growth and double-digit increases in non interest revenue, and our efficiency ratios remained very low. We continue to rank near the top of the market on that measure.

We also opened the Houston market, which was an important milestone for ServisFirst. As we expand, we have grown organically through the opening of new markets, and we have high expectations for Houston. We remain a high-performing bank while continuing to adapt to the technology changes shaping the market.

What gives you the greatest confidence about Tampa Bay’s long-term growth?

With regard to the banking industry, I am very excited that we have some de novo banks coming into the market in the state of Florida. There is one in Tampa and one in Winter Park. That is very exciting because there was a long period when we did not have de novo banks coming in.

It is providing more opportunities on the community bank side for consumers and business owners to have additional choices in the market for different products, services, and experiences. Every bank has a different model, so that is very exciting for the industry.

Across all industries, this is an exciting time in Tampa Bay. We host a monthly roundtable that brings together leaders from different industries to share what they are seeing in the market. The region continues to attract new residents, and development activity remains strong, with several exciting projects underway. Overall, the economy is strong, people want to be here, and there is significant positive momentum.

Companies coming from outside the region are attracted by the weather, proximity to the water, and Florida’s income tax structure. I also think this is a business climate that is extremely welcoming. I have been in the market for close to 30 years, and I continue to hear from executives moving their companies here that this market is welcoming for their companies and employees. People step up to offer advice and help, and that makes our community so much stronger.

What are you hearing most often from commercial clients regarding their priorities and concerns?

We are seeing a consistent level of demand. Most clients coming to banks are looking to borrow, and that activity has continued at a solid pace.

There had been an expectation that market interest rates would continue to decline, and we did see some movement in that direction. More recently, inflationary pressures and signals from the Fed have caused clients to reassess where rates may go from here.

Over the last year or so, people were pretty confident that rates were trickling down. Now they are asking when the best time is to refinance a building or start another location. They are making those decisions and thinking about the timing of those decisions.

Which industries are driving the strongest demand for banking and financial services today?

Our focus is mostly commercial and industrial, or C&I markets. Those are operating companies, and they continue to be especially active.

Service-related industries are a very large segment of Tampa’s economy. Pinellas County is focused more on manufacturing and distribution, and that continues to be a growing sector. Service-related businesses across a lot of different industries remain extremely strong in the market.

How do you maintain a high-touch relationship banking approach while continuing to scale and grow in an increasingly digital world?

We have been in a digital world for quite some time. It is the evolution of that digital world that matters. The adoption of AI has been significant in our business. We have been talking about it within the Florida Bankers Association industry as well, and what it does for us not only in banking but in other businesses.

AI is not necessarily going to replace people outright. The more practical reality is that people who adopt and adapt to the tools available will have an advantage over those who do not. It is less about technology replacing a job and more about professionals using technology effectively to remain competitive.

It is also important to understand that we are not going to rely on AI and technology alone. There are components of things that are irreplaceable in the human element. The ability to innovate, communicate in certain ways, and have curiosity are things that do not get replaced by technology.

How has the competitive landscape for regional and community banks evolved, and what differentiates ServisFirst Bank?

Relationship banking remains essential, and across the industry, banks are relationship-oriented by nature. Our products can be similar, and banking can be viewed as a commodity business, but that does not mean we cannot differentiate ourselves.

As banks evolve, the ones that take on new technology will stand out. What makes ServisFirst different is how quickly we move to market. We are extremely autonomous and do not have a lot of layers within our organization. We have the ability to move very quickly.

We also have an extremely efficient model. We do not have a lot of branches, and that gives us a huge competitive advantage in terms of our return to shareholders. We have a very high-performing bank with extremely low efficiency ratios, and that makes us unique compared to peers.

How is the bank attracting and retaining top banking professionals?

As I moved into leadership, one of the things that surprised me most was how central attracting talent would become. The human side of the business has evolved significantly.

That includes workforce needs and different generations of employees. For me, it is critically important to have a culture focused on a growth mindset. We are better today than we were yesterday, and we ask what we can do to be better. We are going to be better tomorrow than we are today, and that means always learning.

I feel strongly about giving people opportunities to try new things, experiment, and have the autonomy to be creative. Creativity and curiosity go hand in hand with innovation. Building a culture that supports those qualities and fosters employee engagement is extremely important. We want to know what our employees think, and we value their ideas about how we can continue to improve.

How are you engaging with the Tampa Bay community?

I love this community. I have been here for almost 30 years, and as I said before, it is extremely welcoming. We have so many organizations in Tampa Bay whose missions cover the gamut, from children to the elderly to the homeless. That is one thing that is so fantastic.

People are not just deeply involved in one organization. Many in Tampa Bay contribute their talent, time, and resources across multiple organizations, which expands their impact. We are a community that truly cares about its people.

I have been involved in a lot of nonprofit organizations through the years, and it is hard to choose who you are going to support because you look at one organization and say that is such a great mission. Then you are introduced to something else and say that is such a great mission, too.

We care about our business community, we care about our employees, and I think that goes across the business community as a whole. When we have good community partners, it makes the business environment even healthier.

What are your key goals and priorities for the upcoming years?

At ServisFirst, we want to continue growing in the community by adding strong teams that allow us to provide excellent service and products to our clients, while also delivering strong returns to our shareholders.

We continue to do that. We work hard, and there is a lot expected of us. We are engaged, and we will continue to be engaged and grow, not only here in Florida but throughout our markets. As I mentioned before, we just opened in Houston, Texas. That is a new market that we will continue to expand, and it is a really exciting time to be able to do that.