Spotlight On: Brian Reid, President – Triangle, TowneBank

Key points:

• Falling rates and a strong Triangle economy are unlocking renewed deal and lending activity.

• TowneBank is growing through consolidation without losing its community banking culture.

• Digital tools matter, but relationship banking remains the differentiator.

January 2026 — Invest: spoke with Brian Reid, president of TowneBank Triangle, about how the bank is navigating a shifting rate environment, industry consolidation, and rapid digitization while staying rooted in relationship banking in the Triangle. “The technology has to be excellent, but at the end of the day, it’s people taking care of people, so keeping it simple is important,” Reid told us.

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How would you describe the most important changes in the banking environment over the past year, and how are they shaping your strategy in the Triangle?

Over the past year, the biggest shift has been the direction of interest rates. As rates begin to tick downward, the math behind many projects is starting to work again. When borrowing costs were higher, a lot of our members simply sat on the sidelines. Now we are seeing more activity as projects that had been paused are able to move forward.

At the same time, inflation has cooled from the levels we saw a few years ago, which also helps confidence. Being based in the Triangle adds another tailwind. This is one of the most vibrant economies in the country, with the State Capitol, three major research universities, Wake Tech Community College, Research Triangle Park, and a strong quality of life. Those fundamentals create a healthy environment for banking and for TowneBank’s long-term growth in this market.

Consolidation has remained a defining trend in banking. How do you view TowneBank’s role as a growing regional institution that still emphasizes community banking?

Consolidation has certainly continued, and we have been active participants. In 2025, we announced and closed two acquisitions and expect to close a third, Dogwood State Bank in Raleigh, in early 2026. That transaction extends our footprint into South Carolina and deepens our presence in markets like the Triangle, Charlotte, and Greensboro, while adding new coastal markets, such as Beaufort and Wilmington.

We are on the acquiring side, looking for banks that fit culturally and can become part of our TowneBank family, adding value to our members and to us as one combined organization. I expect consolidation to remain brisk over the next several years, particularly in high-growth markets like North Carolina, Texas, and Florida. The regulatory environment today is more constructive than it has been in the past, which also supports thoughtful combinations among strong institutions.

TowneBank serves a range of communities with different economic drivers. How do you tailor your approach across diverse markets while maintaining a consistent culture?

It starts with how we treat people. We tell our teams to care for members the way they would care for their own families. Every market has its own economic mix and expectations, but the common thread is that people want to bank efficiently and still feel known and cared for like family. That’s why my cellphone number and the numbers of our bankers are on our business cards. We want to be reachable and present.

We also still believe in branches, even if we don’t need one on every corner to serve a community effectively. The goal is to match the way we show up, digitally, in person or over the phone, to how our members want to be served. That blend of local decision-making, access to leadership, and consistent culture is how we adapt from market to market without losing who we are.

In such a competitive landscape, with national banks and fintechs in the mix, how are you differentiating on service, products, and delivery?

Technology is essential, and we invest in it continuously. There is an “Amazon effect” in banking: people expect easy, fast, and intuitive experiences. We offer the digital capabilities they need, whether that is depositing a check with a phone, using Zelle on the consumer side, or setting up ACH and wires on the commercial side.

But what truly differentiates us is the human element behind those tools. When a member has a question — maybe a check is endorsed to two people, or a transaction looks unusual — we want them to be able to call a real person who will walk them through it. We don’t rely on phone trees and endless menus. Our phones are answered by people, and our bankers are accessible on their cellphones. The technology has to be excellent, but at the end of the day, it’s people taking care of people, so keeping it simple is important.

As you grow in the Triangle, how are you approaching talent, both attracting the right people and retaining them?

Talent is the hardest and most important part of what we do. We need people who have the technical skills to serve sophisticated clients and the cultural alignment to fit TowneBank’s service mindset. Not everyone is wired to be passionate about enriching lives and creating a warm sense of belonging for members; that’s something we screen for. Over the last 12 to 18 months, I’ve hired several new teammates in the Triangle, and with the Dogwood State Bank acquisition, we’ll add roughly another half dozen. That will give us one of the larger banking teams in the region.

What’s unique is that we are the sixth-largest bank in Wake County by deposits, with only a handful of offices, while the banks ahead of us have many more locations. That reflects how efficiently our teams serve the market and how important it is to have the right people in each role.

Civic engagement seems core to your brand. How are you leveraging community partnerships in the Triangle to build trust and long-term relevance?

Community service is in our DNA. For more than two decades, TowneBank has committed 3% of its profits to our foundation, and we give those funds back every year. Over 26 years, that has totaled more than $125 million, including more than $2 million invested in Triangle nonprofits over the last two years alone. We support over 400 nonprofits in this region. Practically, that means we are out in the community attending galas, breakfasts, lunches, and events, and partnering with organizations that are doing meaningful work.

One example is Children’s Flight of Hope, which flies children and their families to receive critical medical care around the country and the world. Our members and communities entrust us with their financial well-being, and part of honoring that trust is reinvesting in the places where we live and work.

Fraud and cybersecurity risks are escalating rapidly. How are you using tools like AI while keeping members safe and educated?

Fraud is, unfortunately, rampant, and the tactics are getting more sophisticated. We are using AI primarily as a tool to detect and prevent fraud, spotting unusual patterns and helping us protect accounts more effectively. But technology is only half the equation. Education is just as important. TowneBank publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, called “The Shield,” that is a resource to help protect our members from fraud.

We also hosted a fraud seminar last year with more than 125 attendees to walk through how creative criminals can be and what to watch out for. I’ve seen situations where scammers impersonate our bankers, use names our clients recognize, and send links that appear legitimate, all to gain access to online banking. There are also schemes that capture someone’s voice and use it to convince family members to wire funds. Those are real stories, and they underscore the need for everyone to stay on guard. Our job is to combine advanced tools with proactive outreach, so members feel both protected and informed.

Looking ahead three to five years, what are your top priorities for TowneBank in the Triangle and across your footprint?

Our overarching priority is to remain a meaningful asset for the communities we serve. To do that, we will continue investing in our markets, our people, and our capabilities. The world will keep changing — if you rewind just a few years, the environment looked different — so we need to stay at pace or a step ahead on the tools, products, and services our members require. That includes thoughtful use of AI where it can truly enhance security or the client experience. It also means doubling down on culture, so we never lose that focus on serving others and enriching lives.

At the same time, it’s important to emphasize that the banking system itself is strong. Since the Great Recession in 2008, the guardrails around liquidity, capital, and risk management have only improved. That leaves banks, including TowneBank, in a better position than ever to support their communities as we move into the next cycle.

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