Spotlight On: Taylor Ducoff, Executive Vice President of Corporate Banking in Texas, Cadence Bank

November 2025 — In an interview with Invest: Houston, Taylor Ducoff, executive vice president of corporate banking in Texas at Cadence Bank, highlighted the bank’s growth strategy and Houston’s economic opportunities. “Our Texas markets hold the largest portion of our bank’s C&I loan portfolio,” he noted, emphasizing the region’s importance. Ducoff also discussed how technology and talent retention drive Cadence’s relationship-focused approach. The conversation covered acquisitions, economic trends, and client-centric innovation.

What significant changes over the past year have impacted Cadence Bank’s commercial banking operations in Houston?

Anytime we have a presidential change in the country, there are both long- and short-term economic impacts. Those impacts can cause delays in business activity, particularly on the acquisition front. We’ve seen some changes, and people are being cautious.  

Interest rates also stabilized in the middle of last year and began to come down. That is good for us because when interest rates go up fast, people get nervous. They aren’t sure if they want to borrow. Banking investors also get nervous about credit quality throughout the industry. Therefore, when interest rates stabilize or begin to decline, it is positive for the banking community.

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Given your recent bank acquisitions in the Southeast, how are these moves strengthening your competitive position?

Cadence is well-positioned in the Southeast, in nine states from Texas to Florida. We jokingly call it the “SEC footprint.” 

On May 1, we completed a merger in Savannah with FBC Financial Corp, the parent of First Chatham Bank. It helps us grow our Georgia market along the coast. 

On July 1, 2025, Cadence Bank completed its acquisition of Industry Bancshares.  It expands our presence in the Texas market and closes some geographical gaps for branch locations in the south-central part of the state. Expanding our physical presence by adding branches is good for us. People do most business now online, and we bank with companies nationally. However, some customers like to know there is a branch that’s not far away.

For the corporate bank, we have been working in Houston for over 14 years. We have built on the solid legacy of our branch banking relationships and our reputation as a customer-friendly, relationship-focused institution. 

The Southeast U.S. is a great place to be in terms of the economy, a growing population with a talented workforce, and plentiful banking opportunities. We think Texas is the leader in that, and it is the lion’s share of our corporate banking. It will continue to be that way. Our growth opportunities are enormous. We’re fortunate to be in Houston and Texas, more broadly.

What makes Houston an ideal location for Cadence, and where do you see its biggest strengths and opportunities?

Our bankers do a good job of living out Cadence’s vision of helping people, companies, and communities prosper. People do business with people they like. The number one way we do that is by having bankers focused on building relationships, getting to know clients and their families, understanding their business and what drives them, and what their goals are. With that intelligence, we can be responsive and proactive by coming to them with opportunities like new technologies or things like fraud prevention tools. We work with a variety of companies in an array of market sectors and share the best practices we come across with clients to help them improve and grow their businesses.

What new tools are most in demand right now, and where are you seeing the greatest need?

From a product perspective, our Treasury Management solutions are in demand. They are important in corporate banking, but some solutions could be useful for any company, no matter its size. The more efficiently you receive payments and collections, apply payments to debt, and move money into interest-bearing accounts, the better it will be for you long term. 

We have good interest rates on our CDs and money markets, good products to move cash efficiently, and a nice online platform. Our Treasury Management team works to make those platforms better every day. 

Fraud protection is the number one thing we talk to both consumer and corporate clients about. We have dozens of tools, and not utilizing them opens you up to potential liability and costs.  We discuss products and best practices, and these conversations are well-received as cyber fraud continues to grow at a rapid pace. We want to be on the leading edge of helping customers stop fraud.

How is Cadence using AI and innovation to improve efficiency for bankers and enhance client service?

On the AI front, we’re still evaluating the technology. It’s something every institution has to look at and see if it makes sense. We view technology broadly, including machine learning and AI. Our technology team looks at every facet of what we’re doing.  

We think about the experiences customers have with our online platforms, mobile app, and after-hours banking offered through Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs). Technology also plays a critical role in fraud prevention. We’re always looking for additional products and services to make clients’ lives easier.

How do you find Houston’s talent pool for attracting and retaining top bankers to build strong client relationships?

When we think about differentiators, an important one is the Cadence brand, which has been active in Houston for 14 years. One of our predecessor banks was founded here. Our Houston corporate banking team has largely remained unchanged in those 14 years, and that stability gives us an edge 

New bankers are trained in-house through our analyst training program. Students come from campus into our training program and learn what we do in corporate banking across our footprint. The Cadence culture lets them learn from experienced bankers, see how we take care of customers, and value service. The brand’s consistency comes, in part, from not hiring many bankers with different training backgrounds and having low turnover. Company representatives often ask our bankers how long they have been at Cadence; most have been here their entire career or a decade-plus. That kind of tenure is well-received, and we take a lot of pride in it.

Is there anything else you’d like to add or highlight that we haven’t covered?

Because we’re located in the Southeast, our corporate bank looks to do business with local private businesses. We also support private equity groups that are involved in small business projects. Nearly half of our clients are private-equity-backed entities versus private and family-owned businesses.  

Cadence is also committed to the markets and businesses we serve in the lower middle market. We’ve invested in 85 SBICs (Small Business Investment Companies) with our own capital and then work to partner with them on the lending front for their portfolios. We call on those companies because their target customers are the same as ours. 

In all, Cadence has an exceptional group of people working to live our bank’s mission and values. If we keep doing that, success will come. I’m proud to work here.

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