MidSouth Bank has hired Keith Avant as Chief Credit Officer.
Avant is responsible for the administration and oversight of the bank’s credit-related activities, including credit quality, underwriting, portfolio administration and documentation, as well as compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
For the past three years, Avant, who has 26 years of banking and credit experience, worked for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dallas, Texas, in various credit-related roles, including Senior Vice President/Credit Executive. From 1999 to 2014, he held a number of senior credit leadership positions at SunTrust Bank in Florida and Georgia, including lead credit executive for the Florida Private Wealth Management group and lead credit executive for the Sports and Entertainment group. Avant is a graduate of SunTrust Bank’s Leadership Development Program.
A Florida native, Avant earned both an MBA and bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.
“Throughout his lengthy banking career — which includes extensive experience as a senior manager in various credit departments — Keith has consistently achieved a high level of success,” said MidSouth Bank President and CEO Jim McLemore. “We particularly like that he has worked in multiple states and believe his background makes him perfectly suited to lead the credit activities of our two-state franchise.”
About MidSouth Bancorp, Inc.
MidSouth Bancorp, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana, with assets of $1.9 billion as of March 31, 2018. MidSouth Bancorp, Inc. trades on the NYSE under the symbol “MSL.” Through its wholly owned subsidiary, MidSouth Bank, N.A., MidSouth offers a full range of banking services to commercial and retail customers in Louisiana and Texas. MidSouth Bank currently has 42 locations in Louisiana and Texas and is connected to a worldwide ATM network that provides customers with access to more than 55,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Additional corporate information is available at MidSouthBank.com.
