The Southern Bank names Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
May 3, 2023
The Southern Bank has named Kristi Eller the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. Eller has more than 35 years of experience in community and regional banks. She was most recently the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for GrandSouth Bank, acquired by First Bank in 2023. Her experience includes financial planning, technology operations, risk management and compliance, branch administration, internal and external audits, and mergers and acquisitions.
Eller’s career in banking began with North Carolina National Bank (NCNB) Chapel Hill in 1984, and she continued in the management associate program in Charlotte. Before joining GrandSouth Bank, she was the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Yadkin Bank. With more than 20 years of leadership with Yadkin Bank and its subsidiaries, she saw the bank grow through de novo and acquisitions to $7.5 billion in assets and 100 branch locations throughout North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. Eller is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Finance, as well as a graduate of the North Carolina School of Banking.
“Kristi’s extensive experience in leading bank and technology operations is going to lead The Southern Bank and its customers to great success,” said Scott Frierson, President of The Southern Bank. “Her expertise gives her the ability to understand an organization, its business mission, and its operational needs to support a stable, reliable, secure, and cost-effective bank.”
The Southern Bank
The Spartanburg location of The Southern Bank is under construction and will be the second location in South Carolina. In addition, the Greenville branch is open to customers. To learn more about The Southern Bank, its leadership, and its services, please visit www.thesouthern.bank.
