Westbrook Named Director of Risk Management

COLUMBIA, SC – SCBT announced today that L. Andrew Westbrook, III, who has served as regional president for the bank’s Foothills Region since 2012, has been named director of risk management.

Westbrook will be responsible for enterprise risk management, vendor management, business continuity / disaster recovery, information security, compliance, bank insurance and regulatory relations for SCBT’s three state banking network.

“Andy’s extensive knowledge of the banking industry and excellent management skills will prove invaluable in this important leadership role for our company,” said Joe E. Burns, SCBT chief risk officer.

With 29 years of experience in the banking industry, Westbrook has worked at large regional banks as well as smaller community banks starting as a management trainee and has worked in a variety of positions including corporate banker and regional management. In 2005, Westbrook was named president and CEO of The Peoples National Bank and then later moved into the role of president and CEO for Peoples Bancorporation, a three bank holding company which merged with SCBT in 2012.

Westbrook is a graduate of the College of Charleston and is an active member of the community, serving as the chairman of the board of the Humanities Council of South Carolina and as chairman of the Finance and Stewardship Committee for Trinity Lutheran Church.

First Financial Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ: SCBT) Columbia, South Carolina is a registered bank holding company incorporated under the laws of South Carolina. The Company consists of SCBT, the Bank and the following divisions: NCBT, Community Bank & Trust, The Savannah Bank, and First Federal. The Bank also operates Minis & Co., Inc. and First Southeast 401k Fiduciaries, both registered investment advisors; and First Southeast Investor Services, a wholly owned broker dealer. Providing financial services for over 80 years, First Financial Holdings, Inc. operates 136 locations in 19 South Carolina counties, 12 Georgia counties and 4 North Carolina counties. First Financial Holdings, Inc. has assets of approximately $8.0 billion and its stock is traded under the symbol SCBT in the NASDAQ Global Select Market. More information can be found at www.SCBTonline.com.