First Financial Bancorp said on Monday that it has promoted Jamie Anderson to President of the company and First Financial Bank, effective 14 September 2026, while he retains his role as Chief Financial Officer and ceases serving as Chief Operating Officer.
Anderson, 55, received a one-time restricted stock award of $1,500,000, equivalent to 45,816 shares, in connection with the promotion. The bank also named Amanda "Mandy" Neeley, 46, as Chief Banking Officer with a stock award of $1,000,000, and Malcolm Myers, 59, as Chief Operating Officer with a stock award of $250,000.
STOCK AWARDS CARRY THREE-YEAR VESTING
The stock awards, granted on 14 September 2026 at a closing price of $32.74 per share, vest in full on the third anniversary of the grant date. Recipients are required to hold at least 75% of vested shares for an additional two years, a structure designed to align the newly promoted executives' incentives with the bank's long-term performance.
Neeley's stock award corresponds to 30,544 shares, while Myers received an award equivalent to 7,636 shares, the disclosure showed. Chief executive Archie Brown continues in his role atop the company.
BANK REPORTS $22.4 BILLION IN ASSETS
As of 30 June 2026, First Financial Bancorp reported $22.4 billion in assets, $13.7 billion in loans, $17.6 billion in deposits and $3.0 billion in shareholders' equity, operating across 151 full-service banking centres in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. The leadership promotions come as the bank continues to operate at this scale across its four-state footprint.
The changes were disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, formalising the new reporting structure among Anderson, Neeley and Myers under Brown's continued leadership as chief executive.
The structure of the restricted stock awards, vesting fully after three years with a further two-year holding requirement on 75% of vested shares, ties the newly promoted executives' compensation closely to the bank's long-term share performance and to their continued presence at the company. The scale of Anderson's $1,500,000 award, the largest of the three, reflects the seniority of his new President title alongside his existing CFO responsibilities.
With $22.4 billion in assets and 151 banking centres spread across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, First Financial Bancorp's promotions consolidate leadership across finance, banking operations and day-to-day operations under a slightly reshuffled executive team, while Brown remains at the helm as chief executive overseeing the broader four-state franchise.
Neeley's promotion to Chief Banking Officer and Myers's move to Chief Operating Officer, alongside Anderson's elevation to President, together reshape three of the most senior operating roles beneath Brown at the same effective date, giving the bank a refreshed leadership team as it continues to operate across its established four-state retail and commercial banking footprint.
The Securities and Exchange Commission filing disclosing the promotions and the associated restricted stock award structure gives shareholders formal visibility into both the leadership changes and the compensation terms attached to them, consistent with disclosure obligations for material executive officer changes at a publicly listed bank holding company.
Anderson's continued hold on the Chief Financial Officer title alongside his new President role means the bank has opted to broaden his responsibilities rather than replace him in the finance function, a structure that keeps financial oversight concentrated with an executive already familiar with the bank's reporting and capital planning processes.