Jay Brogdon Becomes President and CEO of Simmons Bank, Succeeding George Makris Jr.

Jay Brogdon formally added the role of Chief Executive Officer to his existing title of President at both Simmons Bank and its parent holding company, Simmons First National Corporation, on 1 January 2026. The transition brings to a close the long tenure of George Makris Jr., who first led the Arkansas-headquartered institution in 2013 and retired at the turn of the year.

Marty Casteel became Chairman of the board as part of the leadership changes, which the bank announced in August 2025.

BROGDON'S BACKGROUND

Brogdon joined Simmons in 2021 as Chief Financial Officer.

He was elevated to President in 2023.

Makris served as CEO of the holding company for more than a decade (Bob Fehlman was CEO of the Simmons Bank subsidiary in 2023 and 2024 before Makris resumed that role in 2025).

The bank has not announced any immediate strategic changes alongside the leadership transition.