The Dallas company has extinguished talk of a potential sale after aggressively cutting costs over the past year. But concerns about its future — including its ability to find new sources of revenue — remain.
The addition of John Stallings, who ran SunTrust's Virginia operations, is intended to make Union a more nimble institution, allowing CEO John Asbury to spend more time on strategic planning.
Scott Powell will lead the auto lender while continuing to serve as CEO of Santander Holdings, the U.S. division of the Spanish banking giant Banco Santander.
Lynn Harton was finally named CEO of United Community Bank after a five-year apprenticeship, though Jimmy Tallent remains CEO of the parent company. The executives have long touted an ability to bounce ideas off each other as a reason for United's success.
In addition to typical industry challenges, family-owned banks also have to address generational leadership and estate planning at a time when an increasing number of their CEOs are looking to retire.
There are outstanding questions about whether Elizabeth Duke, who has been on Wells Fargo's board since January 2015, is the right person to lead a culture change at a large bank mired in scandals and investigations.