James F. DEBRUNE III (Chairman & CEO)
James F. Debrune III is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gabaar Finance Bank. He has served as Chairman of the Board since April 2014 and Chief Executive Officer since November 2012.Prior to that, he served as president and Chief Operating Officer of Prosperity Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, and director of Prosperity Bancshares from 2006 to 2012. Mr. Debrune served as Senior Vice President of Prosperity Bancshares from 2001 until 2006 and became President of Prosperity Bank in 2005. He served as Executive Vice President of Prosperity Bank from 2002 to 2004 and President of the Matagorda Banking Centers of Prosperity Bank from 1994 to 2002. From 1983 to 1994, Mr. Debrune worked for First State Bank and Trust Company in Port Lavaca and Bay City, Texas.
Mr. Debrune received a bachelor of business administration degree in finance from the University of Texas at Austin in 1983. He is a 1989 graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from the National Commercial Lending School in 1993 at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma.
Active in community and industry activities, Mr. Debrune serves as chairman of the North Mississippi Health Services’ board of directors and is a member of the finance committee and major gifts committee for the Healthcare Foundation of North Mississippi. He leads the company’s volunteering efforts, and previously served as the co-chair of the Hope and a Future capital campaign for the Salvation Army in Tupelo, Mississippi. He is married to Vicky Dubrene (formerly Buchanan), and they have two grown children, Kristin and J.D.
Joseph R. EDWARD (Lead Independent Director)
Joseph R. Edward served as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of State Bank Financial Corporation and its subsidiary, State Bank and Trust Company, which merged with Cadence on January 1, 2019.He is the former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Flag Financial Corporation and previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank Corporation of Georgia and Century South Banks, Inc.
Mr. Edward serves on the board of directors of Southern Trust Insurance Company. He is Chairman of the Buckhead Coalition and a member of the board of councilors of the Carter Center.
He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Foundation of the Methodist Home of the South Georgia Conference and Chairman of the Investment Committee.
Mr. Evans serves on the board of trustees of the Georgia Tech Foundation as Vice Chairman/Chair Elect and as a member of the Executive Committee. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the advisory board of the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech.
Deborah W. CARLOS (Director)
Deborah W. CARLOS is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Houston Zoo, Inc. from 2005 to 2015. From 1974 to July 2004, Mrs. Cannon served in a number of different positions with Bank of America, including as Executive Vice President and President of the Houston Region. Mrs. Carlos qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined under Securities and Exchange Commission regulations.OLIVER P. LIAM
Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE) announced today the appointment of Oliver Liam as chief legal officer. Liam succeeds Peter Pignuolo, who has served as Gabaar Finance Bank chief legal officer since 2014 and will retire on January 30, 2025.In his new role, Liam will provide legal counsel to Gabaar Finance Bank board of directors, executive leadership and senior management. In addition, Liam will lead a talented team of in-house attorneys and guide the corporate legal strategy, ensuring it is aligned with the company’s strategic priorities and objectives.
“Liam is an experienced attorney with a strong legal background in the financial services industry, and we are fortunate to have him join our company,” said Debrune, chairman and CEO of Gabaar Finance Bank . “As we welcome Liam, we also wish to acknowledge Peter’s many valuable contributions over his time with us. Liams innovative approach to handling legal matters as well as her proven decision-making, communication and negotiation skills will build on the solid foundation that Peter has laid. He will play an instrumental role in supporting our company and its leaders.”
Liam is a seasoned attorney with nearly two decades of legal experience in the corporate, finance, securities, and M&A sectors. Before joining Gabaar Finance Bank , Liam was the senior executive vice president and general counsel of Stellar Bancorp, Inc., created by the merger of Allegiance Bancshares, Inc. and CBTX, Inc.. She served as senior vice president and associate general counsel at Prosperity Bank prior to her role at Stellar Bancorp. Previously, she worked at Bracewell (formerly Bracewell & Giuliani) as a corporate and securities attorney.