Little Rock, Ark. – Simmons Bank (Simmons) announced on March 1, 2022, that Ann Madea has been named executive vice president and chief information officer (CIO) as part of a planned transition announced late last year. As CIO, Madea is responsible for the bank’s overall information technology strategy and operations and spearheading the systems integration of acquired banks.
Madea joined Simmons in October of 2021 and, over the past several months, has been working closely with former CIO, Paul Kanneman, while transitioning into her new position. As previously announced, Kanneman will continue with the bank utilizing his technology and business strategy expertise in a role focused on strategic research associated with the identification, review, and assessment of emerging technologies, while also lending his experience to future M&A activities.
“Ann and Paul have done a tremendous job working together to ensure a smooth transition,” said George A. Makris, Jr., chairman, and CEO of Simmons. “Utilizing their shared experiences and expertise further enhanced our ability to simultaneously complete the systems conversions of Landmark Community Bank and Triumph Bank over the same weekend. As Ann takes the reins, I am confident in her ability to continue building out our leading-edge technology capabilities while also preparing for the pending conversion of Spirit of Texas, Bancshares, Inc. later this year.”
A seasoned veteran, Madea has over 25 years of technology experience, including the last 17 years at HSBC, one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world with operations in 64 countries and territories. During her career at HSBC, Madea served in a variety of leadership positions with increased responsibility, including the last four years as executive vice president and CIO U.S. Her primary focus centered on strategy innovation, strong global delivery, M&A, operations, and leading technology and business transformation while driving results that differentiate customer experience and business enablement, while giving back to the community.
Kanneman began working with Simmons in 2014 as an advisor while at Grant Thornton, LLP. In 2016, he assisted the bank with developing its first five-year technology roadmap. After retiring from Grant Thornton, Kanneman joined Simmons in 2017 as executive vice president and CIO.
