BB&T Corporation named Jim D. Godwin, Brant J. Standridge, and Dontá L. Wilson to its Executive Management team, which sets policy and direction for the corporation. The announcement is part of BB&T's long-term plan to expand its top leadership group. All three promotions will become effective Aug. 1, 2016.
"As outstanding leaders with proven track records, Jim, Brant, and Dontá are excellent additions to our Executive Management team," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kelly S. King. "Jim will support Chief Risk Officer Clarke Starnes with effective risk management practices, building on our team's commitment to the long-term strength and stability of BB&T. Brant will support our successful diversification strategy, leading the array of businesses included in the Specialized Lending and Dealer Financial Services segments, and Dontá is well-suited to build upon our 144-year-old history of serving clients in an exceptional way."
Upon joining Executive Management, Standridge will assume the lending group manager role previously held by Steven B. Wiggs, who is retiring later this year. Standridge will be responsible for the management and integration of BB&T's specialized lending businesses, including Insurance Premium Finance, Equipment Finance, Governmental Finance, Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC, Regional Acceptance Corporation and Sheffield Financial as well as Dealer Financial Services.
Standridge, 40, has more than 17 years of banking experience that began in BB&T's Leadership Development Program in 1998. His BB&T career has included stints as a credit analyst and several retail and commercial sales management roles. Standridge has held market president, regional president and state president roles in the Community Bank in Annapolis and Baltimore, Md.; Atlanta, Ga.; and he most recently led the North Texas Region, based in Dallas, Texas.
Born in Athens, Ga., Standridge graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Georgia. He serves on the board of the Dallas Regional Chamber and is a member of the Dallas Citizens Council and Lone Star Young Presidents' Organization. In Atlanta, Ga., Standridge also chaired the capital campaign for the Ron Clark Academy, raising $4.5 million for a new teacher training facility.
As deputy chief risk officer, Godwin will be responsible for supporting the chief risk officer to ensure BB&T has a comprehensive and effective risk framework.
Godwin, 48, began his 20-year banking career as a part of BB&T's Leadership Development Program in 1996 and eventually held roles as a regional financial analyst, business services officer, credit analysis manager, senior credit officer and regional loan administrator. In May 2009, he was named credit risk review manager, and in September 2012 he was named chief operational risk officer. Godwin was named to his current role as deputy chief risk officer in January 2016.
Raised in Columbus County, N.C., Godwin graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and received his MBA from East Carolina University. He also completed the RMA Advanced Risk Management Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In his new role as chief client experience officer, Wilson will serve as champion and work to enhance BB&T's enterprise sales and client service performance. He will be responsible for corporate marketing, brand advertising, social media strategy, corporate communications, CRA and community development, and multicultural banking.
Wilson, 40, has more than 20 years of banking experience. He began his BB&T career in 1995 working in bank operations while in college. He eventually served in several business development, lending and management roles in retail and commercial banking. Wilson held area executive, regional president and state president roles in the Community Bank in Prince William County, Va.; Fairfax, Va.; and Birmingham, Ala. Most recently, he has served as regional president of the Atlanta, Ga.-based Northern Georgia Region since 2014.
Born in Fort Bragg, N.C., Wilson graduated with a bachelor's degree in management from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and received his MBA from the University of Maryland. Wilson is also a graduate of the Tuck Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the BB&T Banking School at Wake Forest University.
Wilson was named to Savoy Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America in 2016. He serves on the boards of the Atlanta Metro Chamber, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Ron Clark Academy and is the founder of the I Am My Brother's Keeper inner city mentor program. Wilson is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, Kappa Alpha Psi Inc., Sigma Pi Phi (Boule) and 100 Black Men of Atlanta.
"Being the CEO of BB&T is one of the best jobs in the business. With these additions to our Executive Management team, I'm more excited than ever to work alongside our 37,000 associates helping our clients improve their financial lives," King added. "While I plan to remain in this role for the foreseeable future, I also believe, with a proven succession plan in place, our company is well positioned for the next leadership transition."
BB&T's last expanded its Executive Management team in November 2015 with the additions of Chief Digital Officer W. Bennett Bradley and Community Bank Group Executive David H. Weaver, who will assume the leadership role for the Community Bank effective Jan. 1, 2017. Other Executive Management team members include King; Chief Operating Officer Chris Henson; Chief Financial Officer Daryl Bible; Chief Risk Officer Clarke Starnes; Chief Information Officer Barbara Duck; Deposit, Payment and Operations Services Manager Donna Goodrich; President and CEO of BB&T Securities and Financial Services Manager Rufus Yates; and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Robert Johnson Jr.
President of Branch Banking & Trust Ricky Brown and Chief Marketing Officer and Lending Group Manager Steven B. Wiggs announced their retirements earlier this year. Brown will retire effective Dec. 15, 2016, and Wiggs will retire effective Sept. 30, 2016.