Hancock Whitney Taps Veteran Banker to Drive Business Growth Strategy

GULFPORT, MS – January 08, 2026 – Hancock Whitney Corporation has appointed Devon Bray, a financial services professional with over two decades of experience, as its new Director of Business Banking and Small Business Administration (SBA). The move signals a significant strategic push to deepen the bank's relationship with business clients and accelerate its digital transformation across the Gulf South.

Bray, who will report directly to Chief Banking Officer Emory Mayfield, is tasked with leading a cohesive business banking strategy. Her responsibilities include strengthening client relationships, enhancing digital capabilities, and developing initiatives to support the growth of business clients. Bray joins Hancock Whitney as an executive vice president after holding senior leadership roles at national institutions like Union Bank and U.S. Bank, where she specialized in small business programs.

“As we continue to execute on our organic growth strategy, Devon will play a critical role in aligning our teams around our clients’ needs,” said Mayfield in a statement. “With the experience and expertise needed to drive this vision forward, Devon’s leadership position reinforces our focus on relationship-driven banking and sustainable growth.”

A Strategic Pivot to Deepen Business Relationships

Bray's appointment is a cornerstone of Hancock Whitney's broader corporate objective to foster organic growth and solidify its market position. The bank's leadership has articulated a clear ambition: to become "the best bank in the Southeast for privately owned business." This vision involves a strategic shift away from purely transactional, loan-based interactions towards building more comprehensive, granular relationships with business clients.

This approach is supported by concrete plans to expand its team, with the institution planning to add more business bankers throughout 2025 to fuel its growth pipeline. The focus on holistic banking relationships aligns with the company's long-standing core values of service and personal responsibility, which date back to its founding in the late 1800s. The bank's commitment to its communities was recently underscored by an "Outstanding" rating from regulators in its 2024 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Performance Evaluation.

This strategy appears to be building on a solid foundation. In 2024, the institution provided over $423 million across more than 3,300 small business loans. This follows its crucial role during the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), where it delivered over $2.4 billion in funds to thousands of Gulf South businesses. The appointment of a seasoned leader like Bray is intended to harness this momentum and drive the next phase of growth in the business and commercial banking segments.

Navigating a Competitive Regional Landscape

The banking environment in the Gulf South is a dynamic mix of large national players and established regional institutions. In this market, regional banks like Hancock Whitney often leverage a key advantage: deep community integration and localized decision-making. This allows them to cultivate a nuanced understanding of local economic conditions and client needs, a level of insight that can be challenging for larger, more centralized competitors to replicate.

Recent industry volatility has created both challenges and opportunities. While some national banks have tightened credit standards and reduced lending activities, many resilient regional banks with strong capital positions are stepping up. This creates a window for institutions like Hancock Whitney to capture market share and attract top-tier talent. With a history of stability, recognized by Forbes as one of "America's Best Banks 2024" for the third year in a row, the company is well-positioned to be seen as a reliable partner for businesses seeking capital.

Analysts project a favorable outlook for the U.S. regional banking sector, with expectations of double-digit earnings growth driven by strengthening loan activity and a potential easing of regulatory pressures. By investing in leadership for its business banking division, Hancock Whitney is proactively positioning itself to capitalize on these tailwinds and reinforce its competitive standing in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.

Blending 'Big Bank' Expertise with Regional Focus

Devon Bray brings a significant asset to Hancock Whitney: extensive experience forged within the frameworks of major national banks. Her senior leadership roles at U.S. Bank and Union Bank provided her with a unique perspective on developing and scaling small business programs and regional banking initiatives. This background is particularly valuable as Hancock Whitney aims to enhance its own offerings.

The challenge for many regional banks is to innovate and scale effectively without losing the personal touch that defines their brand. Bray’s mandate to advance a cohesive strategy suggests an effort to translate the efficiencies and best practices from larger institutions into Hancock Whitney's relationship-centric model. Her expertise is expected to be instrumental in refining the bank's SBA lending programs—a key source of fee income and a vital lifeline for many small enterprises—and ensuring they are both competitive and accessible.

This blend of national-level experience with a regional focus is critical in today's market. Businesses expect the sophisticated digital tools common at large banks but crave the personalized service and accessibility of a community partner. Bray's leadership is poised to bridge that gap, driving initiatives that deliver both high-tech convenience and high-touch advisory services.

The Future is Digital and Personalized

Across the financial industry, digital transformation is no longer optional. For business banking, this means moving beyond basic online portals to a suite of integrated tools that enhance efficiency and provide actionable insights. Bray's charge to "accelerate digital capabilities" comes at a pivotal moment for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Recent data reveals a significant "access-to-capital gap," with high demand for funding meeting a tightening credit environment. This has led many businesses to look beyond traditional sources. In 2024, the percentage of small businesses applying for financing at large banks fell, while interest in small banks, which boast higher approval rates (54%), and online lenders grew. Simultaneously, the adoption of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) is surging among SMBs, with nearly 60% now using it to improve operations.

For Hancock Whitney, this landscape presents a clear directive. To win the business of modern enterprises, it must offer a seamless digital experience that can compete with fintech challengers, while leveraging its strength in relationship banking where online-only lenders often fall short. Integrating technologies like AI into underwriting can lead to faster and more accurate lending decisions, directly addressing a key pain point for business owners. By combining these digital advancements with the trusted advice of its growing team of business bankers, Hancock Whitney aims to create a powerful, blended approach that meets the complex needs of the region's economic drivers.