Who leads combined company after Synovus-Pinnacle merger? Columbus links to board
As Synovus Financial Corp. and Pinnacle Financial Partners move toward finalizing their merger, the companies have announced the combined board of directors.
The companies announced the new board will have eight directors from Pinnacle and seven from Synovus. Six independent directors from each company also will be on the board, according to the press release.
Terry Turner, Pinnacle’s president and CEO, will serve as non-executive chair, and Tim Bentsen, Synovus director, will serve as lead director.
“Our board unites bold, strategic leaders who are guided by a shared vision,” Kevin Blair, president and CEO of Synovus, said in the news release. “Our teams are building on those legacies to create a differentiated, high-growth regional bank, and we’re confident moving forward with this group of leaders behind us.”
Three of the leaders on the combined board have connections to Columbus:
Kevin Blair – president and CEO, executive committee chair
Kevin Blair is the chairman of the board, CEO and president of Synovus, where he also has served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer. He was appointed CEO and president in 2021 and appointed chair of the board in 2023.
John Irby – compensation and human capital committee, risk committee
John Irby is a commercial real estate investor and attorney with Atlanta-based Wilson Brock & Irby LLC, specializing in commercial estate transactions, corporate transactions, commercial litigation, and general business matters, according to the news release.
He serves as the vice chairman of the W.C. Bradley Company board of directors.
Irby was appointed to the Synovus board of directors in 2022.
Teresa White – compensation and human capital committee chair, executive committee, risk committee
Teresa White is president emeritus of Aflac U.S. and previously served as president of Aflac U.S., as well as in various other leadership positions at the company.
White has been active in the Columbus community, having served on the boards of various nonprofit and professional organizations, including NeighborWorks Columbus, according to the news release.
Synovus-Pinnacle combined board of directors list
Here is the full list of the board of directors of the combined companies. The independent directors are starred.
- M. Terry Turner, Chair (Pinnacle)
- Kevin Blair, president and CEO (Synovus)
- Tim Bentsen, lead director (Synovus)*
- Robert McCabe Jr., vice chair (Pinnacle)
- Abney Boxley III (Pinnacle)*
- Gregory Burns (Pinnacle)*
- Pedro Cherry (Synovus)*
- Thomas Farnsworth III (Pinnacle)*
- David Ingram (Pinnacle)*
- John Irby (Synovus)*
- Decosta Jenkins (Pinnacle)*
- Gregory Montana (Synovus)*
- Barry Storey (Synovus)*
- G. Kennedy Thompson (Pinnacle)*
- Teresa White (Synovus)*
About the Synovus and Pinnacle merger
The Synovus and Pinnacle merger is a triangular merger.
Terry Turner, CEO and president of Pinancle Financial Partners, and Kevin Blair, CEO and president of Synovus Financial Corporation, founded Steel Newco, Inc., Peachtree Corners, Georgia, to facilitate the merger, according to their SEC filing.
Both companies’ shareholders approved the merger Nov. 6, according to Pinnacle’s news release.
The Federal Reserve approved the request to merge Nov. 25. Steel Newco Inc. will acquire Pinnacle and Synovus. The combined company will be referred to as Pinnacle Financial Partners, according to the Federal Reserve’s news release.
The merger is expected to close on Jan. 1.
This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.