BankUnited Locks in Kanas as CEO for Three More Years

John A. Kanas seems set to run BankUnited (BKU) for the foreseeable future despite ongoing rumors that the company could sell.

The Miami Lakes, Fla., company said Wednesday that Kanas signed a new three-year employment contract. He is the company's chairman, president and chief executive, taking on those roles after a group backed by private equity bought the failed thrift in May 2009. The retooled company went public last year.

BankUnited's disclosure of a new employment agreement with Kanas comes on the heels of speculation earlier this month that the $12.4 billion-asset company was again weighing offers to sell. Kanas has repeatedly said they would consider any offer as a public company. But he reiterated the commitment by existing management in the most recent release.

"The excitement generated by the bank's success thus far has energized the entire management team, and me in particular," Kanas said in a press release Wednesday. "We continue to believe that our best years lie ahead as we recommit ourselves to the growth and expansion of BankUnited."

Bank United also agreed to extended contracts with John Bolson, its vice chairman and chief lending officer, and Rajinder Singh, the chief operating officer. Bolson and Kanas also reached an accord this summer with Capital One Financial (COF), their former employer, to settle legal claims that the executives violated noncompete agreements for the New York area.

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