Succession planning

Investar Holding in Baton Rouge, La., has made a series of changes to its executive ranks.

When KeyBank made history by appointing a woman as chairman and CEO, the goal it had set for itself was not to break the glass ceiling, but only to find the best person for the job, says Beth Mooney in her speech at the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance celebration. But this historic choice is a testament to how Key's diverse board of directors — its diversity ratio is more than 50% — helps ensure a truly inclusive culture throughout the organization. (For more on how the women in our rankings are pursuing diversity in the boardroom, click here.)

Atlantic Capital Bancshares in Atlanta has hired the former chief financial officer at Square 1 Financial in Durham, N.C., to fill the same post.

Middlesex Savings Bank in Natick. Mass., has promoted its chief commercial banking officer to president and named him successor to the chief executive.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has appointed a new leader of its bank supervision arm, the bank announced Thursday.

Relationship and people skills certainly remain important, but today's wealth management leaders require far more than those largely sales-oriented abilities.

John Neal will retire later this year as president of Union Bank & Trust in Richmond, Va. Neal, 66, will step down on Dec. 31 after 24 years at the $7.5 billion-asset bank.

Cash America International, a payday lender in Fort Worth, Texas, has named Brent Stuart chief executive.

MUFG Americas Holdings in New York, the holding company for California's Union Bank, has named Kanetsugu Mike chairman of the holding company and bank.

Wade Reece has announced his plans to retire after 25 years heading BB&T's insurance division.

Premier Financial Bancorp in Huntington, W.Va., has hired a former BB&T executive as its bank president and chief executive.

Catskill Hudson Bank in Kingston, N.Y., has hired Orville Aarons as its president. Aarons, a former director at Naugatuck Valley Financial, had been working as a consultant to Catskill Hudson since April.

Wells Fargo has seven women on its 16-member board, a 44% ratio that is twice that of the average top 25 bank. It got there, in large part, by looking beyond C-suites for qualified directors.

Fidelity Bank, a mutual in Fitchburg, Mass., that's merging with another mutual, has named Christopher McCarthy chief operating officer.

Merchants Bank of Bangor in Pennsylvania has tapped its chief operating officer, Tracey Smith, to become chief executive next year.

The Bank of New Mexico said that its chairman and chief executive will switch roles at the beginning of next year.

Prudential Bancorp in Philadelphia has named Anthony Migliorino to the newly created job of chief operating officer.

IF Bancorp in Watseka, Ill., has named Linda Hamilton chief operating officer.

Old Point Financial in Hampton, Va., has selected its chairman's son as chief executive of Old Point National Bank of Phoebus.

Comerica has hired John Buchanan as its executive vice president of legal affairs.