NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carol Yochem, who started her banking career at First Tennessee, is coming home as the bank's new Middle Tennessee president.
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She will succeed Doyle Rippee, who will become the Middle Tennessee chairman of First Tennessee.
Yochem's arrival signals an accelerated commitment by Tennessee's largest and most established financial institution to Middle Tennessee, according to Bryan Jordan, chairman and CEO of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN ), First Tennessee's parent company. "First Tennessee is committed to Middle Tennessee," he said. "We have had an extensive presence here since 1972, and we have gained significant momentum over the past five years. We want First Tennessee to be Nashville's bank."
First Tennessee has relationships with one in four households in Tennessee, the number one market share in the state and one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country. First Tennessee ranked in the top 6 percent of 750 banks in Greenwich and Associates Excellence in Banking survey. InformationWeek has named First Horizon one of the country's top tech innovators for a decade, and the company has earned recognition as one of the nation's best employers for almost 20 years.
Yochem, 54, began her banking career with First Tennessee in Memphis nearly 33 years ago. Most recently she has been senior vice president at TD Bank in Greenville, SC. She brings to her new post 26 years of experience in Tennessee, including eight years in Nashville, and has held various executive roles in commercial, middle-market banking and private-client services. Rippee, 65, was instrumental in recruiting Yochem back to Nashville.
"Carol's leadership and First Tennessee's dedication to understanding and meeting the financial needs of Tennesseans with our outstanding team of bankers will be a powerful combination in this growing and vibrant community," Jordan said.
First Tennessee, chartered in 1864, is Tennessee's oldest bank and the 14 th oldest national bank in the country. The bank will celebrate its 150 th anniversary next month, with activities planned statewide throughout the bank's sesquicentennial year. "This is such a dynamic time for Nashville and an exciting time for us," Jordan said.
Yochem said she is eager to build on First Tennessee's momentum here that Rippee and the Middle Tennessee team have created. "I am thrilled to be returning to the place where my career started," Yochem said. "I spent 26 years in Tennessee, between Memphis and Nashville. That's a lot of time, and much of my network is still in Tennessee. My two children were born here. The opportunity to return, particularly to Middle Tennessee, is very exciting – to use my experience not only to the benefit of First Tennessee but also for our Nashville community."
Yochem is an alumna of Leadership Nashville. She previously served on the board of Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. She also has been a life-long supporter of United Way and other philanthropic organizations. She and her husband Darryl Yochem have two adult children.
About First Tennessee
First Tennessee has the number one market share in Tennessee and one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country. First Tennessee ranked in the top 6 percent of 750 banks in the most recent Greenwich and Associates Excellence in Banking survey. First Tennessee and FTN Financial are subsidiaries of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN ). The company's 4,300 employees provide financial services through more than 170 First Tennessee Bank locations in and around Tennessee and in 21 FTN Financial offices in the U.S. and abroad. FTN Financial is a capital markets industry leader in fixed income sales, trading and strategies for institutional clients in the U.S. and abroad. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation's best employers by American Banker and Working Mother and a top tech innovator by InformationWeek. More information is available at www.FirstTennessee.com .
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Zach Hunt (615) 321-3110
