Ameris Bank is pleased to announce Brady Gailey has joined the bank as Executive Director of Corporate Development, effective today. In this role, Gailey will work closely with executive management to support strategic decisions and will be responsible for investor relations, corporate strategic analysis and financial performance review.

"Brady has an extensive background in the banking industry and a history of covering Ameris Bank, which gives him a unique insight into our company," said Ameris Chief Financial Officer Nicole Stokes. "His leadership and strategic thinking will add tremendous depth to Ameris as we continue to grow our strong franchise."

Prior to joining Ameris, Gailey served as Managing Director of Equity Research at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, where he has over 16 years' experience covering more than 75 publicly traded banks.  In addition, he has completed over 20 bank IPOs and more than 50 secondary capital raises.  He is a chartered financial analyst (CFA) charterholder and has worked with numerous bank boards and industry groups through strategic planning and capital planning.  Gailey holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi, with a major in corporate finance and currently serves on the Ole Miss Banking and Finance Advisory Board.

"I am pleased to join Ameris Bank and look forward to the opportunity to contribute to corporate development and strategic decision making with a leadership team that I have followed and admired for years," Gailey said.