Synovus honors outstanding performers with Circle of Excellence Awards
ATLANTA, Ga., Jan. 27, 2026 — Synovus Bank has announced the winners of its annual Circle of Excellence Awards program, which includes the company’s Chairman’s and Sales Awards.
Now in its 13th year, the Circle of Excellence Awards recognize exceptionally performing team members who embody the spirit of Synovus’ award-winning culture, emphasizing leadership, client satisfaction, community outreach and innovation.
The winners of the awards are selected from nominations submitted by team members. One team and 16 individuals received the Chairman’s Awards, and 50 top-performing leaders earned the Sales Awards.
This year’s winners include:
Chairman's Choice Award – Mary Maurice Young, deputy general counsel, Columbus; David Kennedy, integration management advisor, Columbus; Branden Hillis, head of integration management, Atlanta; Enrique Fernandez, director, fraud, Florida; Vikram Ramani, chief information officer, Atlanta; and Gary Robinson, security analyst, Columbus. The award recognizes high-performing leaders who embody a growth mindset and exemplify the pillars of the company’s corporate goals.
Emerging Leader Award – Mark Bailey, director, treasury management sales, Georgia. This award recognizes team members who exemplify leadership, courage and influence while achieving organizational or team success.
Exceptional Client Experience Award – Lisa Hughes, mortgage loan specialist, Birmingham, Alabama; Caroline Moyer, financial advisor, Columbus, Georgia; and Theron Smith, client advisory support manager, Conyers, Georgia. This award recognizes client-focused team members who excel at living the company’s purpose to enable people to reach their full potential.
Exceptional Internal Partner Award – Michael Graydon, senior director, trust operations, Columbus, Georgia and Robin Kidder, project manager, Columbus, Georgia. This award recognizes team members for their outstanding contributions to the company.
Game Changer Award – Kevin Johnson, senior director, AI and automation, Columbus, Georgia. This award recognizes high-performing team members who lead initiatives that impacted client or team member experiences and the company’s financial performance.
Here Matters Community Outreach Award – Jacob Brown, retail market leader, Jasper, Alabama. This award recognizes outstanding community outreach and its impact on the community.
Leadership Excellence Award – Charlie Clark, state head of Georgia banking, Atlanta, Georgia. This award recognizes a high-performing team member whose leadership produces positive results for the company.
It Takes a Village Award – Michael Bookmyer, managing director, strategy and operations, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. New for 2025, this award recognizes a team member who exemplifies true collaboration, bringing people, ideas and resources together to deliver exceptional results.
Synergy Award – Free Checking Conversion Team. This award recognizes a cross-functional team for delivering meaningful and measurable results in executing projects or initiatives. The 22-member team includes:
Athens:
Kerri Hammond – director, retail sales strategy and support
Teri Goodman – retail sales performance partner
Atlanta:
Aileen Thomas – senior director, performance management and analytics
Dasef Weems – director, product management
Cate Boezi – product manager
Laura Johnson – senior director, enterprise growth analytics
Michael Solomon – senior manager, go to market effectiveness
Katara Nix Smith – retail sales performance partner
Birmingham:
Katherine Mears – senior director, brand strategy and communications
Columbus:
Susan Pitts – office strategy leader
Lee Sessions – chief consumer product and solutions officer
Brandi Kirkland – senior manager, product analytics
Katherine Kelly – product analyst
Laura Hanley – executive director, marketing
Media Younce – manager, customer communications
Jeri Godfrey – senior communications specialist
Jolene Wirth – retail sales performance partner
Eve Davis – enterprise business architect
Jim Freeman – senior director, information technology
Josh Harbin – director, information technology
Anuj Dixit – senior information technology developer
Remote:
Seth Geeslin – IT application analyst
Ellen Kimsey – senior business systems analyst
In addition to the Chairman’s Awards, the Synovus Sales Awards recognize team members for exceeding sales goals and making extraordinary contributions in multiple areas. See all winners of this year’s Sales Awards.
About Synovus, now Pinnacle
Synovus Bank merged into Pinnacle Financial Partners on Jan. 2, 2026, bringing together more than 160 years of combined banking service. Until brand conversion in early 2027, it will continue to operate as Synovus Bank. Pinnacle is a $117.2 billion asset regional bank which provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services for commercial and consumer clients who want a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. Pinnacle is the largest bank holding company headquartered in Georgia and largest bank headquartered in Tennessee. The firm has offices in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Pinnacle is an employer of choice for financial services professionals. The firm is No. 9 in FORTUNE magazine’s 2025 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For® in the U.S., its ninth consecutive appearance. Pinnacle was also recognized by American Banker as No. 4 among America’s Best Banks to Work For in 2025, its 13th consecutive year on the list, and No. 1 among banks with more than $10 billion in assets. Learn more about Pinnacle at PNFP.com.