Mr. Linginfelter joined Regions in 2008. He began his banking career in 1978 with Fulton National Bank, the predecessor to Bank of America, and later served as CEO of Georgia for SouthTrust Bank and Wachovia Bank.
Mr. Linginfelter has served as corporate campaign chair for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Research League and the Woodruff Center for the Arts.
Regions Bank, headquartered in Birmingham, has a presence in 15 states, including 117 branches in Georgia, and employs about 1,150 people. Regions was ranked the seventh-largest bank in metro Atlanta by deposits as of last June, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
John Turner, chairman, president and CEO of Regions Financial Corp., praised Linginfelter in a statement: “Bill demonstrates his leadership by helping employees discover their talents and grow in ways that benefit the bank, our customers and the communities we serve.”
Mr. Linginfelter's career has spanned a range of economic periods, from boom times that transformed metro Atlanta into an economic powerhouse to recessions that rocked the financial system.
While some aspects of banking have changed dramatically in that time, he said, the fundamentals remain the same: “We're still taking deposits, we're still lending at fair rates and we're still making enough profits to pay dividends to shareholders.”
But the equation isn't just about transactions, he says: “It's about shared value. It has to be good for customers, good for the bank, good for shareholders and good for the community.”
While most of the hard times have been manageable, some have shaken Linginfelter's confidence. The worst was the Great Recession, when about 500 banks failed, including many community banks in Georgia, which had large portfolios of real estate development loans that many developers were unable to repay after the global economic collapse.
“That was the only time I worried about whether banking could survive as an industry,” Mr. Ringinfelter said. “The Great Recession was the real test.”
Looking back, Ringinfelter said he feels that business success depends more on people than strategy: “If you don't have the right people, it doesn't matter what the industry does.”
Mr. Linginfelter remains active in business and civic society.
He currently serves as chairman of the Georgia Allies board of directors and chairman of Hall Management for the College Football Hall of Fame.
He also serves on the boards of the Buckhead Coalition and the Atlanta Speech School.
“I see it as my duty to make the area I live in a better place,” Ringinfelter said.
Atlanta has long prided itself as a place where business and civic leaders worked together to stay out of trouble and get better, a reputation that's well-deserved, he said.
“I don't think the same situation exists in most urban areas,” he said. “When an opportunity arises, we roll up our sleeves and go after it.”
Koch, who now serves as commercial district director for Regions Bank, said Atlanta's appeal as a business hub and its desirability are intertwined.
“Companies want to locate in Atlanta,” she said. “People want to live in Atlanta.”
She is looking forward to her new role and said she is optimistic about the economy, in part because she thinks business leaders have responded very well to the crisis caused by COVID-19.
“Companies are becoming more conservative and have more cash reserves,” she said. The pandemic was an unprecedented crisis that forced companies to adapt, “and I think it's made everybody more resilient.”
The ability to “pivot” is crucial, Koch said, given the unpredictability of the past few years. “I don't think we've had a normal year in a while.”
