Veteran Banking Professional Joins Pinnacle in the Upstate

Ken Leopard has joined Pinnacle Financial Partners as a financial advisor to work with commercial clients in the region. He is based at the firm’s office in Spartanburg.

“Ken is one of the most significant names in the local banking scene, and we’re so grateful to have him join the team,” said Ed Stein, Pinnacle’s regional president in Upstate South Carolina. “He’s here because his skills, expertise and reputation for service are a perfect match for our culture. Over nearly 20 years in the industry, he’s become known for his heart to serve and for being one of the best all-around bankers in our community. We can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together.”

Leopard comes to Pinnacle from Truist, where he was a commercial real estate relationship manager. Prior to that, he worked in general commercial banking at Truist and also spent time in retail banking at Wells Fargo. Leopard began his career in 2003 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business and managerial economics from Wofford College. He is a committee member for the Ben Wright International Challenge Cup benefitting Mobile Meals of Spartanburg and has previously served on the boards of The Hope Center for Children and The First Tee of Spartanburg.

Pinnacle Financial Partners provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services designed for businesses and their owners and individuals interested in a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. The firm is the No. 1 bank in the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA, according to 2021 deposit data from the FDIC, is listed by Forbes among the top 25 banks in the nation and earned a spot on the 2022 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For® in the U.S., its sixth consecutive appearance. American Banker recognized Pinnacle as one of America’s Best Banks to Work For nine years in a row and No. 1 among banks with more than $11 billion in assets in 2021.

Pinnacle entered the South Carolina market in 2017 when it acquired BNC Bancorp, offering community bank service with the resources and sophistication of a larger firm. Pinnacle was named the No. 1 Top Workplace in South Carolina, midsize companies category, in 2022 and 2021 by Charleston Business Magazine, Greenville Business Magazine and Columbia Business Monthly, with top 10 finishes in 2019 and 2020. 

The firm began operations in a single location in downtown Nashville, TN, in October 2000 and has since grown to approximately $39.4 billion in assets as of March 31, 2022. As the second-largest bank holding company headquartered in Tennessee, Pinnacle operates in 15 primarily urban markets across the Southeast.

Additional information concerning Pinnacle, which is included in the Nasdaq Financial-100 Index, can be accessed at www.pnfp.com.