(Little Rock, Ark.) – Simmons Bank announced today a series of promotions within the Marketing Department. Elizabeth Machen has been promoted to executive vice president, Marketing and Communications. In this role, Machen leads brand and marketing strategy, corporate sponsorships and customer communication initiatives across Simmons Bank’s six-state footprint. Machen also oversees marketing strategy and implementation for nearly all major projects at the bank including the growth of Simmons’ brand through naming rights and sponsorships. Since joining Simmons Bank in 2014, Machen has increased Simmons Bank’s visibility in the region and implemented marketing strategies which have assisted in the growth of the company from $4.6 billion in total assets to more than $25 billion in total assets.
“Under Elizabeth’s leadership, our Marketing team has made extraordinary contributions in promoting the Simmons Bank brand while increasing our brand awareness in the communities we serve throughout the Mid-South,” said George Makris, Jr. chairman and CEO of Simmons Bank. “At the same time, they have done an outstanding job promoting the products and services we have to offer that are designed to help our clients meet their financial needs while collecting customer feedback on how we can better serve our customers.”
A Pine Bluff native, Machen was an honors student at the Sam M. Walton College of Business and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. In 2021, she was recognized as a Woman to Watch by Little Rock Soirée Magazine. She serves as President of the Baptist Health Associate Board and has also overseen corporate donations and sponsorships to benefit causes such as education, veteran’s and children’s health services.
In addition to Machen’s expanded leadership role, Simmons also announced the promotion of three of her direct reports:
- Lindsey Ingram has been promoted to senior vice president, director of Digital Marketing and Design. Ingram leads all digital marketing initiatives including Simmons Bank’s consumer-facing website (simmonsbank.com), associate-facing intranet, digital advertising and social media for Simmons Bank as well as all creative design. Ingram provided key leadership for Simmons Bank’s Next Generation Bank (NGB) initiative, which represented a $100 million, multi-year investment in cutting-edge technology and tools. She manages marketing for mergers and acquisitions and assisted with the launches for Simmons Bank’s first digital account origination platform and associated product, Coin Checking.
- Stacey Martin has been promoted to senior vice president and director of Brand Partnerships and Community Marketing. Martin and team spearhead local marketing efforts and activation of Simmons Bank’s growing sponsorship portfolio including our Team Simmons Bank golfers that saw great success in 2021 notably from Masters sensation and PGA TOUR 2021 Rookie of the Year, Will Zalatoris. Martin led efforts at the inaugural Simmons Bank Cup in Memphis, TN and Simmons Bank Open in Nashville, TN. She and her team also recently completed the announcement of a partnership with ten universities where Simmons Bank serves as the presenting sponsor of women’s athletics.
- Claire McClellan has been promoted to senior vice president and director of Marketing leading all product marketing, customer communication and marketing technologies at Simmons Bank. Partnering with multiple departments across the bank, McClellan and her team support Simmons Bank business units through strategic marketing of products and services. McClellan’s efforts supported the launch of Simmons Bank Foundation Secured Credit Card and the Save10 Youth Savings account, Simmons Bank Mobile and Online platform and the recent rebrand of Private Wealth and Institutional Wealth. McClellan's team also initiated new marketing capabilities ranging from customer engagement channels through the launch of Simmons’ marketing automation system, text marketing and a customer feedback channel to other behind-the-scene technologies that enable Simmons Bank to build upon customer relationships and develop brand insights.
Since Machen joined in 2014, Simmons Bank established several brand partnerships including: Simmons Bank Field at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, AR, Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, AR, Simmons Bank Plaza and Pavilion at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, Simmons Bank Ag Center in Union City, TN, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, TN and Simmons Bank Field at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, AR.
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About Simmons Bank
Simmons Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC), a Mid-South based financial holding company. Simmons Bank operates approximately 200 branches in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Founded in 1903, Simmons Bank offers comprehensive financial solutions delivered with a client-centric approach. Simmons Bank was named to Forbes list of “America’s Best Banks” in 2022 and in 2021 was named to Forbes list of “World’s Best Banks” for the second consecutive year. Additional information about Simmons Bank can be found on our website at simmonsbank.com, by following @Simmons_Bank on Twitter or by visiting our newsroom.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
ASHLEY LEOPOULOS
Simmons Bank
Public Relations Manager
ashley.leopoulos@simmonsbank.com
501.413.7055 (mobile)