SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Farm Bureau Bank has announced that William Hileman, currently President and Chief Operating Officer, will become President and Chief Executive Officer effective March 31, 2012, upon the retirement of Larry J. Lanie, FBB’s CEO since its founding in 1999. The announcement was made by David Winkles, Chair of FBB’s parent company, FB BanCorp. Hileman will also become President and CEO of FB BanCorp.
Hileman joined FBB in December 2010, in the newly created post of President and COO and has been responsible for developing strategic goals and direction, and with executing the bank’s strategic plan.
He came to FBB from H-E-B Grocery Company in San Antonio, one of the nation’s leading retailers with 300 stores in Texas and Mexico, where for four years he had led the company’s financial services division. Prior to H-E-B, he had worked with SunTrust Banks in Atlanta from 1986 to 2006, rising to the position of Senior Vice President for Retail Distribution & Delivery. During his SunTrust tenure, he played key roles in marketing, strategic planning and finance.
Lanie helped organize FB BanCorp in 1998 and obtained equity capital commitments from 40 Farm Bureau State Federations and Insurance Company investors to support the formation of Farm Bureau Bank FSB in 1999. He has overseen the growth of the bank to the point that FBB now serves Farm Bureau members in 43 states and has more than $600 million in assets under management.
He began his banking career in a community bank in Kansas in 1967 and then moved to increasingly greater leadership posts with banks in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia. In a precursor to his role with FBB, in 1983 Lanie became the first President and CEO of USAA Federal Savings Bank, quickly establishing it as a nationwide banking operation which today has more than $50 billion in assets.
Winkles said, “Larry Lanie did the hard work that led to the creation of Farm Bureau Bank and, as our CEO, has taken us from infancy through the process of becoming an extraordinary asset and convenience for Farm Bureau members around the country. We can’t thank him enough for what he has meant to FBB. Now, as he retires after a 45-year career in the financial services industry, he has performed one more critical task for us – identifying and bringing on board his successor, Will Hileman.”
“Will has been with us for more than a year, not only assuming major duties for the bank but also getting to know the network of state Farm Bureaus which we serve. He is thoroughly familiar with FBB, inside and out, and the Board has complete confidence that he is the right person to succeed Larry,” he said.
Hileman said, “It’s an honor to follow in Larry Lanie’s footsteps. He has been key to the establishment of what has become an extraordinary national financial services institution which has earned the trust of Farm Bureau members across the nation. We have a very bright future, and I am personally thrilled to have this opportunity to continue the legacy of service to our members. As the financial services industry continues to evolve, we will also be looking at new services we can bring to Farm Bureau members and their families.”
Lanie said, “The past 22 years have gone by very quickly as we worked to develop first the idea of Farm Bureau Bank and then turn that idea into a wonderful institution that has been able to do so much good for so many people. Actually, the concept was first discussed in 1991 with Vernie Glasson, who is the Executive Director and COO of the Texas Farm Bureau. Not many people in their careers have had an opportunity to start two banks that have been on the cutting edge of our industry, and, for me, it has been both a challenging and wonderful time. As I retire, I feel very good about having Will Hileman follow me, and I know he will do a wonderful job.”
Farm Bureau Bank, FSB is headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, with approximately 100 employees at its San Antonio, Texas administrative center. The bank offers a full range of competitively priced bank products and services to Farm Bureau members in 43 states. To learn more about Farm Bureau Bank or how to become a Farm Bureau member, visit farmbureaubank.com or call 1.800.492.3276.
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