Republic Bank Hires Jeff Starke as Chief Information Officer

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Republic Bank & Trust Company (“Republic” or the “Bank”) announces the addition of Jeff Starke as Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer. Starke will lead technology team members and execute information technology (“IT”) strategy to deliver stable, secure, and innovative services for Republic’s employees and customers.

Jeff joins Republic from Bank OZK in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was the Chief Technology Officer, served as Chair of the Information Systems Steering Committee, and held various IT leadership positions during his 11-year tenure. Prior to joining Bank OZK, Jeff was employed by a community bank acquired by Bank OZK. He holds an Associate of Science, Network Systems Administration degree from ITT Technical Institute of Greenfield, Wisconsin and is a certified Project Management Professional.

“We’re excited to have Jeff join our team to lead IT strategies,” said Logan Pichel, President of Republic Bank. “Republic has a long history of innovating for the future, and we pride ourselves on providing best-in-class mobile and online banking experiences for our clients. With Jeff’s expertise and leadership, we will continue to develop innovative ways of using technology to better serve our employees and customers in the communities where we do business.”

Jeff’s experience encompasses managing technology resources, communications, data center operations, banking systems, project management, IT risk, and technology support. Throughout his career, Jeff has been instrumental in bringing new and innovative software platforms to life through custom software building and implementation. He successfully led the development of a new data center and served as the technology lead in 14 acquisitions, managing and coordinating the technology conversion activities and team integration.

“I’m very much looking forward to joining Republic’s first-class team,” said Starke. “The Bank has built a strong foundation of innovation in technology and I’m eager to lead in this important area, sharing my expertise and experience to make it even stronger for the future.”

About Republic Bank
Republic Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) is the parent company of Republic Bank & Trust Company (the “Bank”). The Bank currently has 42 full-service banking centers throughout five states: twenty-eight banking centers in eight Kentucky communities – Covington, Crestview Hills, Florence, Georgetown, Lexington, Louisville, Shelbyville, and Shepherdsville; three banking centers in southern Indiana – Floyds Knobs, Jeffersonville, and New Albany; seven banking centers in six Florida communities (Tampa MSA) – Largo, New Port Richey, St. Petersburg, Seminole, Tampa, and Temple Terrace; two banking centers in two Tennessee communities (Nashville MSA) – Cool Springs and Green Hills; and two banking centers in two Ohio communities (Cincinnati MSA) – Norwood and West Chester. The Bank offers internet banking at www.republicbank.com. The Company has approximately $6.5 billion in assets and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The Company’s Class A Common Stock is listed under the symbol “RBCAA” on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

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