The Board of Directors of Bank of Yazoo has announced the promotion of Ben W. Aldridge to President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Van K. Ray, who retired on June 30 following a 39-year career at the Bank. “The Board appreciates Van’s years of dedicated service to the Bank’s customers, shareholders and employees as well as his leadership in the community and state organizations that he has served and continues to serve,” says Phil Williams, the Bank’s Board Chairman. “We are excited that Ben will continue the nearly one-hundred-and-fifty-year tradition of strong leadership and community engagement as the Bank’s new President and CEO.”
Aldridge joined the Bank in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer and has more than 23 years of experience in the banking industry. Aldridge earned a Bachelor of Accountancy from Mississippi State University and a Master of Business Administration from the Collat School of Business at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. Aldridge has been actively involved in numerous civic and community organizations over the years, having served as a Board member for Downtown Partners, Operation Shoestring, and the Rotary Club. Aldridge was also appointed to serve as Chairman of the Mississippi Guaranty Pool Board.
Williams said, “Ben provides the Bank with a host of knowledge and skills that will position it to weather business cycles and continue steady, prudent growth while maintaining a tradition of trustworthiness. The Bank has a strong management team to assist Ben. This continuing strong leadership tradition will be of great benefit to the Bank’s customers, shareholders, and employees for which he is directing the effort to protect, given a dynamic economic environment and quickly evolving technology.” Aldridge added, “I am excited to take on this leadership role at one of Mississippi’s oldest and strongest financial institutions and look forward to working with our Bank associates and customers alike to continue Bank of Yazoo’s stellar track record of sound financial service to our customers.”
