Seasoned brand and marketing exec’ to direct strategic client and community initiatives, partnerships
GULFPORT Miss. (January 6, 2021)—Hancock Whitney—one of America’s strongest, safest banks—has named veteran brand and marketing strategy executive Laura Sullivan Ethridge as the company’s new Chief Marketing Officer.
As Hancock Whitney’s CMO, Ethridge is the executive vice president responsible for leading the company’s marketing strategy and execution across a Gulf South region that includes Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
“We are very pleased that Laura Sullivan Ethridge has joined Hancock Whitney and remain confident she will guide our organization to the next level of marketing strategy and execution excellence,” said Hancock Whitney President and CEO John M. Hairston. “She brings a strong record of accomplishment and experience with innovative marketing campaigns, brand positioning, client experience, and community partnerships. She is also very perceptive in linking marketing strategy with the segments, products, and analytics that enhance how we serve our clients and communities. We are delighted to welcome her to the Hancock Whitney team.”
Ethridge, who has more than 20 years’ experience launching breakthrough marketing campaigns and client experience initiatives, has managed strategy and development for numerous Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits, focusing most of her career in financial services. Before joining Hancock Whitney, Ethridge was with Wells Fargo in San Francisco, California, serving in two senior vice president roles: first, as the customer excellence leader for the consumer credit card group; then, as the leader of strategic insights and marketing for commercial banking. She has also served as a marketing strategy consultant for companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Disney, Costco, Schiff Nutrition, and Fitbit. Ethridge started her financial services career at American Express, where she spent a decade in various marketing leadership roles and won the Chairman’s Award for Innovation for the Entertainment Access Platform.
She also has a long-standing passion for developing public and private partnerships that help strengthen local communities. Ethridge was part of the inaugural class of AmeriCorps, where she built a volunteer program at Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore to help low-income women learn business skills critical to becoming successful entrepreneurs.
“I am thrilled to join Hancock Whitney, a regional bank so committed to its communities and to strong core values that align with my own ideals,” said Ethridge. “Whether it’s putting my experience to work promoting financial health, optimizing marketing and sponsorships efforts, or developing client-centric value propositions, I am eager to make a difference. An added bonus is bringing my husband back to his home state of Mississippi and the New Orleans area where I have been visiting for the past two decades.”
Ethridge holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. She earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management in Ithaca, New York. Raised in Massachusetts, she has spent much of her professional career in Washington, DC, New York, and San Francisco.
For More Information
Paul Maxwell, Senior Communications Officer
paul.maxwell@hancockwhitney.com
228.867.8690 or
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