Amerant to consolidate chairman, CEO titles

Amerant Bancorp in Coral Gables, Fla., is consolidating the roles of chairman and CEO. 

The $7.6 billion-asset Amerant said in a press release that Jerry Plush, its president and CEO, will succeed Frederick Copeland Jr. as chairman when Copeland retires after the company’s June 8 annual meeting.

Amerant said that J. Guillermo Villar will also retire following the meeting. 

The company will add four new directors – Orlando Ashford, Samantha Holroyd, John Quelch and Oscar Suarez – on April 1. Pamella Dana, a board member since 2007, will become lead independent director.

Ashford is a strategic adviser to Sycamore Partners, while Holroyd is an independent adviser to the oil and gas industry through Golden Advisory Services. 

Quelch is dean of the University of Miami Herbert Business School and the university’s vice provost for executive education. Suarez recently retired after 40 years of public accounting experience.