First Merchants Corp. named Mike Hurst president of region banking.
He will be responsible for First Merchants’ markets in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.
Hurst will lead all regional banking teams consisting of middle market commercial banking. He previously served as region president and as commercial banking manager with First Merchants for 13 years.
“Aligning all regions under common leadership just makes sense,” said Mike Stewart, First Merchants president. “Having Mike in this important role will help us increase effectiveness and better serve our clients and communities.”
Hurst said he looks forward to his new role.
“With a localized approach, we can further meet the needs of our clients in all regions and continue to build upon our footprint,” he said.
Hurst, a graduate of Purdue University, with bachelor’s degrees in management and psychology and a master’s degree in management, has more than 25 years of industry experience. Previously, he worked in commercial credit and sales for National City Bank, now PNC Bank.
Hurst is the president of the Morgan County Economic Development Corp. and serves on the boards for Susie’s Place Child Advocacy Center and Lynx Capital Corp., a minority lending organization.
Muncie-based First Merchants has assets of approximately $14.1 billion and operates 130 banking offices in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. It has 18 locations in Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois, including a commercial lending center in South Bend.
