Jim Blanchard, Chairman, Synovus Financial Corp.
Jim began his service with Synovus Financial Corp. in June, 1970 when he was selected as the top executive at Columbus Bank and Trust Company, a position previously held by his father, James W. Blanchard. He served as CEO of Synovus from 1971 until being named Chairman of the Board in July 2005. His tenure has spanned the periods of greatest growth in the company's history. He rallied support for the passing of the Georgia Legislature's multi-bank holding company bill in 1976, and under his leadership, CB&T Bancshares became the first bank holding company in Georgia to acquire other banks under the new law. He also played an instrumental role in establishing Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS) in 1983, which now provides payments processing for more than 438 million cardholder accounts worldwide and is more than 80 percent owned by Synovus.
Education:
B.B.A., The University of Georgia, 1963
LL.B., The University of Georgia, 1965
Current Affiliations:
Summary:
Jim Blanchard currently serves as Chairman of Synovus Financial Corp., a more than $29 billion, multi- financial services company that provides a diverse set of products and services that touch people around the world. He has been named Chairman of the Board effective July 2005. His tenure has spanned the periods of greatest growth and prosperity in the company's history, which dates back to 1888.
Jim earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from The University of Georgia in 1963, and earned his law degree from The University of Georgia in 1965. He served two years as 1st Lieutenant and Finance Officer in the U.S. Army, and then returned to Columbus to join a law firm. In June 1970, at the age of 28, he was selected as the top executive at Columbus Bank and Trust Company, a position previously held by his father, James W. Blanchard.
Jim rallied support for the passing of the Georgia Legislature's multi-bank holding company bill in 1976, and under his leadership, CB&T Bancshares, later to be named Synovus Financial Corp., became the first bank holding company in Georgia to acquire other banks under the new law. Since that time, Synovus has operated under a decentralized, autonomous management approach for community banking, which has been strongly encouraged by Jim. He also played an instrumental role in establishing Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS) in 1983, which now provides payments processing for more than 438 million cardholder accounts worldwide and is more than 80 percent owned by Synovus.
Jim has long been an outspoken advocate of servant leadership, and he has fostered a culture at Synovus that places special emphasis on balancing work with the rest of life. Synovus has been named one of "The 100 Best Companies to Work For" in America by FORTUNE magazine, and has been recognized in its Hall of Fame for consecutive appearances on the list since its inception in 1998. In 2005, Synovus was also named as one of "America's Most Admired Companies." Synovus and its family of companies have earned reputations for outstanding customer service, leading-edge technological innovation and generous returns to shareholders. The success of Synovus demonstrates companies can achieve superior financial performance and "treat folks right."
Jim places tremendous emphasis on leadership education at Synovus, which focuses on servant leadership principles. Jim has said, "Servant leadership is a worthy goal unto itself. We run our company this way simply because it's right, because every person who labors here has great worth and deserves to be treated so. Our company is built on these values. They define who we are."
Jim serves as a board member of Columbus Bank and Trust Company and Chairman of the Executive Committee and board member of TSYS. He also serves on several other corporate boards in Georgia, and has been active in state and local government, education, conservation, economic development and the United Way. For his contributions, Jim was the first executive outside the greater Atlanta area chosen as Georgia Trend magazine'`s "Most Respected CEO" in the state for 1997. Georgia Trend magazine also honored him as "Georgian of the Year" for 2003 and U.S. Banker magazine named him one of the "25 Most Influential People in Financial Services" for 2005.
Located in the Cunningham Center of Columbus State University, The Leadership Institute develops and enhances the skills of today's and future leaders while engaging them in challenging interactive workshops critical to their organization's future. The Institute conducts value-based, leadership development programs for first-line supervisors through senior management executives. The Institute for Leadership Development partners with business to address challenges, identify opportunities, and design and deliver solutions. It also prepares the next generation leadership team for the great responsibility they will assume. These values-based programs are designed to enhance the capabilities of leaders using cutting-edge, thought-provoking methodology. The Institute will work with participants to develop a program to meet their organization's needs. We facilitate professional seminars in the Cunningham Center for Leadership Development, a state-of-the-art training and conference facility on the campus of Columbus State University, or we will deliver them to the site of your choice.
