“Destined to be a banker.”
Richard E. Anthony, 66, was born in Troy, Ala., and from the beginning, he was destined to be a banker.
His maternal great-great-grandfather founded Farmers & Merchants Bank in Troy in 1880. In 1906, his great-great-uncle founded Troy Bank and Trust. And his paternal grandfather was chairman and CEO of Commercial Bank in Andalusia, where he was succeeded by Richard Anthony’s father Eiland Eland Anthony Jr. In addition, his son, two brothers and two brothers-in-law are or have been involved in the financial services industry.
And while American bankers are sometimes painted as a tough bunch, Anthony guided Synovus to the No. 1 ranking on the Fortune Magazine’s list of the best places to work in America. “We try to do more than just compensate people,” Anthony said at the time. “People want more from an employer than just compensation.” Synovus employees call it a “culture of the heart.”
Anthony earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Alabama and continued his education at the University of Virginia where he received his MBA. He also graduated from the management and banking programs at Duke University and Louisiana State University.
The retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Synovus Financial Corp., a regional banking company headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, with banking offices in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee, began his banking career at AmSouth Bank where he served as Executive Vice President. As a co-founder of First Commercial Bancshares in 1985, he helped lead the company’s expansion into Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, and Huntsville, using its Jasper community banking presence as a foundation.
Anthony was President of First Commercial Bancshares when it merged with Synovus in 1992. He became vice-chairman of Synovus in 1996, overseeing Synovus’ banking operations. In 2003, he became president and chief operating officer, then taking over CEO responsibilities in 2005. In 2006 he was named Chairman and CEO. His service at Synovus concluded in April 2012, when he retired as a board member.
His leadership responsibilities at Synovus covered a tumultuous period of financial stress and he led the company through two major capital raises, a dramatic restructuring, and a successful spin-off of Total Systems Services, its credit card processing subsidiary.
Civic affiliations have included: President, Birmingham Kiwanis Club; Captain, Monday Morning Quarterback Club; Leadership Birmingham; Leadership Alabama; The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet; the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration’s Board of Visitors; Member of the Board of Directors for the School of Fine Arts; Director of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. He also led the United Way Campaign in Columbus, Georgia, and was Chairman of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.
Anthony served on the Board of Directors of the American Bankers Association, the Financial Services Roundtable, and Total Systems Services, Inc.
Anthony and his wife, Ginny, have been married 45 years and have two grown children, Richard Jr. and Lee, and six grandchildren.
He began playing golf at age eight and still plays. He played competitively at the junior and amateur levels in his teens and early 20s, winning a number of events including the Alabama State Junior Championship, The Future Masters Tournament, and the Alabama State Amateur Tournament.
