On June 14, Houston-based Cadence Bank announced the appointment of Shanna Kuzdzal as chief legal officer. She succeeds Chuck Pignuolo, who has served as the bank’s chief legal officer since 2014. In addition to providing legal counsel to Cadence Bank’s board of directors, executive leadership and senior management, Kuzdzal will lead a team of in-house attorneys and guide the corporate legal strategy.

“Shanna is an experienced attorney with a strong legal background in the financial services industry, and we are fortunate to have her join our company,” says Dan Rollins, chairman and CEO. “As we welcome Shanna, we also wish to acknowledge Chuck’s many valuable contributions over his time with us. Shanna’s innovative approach to handling legal matters—as well as her proven decision-making, communication and negotiation skills—will build on the solid foundation that Chuck has laid. She will play an instrumental role in supporting our company and its leaders.”

Kuzdzal has nearly two decades of legal experience in the corporate, finance, securities and mergers-and-acquisitions sectors. Before joining Cadence Bank, she was senior executive vice president and general counsel of Stellar Bancorp Inc., created by the merger of Allegiance Bancshares Inc. and CBTX Inc. She served as senior vice president and associate general counsel at Prosperity Bank prior to her role at Stellar Bancorp. Previously, she worked at Bracewell (formerly Bracewell & Giuliani) as a corporate and securities attorney.

Kuzdal received her JD degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and biology from Rice University. Actively involved in the Houston community, she is president-elect and a director at The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston, a director and immediate past president at the Southwest Association of Bank Counsel, and a member of the Executive Women’s Partnership of the Greater Houston Partnership.

Established in 1876 and with headquarters in both Houston and Tupelo, Mississippi, Cadence Bank has more than 350 branch locations across the South and Texas.