Southern Bancorp promotes longtime leader to chief banking officer

Poplar Bluff, Mo.-based Southern Bancorp and its subsidiary Southern Bank appointed Justin Cox chief banking officer. .Cox’s appointment is effective May 1. Cox, regional president for the company and bank, is expected to remain executive vice president for both. The board promoted Cox after reviewing recommendations included in a recent process improvement project undertaken by a community banking consultant firm. “We believe this structure will improve our organization, as we align our customer engagement leadership under a single executive who will devote his full attention to ensuring that business development and customer experience efforts are consistently performed well across our organization,” noted Chair Greg Steffens. Cox has 22 years of banking industry experience, including 15 at the nearly $5 billion Southern Bancorp. He was hired in 2010 as a lending officer, and was quickly promoted to community bank president and later regional president. Cox has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration-marketing and management from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. President and Chief Administrative Officer Matthew Funke credited Cox for leading the bank’s west region team as it grew its loan and deposit business. “That background provides an excellent basis for him to take on this new role,” Funke said. “Our team and our customers can look forward to a better-unified customer engagement process with his new role.”