Encore Financial institution names Gary Edwards as Chief Audit Officer

Little Rock-based Encore Financial institution named Gary Edwards as government vp and chief audit officer. Edwards steps in for Elizabeth Bradley, who has been promoted to Encore’s government vp and chief danger officer.

Edwards, who might be primarily based in Little Rock, will lead Encore’s inside audit features and can oversee the analysis of operational insurance policies, procedures, inside controls and governance processes throughout all enterprise traces.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Gary to the Encore workforce,” mentioned Burt Hicks, Encore’s president and chief technique and development officer. “In simply over three years Encore has expanded its footprint into 20 markets throughout eight states and has added a number of enterprise traces. Gary will play an important position as we take our operations to scale. Together with his depth of data and huge expertise consulting with monetary establishments, Gary might be a useful member of our workforce.”

Earlier than becoming a member of Encore, Edwards spent his total 21-year profession in public accounting at BKD, LLP of Little Rock, with a majority of that point spent serving monetary establishments.

His expertise consists of audit/attestation providers, SEC compliance, administrators’ examinations, mergers and acquisitions, public choices, non-public inventory choices, inside audit procedures, mortgage critiques and numerous consulting providers.

“I’ve labored with the smallest financial institution in Arkansas, and I’ve labored with multibillion-dollar banks,” mentioned Edwards. “I’ve seen banks go public, and I’ve taken banks over the billion-dollar threshold. After 21 years in public accounting, I’ve seen rather a lot within the banking trade, however I’ve by no means been a banker. I’m actually trying ahead to this transition. It’s one thing I’ve wished to do since I used to be on the Financial institution Board in highschool.”