GULFPORT, Miss., Aug. 4, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hugh B. "Tre" Harris, III, a 24-year veteran of the Gulf South financial services industry, recently joined Hancock Holding Company (Nasdaq:HBHC) as Chief Internal Auditor.
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Harris, a Hancock vice president, previously directed all of the financial audit activities for the United States and Puerto Rico entities of the nation's 15th largest commercial bank.
"We are very pleased to welcome Tre' Harris to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Hancock Holding Company team. His two decades of success in the internal audit field will prove a great asset for our company as we implement risk management and compliance strategies that further strengthen and distinguish Hancock's legacy of integrity and financial soundness," said Chief Financial Officer Michael M. Achary.
Harris, a native of Birmingham, Ala., earned a bachelor of science degree in corporate finance from The University of Alabama and an MBA from Samford University and holds the Certified Bank Auditor and Certified Risk Professional designations. He also holds a Series 7 license (General Securities Registered Representative). Harris served as a board member of the Birmingham Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors, chapter advisor for the Bank Administration Institute, and member of the State of Alabama Banking Department's Minimum Audit Standards Committee. He has taught Sunday School and volunteered as an elementary school PTO board member. Harris was also a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Hancock Holding Company is the parent company of Hancock Bank, with assets of approximately $8.5 billion. Founded October 9, 1899, Hancock Bank operates more than 180 Gulf South banking and financial services offices and more than 160 ATMs in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Hancock Bank has rated as one of America's strongest, safest banks for more than 20 consecutive years. Additional corporate information and e-banking are available at www.hancockbank.com.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
CONTACT: Hancock Holding Company
R. Paul Maxwell, VP & Corporate Communications Manager
228.563.7953
paul_maxwell@hancockbank.com