BATON ROUGE – Argent Trust Company has announced the opening of its Baton Rouge office, giving the Ruston-based financial services group a presence in 31 markets across 12 Southern states.
Trust officers David Thibodeaux and Dominique Richard will focus on growing Argent’s presence throughout the Baton Rouge metropolitan area, reporting to Louisiana Market President Gary Moore.
“We’re excited for Argent to continue its growth across the state of Louisiana, where we were founded in 1991,” said Kyle McDonald, CEO of Argent Financial Group. “We couldn’t ask for more qualified people to be representing Argent in the capital city than David and Dominique, both of whom bring Louisiana roots and a deep dedication to serving their clients with an attitude of ‘humble confidence.’”
Thibodeaux, a native of Houma, Louisiana, joined Argent in January 2019 after spending 18 years as vice president and trust officer with J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Baton Rouge. In that position, he managed more than 150 client relationships, specializing in trust and estate administration with an emphasis on Louisiana trust laws and comprehensive investment management strategies. He is a certified trust and financial advisor (CTFA) and received his bachelor of science in business administration and finance from Nicolls State University.
Richard, born and raised in Baton Rouge, went on to graduate from Louisiana State University. Before joining Argent in January 2019, she had spent the past 11 years as associate trust and trust administrator with J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Baton Rouge. At that job, she provided fiduciary-level direction and support to more than 200 clients.
“I have a great appreciation for Argent’s Southern roots, unbiased approach and focus on clients’ individual needs, and am honored to join the team,” said Richard. “I look forward to nurturing the company’s fiduciary core values, while establishing long-standing relationships here in the Baton Rouge community.”
Argent employs 300 professionals with responsibility for over $20 billion in client assets and 2 million mineral acres. The company recently won a bronze Stevie award in the Fastest Growing Company category from the 17th Annual American Business Awards®, the only company in the state of Louisiana to do so.
In March, Argent was one of 10 companies named to the Louisiana Economic Development’s (LED) inaugural list of Louisiana Growth Leaders. The honor recognized Argent’s outstanding contributions to the health of its local and statewide communities through its company growth, strategy, leadership, culture and philanthropy.
“At Argent, we combine industry expertise with a genuine focus on building long-term relationships,” Moore said. “We’re glad to have the opportunity to be serving clients in and around Baton Rouge, a city with a remarkable history and an exciting future.”
“Dominique and I look forward to using our combined expertise to forge and grow client relationships here in the Baton Rouge community,” said Thibodeaux. “Trust is built one day at a time, and we intend to prioritize the needs of our clients and dedicate ourselves to growing and protecting their wealth.”
