Argent Trust Company announced today that it has promoted Deanna Rankin to chief risk officer, Amy Rhodes to chief compliance officer and Kimberly Breithaupt to chief audit executive. Rhodes will report to Rankin, and Breithaupt will report functionally to the audit committee and administratively to Rankin. Rankin will report to Chief Financial Officer Laurie Parks.
With more than 30 years of experience in the wealth management industry, Rankin joined Argent in July 2018 as chief compliance officer. In her new role, she will lead efforts to identify, analyze and mitigate fiduciary risks and oversee the daily functions of the vendor management program and business continuity program across the Argent footprint.
Rankin earned a bachelor of business administration in management degree from Abilene Christian University and is also a graduate of the Cannon Fiduciary & Investment Risk School, where she earned the certified fiduciary & investment risk specialist (CFIRS) certification. She is an active member of the Fiduciary & Investment Risk Management Association (FIRMA) and serves on the board of directors, where she assists with the organization’s publications and nomination committees.
“Over the past three years, Deanna has demonstrated professionalism and commitment to Argent and our clients, which has not gone unnoticed,” said Parks. “We’re excited to welcome her into this role and see her growth within our organization.”
Rhodes has been in the trust industry for more than three decades and is a CFIRS and certified IRA specialist (CIS). She is an active member of FIRMA and the Conservation Society of San Antonio. Rhodes attended Texas A&M University, where she studied environmental design. She joined Argent in November 2018 as a vice president and senior compliance officer. As CCO, her duties include overseeing the daily functions of the fiduciary compliance department and ensuring all applicable laws, regulations, rules, and statutes are adhered to across the 12 states in which Argent operates.
Breithaupt began her career with Argent in July 1996. She previously served as a senior vice president and senior audit manager and has also served as Argent’s chief risk officer, where she managed the compliance and risk management department. Breithaupt has extensive experience in the areas of trust operations and fiduciary compliance and is a CFIRS. In her new role, she will be responsible for directing the fiduciary internal audit program.
Breithaupt earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Louisiana Tech University. She is also a graduate of Cannon Fiduciary & Investment Risk School, where she earned her CFIRS, and is an honor graduate of Cannon Trust School. Breithaupt is an active member of FIRMA, where she serves on the education committee and is a leader of a peer group for compliance and audit professionals.
“Since joining Argent, it was readily apparent that our seasoned team is the epitome of high-achieving professionals, while still paying close attention to the details,” said Rankin. “Amy and Kimberly’s promotions are incredibly well-deserved, and I’m honored to work alongside them and maintain our companies’ impeccable standards and compliance throughout the organization, with our professional partners and ultimately our clients.”