Fifth Third Bancorp has announced it is expanding its commercial banking capabilities to serve Texas-based middle-market companies by hiring Scott Silvas as market president.

Based in Houston, Silvas will be responsible for building teams in Houston and Dallas to support the needs of middle-market companies across the state. Silvas brings more than 15 years of banking experience to the role and will report to Tom Heiks, executive vice president and head of middle-market banking for Fifth Third.

“Scott knows the market well and understands client needs unique to the area,” said Heiks. “He also has experience in recruiting top talent within the market. This positions him well to lead Fifth Third’s efforts in developing a strong commercial bank in Texas and we’re excited to have local leadership on board.”

This expands Fifth Third’s capabilities in Texas. The Bank currently has nearly 30 employees in Dallas and Houston who provide corporate banking services to clients nationwide. The position also builds upon Fifth Third’s well-established commercial vertical and market expansion strategy. The Bank most recently announced Joe Yurosek as its market president for California.

“Establishing a market president in Texas is a continuation of Fifth Third’s commitment to expand its broad range of commercial solutions in high-potential markets,” said Lars Anderson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Fifth Third Bank. “We’ve seen success in California and believe we can deliver value in Texas, a market I am very familiar with.”
 
Silvas joins Fifth Third from JP Morgan Chase, where he served as executive director and managing market executive for the Houston Middle Market Group since 2014. Prior to that, he held various roles with JP Morgan since 2010. Silvas began his career in 2003 with Bank of Texas, part of BOK Financial.