Regions Financial Corporation announced the formation of a new corporate and investment banking Financial Services Group led by Tom Dierdorff. Dierdorff has been appointed senior vice president and group head of Financial Services and managing director of Regions Securities LLC, reporting to John Barton, executive vice president and head of Specialized Industries.

Under Dierdorff's leadership, Regions will provide financing, capital markets and strategic solutions to insurance and insurance services companies, asset managers, broker-dealers, exchanges, specialty finance companies, depositories and other financial services businesses. The team will be based in Atlanta, Ga.

"Companies in the financial sector require products, services and expertise tailored to their specific needs in order to be successful," said Barton. "Under Tom's leadership we are well-positioned to meet the needs of growing financial services clients, and I'm pleased to have an individual of his experience and reputation leading this important new banking group."

Dierdorff brings 20 years of banking experience, primarily as a financial services specialist focused on corporate finance, merger and acquisition advisory, as well as capital raising in the loan syndications, debt and equity capital markets. For the past seven years, Dierdorff served as managing director in the Financial Services and Technology Investment Banking Group at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, where he led the insurance investment banking practice. Dierdorff previously worked for 11 years at Wachovia Securities covering insurance, bank and thrift, and other financial institutions clients. He received a bachelor's degree from Washington and Lee University and an MBA from Wake Forest University's Babcock Graduate School of Management.

Also joining Region's Financial Services Group are Jeff Nicolosi, Chris Whiddon and Peter Wesemeier. Nicolosi, a director in the group, was previously a senior banker in Mergers and Acquisitions and Financial Services Investment Banking at KeyBanc Capital Markets. He received his bachelor's degree from Miami University and his MBA from The University of Chicago. Whiddon, a vice president, joins Regions from specialty insurance managing general agency Archangel Specialty, where he served as founder and CEO. Whiddon previously worked at Sherman & Company and Wachovia Securities. He holds a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University. Wesemeier will serve as senior portfolio manager and financial services credit team leader, overseeing the group's credit underwriting and portfolio management functions. He previously worked at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and Commerzbank. Wesemeier holds a bachelor's degree from Mercer University.

Since 2008, Regions has expanded its banking and capital markets services for specialized industries, including Energy and Natural Resources, Healthcare, Restaurant, Defense and Government Services, Technology, Transportation, and Consumer Industry banking, with a focus on providing financing and strategic solutions to leading companies in growing and capital intensive industry segments.