Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE: TFC) today announced Patrick O’Malley has been named regional president for its West Virginia region. O’Malley, who most recently served as Truist middle market banking leader in West Virginia, assumed his new role as regional president on Sept. 7, 2021, succeeding Bobby Blakley, who will retire on Sept. 30, 2021, after a banking career spanning 33 years.
“Patrick is an experienced client and community champion with a strong track record advising clients in health care, manufacturing, higher education, commercial real estate and in the energy sector, and we’re pleased to appoint him as regional president for West Virginia,” said David Weaver, Truist chief commercial community banking officer. ”We’re grateful for Bobby’s leadership and success in this market, and we wish him the very best as he embarks on his retirement journey.”
O’Malley, born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, and a graduate of George Washington High School, began his banking career at Truist predecessor BB&T in 2006 as a credit analyst and completed BB&T’s leadership development program. Over the course of his career, he has held sales and credit leadership roles of increasing responsibility in the West Virginia region, including most recently serving as middle market banking leader. O’Malley earned his MBA from West Virginia University after graduating from the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a concentration in finance, and while competing in the Atlantic10 conference for the Richmond Spiders’ Men’s Basketball program. An active member of the community, he serves on several nonprofit boards, including Daymark Inc., Charleston Main Streets, Hurricane Youth Basketball League and Leadership West Virginia.
Blakley retires from his role as West Virginia regional president, a position he held since December 2019, upon the closing of the merger of equals between BB&T Corporation and SunTrust Banks, Inc. Prior to that, Blakley served as West Virginia regional president for BB&T from 2011 to 2019 and previously held leadership roles across the bank’s retail and corporate banking businesses in Greensboro, North Carolina; Atlanta; and in West Virginia.
Blakley was a very active board member of the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, served on the boards of the West Virginia Bankers Association, West Virginia Roundtable, Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute, the Truist West Virginia Foundation and was a member of the Rotary Club of Charleston.
Truist operates under a community-banking model, which means its leadership and decision-making are close to the communities it serves. Regional presidents lead a local team comprised of experienced financial professionals dedicated to serving the company’s diverse mix of clients, including business banking, commercial banking, middle market banking, not-for-profit/government banking, and regional commercial real estate clients. Regional presidents work closely with dedicated industry and advisory teams comprised of selected experts in industry verticals, specialty products and strategic advisory solutions to provide complex capabilities for their clients.
