Executive Management

Frank Holding, Jr. is Chairman and CEO of First Citizens BancShares, Inc., and First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. Mr. Holding was elected Chairman in February 2009 and has served as CEO since January 2008. Mr. Holding currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for both FlyExclusive and the Mount OIive Pickle Company, Inc., and is a past chairman of the North Carolina Chamber. Additionally, Mr. Holding currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Wake Forest University.

A native of Smithfield, N.C., Mr. Holding received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from The Wharton School of Finance, University of Pennsylvania.

Hope Bryant is Vice Chairwoman of First Citizens BancShares, Inc., and First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. Mrs. Bryant was appointed to this role in 2011 and has been instrumental in our expansion across the United States. She currently leads the General Bank including our expansive branch network, wealth management and other business lines such as treasury management, insurance and merchant. Mrs. Bryant currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the YMCA of the Triangle.

A native of Smithfield, N.C., Mrs. Bryant earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Peter Bristow is the President and a member of the Board of First Citizens BancShares, Inc., and First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company and has served on the companies’ boards since his appointment in 2014. Mr. Bristow is responsible for overseeing the company’s Rail business and Commercial Bank, which encompasses commercial finance and real estate, middle market lending and a variety of industry verticals. In addition, Mr. Bristow oversees SVB Commercial, a leader in serving the innovation economy, as well as private equity and venture capital firms. Mr. Bristow serves on a number of non-profit boards including the North Carolina Community Foundation and the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation.

A native of Richmond, V.A., Mr. Bristow earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

Craig Nix is the Chief Financial Officer and has served in this role since 2014. Mr. Nix is responsible for all corporate finance functions, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, reporting, investor relations, and treasury.

A native of Columbia, S.C., Mr. Nix earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Lorie Rupp is the Chief Risk Officer and has served in this role since 2017. Prior to being appointed Chief Risk Officer, Mrs. Rupp was our Chief Accounting Officer. Mrs. Rupp oversees all aspects of the company’s corporate risk oversight activities including enterprise and operational risk, credit risk, legal and compliance.

A native of Iowa, Mrs. Rupp earned a bachelor’s degree in St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

Jeff Ward is the Chief Strategy Officer and has served in this role since 2014. As our Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Ward is responsible for corporate strategy development and implementation while also overseeing our Integration Management Office and the Direct Bank. In addition to his role at First Citizens, he is a board member at Teen Cancer America.

A native of Asheville, N.C., Mr. Ward earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from North Carolina State University.

Greg Smith is the Chief Information and Operations Officer and was appointed to this role in January 2024.  In this newly created position, Mr. Smith is responsible for the strategic enablement of technology, operations, cyber and data functions across the enterprise.

Prior to joining First Citizens, Mr. Smith worked at TD Bank Financial Group in Toronto, Canada from 2019 to 2023. Most recently, he served as head of Transformation and Corporate Operations. Prior to that role, Mr. Smith served as head of North American Contact Centers & ATM Channels and as head of North American Customer Operations for TD Bank Financial Group. Prior to his Canadian assignment, he held various leadership positions at TD Bank, NA between 2010 and 2019. 

A graduate of Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, Mr. Smith received bachelor’s degrees in both Computer Science and Business Administration. Mr. Smith also earned his MBA from Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY.

Matt Martin is the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary and has served in this role since May 2024. Mr. Martin is responsible for providing legal counsel to the Board of Directors and executive management and overseeing legal support for all segments of the bank. Prior to joining First Citizens, Mr. Martin served as United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. He also was Associate General Counsel of Duke Energy Corporation and a partner at the Smith Anderson law firm. Mr. Martin has served in leadership positions on the boards of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Meals on Wheels, and the Marbles Kids Museum, on several committees of the North Carolina Bar Association, and as chair of the Wake County Planning Board.

Mr. Martin received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Don Preskenis is the Chief Internal Audit Officer and has served in this role since 2010. Mr. Preskenis independently oversees all aspects of the company’s internal audit activities reporting directly to the Joint Audit Committee.

A native of Boston, Mass., Mr. Preskenis earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and an MBA from Suffolk University. He is a Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Bank Auditor, and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control.

West Ludwig is the Chief Human Resources Officer and has served in this role since 2018. Mr. Ludwig is responsible for developing the company’s long-range people strategy and implementing HR programs and policies across the enterprise. He oversees all aspects of First Citizens’ HR function including talent acquisition, talent development, learning, compensation, benefits, payroll, employee relations, inclusion, HR governance, business partner support and the associate service center.

Prior to joining First Citizens, Mr. Ludwig served as head of HR at technology company Machine Zone in Palo Alto, Calif, and as HR chief operating officer for Fidelity Investments in Boston, Mass., and Raleigh, North Carolina. Prior to his tenure at Fidelity, Mr. Ludwig was a member of the HR executive committee for Dell Technologies Inc. based out of Austin, Texas, where he served in a variety of HR leadership roles.

Mr. Ludwig earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida and serves on the board of the Triangle United Arts Council.