SHEFFIELD – After 29 years, Macke Mauldin is handing the reins as president of Bank Independent to veteran banker Jason Windham, the bank announced today.
In another move, CJ Ryan has been named president of Interstate Billing Service, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank Independent.
“It has been an honor to serve as president of the bank for the past 29 years,” said Mauldin, who will remain as CEO. “As I continue to focus on leading the company, serving our team members, and advocating for the priorities that matter most to our customers, our community, and our industry, I need to share some of my duties.
“Our organization is fortunate to have an outstanding team of leaders who are willing and able to take on the responsibility of leadership.”
Windham, who has 29 years of banking experience in Alabama, is a member of the bank’s executive team and has served as president of Interstate Billing since 2018. Prior to that, he worked in sales management and credit risk at the bank and Interstate Billing.
Before joining Bank Independent in 2009, Windham worked one year as a commercial lender with First National Bank of Jasper and 12 years as an examiner with the Alabama State Banking Department.
“The president is the face of the bank,” said Mauldin. “I’m thrilled our Board of Directors has selected Jason for this role because he has demonstrated immense ability as a banker and a leader.
“He is respected and loved throughout our company, our communities, and in our industry.”
Windham earned his MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2001 and his bachelor’s in finance from Troy University in 1996. He is a graduate of the LSU Graduate School of Banking and the Alabama Banking School. Windham was named in 2024 the Executive Director of ABS, and he was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the Graduate School of Banking at LSU in 2024, where he is also on the faculty, helping senior students operate a simulated bank.
Ryan most recently served dual roles as the director of operations for IBS and vice president – Project Management, responsible for the day-to-day operating environment of the accounts receivable billing business. He is a member of the leadership teams for Bank Independent and Interstate Billing Service, helping facilitate the alignment of the organization’s strategies. He joined the organization in 2010.
“With Jason’s promotion at the bank, I am excited to have CJ leading Interstate Billing Service as president,” Mauldin said. “Since he began leading operations at IBS several years ago, CJ has dug into the details of that business line and won the trust and respect of everyone around him.
“I know he will continue to build on that success.”
Ryan earned a bachelor’s in human resource management from the University of North Alabama in 2006 followed by an MBA in 2008. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and an agile certified Project Management Professional (PMI-ACP) with the Project Management Institute. He has been instrumental in establishing the organization’s project management and process improvement methodologies.
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