SMARTFINANCIAL INC. 8-K

What Happened

• SmartFinancial, Inc. (through its wholly‑owned subsidiary SmartBank) announced on March 31, 2026 that Cynthia A. Cain (age 53) has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.
• Ms. Cain has served as the Company’s Chief Accounting Officer since August 2022 and joined SmartBank in 2019 after serving as Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (May 2019–Aug 2022).

Key Details

• Promotion effective date: March 31, 2026.
• Experience: ~30 years in accounting and more than 17 years in the financial industry; 12 years as Senior Vice President in Accounting at South State Bank (Columbia, SC).
• Prior roles at SmartBank: Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (May 2019–Aug 2022), Chief Accounting Officer (Aug 2022–present).
• Governance disclosures: No arrangements or understandings related to her appointment; no family relationships with Company directors/executive officers; not party to any related‑party transactions requiring Item 404(a) disclosure.
• The Company attached a press release announcing the promotion as Exhibit 99.1 to the Form 8‑K.

Why It Matters

• This is an internal promotion to a senior operational role, signaling continuity in management and direct elevation of a finance-focused executive into operations.
• Investors should note the shift because the COO oversees day‑to‑day operations and can influence execution of the bank’s operational initiatives, controls, and integration of finance and operations functions.
• The filing contains standard governance disclosures (no related‑party issues disclosed) and the announcement was made via press release filed with the 8‑K.