United Community Banks, Inc. promotes Mike Bruman as CEO of Navitas Credit Corp.
Bruman joined Navitas in 2010 as Chief Credit Officer, leading the company’s multiple credit divisions. In 2022, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He was responsible for managing the senior leadership team, which is comprised of all the key functional areas of the organization. Over the past year, under his leadership, Navitas has continued to experience record growth. The company is currently managing over 1.3 billion in assets and is nearing $1 billion in originations, making Navitas one of the top-recognized equipment financing companies in the country. In February 2018, Navitas was acquired by United Community Banks, Inc., one of the largest full-service financial institutions in the Southeast.
Prior to joining Navitas, Bruman’s 30-year-plus career in equipment finance began as a Manager of Credit and Funding Operations with Sequa Credit Corp., a small ticket equipment leasing company. He then joined AT&T Capital as a Credit Manager for the Northeast Region. In 1995, he moved to Copelco Capital to support credit in their major accounts and new technology division. In 1999, he accepted a position with CIT’s Vendor and Finance Group as Credit Officer to assist in the launch of their newly formed division. During his tenure at CIT, he was instrumental in helping grow the business into a multi-billion-dollar platform.
“I am beyond excited to take on this new role. Gary Shivers was the reason I initially joined Navitas. His strategy for the company was in lockstep with what I believed a successful small ticket leasing company should be. It is as basic as continuing to invest in your people, keep innovating, and never forgetting to deliver the highest level of customer service. These are the catalysts that drive our success,” said Bruman. “Navitas has done an incredible job of delivering on these core beliefs, and to keep the company growing and managing ever-changing market conditions, I plan to stay true to this vision. I look forward to building on Gary’s legacy and leading this company to even higher levels of success.”
“Working with Mike over the last several years gives the bank and me the utmost confidence that he is the ideal choice to take the reins from Gary. Over the past year as COO, he clearly demonstrated that he understands how to manage risk and maximize growth. As a key contributor to the company’s culture, Mike is uniquely qualified to take on his new CEO role. I’m looking forward to seeing Mike lead Navitas in its next chapter of success,” said Lynn Harton, CEO of United Community Bank.
About United Community Banks, Inc.
United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) provides a full range of banking, wealth management and mortgage services for consumers and business owners. As of December 31, 2022, United had $24.0 billion in assets and 192 offices in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, along with a national SBA lending franchise and a national equipment lending subsidiary. The company, known as "The Bank That SERVICE Built," has been recognized nationally for delivering award-winning service. In 2022, J.D. Power ranked United highest in customer satisfaction with consumer banking in the Southeast, marking eight out of the last nine years United has earned the coveted award. Forbes recognized United as one of the top ten World's Best Banks in 2022. Forbes also included United on its 2022 list of the 100 Best Banks in America for the ninth consecutive year. United also received ten Greenwich Excellence Awards in 2021 for excellence in Small Business Banking and Middle Market Banking, including national awards for Overall Satisfaction and Likelihood to Recommend. United was also named one of the "Best Banks to Work For" by American Banker in 2022 for the sixth consecutive year based on employee satisfaction. Additional information about United can be found at www.ucbi.com.
