We are excited to introduce a new feature in our weekly Monday Morning Report newsletter to showcase our highest-level members. Leaders You Should Know highlights community leaders who are making a notable impact in the Nashville region.
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Meet David Briggs | Tennessee Regional President of Fifth Third Bank
Tell us about yourself?
I have had the privilege of working in banking for nearly 35 years, assisting clients, communities, and teammates across numerous business lines over my career, including retail/branch banking, private wealth, commercial and co-branded credit card. Since 2000, I’ve been located in middle Tennessee and am fortunate to have been able to serve in numerous community and civic organizations while leading banking teams and raising our two children here.
Tell us about your business/industry.
Banking is a dynamic, ever-evolving industry, but at its core, it’s never lost its primary purpose of helping our communities prosper. Fifth Third strives to lead through advice and a full array of solutions; we aim to be the one bank people and communities most trust. We are fortunate to have 350 team members in Tennessee and just opened our 43rd financial center in the state.
What should we know about you?
Besides having the privilege of leading Fifth Third in Tennessee, I also take full advantage of what Middle Tennessee has to offer. I’ve had the privilege of competing in cycling racing for 22 years, taking full advantage of Middle Tennessee’s amazing roads, terrain, and beauty. I am also a passionate water skier and barefooter. I’ve been married to Jenny Horn Briggs for 32 years and have 25-year-old twins, Katie and Kyle, who were 1 when we moved to Middle Tennessee and graduated from Ravenwood; then Katie went on to UT and Kyle to Alabama. Both work in and still call TN home!
How did you get to your current position?
I spent 27 years at Bank of America, moving 6 times in 10 years across North Carolina before moving to Nashville in 2000. In 2016, I followed a former Bank of America executive who had founded Capital Bank and was interested in aggressively hiring and growing its Tennessee presence. A year later, we sold to First Horizon, where I was the Commercial and Industrial Line of Business Executive. In 2018, I had the opportunity to join Fifth Third as the Tennessee Senior Commercial Banker, and then in July 2020, I moved to my current role as Tennessee Regional President.
What value do you see in Chamber involvement?
As a rapidly growing and evolving region, the Chamber serves a vital role in connecting businesses, leading the business community around policy issues, and providing a collective voice of business to our local and state government leaders. In addition, the Chamber is the engine to continue to recruit, retain, and nurture businesses, helping to ensure a vibrant workforce and its development.
What is your leadership style? How does that motivate yourself and your team?
At times, leadership can be overly complicated. To me, effective leadership is simple: provide energy and enthusiasm to the team and ensure they know I work for them, not the other way around.
How do you stay engaged in the community?
During the pandemic, as many businesses went to a remote work environment, we really saw first-hand how vital businesses are to our communities; local coffee shops rely on us to meet to visit and hold meetings; restaurants thrive on us having lunch connects or simply just popping in to grab a burrito; we took dry cleaners for granted on how convenient its service is; all of this was under stress during the pandemic. As such, it’s truly vital for all of us to be engaged in our communities. To me, one of the easiest ways to make an impact is civic board involvement, in which my teammates and I are involved in 60 different local nonprofits and community groups.
How does the Nashville area real estate market reflect the overall prosperity of the region?
The real estate growth in Nashville, both residential and commercial, has been extraordinary. At times, I think we all become somewhat immune to the magnitude, but anytime we have business teammates or friends that travel into the area, I’m reminded by their astonishment at our growth and how unique it truly is. That being said, we absolutely cannot rest on our laurels and assume this will all continue; it takes constant work and community leadership. Here again, the Chamber plays a vital role, whether around workforce readiness and development or affordable housing. The Chamber’s leadership and voice is critical.
What do you like to do in your spare time outside of work? Where will we find you on the weekends?
Nashville is a great place to live, work, raise a family, and PLAY!!! I take full advantage of our incredible environment—whether riding/racing bicycles, water and barefoot skiing, or just enjoying working in the yard—and I wouldn’t trade living, working, and playing anywhere else on the planet for Nashville!
