About Us
Sam Drennen is a dynamic banking executive with over 30 years of experience in consulting and financial services. Passionate about driving innovation and strategic leadership, he specializes in bridging the gap between technology and the people that use it to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency.
Sam holds a Master of International Management from Thunderbird, an MBA from the University of Houston, and is a graduate of the LSU Graduate School of Banking. His expertise in workforce development and process optimization fosters creative solutions that strengthen banking systems and stakeholder relationships.
For the last 11 years, Sam has been the Chief Operating Officer for First American Bank & Trust where he led multiple departments, spearheaded initiatives in digital banking integration, fraud prevention, payments innovation, and core system optimization. A collaborative leader, he brings diverse teams together to solve complex challenges, always valuing the expertise and efforts of his colleagues. These skills and initiatives served First American Bank well resulting in strong performance numbers that include ROAA of 1.95%, ROAE of 15.71% and Efficiency Ratio of 50.08% for 2025.
A dedicated industry advocate, Sam served on the Georgia Bankers Association (GBA) Leadership Board, is current Chair of the GBA Operations and Technology Board, member of the ABA Financial Crimes Board and Emerging Leaders Council. He also contributes to several American Bankers Association working groups, including, the Grassroots Working Group, and the Small Bank Check Fraud Working Group. For these efforts and his ongoing commitment to supporting the industry and Georgia banks in particular, Sam was awarded the ABA Emerging Leader of the Year Award at the annual ABA annual convention in Charlotte in October of 2025.
Based just outside the vibrant college town of Athens, Georgia, Sam enjoys traveling the world with his wife, Susanna, and their young-adult twins, James and Emma. When not abroad, he can be found cycling on roads and trails, fly fishing on rivers or skiing down mountains with his family.