Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFST), holding company for Southern First Bank, announced the appointment of Dave Favela as Chief Innovation Officer.

Favela joins Southern First with 14 years of experience in financial technology in the San Francisco Bay area. After graduating from Sonoma State with a bachelor’s degree in finance, Favela started his career at a mobile banking startup, mFoundry, in financial planning and analysis. After being acquired by FIS Global, he moved into a product management role, heading up data and analytics, and most recently served as VP of Strategic Planning for FIS, focusing on innovation for the core and digital banking division.

The introduction of this new role and the selection of Favela for the position are strategically important to the bank’s focus on the client experience. Southern First is committed to a relationship-first approach to banking, backed by technology that extends that same approach to online and mobile banking. “People bank with people, not with banks. I am excited to help further the technology platform and services here to support the core strength of this company – relationship banking,” said Favela. Favela will support all divisions of the bank through technology services and help shape Southern First’s future client strategies.

“Dave is a forward-thinking leader, and his fresh perspective will help us create new, meaningful ways for us to impact lives,” said Art Seaver, CEO. “His vision will guide how we anticipate and fulfill client needs now and in the future.”