CenterState in Fla. Names Head of Loan Trading and Hedges

CenterState Banks (CSFL) in Davenport, Fla., has appointed Ed Kofman to head its loan trading and hedge desk as managing director.

Kofman was managing director at PCBB Capital Markets, a division of Pacific Coast Bankers' Bancshares (PCBB). Previously he was a financial risk manager at Wells Fargo's (WFC) capital markets group and at Bank of America (BAC). Kofman also served as a loan officer and a director in the corporate finance group at Bank of Nova Scotia.

"In the next several years, the ability for banks to manage interest and credit risks will be central in driving their loan growth and profitability," Kofman said in a press release Thursday. "CenterState's internal aspirations, combined with its impressive growth in correspondent banking, makes this an ideal platform to make community banks more competitive."

The $2.4 billion-asset CenterState agreed in January to buy First Southern Bancorp (FSOF) in Boca Raton, Fla., for $189.5 million. It also announced plans to close 13% of its branches and lay off 57 employees.