Pinnacle Financial Partners is the No. 1 Top Workplace in South Carolina

Pinnacle Financial Partners was named the  No. 1 Top Workplace in South Carolina for the sixth year in a row. The firm has been on the list since 2019. Pinnacle also received the Work/Life Flexibility Award, presented to companies that empower team members to balance personal and professional demands while maintaining high performance.

Team members from the firm’s Upstate and Coastal regions celebrated together at the announcement event, hosted by Integrated Media Publishing at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The news is featured in Greenville Business Magazine, Charleston Business Magazine and Columbia Business Monthly.

“Awards like these give us the chance to celebrate what we work toward every day of the year, which is creating an environment where every single person feels valued, trusted and understood,” said Mary Garcia, Pinnacle’s regional president for the South Carolina Coast. “That’s how we attract and retain talented, experienced professionals who give clients the kind of distinctive service they wouldn’t find anywhere else.”

Will Hodge, regional president in the Upstate, added: “Our culture thrives because we’re all pulling in the same direction, together, with every team member engaged and doing their part. Our hiring model is to bring in people who already have expertise, so Pinnacle leaders can focus on providing guidance and support, not prescriptive instruction.”

On the firm’s 2025 internal anonymous work environment survey conducted by a third party, 91 percent of South Carolina team members responded “Strongly Agree” to the statement, “Our Firm’s culture is special – something you don’t find just anywhere.” (The other nine percent selected, “Agree.”) Responses to the statement “This is a great Firm where team members want to work.” were similar, with 92 percent marking strongly agree. Respondents shared their experiences in open-ended responses, including:

“I appreciate our culture and the camaraderie here in our market among associates. To me, I feel like these folks I spend five days a week with are family. I believe our CEO genuinely cares about us. I believe our focus on creating leaders, not managers, throughout our organization is where we are really getting it right.”

“I appreciate the special things we get to do for our people and the community, relationships with coworkers, our clients and people in other departments. The encouragement to have fun. I thrive in this kind of model/environment. I love it so much.”

 “I appreciate working with people who work so hard and who are so diligent in their working with clients. I appreciate not being micromanaged. I appreciate you have enough confidence in me to allow me to do what I do.”

Since its founding, Pinnacle’s vision has been to be the best financial services firm and the best place to work. Pinnacle’s footprint in South Carolina grew this year with a Jan. 1 merger with Synovus Financial Corp., and the combined firm’s core strategy remains the same: authentic care for associates, empowerment to lead locally and a deep commitment to clients and communities.

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That's something to be proud of. In today's market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That's paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

About Pinnacle Financial Partners

Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (“Pinnacle”) is a $119.1 billion asset regional bank which provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services for commercial and consumer clients who want a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. The firm joined forces with Synovus Financial Corp. in 2026, bringing together more than 160 years of combined banking service. Pinnacle is the largest bank headquartered in Tennessee and the largest bank holding company headquartered in Georgia. The firm is No. 1 in deposit market share* in the Nashville MSA and No. 4 in the Atlanta MSA with offices in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland.

Pinnacle is an employer of choice for financial services professionals. The firm is No. 12 in the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2026, its 10th consecutive appearance.  Pinnacle was also recognized by American Banker as No. 4 among America’s Best Banks to Work For in 2025, its 13th consecutive year on the list, and No. 1 among banks with more than $10 billion in assets. Learn more about Pinnacle at PNFP.com.