Pinnacle Financial Partners Hires Two Veteran Banking Leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth

Warrie Birdwell and Todd Cornelius bring decades of local experience to the firm’s newest market

DALLAS, TEXAS, Nov. 4, 2026 – Pinnacle Financial Partners has hired two veteran financial services leaders to establish its presence in Dallas-Fort Worth. Warrie Birdwell joins the firm as regional president for Texas, and Todd Cornelius joins as executive vice president in Texas. Both come from Origin Bank, where they held local leadership roles, and bring decades of experience serving businesses, building banking teams and growing client relationships throughout the region.

“Dallas is the kind of community Pinnacle was built to serve,” said Kevin Blair, president and CEO of Pinnacle Financial Partners. “There’s an energy and entrepreneurial spirit here that feel familiar to us. We serve that spirit in growing markets across the Southeast, and our approach succeeds because we start with people. Texas is an incredibly attractive market, but having the right leaders is what makes this the right time for Pinnacle. Warrie and Todd know this community, know how to build a team and understand that the most successful businesses want a banker who knows them personally and can help them get where they want to go.”

Birdwell has more than 20 years of financial services experience, including more than a decade leading Origin Bank’s growth in North Texas. As regional president, he and his team helped grow the bank’s local loan and deposit portfolios by more than $1.5 billion each. He also led Origin’s mortgage warehouse business and established a specialty deposit group serving title companies, qualified intermediaries and municipalities. Before joining Origin in 2015, Birdwell held commercial banking leadership roles at Wells Fargo, BBVA Compass and Bank of America.

A Dallas resident and graduate of Southern Methodist University, Birdwell has deep ties to the local business and nonprofit communities. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from SMU, where he played football, and is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking. He currently serves on the board of Vogel and has previously served on the boards of Community Partners of Dallas, the SMU Mustang Club and the SMU Lettermen’s Association. He also chaired the Regional Advisory Council for Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas.

“Dallas is a market where relationships matter, and businesses have plenty of choices when it comes to financial services,” said Birdwell. “What drew me to Pinnacle is the opportunity to give clients something different. We bring together experienced local bankers who have the freedom to make decisions and the resources to meet their clients’ most complex needs. Todd and I have spent much of our careers building relationships and teams in North Texas. We’ve worked with and competed against seriously talented bankers, and we believe Pinnacle offers them a place to do their best work.”

Cornelius brings nearly 30 years of experience in banking, finance and business leadership. He most recently served as executive vice president for Origin Bank’s North Texas region, where he worked alongside Birdwell. His previous experience includes commercial banking leadership roles at Amarillo National Bank, Cadence Bank, BB&T and Wells Fargo. Throughout his career, he has worked with middle market and corporate clients in commercial lending, specialty finance and business development.

Cornelius earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from SMU’s Cox School of Business. He served on the advisory board of First Tee of Dallas for more than a decade.

Birdwell and Cornelius will work from a temporary space recruiting experienced local financial professionals who share Pinnacle’s approach to client service. This team will focus on serving North Texas businesses, their owners and individuals who value a close relationship with their financial advisors, ultimately looking to take that focus statewide.

Pinnacle’s approach to expansion is to opportunistically enter new markets by recruiting established local bankers and give them the tools, resources and support to serve their clients. This strategy has succeeded in major markets throughout the Southeast, including Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Jacksonville, Birmingham, Louisville, Richmond and more. This is the first such expansion since Pinnacle merged with Synovus in January 2026.

About Pinnacle Financial Partners
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (“Pinnacle”) is a $130.7 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.

*As of June 30, 2026, according to FDIC data.