Alejandro M. Sanchez appointed to Board of Directors of Business First Bancshares and b1BANK

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFST), the parent company of b1BANK, announced the appointment of Alejandro M. Sanchez to the Boards of Directors of both Business First and b1BANK, effective March 27, 2025.

Mr. Sanchez brings extensive experience in financial services and public service, having served as President and CEO of the Florida Bankers Association from 1998 to 2023. He previously served as a director for TRUSTCO BANK and on the Exim Bank Advisory Committee. From 2002 to 2010, he was one of three presidential appointees to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board under President George W. Bush.

Currently, Mr. Sanchez is President and CEO of Salva Financial Group of Florida, which he founded in 2024, providing strategic and regulatory advice to financial firms. He also serves as a professor at The University of Edinburgh’s School of Business, an Executive Advisor at Nasdaq, and sits on the boards of Popular Bank, Republic Bank and Trust, and Apalachee Center, Inc.

Mr. Sanchez was determined to be an independent director under Nasdaq standards. His appointment was not based on any arrangement or family relationship with other directors or officers, and his banking relationships with b1BANK are considered standard commercial transactions.