Brandi C. Pajot
About Brandi C. Pajot
Brandi C. Pajot is Chief Financial Officer of Affinity Bank (Affinity Bancshares, Inc. subsidiary), named CFO in July 2022; she previously served as Chief Treasury and Risk Management Officer from March 2020 after joining via the Legacy Affinity Bank acquisition. She is 48 (as of 12/31/2024) and a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Georgia; she also serves as Corporate Secretary of Affinity Bancshares, Inc. . During 2022–2024, company net income declined from $7.13M → $6.45M → $5.44M while TSR (value of a $100 initial investment) moved from $98 → $106 → $110, framing the operating and market backdrop for her tenure as CFO beginning mid-2022 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affinity Bank (Affinity Bancshares, Inc.) | Chief Financial Officer | Jul 2022–present | Appointed CFO following integration of Legacy Affinity; leads finance; also Corporate Secretary |
| Affinity Bank | Chief Treasury & Risk Management Officer | 2020–Jul 2022 | Led treasury and risk post-acquisition, positioning for CFO transition |
| Legacy Affinity Bank | SVP & Chief Financial Officer | 2010–2020 | Long-tenured CFO at predecessor bank acquired in 2020 |
| Legacy Affinity Bank | Various roles | 2007–2010 | Progressed to CFO; supported growth pre-acquisition |
| Banking industry | Various roles (community and correspondent banks) | 2000–2007 | Early career experience across community/correspondent banks |
External Roles
No public-company directorships or external board roles disclosed in AFBI filings for Pajot .
Company Performance Context (during Pajot’s CFO tenure)
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income ($) | $7,134,000 | $6,448,000 | $5,441,000 |
| TSR – Value of $100 | $98 | $106 | $110 |
Fixed Compensation
- Pajot is not listed as a Named Executive Officer (NEO) in AFBI’s DEF 14A Summary Compensation Tables for 2023–2024; base salary, target bonus, and perquisites for Pajot are not disclosed in those tables .
- Company employment agreements for NEOs (CEO, Chief Credit Officer, EVP Lending) provide a view of benefit structures but cannot be imputed to Pajot absent disclosure .
Performance Compensation
- AFBI indicates that cash bonuses paid to NEOs in 2023–2024 were discretionary (no formulaic performance weightings disclosed). Pajot’s specific incentive plan metrics/weightings are not disclosed .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Ownership Detail | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Beneficial Ownership (shares) | 25,918 | 37,715 | 46,199 |
| ESOP Shares (included above) | 1,661 | 2,269 | 2,857 |
| Unvested Restricted Stock | 15,441 | 16,628 | 11,815 |
| Exercisable Stock Options | 5,441 | 12,160 | 20,880 |
| Ownership % of Shares Outstanding | <1% (asterisk in table) | <1% (asterisk in table) | <1% (asterisk in table) |
Notes:
- The insider trading policy states the company does not have a policy addressing employees’ or directors’ ability to engage in hedging transactions—an alignment/optics consideration for investors .
- No disclosure of share pledging by Pajot in the reviewed filings .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employment Agreement | Boards extended employment agreements on Oct 23, 2023; for Brandi Pajot (CFO), the term was extended to expire on September 1, 2025; no other changes disclosed . |
| Role start at Affinity Bank | Joined via acquisition in 2020; CFO effective July 2022 . |
| Non-compete / Non-solicit | Not disclosed for Pajot specifically in reviewed documents . |
| Change-in-control (CIC) economics | Pajot-specific CIC multiples/vesting terms not disclosed; NEO CIC terms are described for other executives only . |
| Corporate Secretary | Serves as Corporate Secretary of Affinity Bancshares, Inc. . |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Discretionary cash bonuses (no disclosed weightings/metrics) for NEOs suggest compensation outcomes are judgment-based rather than metricized; Pajot’s bonus plan specifics are not disclosed .
- No evidence of option repricings, tax gross-ups, or clawback enforcement in reviewed sections; compensation consultants were not used by the Compensation Committee in 2024 .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Hedging policy gap: Company states it does not have a policy addressing hedging by employees/directors, which some investors view as a governance weakness .
- Related party transactions: None involving executives >$120,000 since January 1, 2022 outside ordinary-course loans on market terms; no such loans to executives disclosed in 2023–2024 .
- Section 16 compliance: No late filings attributed to Pajot in 2023–2024 delinquency disclosures .
Say-on-Pay & Compensation Committee
- Say-on-pay is submitted for stockholder advisory approval annually; detailed historical approval percentages were not disclosed in the reviewed sections .
- Compensation Committee comprised entirely of independent directors; no external compensation consultant used in 2024; committee references peer analysis qualitatively (peer constituents not listed) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and selling pressure: Pajot’s beneficial ownership rose from 25.9K (2023) to 46.2K shares (2025). She also holds unvested RS and a growing pool of exercisable options (20,880 by 2025), which supports alignment but may create episodic selling pressure around vesting/exercise windows .
- Retention: An active employment agreement through September 1, 2025 reduces near-term retention risk; monitor for renewal cadence as the date approaches .
- Pay-for-performance transparency: Company disclosures emphasize discretionary bonuses (no disclosed weightings or targets), limiting visibility into incentive alignment for the CFO role; investors should seek additional clarity on any internal performance scorecards guiding CFO pay .
- Governance watchpoints: The absence of a hedging policy, while not uncommon among small-cap banks, is a governance gap some investors monitor; no pledging disclosures for Pajot were found .
- Operating context under CFO tenure: Net income trended down 2022–2024 while TSR improved off 2022 levels, underscoring a mixed environment; CFO execution on funding costs, asset quality, and capital allocation remains central to sustaining TSR improvement amid earnings pressure .