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Keith Mansfield

Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer at Business First Bancshares
Executive

About Keith Mansfield

Keith Mansfield, age 48, serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer (COO) of b1BANK; he has been with the Bank since April 2016 (previously Chief Information Officer) and has held the COO role since January 2017 . He has 26 years of banking experience and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Tennessee at Martin . Company performance relevant to pay-for-performance includes 2024 net income of $65.1 million and Core ROA of 0.94% , alongside disciplined organic growth (loans +5.83% and deposits +10.46%) and net interest income of $227.4 million with NIM 3.48% .

Past Roles

OrganizationRoleYearsStrategic Impact
b1BANKExecutive Vice President, Chief Operations OfficerJan 2017–present Responsible for IT, electronic banking, loan/deposit operations, transaction services, branch and treasury operations, business intelligence, facilities, information security operations, vendor management, business continuity, and project management
b1BANKChief Information OfficerApr 2016–Jan 2017 Led the Bank’s technology function prior to promotion to COO
Regional financial institution (Southeast)Chief Technology OfficerPrior to Apr 2016 Senior technology leadership prior to joining b1BANK

External Roles

OrganizationRoleYearsStrategic Impact
Regional financial institution (Southeast)Chief Technology OfficerPrior to Apr 2016 Technology leadership at a regional bank prior to joining b1BANK

Fixed Compensation

Metric202220232024
Base Salary ($)$350,000 $377,000 $408,500
Base Salary (governance table) ($)$392,000 $425,000
Base Salary YoY Change (%)+8.4%
Target Bonus (% of base)40%
Target Bonus ($)$170,000
Actual Annual Bonus Paid ($)$217,200 $201,600 $221,868

All Other Compensation detail (2024):

ItemAmount ($)
401(k) Match Contribution$13,800
Car Allowance$10,728
Club Dues$5,310
Items below $10k$1,342
Total$31,180

Pension/SERP:

PlanYears of Credited ServicePresent Value of Accumulated Benefit ($)
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (SERP)9 $167,002

Total Compensation (Summary Compensation Table):

YearSalary ($)Stock Awards ($)Non-Equity Incentive ($)Change in Pension Value ($)All Other ($)Total ($)
2022$350,000 $256,493 $217,200 $22,616 $37,504 $883,813
2023$377,000 $335,490 $201,600 $25,000 $29,465 $968,555
2024$408,500 $563,232 $221,868 $27,588 $31,180 $1,252,368

Performance Compensation

Annual Executive Short-Term Cash Incentive (2024):

ComponentWeightTargetActual/Payout
Corporate Performance80% 100% of target 100.5% achievement
Individual Performance20% 100% of target 30% achievement noted; committee assessed individual component at 150% of target for NEOs based on accomplishments
Resulting Bonus$170,000 $221,868 (130.51% of target)

2017 Plan (backward-looking; 2023 performance, granted Feb 1, 2024):

MetricWeightThresholdTargetSuperiorActualPerformance Level
Pre-Tax Pre-Provision Net Revenue50% $90,867,000 $96,176,000 $102,483,000 $95,899,000 Below Target
Core Diluted EPS50% $2.39 $2.58 $2.77 $2.62 Above Target

2024 Long-Term Incentive Plan (forward-looking; approved May 2024):

Equity VehicleAllocationVesting ConditionMetrics
RSUs50% Equal annual installments over 3 years Time-based retention
PRSUs50% 3-year cliff (Dec 12, 2027) ROATCE (3-year average; 80%/100%/110% of target) and Peer-Relative EPS Growth (25th/50th/75th percentile), with PRSUs capped at target if TSR is negative

Grants of plan-based awards (Keith Mansfield):

Grant DateTypeUnits/SharesGrant-Date Fair Value ($)
Feb 1, 2024Restricted Stock (2017 Plan)11,108 $248,930
Dec 12, 2024Time-Based RSUs (2024 Plan)5,555 $157,151
Dec 12, 2024Performance RSUs (2024 Plan)5,555 $157,151
2024 Non-Equity Incentive potentialCash bonus opportunityThreshold $85,000; Target $170,000; Max $255,000

Equity option and vesting activity (2024):

ItemQuantityValue Realized ($)
Options Exercised40,000 $342,800
Stock Awards Vested12,120 $270,034

Equity Ownership & Alignment

Beneficial ownership (as of Mar 17, 2025):

HolderShares Beneficially OwnedPercent of Outstanding
Keith Mansfield106,149 <1.0% (grouping denoted “*”)

Holdings and unvested detail (footnote for Mansfield):

ComponentUnits/SharesVesting Detail
Restricted Stock (2/1/2023)5,500 Vests on 3/31/2025
Restricted Stock (2/1/2024)7,442 3,666 vest 3/31/2025; 3,776 vest 3/31/2026
RSUs (12/12/2024)5,555 1,833 vest 12/12/2025; 1,833 vest 12/12/2026; 1,889 vest 12/12/2027
PRSUs (12/12/2024)5,555 Cliff vest 12/12/2027 subject to performance
RSUs (3/1/2025)5,838 1,926 vest 3/1/2026; 1,926 vest 3/1/2027; 1,986 vest 3/1/2028
PRSUs (3/1/2025)5,838 Cliff vest 3/1/2028 subject to performance
IRA holdings27,000 Individual retirement account

Outstanding equity awards (market value at 12/31/2024 close $25.70):

Grant DateAward TypeUnits/SharesMarket Value ($)
2/1/2023Restricted Stock5,500 $141,350
2/1/2024Restricted Stock7,442 $191,259
12/12/2024Time-Based RSUs5,555 $142,764
12/12/2024Performance RSUs (unearned)5,555 $142,764 (payout value if earned)

Pledging and hedging:

  • No pledged shares disclosed for Mansfield; a separate footnote notes pledging for another executive, but Mansfield’s footnote lists IRA and equity awards only .
  • Company prohibits short sales, requires pre-clearance for hedging or margin arrangements, and adopted stock ownership guidelines in Jan 2024: NEOs must hold 1.5x base salary within five years; pledged shares are excluded from compliance calculations .

Employment Terms

Change-in-control agreement (Oct 29, 2019):

  • Severance: One-time payment equal to 2x the sum of annual base salary plus average incentive bonus for prior three years, plus continued benefits, if terminated without cause or for good reason within the period beginning 3 months before and ending 24 months after a change-in-control; subject to non-solicit and non-compete covenants for two years post-CIC .
  • Potential payment upon CIC termination (illustrative at 12/31/2024 levels): Base $425,000; Bonus $215,533; Cash severance $1,921,600; Accelerated vesting of equity awards $618,136; Health and welfare benefits $24,798; Total $2,564,535 .
  • Health benefits continuation: 18 months for NEOs other than the CEO in CIC-related terminations .
  • Cutback provision: Benefits reduced to avoid 280G excise tax only if reduction increases after-tax pay .
  • Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board (at-will framework) .

Clawback and ownership governance:

  • Executive Clawback Policy adopted to comply with SEC Rule 10D-1/Nasdaq: recovery of erroneously awarded incentive compensation upon restatement; no indemnification allowed .
  • Stock ownership guidelines adopted Jan 2024 (NEOs 1.5x base salary); accumulation required within five years .

Performance & Track Record

Selected 2024 accomplishments for Mansfield:

  • Implemented operational improvements including a new Target Operating Model and business process improvements with FIS to enhance efficiency, controls, and client experience .
  • Advanced product initiatives (New Consumer Products Suite phases) and technology migrations (SharePoint), and progressed nCino Loan Origination System rollout; established relationships with Oakwood Bank post-acquisition .
  • Expanded physical presence with three new branches and deployed a mobile ATM for resilience and community support .

Company performance context:

  • 2024 core profitability (Core ROA 0.94%, Core ROCE 10.51%) and improving net interest margin; noninterest revenue up to $44.2 million (16.3% of total revenue) .
  • Pay versus performance disclosure includes net income of $65.1 million and TSR metrics; Compensation Actually Paid vs SCT totals reconciled per SEC Item 402(v) .

Compensation Structure Analysis

  • Shift to RSUs/PRSUs under 2024 LTIP increases performance-linked and retention-focused equity vs. legacy restricted stock; PRSUs introduce ROATCE and peer-relative EPS growth hurdles with TSR cap .
  • Annual bonus outcomes tied to corporate and individual performance; Committee assessed individual components positively based on initiatives execution .
  • Governance enhancements following shareholder outreach: option repricing requires shareholder approval; adoption of ownership guidelines; expanded target-setting disclosure; new LTIP structure .

Say-on-Pay & Shareholder Feedback

  • Say-on-pay support improved to 92.4% in 2024 from 59.9% in 2023 after outreach and program changes .

Equity Ownership & Alignment Guidelines

  • NEO ownership guideline: 1.5x base salary; accumulation within five years; pledged shares excluded from compliance calculations .
  • Mansfield’s beneficial ownership 106,149 shares (<1% of outstanding); IRA holdings of 27,000 shares; no pledging disclosed for Mansfield .

Vesting Schedules and Insider Selling Pressure

Forward vesting schedule (as disclosed):

DateTypeShares/Units
Mar 31, 2025Restricted Stock (2/1/2023)5,500
Mar 31, 2025Restricted Stock (2/1/2024)3,666
Dec 12, 2025RSUs (12/12/2024)1,833
Mar 1, 2026RSUs (3/1/2025)1,926
Mar 31, 2026Restricted Stock (2/1/2024)3,776
Dec 12, 2026RSUs (12/12/2024)1,833
Mar 1, 2027RSUs (3/1/2025)1,926
Dec 12, 2027RSUs (12/12/2024)1,889
Dec 12, 2027PRSUs (12/12/2024)5,555 (subject to performance)
Mar 1, 2028RSUs (3/1/2025)1,986
Mar 1, 2028PRSUs (3/1/2025)5,838 (subject to performance)

Note: Options exercised (40,000 in 2024, $342,800 value realized) indicate some monetization; company still has legacy options outstanding (weighted average exercise price $18.59), though new option grants are under modern plans with enhanced governance .

Employment Contracts, Severance, and Change-of-Control Economics

TermDetail
CIC Agreement DateOct 29, 2019 (Mansfield)
Severance Multiple2x (base salary + average bonus of prior 3 years)
Health Benefits Continuation18 months (NEOs other than CEO)
TriggerTermination without cause or for good reason within 3 months pre-CIC to 24 months post-CIC
Restrictive CovenantsNon-solicit and non-compete for two years post-CIC
Cutback (280G)Apply only if after-tax benefit is higher with reduction
At-will ServiceOfficers serve at the pleasure of the Board

Risk Indicators & Red Flags

  • Clawback policy in place; hedging/margin transactions require pre-clearance; short sales prohibited .
  • Section 16 compliance: all reports timely for FY2024, no delinquencies .
  • Related party transactions conducted on market terms; no adverse classifications noted .
  • No excise tax gross-ups; option repricing requires shareholder approval .

Compensation Peer Group and Governance

  • Compensation Committee engages an independent consultant, maintains a peer group based on industry/asset size/geography, and periodically updates it; majority of total executive comp is variable and at-risk .

Investment Implications

  • Alignment: Mansfield’s mix of time-based RSUs and PRSUs under the 2024 LTIP strengthens alignment with long-term ROATCE and peer-relative EPS outcomes, with TSR capping providing downside discipline .
  • Retention and supply: A visible vesting calendar through 2028 (notably Mar 31, 2025; Dec 12 annually; and Mar 1 annually from 2026–2028) may create periodic settlement-related selling pressure; 2024 option exercise (40,000) evidences capacity to monetize equity awards .
  • Change-of-control economics: Two-times cash severance plus benefits and accelerated equity upon CIC-related termination reduce transition risk for the executive but represent material costs in transaction scenarios; covenants provide some post-CIC protection .
  • Governance momentum: Say-on-pay support improved materially (92.4% in 2024), and governance upgrades (ownership guidelines, clawback, option repricing restrictions) lower pay-risk and enhance shareholder alignment .