Kevin Handley
About Kevin Handley
Kevin L. Handley is Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Enterprise Financial Services Corp (EFSC) since October 1, 2025, after serving as Executive Vice President and Regional Senior Lender since 2018; he reports to the Chief Banking Officer . He is 56 years old per EFSC’s investor materials, and part of the company’s seasoned executive leadership team . Company performance metrics tied to executive incentives emphasize earnings per share (EPS), return on average tangible common equity (ROATCE), asset quality and relative total shareholder return (TSR); EFSC delivered 2024 EPS of $4.83, record operating revenue of $638 million, and maintained nonperforming assets at 0.30% of total assets, supporting a pay-for-performance framework that Handley now operates under as CCO . Over the 2022–2024 LTIP cycle, EFSC achieved a TSR in the 72nd percentile and cumulative EPS of $15.37, resulting in LTIP payouts at 181% of target, further linking executive compensation to multi-year value creation .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise Financial Services Corp | EVP, Regional Senior Lender | 2018–2025 | Senior lending leadership; promoted to Chief Credit Officer reflecting succession planning and credit risk oversight . |
Fixed Compensation
- No base salary, bonus target, or perquisites for Kevin Handley were disclosed in the 2025 DEF 14A; non-NEO executive compensation details are not itemized. EFSC’s say-on-pay support for its program was 96% in 2024, indicating broad investor endorsement of the overall pay framework that covers senior management .
Performance Compensation
EFSC’s incentive design applies common metrics across NEOs and “other members of senior management,” which would include Handley as CCO; specific individual targets for Handley are not disclosed. The company-wide metrics and outcomes for 2024 and the LTIP structure/results are below.
2024 Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP) – Company Metrics and Results
| Metric | Weighting | Threshold | Target | Exceptional | Actual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPS ($/share) | 40% | $3.20 | $4.18 | $4.78 | $4.94 |
| ROATCE (%) | 20% | 10.20% | 12.20% | 13.60% | 13.89% |
| Nonperforming assets to total assets (%) | 15% | 1.00% | 0.50% | 0.25% | 0.30% |
| Loan growth ($000) | 10% | $327,000 | $544,000 | $762,000 | $336,237 |
| Leadership rating (subjective) | 15% | Threshold=2 | Target=3 | Exceptional=4 | CEO rated 3.75; other NEOs rated 4 |
LTIP Structure and 2022–2024 Performance Outcomes
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting/Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSR (percentile vs peers) | 30% | 60th percentile | 72nd percentile | 162% of target | Performance-based RSUs settle at cycle end |
| Cumulative EPS ($) | 30% | $14.21 | $15.37 | 200% of target | Performance-based RSUs settle at cycle end |
| Continued service | 40% | N/A | N/A | N/A | 25% options, 15% time-based RSUs vest over 3 years |
| Aggregate performance payout | — | — | — | 181% of target | Shares/options per plan terms |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
EFSC applies stock ownership guidelines and strict insider trading policies (including hedging/pledging restrictions); specific compliance status for Handley is not disclosed. Handley’s beneficial holdings and unvested awards per his Form 3 are below.
Beneficial Ownership and Derivative Positions (as of Oct 10, 2025)
| Category | Shares/Units | Terms | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common stock (direct) | 5,462 | Beneficially owned; direct (D) | Form 3 |
| Option: 2021 grant | 1,612 | Exercisable 02/06/2024; $43.81 strike; expires 02/25/2031 | Form 3 |
| Option: 2022 grant | 1,230 | Exercisable 02/03/2025; $48.34 strike; expires 02/24/2032 | Form 3 |
| Option: 2023 grant | 1,684 | Becomes exercisable 1Q26; $54.46 strike; expires 02/28/2033 | Form 3 |
| Option: 2024 grant | 2,576 | Becomes exercisable 1Q27; $39.50 strike; expires 02/28/2034 | Form 3 |
| Option: 2025 grant | 1,791 | Becomes exercisable 1Q28; $57.17 strike; expires 03/04/2035 | Form 3 |
| RSU tranche | 344 | Vests 1Q26 (100%); one-for-one common stock | Form 3 |
| RSU tranche | 380 | Vests Apr 14, 2026 (100%); one-for-one common stock | Form 3 |
| RSU tranche | 492 | Vests 1Q27 (100%); one-for-one common stock | Form 3 |
| RSU tranche | 599 | Vests 1Q28 (100%); one-for-one common stock | Form 3 |
Ownership Concentration
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| EFSC common shares outstanding (Oct 29, 2025) | 37,010,909 |
| Handley direct ownership as % of outstanding | 0.0148% (calculated from 5,462 and 37,010,909 ) |
Alignment Policies
- Stock ownership guidelines: CEO 5x base salary; other NEOs 2x base salary; non-employee directors 5x cash retainer; Chair higher of 5x normal retainer or 3x Chair retainer . Directors and officers are prohibited from hedging and subject to pledging restrictions under EFSC’s Insider Trading Policy .
Vesting Schedules and Potential Selling Pressure
| Event | Date | Shares/Units | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSU vest | 1Q26 | 344 | RSU to common |
| RSU vest | Apr 14, 2026 | 380 | RSU to common |
| Option becomes exercisable | 1Q26 | 1,684 @ $54.46 | Stock option |
| Option becomes exercisable | 1Q27 | 2,576 @ $39.50 | Stock option |
| RSU vest | 1Q27 | 492 | RSU to common |
| Option becomes exercisable | 1Q28 | 1,791 @ $57.17 | Stock option |
| RSU vest | 1Q28 | 599 | RSU to common |
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Event-specific blackout: Directors and Section 16 officers (including CCO) were restricted from trading Nov 24, 2025 through the week of Jan 4, 2026 due to a 401(k) administration change; these restrictions are additive to quarterly blackouts under the Insider Trading Policy .
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Insider transactions: Our search identified a Form 3 upon appointment but found no Form 4 transactions for Handley in the period reviewed; monitor upcoming vesting/exercisability windows for potential Form 4 activity .
Employment Terms
- Appointment: Promoted to Chief Credit Officer effective October 1, 2025; no compensatory arrangements or related party transactions disclosed in connection with his appointment .
- Contract, severance, change-of-control: Not disclosed for Handley; EFSC maintains employment agreements with certain NEOs featuring double-trigger change-in-control benefits (no tax gross-ups), but these agreements are not specified for Handley .
- Clawback policy: EFSC has an incentive-compensation clawback policy covering executive officers for materially inaccurate financial statements requiring restatement .
Performance & Track Record
- Credit and earnings backdrop: EFSC delivered strong 2024 performance—record operating revenue ($638M), net income ($185M), EPS ($4.83), and NPA/Assets of 0.30%, underpinning credit quality that Handley now oversees as CCO . The company achieved adjusted ROATCE of 13.71% and PPNR ROAA of 1.7% in 2024 .
- Incentive outcomes: 2024 STIP payouts were 137–139% of target across NEOs; the 2022–2024 LTIP paid 181% of target based on EPS and TSR, reinforcing alignment with multi-year performance .
- Leadership team: EFSC highlights a tenured management team with average tenure 15 years and industry experience 23 years; Handley is included on the executive leadership slate .
Compensation Committee Analysis
- Committee composition and independence: Human Capital and Compensation Committee members in 2024 included Holmes (Chair), Andrich, DeCola, Kent, Van Trease, with Finn appointed in December; all independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Peer benchmarking: EFSC benchmarks executive pay against a peer group of similarly sized regional banks to target competitive total compensation while aligning incentives with shareholder value .
- Say-on-pay: 96% approval in 2024—supportive of EFSC’s pay-for-performance approach .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Handley’s equity package includes staged RSU vesting (2026–2028) and options becoming exercisable over 2026–2028, creating ongoing skin-in-the-game and incentive to sustain credit quality and earnings . Company-level policies on ownership, hedging/pledging restrictions, and clawbacks reinforce shareholder alignment .
- Selling pressure signals: Watch Q1 2026, Q1 2027, and Q1 2028 windows; RSU conversions and new option exercisability could prompt Form 4 activity depending on market conditions and personal diversification needs . Event-specific and quarterly blackouts constrain timing, potentially bunching trades after blackout lifts .
- Retention risk: Promotion into CCO role and multi-year vesting cadence reduce near-term flight risk; lack of disclosed individual employment agreement terms introduces some uncertainty versus NEO protections .
- Execution risk: As CCO, Handley’s remit spans credit risk normalization; 2024 NPA/Assets at 0.30% and strengthened liquidity provide a favorable starting point, but loan growth underperformed 2024 targets, underscoring the need to balance growth with risk as rates evolve .