Christy A. Ames
Executive Vice President, General Counsel; Secretary of the Company and the Bank at REPUBLIC BANCORP INC /KY/
Executive
About Christy A. Ames
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel (promoted August 1, 2025), Corporate Secretary of Republic Bancorp, Inc. and Republic Bank & Trust Company; joined Republic on January 2, 2018 as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and was named EVP in January 2022; age 52 as of December 31, 2024 . An accomplished banking/finance attorney with 25+ years’ experience; leads Legal, oversees SEC reporting, supports the Board’s Nominating and Compensation Committees, and oversees the Audit Department; previously led Compliance and Information Security and managed Learning & Development . Company performance context: cumulative TSR value of an initial $100 investment rose to $173.98 over 2020–2024 versus peer group $132.60; 2024 net income was $101,371k and gross operating profit (GOP) was $127,703k .
Company performance context (for tenure context; USD thousands where applicable)
| Metric | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company TSR – $100 initial value | $80.82 | $117.82 | $98.86 | $133.55 | $173.98 |
| Peer Group TSR – $100 initial value | $90.69 | $126.45 | $100.39 | $96.65 | $132.60 |
| Net Income (USD ‘000s) | $83,246 | $87,611 | $91,106 | $90,374 | $101,371 |
| Gross Operating Profit (USD ‘000s) | $102,633 | $111,442 | $116,845 | $113,213 | $127,703 |
Past Roles (Internal)
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Bank & Trust Company | SVP, General Counsel | 2018–2021 (EVP named Jan 2022) | Built in-house legal capability; advised corporate issues and SEC reporting |
| Republic Bank & Trust Company | EVP, General Counsel | Jan 2022–Jul 2025 | Supported Board Nominating & Compensation Committees; governance leadership |
| Republic Bank & Trust Company | EVP, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel | Aug 2025–Present | Leads Legal; oversees Audit Department; strengthens control environment |
| Republic Bancorp, Inc. & Bank | Corporate Secretary | Ongoing | Board process integrity; disclosure compliance |
| Republic Bank & Trust Company | Oversight: Compliance, Info Security; Managed Learning & Development | Not disclosed | Risk/controls maturity; talent development |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stites & Harbison, PLLC | Member; Chair, Financial Institution Litigation Sub Group | Not disclosed | Led complex FI litigation; deep regulatory expertise |
| First Residential Mortgage Network, Inc. d/b/a SurePoint Lending | General Counsel | Not disclosed | Enterprise legal leadership in mortgage banking |
Fixed Compensation
- Not disclosed for Ames. She is listed as an Executive Officer but is not a Named Executive Officer (NEO); detailed base salary and cash compensation tables in the proxy cover the Chair/CEO and other NEOs only .
Performance Compensation
- Not disclosed for Ames. The Company’s NEO bonus program is primarily tied to total Company GOP, with entry/mid/max goal tiers and discretionary adjustments for extraordinary events; company stock performance is not a factor due to thin trading and volatility . PSU frameworks used for certain NEO LTIP awards tie to ROAA and efficiency ratio with peer quartile rankings; shares must be held for two years post-vesting (illustrative for NEOs, not Ames) .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Specific beneficial ownership for Ames is not disclosed in the 2025 proxy’s ownership tables (which list >5% holders, directors, and NEOs) .
- Anti-hedging: insider trading policy prohibits all employees (including Executive Officers) from engaging in hedging transactions in Company shares .
- No pledging/margin accounts allowed for NEOs and Directors, reinforcing alignment; stock ownership guidelines apply to CEO/Bank, CFO, Pres/RPG, CIOO (2x base salary within five years), but no guideline is specified for Ames .
- Attempted to retrieve Form 4 insider trading data via insider-trades skill for “Christy Ames” between 2023-01-01 and 2025-11-19; API returned unauthorized, so recent Section 16 transaction history could not be confirmed. Suggest ongoing monitoring of Form 4 filings [ReadFile insider-trades SKILL.md] (API error on execution).
Employment Terms
- Clawback Policy: Company maintains an incentive-compensation recovery policy compliant with NASDAQ/SEC rules for current/former Executive Officers when restatements occur; applies broadly to executive officers (Ames qualifies as an Executive Officer) .
- Change-in-Control Economics: Detailed CIC severance arrangements disclosed for NEOs (generally 2x salary + average bonus; accelerated vesting; welfare benefits continuation; restrictive covenants). No CIC agreement is disclosed for Ames .
- Deferred Compensation: A Non-Employee Director & Key Employee Deferred Compensation Plan allows key employees to defer up to 50% of salary, with company matching and defined vesting; 2024 amendments introduced retirement vesting and a 59‑month vesting schedule. Participation by Ames is not disclosed .
Investment Implications
- Governance and risk oversight strength: Ames’ elevation to CLO & GC, audit oversight, and support of Nominating/Compensation committees enhance control, disclosure, and governance quality—supportive for risk-adjusted execution in a regulated bank context .
- Alignment signals: Company-wide anti-hedging, no pledging for NEOs/Directors, and clawback policy reduce misalignment risk; lack of disclosed ownership and CIC terms for Ames limits visibility on her personal alignment and severance economics .
- Trading signals: Management does not tie bonuses to stock price due to thin liquidity; absent Form 4 visibility for Ames and no disclosed equity grants, near-term insider selling pressure attributable to her appears limited, but ongoing Section 16 monitoring is warranted .
- Performance backdrop: Strong 2024 GOP/net income and outperformance vs peer TSR over 2020–2024 provide constructive context; Ames’ tenure spans the period of governance/process strengthening that supported these outcomes .
Key gaps: Specific pay mix, bonus metrics, equity awards, and ownership levels for Ames are not disclosed in proxies; insider trading data retrieval failed due to API authorization. All conclusions above rely strictly on available filings and press releases .