Fifth Third adds three former Comerica directors to board

Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) announced the appointment of three new directors to its board effective February 1, 2026. Derek J. Kerr, Barbara R. Smith and Michael G. Van de Ven will join the board, expanding its size to 16 directors.

All three appointees previously served on Comerica's board of directors. The appointments follow Fifth Third's acquisition of Comerica, though the press release does not specify completion details of that transaction.

Kerr brings nearly four decades of financial experience from the aviation industry. He most recently served as Vice Chair of American Airlines Group and President of American Eagle, and previously held chief financial officer roles at American Airlines, US Airways and America West Airlines. He joined Comerica's board in 2023 and currently serves on boards of AECOM and Standard Aero.

Smith served as Chairman, President and CEO of Commercial Metals Company from September 2017 until her retirement in 2023, followed by one year as Executive Chairman. She joined Comerica's board in 2017 and served as the board's Independent Facilitating Director. She currently serves on D.R. Horton's board.

Van de Ven worked at Southwest Airlines for more than 30 years, most recently as President and Chief Operating Officer before becoming an Executive Advisor in January 2023. He served on Comerica's board since 2016, including chairing the Governance, Compensation and Nominating Committee. He joined Keurig Dr Pepper's board in April 2025.

The new directors will serve on various board committees. Kerr will join the Audit Committee and Technology Committee, Smith will serve on the Audit Committee and Human Capital and Compensation Committee, and Van de Ven will join the Risk and Compliance Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

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