Andre Fruge, the current president and CEO of the nonprofit SBA provider Louisiana Capital, is taking over as president of Business First Bank's Lafayette operations starting Monday.
Louisiana Capital President and CEO Andre Fruge has been named president of Business First Bank's Lafayette branch.
Fruge is replacing current Business First President Mike Guidroz, who has been promoted within the company as the bank's chief credit officer, he says.
"I'm really excited to be a part of the bank's leadership in Lafayette, and the prospects of adding to something that's already proven to be successful," Fruge says.
The current president and CEO of the nonprofit SBA loan provider Louisiana Capital, Fruge says he will keep his title as president of Louisiana Capital, but the oversight will be more part-time as Chief Operations Officer Karen Angelle takes over day-to-day management.
Louisiana Capital has also hired Mike Anderson, the one-time president of an Omni Bank branch in Baton Rouge, to assist with business development.
Asked whether holding both positions could be perceived as a conflict of interest, Fruge says he does not believe it will be an issue.
"Business First is not currently involved in SBA lending. It's important for me to be in a management position [at Louisiana Capital] because I have expertise in this little niche industry that we are, and also for the work I do in Washington. It's a federal program," Fruge says. "We have Karen. She's very capable and knowledgeable; she can run the business."