Devon Bray

Devon Bray is Executive Vice President and Director of Business Banking & SBA at Hancock Whitney, where she leads the bank's strategy and growth across business banking, SBA lending, deposits, treasury management, and payments. With more than two decades of experience building and scaling high-performing banking organizations, she is focused on expanding market presence, deepening client relationships, and delivering innovative financial solutions that help businesses grow. 
 
Devon oversees the Business Banking and SBA organization across key growth markets throughout Texas, the Gulf South, and Florida. She leads efforts to strengthen market coverage, enhance banker effectiveness, and align go-to-market strategies that drive sustainable growth while preserving a relationship-centered approach to banking. 
 
Throughout her career, Devon has built and expanded business banking platforms serving hundreds of thousands of small business clients. Her experience includes managing large-scale lending and deposit portfolios, launching automated and credit-scored lending programs, negotiating strategic payments partnerships, and implementing digital and operational capabilities that improve speed, access, and efficiency for both clients and bankers. She has also successfully led teams, clients, and systems through complex integrations and periods of transformational growth. 
 
Devon holds a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, where her research focused on organizational alignment and transformational change. Her academic work continues to influence her leadership philosophy, particularly in helping organizations scale, adapt, and perform through change. 
 
An active voice in the banking industry, Devon frequently speaks and moderates at national and regional conferences, including events hosted by the Consumer Bankers Association and American Banker. She is passionate about developing talent, cultivating strong cultures, and helping organizations achieve sustainable growth through people-centered leadership.