BATON ROUGE, La., April 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- b1BANK announced that Ben Marmande has joined the organization as director of corporate banking. Marmande will lead b1BANK's corporate banking efforts for the state of Texas driving client acquisition, relationship growth and the expansion of the bank's commercial capabilities.

"Ben brings a combination of credit discipline, operational leadership and market relationships that will be instrumental as we continue to grow our corporate banking capabilities," said Jude Melville, CEO of b1BANK. "Corporate banking is a deliberate investment in how we serve our most complex commercial clients, and Ben has spent his career developing exactly the kind of deep, consultative relationships this work demands. I am confident he will help us bring meaningful value to businesses across our footprint."

During his 19-year career at IBERIABANK and First Horizon, Marmande served as the Houston market president and the Baton Rouge market president. There, he directed all banking operations across both markets, leading teams of commercial relationship managers, private bankers, business development officers and retail operations professionals.

Prior to joining IBERIABANK, Marmande served as executive vice president at Lason Systems, Inc., where he led a $500 million division serving Fortune 100 companies. That experience gives him a perspective on business operations few commercial bankers can offer. Earlier in his career, he held commercial banking and senior credit leadership roles at Hibernia National Bank, where he helped develop the maritime lending practice and built deep expertise across the region's commercial markets.

"Having worked alongside Ben for years, I know firsthand what he brings to a client relationship," said Jerry Vascocu, President of b1BANK. "His leadership, commitment and client-focused approach will strengthen what we are building in Texas and across our company. Ben has always exemplified what it means to be a trusted advisor, and we are proud to welcome him to the b1BANK team."

"The culture here, the leadership and the commitment to the businesses and communities we serve is what drew me to this role," Marmande said. "I look forward to building a corporate banking practice that deepens those relationships and positions our bankers as strategic advisors to the clients we serve."

Marmande brings more than 40 years of banking and financial services experience to his new role and is widely connected across the Texas and Louisiana business communities.

About Business First Bancshares, Inc.

As of Dec. 31, 2025, Business First Bancshares, Inc., (NASDAQ:BFST) through its banking subsidiary b1BANK, had $8.2 billion in assets, $5.7 billion in assets under management through b1BANK's affiliate Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC (SSW) (not including $1.0 billion of b1BANK assets managed by SSW) and operates banking centers and loan production offices in markets across Louisiana and Texas providing commercial and personal banking products and services. b1BANK is recognized as a 2024 Mastercard "Innovation Award" winner and multiyear winner of American Banker Magazine's "Best Banks to Work For." Visit b1BANK.com for more information.

Media Contact:	Misty Albrecht
	b1BANK
	225.286.7879
	media@b1BANK.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80a9fde6-6ee1-40d2-96a4-eec582e3b150

b1BANK Names Ben Marmande Director of Corporate Banking