MEMPHIS, Tenn. — First Horizon Corporation (NYSE: FHN) (or “First Horizon”) today announced the election of Jeffrey R. Balser, M.D., Ph.D., 64, as an independent director to the First Horizon Corporation Board of Directors and the First Horizon Bank Board of Directors.
Dr. Balser is President and Chief Executive Officer of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), an academic health system based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Since becoming the medical center’s chief executive in 2009, he has led VUMC’s growth to 3.5 million patient visits annually and to more than $9 billion in annual net revenue, while expanding the organization’s clinical footprint from two to five regional campuses with seven hospitals and 2,000 licensed inpatient beds. In 2016, Dr. Balser guided VUMC through a historic restructuring that separated the medical center legally and financially from Vanderbilt University, forming an independent, not-for-profit corporation.
Prior to his current role, Dr. Balser served as chair of anesthesiology and later as chief research officer at VUMC and practiced cardiac anesthesiology and cardiac intensive care medicine at VUMC and, before 1998, at Johns Hopkins, where he led a research program funded by the National Institutes of Health. He was named Dean of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs in 2008-2009, with his responsibilities expanding in 2016 to President and CEO of VUMC.
“Jeff brings a rare combination of large-enterprise leadership, financial discipline and deep community ties to our board,” said Bryan Jordan, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of First Horizon. “He has grown one of the nation’s leading academic health systems while navigating complex regulatory, risk and governance challenges, and his perspective will strengthen our board as we continue to serve our clients and communities across the Southeast.”
“We are pleased to welcome Jeff to the board,” said John Compton, First Horizon Lead Director. “His experience leading a major Tennessee institution through significant growth and transformation gives him a clear understanding of the markets we serve. His background in risk management, compliance and public company governance, paired with his civic and government relations experience, will be a valuable addition as we continue to execute on our strategy.”
Dr. Balser holds a B.S. in Engineering from Tulane University (1984) and an M.D./Ph.D. in pharmacology from Vanderbilt University (1990).
For more information about the First Horizon Board of Directors, please visit: Corporate Governance – Board of Directors – First Horizon Corporation.
