Biographical Information

John L. Holt, Jr.
Executive Vice President
SWS Group, Inc.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Southwest Securities, FSB
John L. Holt, Jr. has served as Executive Vice President of SWS Group, Inc. since November 2007, as Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Securities, FSB, the commercial banking subsidiary of SWS Group, Inc., since September 2007, and as President and member of the Board of Directors of the bank since July 2003.
Since Mr. Holt joined Southwest Securities, FSB, the bank has grown from an institution focused primarily in Arlington, Texas to one with full-service banking centers across Texas and New Mexico with expansion plans that include the southwestern part of the United States. Today, Southwest Securities, FSB is the fourth largest bank headquartered in Dallas, Texas with over $1.5 billion in assets.
Prior to joining Southwest Securities, FSB, Mr. Holt served as Executive Vice President and Director of Small Business Banking for Compass Bank where his responsibilities included a six-state area. Before that assignment, he was Compass’ Executive Vice President and Regional Executive responsible for strategic planning and general management of 80 bank locations throughout Texas. Mr. Holt’s career also included extensive responsibilities for Bank of America where he directed all the banking activities of more than 50 banking centers.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Mr. Holt earned his B.B.A. Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. Mr. Holt is currently a member of the Texas Bankers Association’s Board of Directors and serves on the Budget and Finance Committee. He previously served on numerous civic and professional boards.
Southwest Securities, FSB was established in Arlington in 1986 and became a wholly owned subsidiary of SWS Group, Inc. in 2000. The bank moved its headquarters to Dallas in 2008.
Although based in Texas, the bank is focused on relationship banking across the southwestern United States and is involved in all areas of lending, from commercial loans and residential construction loans to nationwide mortgage warehouse lending. Southwest Securities, FSB offers a variety of commercial banking services designed to help businesses grow and communities prosper.
Biographical Information
Jerry Pavlas
President, Chief Operating Officer
Southwest Securities, FSB
Jerry Pavlas is President and Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Securities, FSB, where he is responsible for growing the bank under the guidance of the Chief Executive Officer.
A veteran banker who has served at the executive levels of bank management for more than 30 years, Mr. Pavlas is experienced in banking, commercial finance and specialty lending. Before joining Southwest Securities, FSB, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Presidential Finance Company in Atlanta, Georgia, where his principal strength was overseeing growth while managing credit risk.
As President and Chief Operating Officer for First State Bank of Texas he oversaw a successful four-year growth and acquisition strategy. Earlier in his career, Mr. Pavlas led the turnaround of Hibernia National Bank as its Chief Credit Officer. He was an executive banker with Hibernia Corporation from 1990 to 1998 and also launched Hibernia’s specialized commercial lending unit. He was Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer for BancTexas Group when that company was acquired by Hibernia in 1990.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned his B.A. Degree in Accounting at Cleveland State University, Mr. Pavlas began his career at Huntington Bank in Cleveland as a Budget Financial Analyst in 1971. He advanced through positions of increasing responsibility and became Vice President of the Special Asset Division in 1979. He left Huntington Bank in 1983 to join Banc Texas in Dallas.
Mr. Pavlas has served as a board member of the Texas Bankers Association, chaired the Advisory Board for the University of North Texas School of Community Service, served as board member and Pacesetter Committee Chairman for the United Way of Denton County, and has been a keynote speaker for the Bank Administration Institute Credit Conference.