Jacob Holbrook's headshot on a gold tessellated background
Jacob Holbrook's headshot on a gold tessellated background

A message from your market president

We have a robust team with over 250 combined years of experience. Our different backgrounds and knowledge allow us to deliver creative, consistent, flexible, and responsive banking services to our clients, helping them grow value in their businesses. We are proud to work alongside local companies with revenues from $3MM to $500MM, assisting with their full banking needs. We look forward to growing our relationship with you. Make sure to check out our dynamic team below!

Jacob Holbrook
Commercial Regional Market President
Greater Cincinnati/NKY

Hear from our clients

C.M. Paula CEO George White discusses his company's building expansion and their relationship with First Financial Bank.

Featured deals

Construction draw to term facility

Construction Industry

Community philanthropic initiatives

Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator

First Financial Bank delivers financial services and financial opportunity equally to all people in our community. Financial opportunity is critical in achieving and reaching potential, pursuing dreams, and improving lives. We work with the Minority Business Accelerator helping us get connected to minority-owned portfolio companies.

REDI Cincinnati

When communities thrive, we thrive. First Financial Bank invests in organizations and communities to foster economic growth, stability, and neighborhood revitalization. We are proud to work with REDI Cincinnati in helping grow the region.

United Way of Greater Cincinnati

At First Financial, we strive to be an outstanding community partner that makes a meaningful difference through our leadership and involvement in each community. Supporting the United Way through an annual giving campaign is one of the most impactful ways we can demonstrate this commitment. United Way directly connects to the very core of who we are and what we believe.

Meet the team

Meet our team serving Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's commercial businesses.

Jacob Holbrook Headshot
Jacob Holbrook
Commercial Regional Market President

Jacob is a seasoned banking professional with 20 years of experience serving the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati communities. As the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Regional Market President for First Financial Bank, Jacob is committed to stewarding commercial banking relationships for organizations and their families. He specializes in working with closely held family businesses and foreign-owned manufacturing relationships and has an impressive portfolio of 20 ongoing middle market relationships.

Throughout his banking career, Jacob has received numerous awards, including being named the top commercial banker in the bank in 2022. However, he is most proud of the development of his team that supports his clients.

Jacob is passionate about serving his community and serves on the board of several organizations, including the Campbell County Economic Progress Authority, Catalytic Fund Finance Committee, Campbell County Leadership Action Group and NKY Chamber of Commerce committees. He has also been involved in many fundraising teams such as United Way, Tri-ed/BE NKY, ACUE, St. Elizabeth Foundation, and Campbell County Youth Athletics.

Kevin Brown Headshot
Kevin Brown
Senior Relationship Manager

Kevin brings 35 years of experience to First Financial Bank, giving him an advantage when helping his clients. He has spent his career focused on middle market and specialty industries. 

With an eclectic client base, Kevin uses a holistic approach to understand the goals and overall business to customize the best solutions. Those solutions and Kevin’s individualized attention has allowed him to keep some clients for nearly 20 years. 

Chris Chandley Headshot
Chris Chandley
Treasury Management Advisor

Chris began his banking career seven years ago and has spent the last four with First Financial. Through networking and mentorships, he was able to make the transition from the Retail Banking group to Treasury Management in 2022.

Chris has assisted a multitude of Commercial Real Estate companies with streamlining their daily, manual processes.

Outside of the office, you’ll find Chris spending time with family and friends, hiking with his dog, Baxter, and playing sports. Originally from Oxford, OH, Chris is a proud graduate of Miami University.

Robert Davis Headshot
Robert Davis
Associate Commercial Relationship Manager

Robert’s experience includes several levels within the commercial banking sector. Since joining First Financial Bank, he has transitioned from underwriter to relationship manager, and works with clients in a variety of industries including merger and acquisitions firms.

Staying active within his community, Robert serves on the Board of the Ambassador Program at Best Point Behavior Health, a nonprofit organization and a leading provider of education and mental health treatment for children facing significant social, behavioral, and learning challenges.

Adrienne Ferlet Headshot
Adrienne Ferlet
Commercial Relationship Manager

With more than a decade of experience, Adrienne joined First Financial Bank as a financial center manager before transitioning to business banking. She works with her clients using a holistic, personalized approach whether it be to finance a new building, facilitate the purchase of new equipment or other lending needs, all while nurturing their overall growth.

Being a part of her client’s success and empowering other female leaders in the city is what drives Adrienne to be successful in her own career.

Staying connected to her community is important for Adrienne. She aligns herself with other women-led organizations and businesses and knows she is where she belongs, being a value add to businesses in the region. 

Manny Hernandez Headshot
Manny Hernandez
Commercial Relationship Manager
NMLS #1616958

Serving his community as a Relationship Manager for almost a decade, Manny understands the importance of having a banking partner that can be the best advocate for a client.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Manny came from a family of entrepreneurs. He takes his background and treats every interaction with the utmost relevance, respect, and care.

Manny has been able to provide capital to help multiple businesses achieve sustainable growth. His consultative approach has earned the trust of his clients. He has received awards from the bank including a growth performance award for NKY and completed the bank’s internal Leadership Development Program (LEAD).

He is passionate about serving in the community and serves on the board of multiple organizations including Learning Grove, The Building Industry Association of NKY, Aviatra Accelerators, and Co-founded Emerging Leaders of NKY a non-profit that helps young professionals grow in their career. Manny is also a 2-time Ironman finisher. 

Chip Hitte Headshot
Chip Hitte
Commercial Relationship Manager Team Lead

Chip has been working in the financial services industry with local business owners for nearly 20 years. He joined First Financial bank with the MainSource merger and leads a team of commercial relationship mangers in the Cincinnati market.

Chip’s relationships with some of his clients date back 15 years. He believes it is a rewarding experience to help clients achieve their dreams and grow their businesses. Chips brings what is needed to the table to simplify the process for his clients.

A graduate from Miami University, Chip earned his MBA in Finance as well as a bachelor’s degree in aviation management. Chip received the 2019 Top Performer Award from First Financial Bank. However, the most rewarding experience for Chip is watching his clients succeed with their businesses, while observing his team thrive in their careers.

Staying active in community, Chip serves on numerous boards including, The Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe, & Trenton; 504 SBA Loan Committee for Alloy Dev. Co. He is a committee member for Butler County Government Affairs Committee and volunteers with Matthew 25 Ministries & United Way.

Scott Jackson Headshot
Scott Jackson
Commercial Treasury Management Advisor

After having honorably served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, Scott joined the banking industry. He has been assisting customers with their financial needs for the past 19 years. Focusing on their success has enabled him to become a pivotal adviser in banking.

Scott received the Annual Pinnacle Award, given to the top 5% of Relationship Managers nationwide, for having provided his clients with exceptional levels of service that assisted them in reaching their goals.

Not only is Scott hands on with his clients, but he has also been active in his community. He has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and has been involved in local youth sports teams for many years as well.

Jeff Judd Headshot
Jeff Judd
Butler/Warren Market President

Jeff Judd joins First Financial after 20 years in the commercial banking business. His career includes roles at US Bank and Huntington Bank, and primarily in the Butler/Warren County region, so he is thrilled to be joining the team at his hometown bank.

Through his career, Jeff has established strong portfolios with clients in manufacturing, service-related and family-owned businesses. He has a track record for building trust and sustaining relationships with them for many years.

Keeping with First Financial’s value of being Proudly Local, Jeff is currently a board member for his local CDC, Alloy Development, and serves as the financial advisor and a member of the media team for his local church in Trenton, Ohio.

When he isn’t dedicating time to finding the best custom banking solutions for your business, you might find him on the open road on a Harley Davidson—he has owned three of them!

Aaron Mackris Headshot
Aaron Mackris
Senior Relationship Manager

Aaron brings nearly two decades of commercial banking experience. He focuses on manufacturing, construction, distribution, wholesale, and service industries.  He has significant experience in complex lending solutions.

Having a wide range of financing experience, Aaron has lent for the following customer and prospect needs: growth, acquisition, management buyout, international expansion, dividend recaps, and ESOP.

Throughout his career, Aaron has been named a Market All-Star, a Performance Award Nominee, and acknowledged as a Top 5 National Producer.

Paul Souleyrette Headshot
Paul Souleyrette
Senior Vice President

Paul began his banking career with a regional bank, focusing his time on their commercial loan officer training program. He completed the program and went to spend almost two more decades in regional banks in the area. During that time, he did loan syndications and interest rate protection products. He then opened a Cincinnati office for a top 5 national bank. After a while, Paul joined First Financial Bank.

Over the course of his career, Paul has been fortunate enough to partner with a wide array of companies in a wide array of industries. With very few exceptions, Paul’s entire banking career has focused on entrepreneurial and multi-generational companies.

Phil Wentzel Headshot
Phil Wentzel
VP | Commercial Treasury Management Advisor

Phil has more than 25 years of experience in financial services including Treasury Management, Commercial Lending, Consumer Lending, Mortgage and Retail across multiple financial institutions. He has had successful roles as both an individual contributor and in sales leadership.

He joined First Financial Bank in 2022 to find a home that is more creative, flexible, nimble, and responsive.

Phil’s TM experience includes earning the Annual Pinnacle Award as top TM Officer, leading a TM taskforce, creating a TM sales training program and mentoring new TM Officers.

Active in his community, Phil volunteers as a retreat leader, leading a men’s charitable organization and coaches youth baseball.  He and his family love to travel and have visited all 50 states.

Billy Wersel Headshot
Billy Wersel
Commercial Banking Team Lead

Growing up, Billy envisioned he would follow his family’s path as an entrepreneur. Rather, during the great recession in 2008, Billy realized he wanted to work in a profession where he could help entrepreneurs, like his dad and grandfather.

Working as a commercial banker for the past ten years, Billy works with a diverse variety of clients and entrepreneur’s seeking mutually beneficial relationships built on trust and communication. He comes to work, eager to learn and serve the local business community each day.

Billy believes it’s integral for clients to know bankers are their advocate in the marketplace and will support their needs. He helps his clients navigate through tough times and takes great pride in helping entrepreneurs successfully grow and sell their business to create generational wealth.

Endorsed by his clients, Billy was recognized as one of Cincinnati’s Forty under 40 recipients. An active member in his community, Billy serves on several local organizations, including Archbishop Moeller Alumni Association, Association for Corporate Growth, and Cincinnati Exit Planning Institute.

Angelo E. Zaccaria Headshot
Angelo E. Zaccaria
Relationship Manager

Angelo has worked in a variety of roles within the banking industry and finance. He specializes in helping clients in the wholesale, distribution, service, and healthcare sectors, helping clients to acquire and/or grow their business.

Angelo particularly enjoys representing First Financial as a strong partner. His relationships with clients have led him to be recognized with the bank’s Leader Circle award four times.

John Allshouse Headshot
John Allshouse
Sr. Director, Wealth Advisory Services
Chris Brison Headshot
Chris Brison
UHNW Relationship Banker
Sam Cornelius Headshot
Sam Cornelius
Wealth Advisor I
Robert Hadnett Headshot
Robert Hadnett
Wealth Advisor III
Jon Hoelscher, CFP® Headshot
Jon Hoelscher, CFP®
Wealth Advisor IV
Michael Spaeth, CFP® Headshot
Michael Spaeth, CFP®
Wealth Advisor IV
Mark Welch, CFP® Headshot
Mark Welch, CFP®
Wealth Advisor III

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.