BankSouth, a $1.6 billion-asset community bank headquartered in Greensboro, Georgia, today announced a strategic partnership with Sequence Holdings, a permanent holding company that enhances the operations of established businesses through advanced technology.

Through the partnership, a team of engineers from Sequence Holdings – with experience at leading global innovators including Palantir, Scale AI, and Apple – will work side-by-side with BankSouth’s team to build and deploy artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools designed to make banking faster, simpler, and most importantly, more personal for customers.

“AI is transforming every industry, and banking is no exception. At BankSouth, we've navigated multiple paradigm-shifting technologies in our 80 years as a successful community bank, and each one has made us better at serving our customers. We are embracing this one just as strategically and with our customers top of mind,” says Harold Reynolds, Chairman and CEO of BankSouth. “We see AI as an opportunity to create the best experience possible for our customers and our employees, and, in Sequence Holdings, we found a partner with the expertise to execute that vision.”

The partnership embraces a human-first approach to AI implementation. Rather than replacing the personal touch that defines community banking, this partnership will create more room for it. By automating repetitive tasks and facilitating faster answers, bankers will be freer to focus on what matters most: building relationships, understanding customer needs, and delivering high-touch service. Further, BankSouth’s employees will have greater opportunities for career growth and remain in control of every decision, ensuring AI serves as a tool that helps bankers do more, not as a replacement for the people customers already know and trust.

“We were drawn to BankSouth due to its culture of long-term and continued innovation, as well as its dedicated management team obsessed with doing right by their customers and employees,” said Michael Lee, Co-founder and CEO of Sequence Holdings. “They are decisive, think strategically, and share our belief that technology should enhance – not replace – human judgement. We’re making both a minority financial and hands-on, operational investment in BankSouth that drives alignment and will enable them to build upon their 80-year legacy of doing more for their customers and community.”

Lee will also join BankSouth's Board of Directors, bringing extensive financial services and technology expertise to the bank's governance. Prior to founding Sequence Holdings, Lee spent eight years at Lone Pine Capital, where he served as Managing Director and Head of Private Investments. He previously held roles at Apollo Global Management and Goldman Sachs and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Georgetown University.