First Citizens Bank Acquisition Expands Presence in Midwest Region

By Will Crow

First-Citizens Bank & Trust has officially acquired 138 branches in 11 states from BMO Bank. Photo credit: Shutterstock (PeopleImages).

Posted September 10, 2026

North Carolina-based First Citizens Bank announced it has converted over 130 branches it acquired from BMO Bank, including locations in Kansas and Missouri.

First Citizens Bank acquired Chicago, Illinois-based BMO Bank N.A. on September 4, bringing 136 bank branches across the Midwest, Great Plains, and West regions. The two banks first announced the acquisition agreement in October 2025, in which First Citizens Bank would assume control of 19 BMO branches in the Kansas City area. First Citizens Bank assumed approximately $5 billion in deposits and $650 million in loans as part of the branch acquisition, according to a release.

Today, First Citizens Bank operates 25 branch locations in Kansas and 25 in Missouri, according to its website. 

As part of the expansion, First Citizens Bank will invest about $1 million across existing and newly expanded markets throughout the Midwest, Great Plains, and West over 2026 and 2027. The North Carolina Bank now operates $225 billion in assets with over 600 branches and offices nationwide, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Idaho, western Minnesota, eastern Oregon and southern Illinois.

In addition to the acquisition, First Citizens Bank also made several leadership appointments for its expansion. The bank selected Monica Hummel as area executive covering Kansas and Missouri. Hummel has been with First Citizens Bank for nearly 24 years, and in that time she has served as its area executive vice president for Nevada, the Greater Tampa Bay area, and Arizona, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Other leadership appointments include:

  • Nate Downie, Regional Executive Vice President covering the Heartland
  • Sharon Thompson, Regional Executive Vice President covering the Northeast Region and St. Louis
  • Stacie Bales Barton, Regional Executive Vice President covering Community in the West
  • Gary Piercy, Area Executive covering Omaha

“This expansion reflects our disciplined approach to growth – welcoming talented associates who share our relationship-first culture, investing in communities with significant opportunities to maintain lasting client relationships, and bringing leading capabilities to help clients and communities thrive,” Frank Holding, Jr., chairman and CEO of First Citizens Bank, said in the release.