SmartFinancial names Cynthia Cain Chief Operating Officer

SmartFinancial, Inc., through its subsidiary SmartBank, has promoted Cynthia A. Cain to Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.

Filing Impact

(High)

Filing Sentiment

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Form Type

8-K

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

SmartFinancial, Inc., through its subsidiary SmartBank, has promoted Cynthia A. Cain to Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. The new COO role is designed to strengthen the bank’s leadership structure and support long-term growth in a rapidly changing financial services environment.

Ms. Cain will oversee Operations, Technology, Data, AI Governance, Digital & Innovation, and all Payments functions, centralizing key efficiency and client-experience areas under one leader. She has more than 30 years of accounting and financial operations experience and has served as SmartFinancial’s Chief Accounting Officer since August 2022.

The company states there are no special arrangements or family relationships connected to her appointment and no related-party transactions requiring disclosure. A press release detailing the promotion is furnished as an exhibit under Regulation FD.

8-K Event Classification

3 items: 5.02, 7.01, 9.01

3 items

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers Governance

Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure Disclosure

Material non-public information disclosed under Regulation Fair Disclosure, often investor presentations or guidance.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Exhibits

Financial statements, pro forma financial information, or exhibit attachments filed with this report.

Key Terms

Chief Operating Officer, Item 5.02, Regulation FD Disclosure, Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K

4 terms

Chief Operating Officer financial

"announced that Cynthia A. Cain was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer"

A chief operating officer (COO) is a senior executive responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities of a company, ensuring that all parts of the organization work smoothly and efficiently. They often act like a company's operational quarterback, translating strategic plans into practical actions. For investors, the COO's effectiveness can influence a company's performance and stability, making them an important figure in assessing the company's management strength.

Item 5.02 regulatory

"Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors"

Item 5.02 is a specific disclosure category on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Form 8‑K that requires public companies to report changes in key personnel and related compensation arrangements. It covers departures and appointments of directors and certain officers, elections of directors, and new or material changes to compensatory agreements for those persons; the company must file a Form 8‑K with the required information and any related exhibits within the SEC’s prescribed reporting timeframe. The item is a rule‑based reporting obligation under U.S. securities law, so its scope and timing follow the SEC’s definitions and deadlines rather than informal usage.

Regulation FD Disclosure regulatory

"Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure."

Regulation FD disclosure requires public companies to share important, market-moving information with everyone at the same time instead of tipping off analysts or large investors first. Think of it as making sure all players on a field hear the same announcement simultaneously; that fairness helps investors trust that stock prices reflect the same information and reduces the risk of sudden, unfair trading advantages or regulatory penalties for selective leaks.

Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K regulatory

"not a party to any transaction, or any proposed transaction, required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K"

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Accepted by SEC EDGAR 03/31/2026 - 08:45 AM EDT

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 31, 2026

SMARTFINANCIAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Tennessee	001-37661	62-1173944
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)


5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 600		37919
Knoxville, Tennessee		(Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)



	(865) 437-5700
	(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.:


Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $1.00 par value	SMBK	The New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On March 31, 2026, SmartBank, the wholly-owned subsidiary of SmartFinancial, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that Cynthia A. Cain was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.

Cynthia A. Cain, age 53, has served as the Chief Accounting Officer of the Company since August of 2022. Ms. Cain has 30 years of experience in accounting and over 17 years of experience in the financial industry. Ms. Cain joined SmartBank in 2019 and previously served as the Director of Financial Planning & Analysis from May 2019 until August 2022. Ms. Cain previously served as Senior Vice President in the Accounting Department at South State Bank in Columbia, South Carolina, for 12 years. While serving in various roles, Ms. Cain had extensive involvement with accounting operations, financial reporting, mergers and acquisitions, stress testing, and strategic planning.

There are no arrangements or understandings between Ms. Cain and any other persons pursuant to which she was appointed as Chief Operating Officer of SmartBank. There are no family relationships between Ms. Cain and any of the directors or other executive officers of either the Company or SmartBank, and Ms. Cain is not a party to any transaction, or any proposed transaction, required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

The Company issued a press release on March 31, 2026, announcing Ms. Cain’s promotion to Chief Operating Officer. A copy of that press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

In accordance with General Instructions B.2 of Form 8K, the information in Item 7.01 of this report (including Exhibit 99.1) shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(Exhibit No.Description

99.1Press Release, dated March 31, 2026

104Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	SMARTFINANCIAL, INC.
Date: March 31, 2026
	By:	/s/ William Y. Carroll, Jr.
	Name:	William Y. Carroll, Jr.
	Title:	President & Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 99.1

SMARTBANK STRENGTHENS EXECUTIVE TEAM WITH APPOINTMENT OF CYNTHIA A. CAIN AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 31, 2026 – SmartBank announced today the promotion of Cynthia A. Cain to Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), effective immediately. The addition of the COO role reflects SmartBank’s continued focus on strengthening its leadership structure and positioning the organization for long-term growth amid rapid industry change.

In her new role, Ms. Cain will oversee Operations, Technology, Data, AI Governance, Digital & Innovation, and all Payments functions—areas that are increasingly critical to delivering efficiency, scalability, and exceptional client experiences. Establishing a dedicated, full-time COO enhances coordination across these functions and sharpens SmartBank’s ability to adapt in an evolving financial services landscape.

“Cynthia is the right leader at the right time for SmartBank,” said Billy Carroll, President and Chief Executive Officer of SmartBank. “As our industry continues to change at an accelerated pace, this role allows us to bring greater focus and alignment to the operational and technology areas that will shape our future. Cynthia’s leadership, deep institutional knowledge, and ability to lead through change make her uniquely qualified to step into this role.”

Ms. Cain brings more than 30 years of experience in accounting, financial operations, business analysis, process improvement, and program implementation. She joined SmartBank in 2019 and has held multiple senior leadership roles, most recently serving as Chief Accounting Officer, where she played a key role in financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting, and strategic planning.

Prior to joining SmartBank, Ms. Cain served as Senior Vice President in the Accounting Department at South State Bank in Columbia, South Carolina, where she was heavily involved in accounting operations, financial reporting, mergers and acquisitions, stress testing, and strategic planning.

“I’m honored to take on this role and excited about what it represents for SmartBank’s future,” said Ms. Cain. “This position reinforces our commitment to thoughtful growth, innovation, and operational excellence. I’m proud to work alongside a strong leadership team as we continue to build a bank that serves our clients, communities, and associates well.”

About SmartBank, Inc.

Founded in 2007, SmartBank is a full-service commercial bank providing banking, investment, and mortgage financial services, with 42 financial centers spanning Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida, as well as loan production offices in Columbus, Georgia, and Brentwood, Tennessee. Recruiting the best people, delivering exceptional client service, strategic expansion, and a disciplined approach to lending have contributed to SmartBank’s success. For more information on SmartBank, visit www.smartbank.com.