Robert Fulp

Regional Managing Director for Springfield, southwest Missouri and Arkansas markets, Great Southern Bank

Biography

Rob Fulp recently joined Great Southern Bank as Regional Managing Director for the Springfield, southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas markets. Previously, he served SFC Bank (now Guaranty Bank) as a board member and the Chief Executive Officer, a position he held from 2011-2021.

The Springfield-based Great Southern Bank has assets totaling $5.7 billion and operates 91 retail banking centers in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Arkansas and Nebraska. It also has commercial loan production offices in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Omaha, Nebraska; Phoenix and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

At SFC Bank, Rob was responsible for the overall management of the bank, including oversight of Loan Administration, Operations, Private Banking, and Treasury Management. He was a key contributor in generating revenue for the $750 million bank.

Charlie O'Reilly, retired chairman of the board at O'Reilly Auto Parts, said Fulp has been the "family banker" going back for nearly 20 years. "In the process he became also a counselor, an advisor for us on a lot of business deals. He is just a great banker. Plus, of course, Great Southern is already a great bank. The Turner family has built Great Southern into really a premier bank here in our community," O'Reilly said. "For them to be able to add Rob to their leadership team is really big plus and a big step up for Great Southern. At O'Reilly Auto Parts, we like to call something like this a 'win-win' for Great Southern and for Rob."

Rob also held the position of President at BancorpSouth Bank, formally The Signature Bank (now Cadence Bank), where he managed all operations for the Springfield region, covering six banks. Rob was also responsible for generating revenue, and managed a loan portfolio in excess of $175 million. He served as Vice Chairman for The Signature Bank prior to the merger, and also managed the bank’s expansion into the St. Louis market, in addition to managing assets of $1 billion.

Fulp is a graduate of Missouri State University, earning his Finance and Banking degree there. He is deeply involved in his community, and thoroughly enjoys giving his time to his alma mater and other important organizations. He recently served as Executive in Residence for the College of Business and currently serves on the Missouri State University Foundation Board of Trustees. His desire to better his community is evident due to his level of involvement in the following organizations: CoxHealth Systems (Chairman), Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks (Board of Trustees / Past President), and Springfield-Branson National Airport Board.

Max Buetow, newly appointed CEO of CoxHealth, credits Fulp's leadership "as one of the key reasons I feel like I've been able to get up to speed as quickly as I have. I've been working off Rob's community reputation since Day 1 in this position," Buetow said, adding he particulary admires the "personal characteristics that Rob has in the way that he seeks to serve others."

Rob received the Silent Hero Award from the Office of the Governor of Missouri in 2008, and also served as Commencement Speaker for Missouri State University that same year. In 2010, he was named Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser of the year on National Philanthropy Day, and later received the Boys and Girls Club Gold Award in 2013. Fulp was also the recipient in 2016 of The Missourian Award, for outstanding contributions in the fields of civic leadership and business. Rob was honored in 2018 with the Golden Bear Award from Missouri State University for his dedicated work to the College of Business and was also selected as a member of the Biz 100 Most Powerful and Influential Business Leaders in Springfield.