Tara Plimpton is Regions Bank's senior executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary, serving as one of 10 people reporting directly to the company's CEO.

With broad and ever-changing responsibilities, Plimpton strives to serve its teams and communities with great care in decision-making.

Mr. Plimpton's areas of responsibility are vast, and as part of the leadership team for Alabama's largest bank, it is important that he strives to maintain strong relationships with the state's top policymakers.

Since joining Regions in 2020, Mr. Plimpton has led a team that helps regulators understand the law's impact on the financial services industry, ultimately enabling Regions to better serve its customers and communities. I've been to

Plimpton joins Regions after a nearly 20-year career with General Electric and is passionate about continuing to grow and evolve in his current role.

“I'm still learning about the financial services industry, and learning something new is one of my favorite things about this job. I'm looking forward to continuing to grow as a valued member of the regional team. Additionally, I want to continue to lead the legal department in a way that builds a best-in-class department, but more importantly, creates a great place for my team to work.”

And while Ms. Plimpton continues to learn, she has already been recognized for her work and contributions to her colleagues in diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2022, Corporate Advisor recognized Plimpton as a Champion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Additionally, Mr. Plimpton recently oversaw the Regions Legal team's achievement of Mansfield Rules Legal Department Edition certification. It is modeled after the Mansfield Rule for law firms, a famous national movement to increase diversity in the legal profession.

“While this was a significant undertaking, it demonstrates a real operational focus on DE&I and demonstrates the practical value a good DE&I program can bring to a business,” Plimpton said. says.

In an industry that has traditionally lacked much diversity, Plimpton says she understands the importance of inclusion and recognizes the efforts of her predecessors.

She is also a testament to the fact that sometimes life takes us down unexpected paths.

After attending a small high school where few of her classmates went on to university, she decided to study international affairs with the hope of pursuing international law. And she briefly taught international law at the university level, but ultimately took an unexpected path into corporate law.

“The reason was simple: when I graduated from law school, I had to live with my grandmother to take care of her, so I got a job at a small trading company in her hometown. set me on the path to becoming an in-house lawyer.”

In both the corporate world and the community, Plimpton has a service heart and prioritizes community engagement for both herself and her team. She oversaw a program providing financial education to inmates at an Alabama women's prison and served on the cabinet of Birmingham United Way. She currently serves on the board of her Equal Justice Works, which provides opportunities for law students and attorneys in underserved communities across the country.