Julie V. Mayrant, who helped open Woodforest National Bank's first in-store branch inside a Conroe Walmart three decades ago, is now running the entire institution.

The Woodlands-headquartered bank announced Mayrant's appointment as president and CEO effective Wednesday, July 15, according to a press release distributed Thursday, July 16. The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce published the announcement Thursday, July 23.

Mayrant has spent her entire 30-year career at Woodforest, an employee-owned bank that operates nearly 740 branches across 17 states and reported $9 billion in total assets according to 2024 FDIC filings. The bank's Employee Stock Ownership Plan is its largest single shareholder.

Robert E. Marling, chairman and CEO of parent company Woodforest Financial Group, Inc., said Mayrant "was the clear choice of both me and our Board of Directors to lead Woodforest into its next chapter."

Marling will remain in his role atop the holding company.

A single Conroe branch became 740 nationwide

Mayrant's Woodforest career started at the ground level. On May 29, 1996, she helped launch the bank's first in-store branch inside a Walmart in Conroe, according to a Woodforest LinkedIn post marking the location's 30th anniversary. That branch is still open. The in-store model became the bank's signature growth strategy, making Woodforest Walmart's largest retail banking partner.

Before her promotion, Mayrant served as president and chief community banking officer, overseeing the retail division. She also expanded the bank's wealth management and commercial banking operations and helped introduce its one-stop-shop customer service model.

Deep roots in Montgomery County

Mayrant and her husband, Jerry, have lived in Montgomery County throughout her Woodforest tenure and raised their son, Jake, in the community.

Her local ties extend well beyond the bank. She chairs the board of Interfaith of The Woodlands and previously served on the board of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. She was named a "Trailblazer" by the Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce in 2021 and one of the Houston Business Journal's 2024 "Women Who Mean Business."

A Sam Houston State University graduate, Mayrant earned her executive MBA from Texas A&M University. She also served eight years on the board of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas.

What's next

As CEO, Mayrant said her priorities include deepening customer relationships, strengthening community engagement, and driving long-term growth while building on the bank's employee-ownership structure. Woodforest holds an Outstanding Community Reinvestment Act rating, a federal measure of how well a bank serves its local communities.

The bank has not announced any additional leadership changes or strategic initiatives tied to the transition.