United Community Banks, Inc. announced the addition of industry veteran John James to its Board of Directors. James is an accomplished financial executive with more than 35 years of experience driving growth, increasing shareholder value, and optimizing organizational policy. James' experience includes senior-level positions at Bank of America, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

In his most recent roles, he served as SVP ? Americas Legal Entity Controller Executive and SVP ? Corporate Controller for Bank of America, where he worked for 17 years.

While there, he played an integral role in helping to successfully manage through the 2008 financial crisis and the ongoing regulatory environment. He was also a champion for process improvement focused on increasing operational efficiencies, reducing operational risk and improving control environments by sponsoring and leading various projects and initiatives. Additionally, James played an integral senior financial role in the integration of several acquisitions including MBNA, Countrywide, and Merrill Lynch, among others.

James graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in finance and a Bachelor of Science in accounting. He retired from Bank of America in June 2022 and splits his time between Charlotte, NC and Sullivan's Island, SC.