Pinnacle Finance Partners adds two new members to growing restaurant finance team

ATLANTA, Aug. 24, 2026 — Pinnacle Financial Partners has added Veda Cloud and Chris Jones as financial advisors on its Restaurant and Franchise Finance Services team. Cloud is based in Atlanta and Jones in Nashville. Both report to Scott Tocci, managing director of franchise finance, and will focus on serving restaurant, franchise and other multi-unit business clients.

“Veda and Chris have spent their careers working with sophisticated operators who need a financial partner who understands the business and can help them navigate complex needs,” said Tocci. “They know these industries, they know the people in them and they understand what good service looks like. Adding that depth of experience gives clients more access to specialized advice while helping Pinnacle build a restaurant and franchise finance team with the scale and expertise to serve larger, more complex relationships.”

Cloud joins Pinnacle after 16 years with Wells Fargo, where she was managing director of franchisee finance for the Southeast and Northeast. She originated, underwrote, closed and serviced restaurant finance transactions for East Coast franchisees, including sole-bank, syndicated lead and participant credit facilities ranging from $10 million to more than $300 million. Before Wells Fargo, she spent five years with Bank of America Merrill Lynch as an associate underwriter specializing in large-cap franchise restaurant finance. Cloud studied finance and entrepreneurship/business management at Florida State University.

Jones brings nearly 20 years of finance experience to Pinnacle, including more than 14 years in commercial lending. Most recently, he was a managing director at MidCap Financial, where he spent more than six years before joining Pinnacle. He began his originations career in the multi-unit sector at GE Capital and held similar roles at both TD Bank and CIT Group. Based in Nashville, Jones focuses on scaled businesses in the consumer, retail, restaurant and service sectors. He attended Ohio University.

The hires add specialized experience to Pinnacle as the firm expands its capabilities for commercial clients across its footprint and nationally through specialty businesses.

About Pinnacle Financial Partners
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (“Pinnacle”) is a $129.1 billion asset regional bank which provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services for commercial and consumer clients who want a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. The firm joined forces with Synovus Financial Corp. in 2026, bringing together more than 160 years of combined banking service. Pinnacle is the largest bank headquartered in Tennessee and the largest bank holding company headquartered in Georgia. The firm is No. 1 in deposit market share* in the Nashville MSA and No. 4 in the Atlanta MSA with offices in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland.

Pinnacle is an employer of choice for financial services professionals. The firm is No. 12 in the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2026, its 10th consecutive appearance. Pinnacle was also recognized by American Banker as No. 4 among America’s Best Banks to Work For in 2025, its 13th consecutive year on the list, and No. 1 among banks with more than $10 billion in assets. Learn more about Pinnacle at PNFP.com.

*As of June 30, 2025, according to FDIC data.