Abdul Kahsai Joins Pinnacle's Growing Restaurant and Franchise Team

Pinnacle Financial Partners is expanding its restaurant and franchise finance team with the additionof experienced banker, Abdul Kahsai. Abdul is based in Phoenix, Arizona and will cover the Western U.S. with a focus on franchised restaurant and fitness operators.

“We’re excited to be growing our restaurant and franchise finance team,” said Kevin Combs, executive vice president and head of restaurant and franchise finance for Pinnacle. “As we continue to seek out the most talented, experienced bankers in the country, it’s vital to have seasoned franchise lenders like Abdul to help us deliver on our brand promise of distinctive service and effective advice.”

Kahsai brings 15 years of financial services experience to Pinnacle, most recently from JPMorgan Chase, where he served as vice president for franchise and restaurant banking. Other past roles include assistant vice president for GE Capital Corporate Finance and associate sales representative, associate portfolio manager and risk analyst for GE Capital Franchise Finance. Kahsai earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and his MBA from Arizona State University.

Pinnacle Financial Partners provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services designed for businesses and their owners and individuals interested in a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. The firm is the No. 1 bank in the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA, according to 2021 deposit data from the FDIC, is listed by Forbes among the top 25 banks in the nation and earned a spot on the 2022 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For® in the U.S., its sixth consecutive appearance. American Banker recognized Pinnacle as one of America’s Best Banks to Work For nine years in a row and No. 1 among banks with more than $11 billion in assets in 2021.

Pinnacle owns a 49 percent interest in Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG), which provides innovative, hassle-free financial solutions to healthcare practitioners and other licensed professionals. Great Place to Work and FORTUNE ranked BHG No. 4 on its 2021 list of Best Workplaces in New York State in the small/medium business category.

The firm began operations in a single location in downtown Nashville, TN, in October 2000 and has since grown to approximately $39.4 billion in assets as of March 31, 2022. As the second-largest bank holding company headquartered in Tennessee, Pinnacle operates in 15 primarily urban markets across the Southeast.

Additional information concerning Pinnacle, which is included in the Nasdaq Financial-100 Index, can be accessed at www.pnfp.com.