Synovus Financial Corp. : Akins Named Chief Community Banking Officer Burnette Promoted to President and CEO of Sea Island Bank

December 21, 2011, Columbus, GA - Synovus (NYSE: SNV), the Columbus, Georgia-based financial services company, today announced that D. Wayne Akins will transition into an expanded leadership role as Chief Community Banking Officer of Synovus. Darron M. Burnette will succeed Akins as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sea Island Bank, a division of Synovus Bank, in Statesboro, Georgia. Akins will be responsible for sales and service, and product development strategy and delivery across the Synovus footprint focusing especially on consumer and business banking, and partnering on the development of the company's commercial strategy. He will continue to serve as a member of Sea Island Bank's local board of directors.

"Wayne has done an outstanding job serving in an interim retail executive role since July, and we are pleased to have someone with his extensive banking experience to work with our bankers on improving service and product delivery to customers," said R. Dallis "D" Copeland Jr., Chief Banking Officer of Synovus. "We are also fortunate to have Darron ready to fully leverage his leadership skills and banking expertise to support and guide the outstanding Sea Island Bank team in serving customers in that market."

Akins began his career with Synovus at Sea Island Bank as a Commercial Lender in 1988. After serving in leadership roles at other financial institutions, he returned to Sea Island Bank in 1997. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Economics and Masters of Business Administration degree, both from the University of Georgia. He is also a graduate of the Consumer Banking Association Graduate School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia. His community leadership roles include his service on the Southeastern Region Board of Directors of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Board of Directors and Executive Committee for Georgia Southern University Foundation, Inc; Board of Directors of the Statesboro-Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce; and previous service as the Campaign Chair and Director of the United Way of Southeast Georgia.

Burnette has been serving banking customers for more than 29 years. He joined Sea Island Bank in 2002, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He has expertise in a broad range of areas, including Bank Operations, Business Development, and Lending and Credit Administration. Burnette is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance, and was an honor graduate of the GeorgiaBankingSchool. His long list of community service includes the Coastal Georgia Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors; Chairman of Statesboro Walk to End Alzheimer's; an instructor and class coordinator for the GeorgiaBankingSchool; and the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro, Georgia. In 2010, he received Synovus' William B. Turner Humanitarian Award for outstanding service to others.

About Synovus Bank

Synovus Bank is a Georgia-chartered, FDIC-insured bank. Synovus Bank provides commercial and retail banking, investment, and mortgage services to customers through 30 locally branded divisions, 323 offices, and 456 ATMs in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. See Synovus Bank on the web at .

About Synovus

Synovusis a financial services company with $28 billion in assets based in Columbus, Georgia. Synovus provides commercial and retail banking, investment and mortgage services to customers in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. See Synovus on the web at www.synovus.com.