Chief Executive Officer
b1BANK

David R. “Jude” Melville III is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Business First Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFST) and CEO of b1BANK, serving businesses and communities across Louisiana and Texas. Under his leadership, the bank has grown to $8.9 billion in assets and completed seven whole-bank acquisitions while remaining anchored in its founding mission: serving the entrepreneurs and small businesses that drive local economies. A vocal champion of community banking, Melville is also known for advocating a people-first approach to AI adoption in financial services. He founded b1FOUNDATION, a nonprofit advancing entrepreneurship and financial education across the bank’s markets.

A former captain in the United States Air Force, Melville earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s from the London School of Economics. He previously served as president of the Federal Reserve Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council and chair of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI). He currently chairs the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS) and serves on the boards of LWCC and Leaders for a Better Louisiana. In 2024, he was named one of the Top 50 Technology CEOs by The Financial Technology Report.