Gulf Coast Bank President, CEO Paul Patout retires

Gulf Coast Bank President & CEO, Paul Patout, retired on Friday, December 29, 2023, after 43 years of service.
Paul has served as Gulf Coast Bank’s President for the last 28 years and as President & CEO for the last 23.
He joined Gulf Coast Bank in 1980, nine years after it was founded by his father Charles Patout.
“The story of Gulf Coast Bank for me could not be complete without talking about my dad,” Paul said.
Charles was an entrepreneur and a true renaissance man. Before Gulf Coast Bank opened its doors, Charles worked as a sugarcane farmer, a real estate developer, an electrician, a plumber, an insurance salesman, and more.
“He had eight kids, and he would do whatever he could to pay the bills,” Paul reflected.
Charles fought for roughly seven years to open Gulf Coast Bank after recognizing the underserved market in Vermilion Parish.
Paul recalled his father considering giving up fight when his mother stepped in and said “no, you’ve worked too hard.”
“He credited her for that,” Paul recalled. “She kept him pushing forward.”
Gulf Coast Bank opened its doors on February 1, 1971. Today, the company has 9 branches across Vermilion and Lafayette Parishes and employs over 100 people.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 43 years,” Paul reflected. “A lot happened in 43 years and for me, I try to go back and think about the times I had with Daddy and how important it was. The lessons that Pat [Patrick Patout] and I both learned from him about business and relationships to the community and the relationships with the employees and how important that was.”
Patrick Patout, Gulf Coast Bank Chairman of the Board, has been elected Gulf Coast Bank President and CEO, effective January 1, 2024. Patrick will resume his roll as chairman in addition to his new responsibilities.
Gulf Coast Bank is a locally owned and operated full-service financial institution with nine branches in Vermilion and Lafayette parishes. The Bank proudly delivers quality customer service to meet the financial needs of both individuals and businesses.