---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001206774-25-000126"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "SFST"
cik: "0001090009"
company_name: "SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES INC"
filed_at: "2025-03-13T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-05-24T20:17:20.461911+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.5
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.5
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Southern First Bancshares CRO William M. Aiken III resigns effective March 31, 2025

## Summary
- William M. Aiken III, Chief Risk Officer since 2021, will resign on March 31, 2025.
- CEO Art Seaver expressed appreciation for Aiken's leadership; no successor named.
- Aiken cited a new opportunity; company states he leaves with mixed emotions.
- Aiken had also served as executive credit risk officer since 2020 and has 25+ years in banking.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001206774-25-000126
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: SFST
- cik: 0001090009
- company_name: SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES INC
- filed_at: 2025-03-13T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.5
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.5
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1090009/000120677425000126/0001206774-25-000126-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1090009/000120677425000126/sfst4454491-8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001206774-25-000126
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001206774-25-000126.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001206774-25-000126.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  William M. Aiken, III resigned as Chief Risk Officer at SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES INC.
  - Action: resigned
  - Role: Chief Risk Officer
  source text: On March 10, 2025, William M. Aiken, III, Chief Risk Officer of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) and Southern First Bank (the “Bank” and together with the Company, the “Employer”), notified the Employer that he is resigning from his roles with the Employer, effective March 31, 2025.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1090009/000120677425000126/0001206774-25-000126-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.