First Financial Hires Investment and Compliance Leaders

CINCINNATI, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Claude E. Davis, president
and chief executive officer of First Financial Bancorp (Nasdaq: FFBC), has
announced the hiring of a new senior vice president and chief investment
officer for the company's affiliate, First Financial Capital Advisors.
Alfred Shepard has joined First Financial Capital Advisors as senior vice
president and chief investment officer. His role will be to grow and broaden
the company's already strong wealth-management business.
Shepard has over 20 years of experience in managing trust, retirement, and
investment advisory assets. Most recently, he was a senior portfolio manager
for Tapke Asset Management in Fort Wright, Kentucky. For 16 years, he managed
individual and institutional assets for PNC Bank in Cincinnati.
A graduate of Harvard University, Shepard earned his master's degree in
finance and international business at the University of Cincinnati. He is a
Chartered Financial Analyst and a Certified Financial Planner.
Kevin S. Woodard has also joined First Financial Bank's Wealth Resource
Group as first vice president and senior legal and compliance officer.
Formerly a partner in the Cincinnati law firm of Graydon Head & Ritchey
LLP, Woodard practiced in the firm's Banking and Financial Services Department
with a broad range of focus in the areas of broker dealers, investment
advisors, insurance, mutual funds, hedge funds, bank regulatory matters, and
general corporate law. Previously, he served as counsel for a publicly traded
investment management and mutual fund company and a large regional bank.
A graduate of Miami University, Woodard earned his juris doctorate at the
University of Cincinnati's College of Law. He is admitted to practice in the
state of Ohio, and he is a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association.
About First Financial Bancorp
A $3.3 billion publicly owned bank holding company, First Financial
Bancorp has 80 banking centers in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The company
offers wealth-management services through First Financial Bank's Wealth
Resource Group, First Financial Capital Advisors LLC, and First Financial
Insurance. Additional information about the company is available at
http://www.bankatfirst.com .
SOURCE First Financial Bancorp

Cheryl Lipp of First Financial Bancorp, +1-513-979-5797,
Cheryl.lipp@bankatfirst.com