Previously, Kent served as president of River Branch Capital LLC and a member of RBH’s board of directors and investment committee. He also ran the investment banking business at RBH. He joined River Branch in 2011 from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., where he served as a managing director for 13 years. At KBW, Kent led the Chicago office in merger and acquisition transactions and capital markets activities for banks, thrifts and insurance, mortgage banking and finance companies, achieving a No. 1 market share for Midwest regional bank transactions. Prior to joining KBW, he was a managing director and head of the financial institutions group at Robert W. Baird & Co., where he acted as a member of Baird’s board of directors and operating and capital commitment committees. Prior to joining Baird in 1982, he was vice president of investments for Firstar Corporation.

Kent received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ripon College and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin.