About me
Benita E. Lefft is the president and chief operations officer of Optus Bank in Columbia, S.C., and is responsible for retail banking, commercial banking, deposit and central operations, human resources, and marketing and communications. Prior to joining Optus Bank, she was at Wells Fargo Bank for 30 years, and served as an executive in Charlotte, N.C., Columbia, S.C., and Orangeburg, SC. Among the positions she held during her tenure were senior vice president and head of the middle market credit services division, chief operating officer, area city executive, and community banking CRA officer. Lefft has also held key leadership positions for departments of multinational financial institutions in the Southeast, Midwest, and India.
Lefft has presented at prior CDBA Peer Forums, including panels focused on lending and impact, and has served as presenter and keynote speaker for various universities and nonprofits focused on small business, community development, and women's empowerment. She represents the Midlands on the board of the South Carolina Bankers Association and is chairman of Pearls of Service Community Foundation. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and an MBA from the University of Dayton.
