F&M Bank Welcomes Carly Buchanan as Chief People Officer

Carly Buchanan, 2025

ARCHBOLD, Ohio, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — F&M Bank (“F&M”), an Archbold, Ohio-based bank owned by Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMAO) is pleased to announce Carly Buchanan as its new Chief People Officer.

With over 18 years of HR, leadership, and organizational development experience across multiple industries, Carly will lead F&M’s Human Resources Department, driving strategic HR planning, talent acquisition, employee engagement, and organizational growth.

Carly brings a decade of retail banking experience to her role, providing valuable insight into customer-focused strategies and operational efficiency. She holds senior HR certifications from SHRM (SHRM-SCP) and HRCI and has served as past President of the Northeast Indiana Human Resources Association. Recognized as a 2023 Fort Wayne 40 Under 40 honoree, Carly is also deeply committed to community involvement, supporting organizations like Junior Achievement, Boys and Girls Club, and the 988 Crisis Lifeline.

“Carly’s leadership, expertise, and passion for people make her an incredible asset to F&M Bank,” said Lars Eller, President, and CEO. “Her strategic vision will strengthen our culture, enhance employee engagement, and support our mission of serving our customers and communities.”

Carly earned her MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana Tech. She and her family reside in Northern Indiana, where she combines professional excellence with a strong dedication to community impact.

About F&M Bank:
F&M Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving its communities since 1897. F&M Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services. Our locations are in Butler, Champaign, Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Shelby, Williams, and Wood counties in Ohio. In Northeast Indiana, we have offices located in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay, Steuben and Wells counties. The Michigan footprint includes Oakland County, and we have Loan Production Offices in Troy, Michigan; Muncie, Indiana; and Perrysburg and Bryan, Ohio.

Safe harbor statement
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management’s expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions, capital market conditions, or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on our credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M’s SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov or through F&M’s website www.fm.bank.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/76198bd4-ead9-4c89-b7e5-28afc0e22a0d