Who we are
Our mission is simple: Stone Bridge Advisory Group helps small and medium sized community banks efficiently manage risk.
Principal Jonathan Hughes, drawing on his background as a former bank examiner, identified a key market shortfall: these banks, constrained by limited resources, struggle with demands from agencies like the FDIC, OCC, and Federal Reserve. Essential to local economies, community banks deliver tailored lending, deposits, and aid to small businesses and families. Yet, compliance obligations often siphon resources from core functions, hindering innovation and expansion.
The firm's commitment is to simplify these burdens, enabling banks to prioritize community engagement and operational growth. In the current landscape, banks contend with shrinking profit margins, fintech rivalry, and economic volatility. Non-interest expenses—spanning technology, cybersecurity, and personnel—frequently surpass 60% of operating expenses for smaller entities, with regulatory compliance exacerbating the strain.
Stone Bridge offers a full suite of services, from standard independent reviews to serving as interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Credit Officer, or Information Security Officer.
The firm also shines in examination and audit support. These processes demand thorough documentation, internal assessments, and fixes; the firm facilitates preparation, response strategies, and follow-ups to reduce interruptions and fines. Utilizing best practices, Stone Bridge works to elevate examination ratings and strengthen regulator relationships.
Distinguishing the firm is its client-oriented ethos, customizing services to a bank's profile, e.g., rural ones with agricultural risks or urban banks with commercial real estate challenges. Stone Bridge emphasizes a collaborative approach, integrating advisors into client teams to build long-term partnerships rather than short-term consultations.
Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC is dedicated to empowering community banks to excel, preserving their community stature while mastering modern finance with poise and adaptability.
Meet the Principal
Jonathan Hughes has built a distinguished career over a decade at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), establishing himself as a leader in risk examinations and regulatory oversight. Starting as an intern in the Division of Consumer Protection in 2011, he conducted compliance examinations and Fair Lending investigations. Joining the FDIC’s Division of Risk Management Supervision full-time in 2013, he earned his commission in 2015 and later served as a Senior Risk Examiner before founding Stone Bridge Advisory Group, LLC in 2025. His experience spans banks with total assets ranging from $11M to $460B and has led over 40 examinations as examiner-in-charge in states across the Midwest.
Mr. Hughes specializes in complex and troubled financial institutions. His assessments evaluated management, asset quality, earnings, capital, liquidity, and market risk sensitivity, covering S&S, IT, and AML/CFT reviews. He has directed fraud, accounting, and operational investigations, ensuring sound banking practices. Notably, he supported the FDIC’s Large Bank Division in Washington, D.C., participating in management investigations, horizontal reviews of interest rate risk management, and special projects for institutions over $10B. His executive-level presentations to FDIC leadership distilled complex data into actionable insights, driving compliance and strategic decisions.
Selected for high-profile assignments, Mr. Hughes contributed to Shared National Credits reviews and served on the FDIC’s Technical Evaluation Committee, shaping examiner certification standards. His leadership extended to managing teams of up to 30 examiners across multiple states, collaborating with the FRB, OCC, and state regulators in Tennessee, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and beyond. As a Coach, he mentored pre-commissioned examiners, delivering training on IT, cybersecurity, interest rate risk, and governance.
Jonathan Hughes earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a Certified Fraud Examiner. He has received multiple awards while with the FDIC for his dedication to regulatory excellence. Elected to Van Buren’s city council, Jonathan enjoys offering his knowledge, skills, and abilities to his local community (term: 2025-2027). In his free time, Jonathan enjoys spending quality time with his family, reading, trail running, and relaxing along the Current River.