Fifth Third Bank has hired Charlie Stearns as managing director for the bank’s syndicated finance team in Chicago, according to the bank. Stearns reports to Rich Hillsman, senior managing director.

Stearns joins from J.P. Morgan, where he worked with middle-market clients in the Midwest. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Stearns worked at GE Capital and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He also has buyside experience from working on the CLO platforms of CapitalSource Finance and Denali Capital. – Kelly Thompson