Columbus Bank and Trust Company

1144 Broadway

Columbus, Georgia 31901

Synovus’ 2015 financial results reflected strong performance with double digit growth in net income and balanced loan growth supported by strong core deposits. Significant accomplishments during 2015 include the following:

For more information regarding our 2015 financial performance and for a reconciliation of any non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the full discussion of Synovus’ financial results of operations for 2015 in our 2015 Annual Report that accompanies this Proxy Statement.

You received this Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy card because the Board of Directors of Synovus is soliciting proxies to be used at Synovus’ 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, or Annual Meeting, which will be held on April 21, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., at Blanchard Hall, Columbus Bank and Trust Company, 1144 Broadway,

Columbus, Georgia 31901. Proxies are solicited to give all shareholders of record an opportunity to vote on matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting. In the following pages of this Proxy Statement, you will find information on matters to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment of that meeting.

As permitted by the federal securities laws, Synovus is making this Proxy Statement and its 2015 Annual Report available to its shareholders via the Internet instead of mailing printed copies of these materials to each shareholder. On March 11, 2016, we mailed to our shareholders (other than those who previously requested electronic or paper delivery and other than those holding a certain number of shares) a Notice of Internet Availability, or Notice, containing instructions on how to access our proxy materials, including this Proxy Statement and the accompanying 2015 Annual Report. These proxy materials are being made available to our shareholders on or about March 11, 2016. The Notice also provides instructions regarding how to access your proxy card to vote through the Internet or by telephone. The Proxy Statement

and 2015 Annual Report are also available on our website at investor.synovus.com/2016annualmeeting.

If you received a Notice by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials by mail unless you request printed materials. If you wish to receive printed proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials contained on the Notice.

If you receive more than one Notice, it means that your shares are registered differently and are held in more than one account. To ensure that all shares are voted, please either vote each account over the Internet or by telephone or sign and return by mail all proxy cards.

You are entitled to vote if you were a shareholder of record of Synovus common stock as of the close of business on February 18, 2016. Your shares can be voted at the meeting only if you are present or represented by a valid proxy.

If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other holder of record, you will receive voting instructions from such holder of record. You must follow the voting instructions of the holder of record in order

for your shares to be voted. Telephone and Internet voting will also be offered to shareholders owning shares through certain banks, brokers and other holders of record. If your shares are not registered in your own name and you plan to vote your shares in person at the Annual Meeting, you should contact your broker or agent to obtain a legal proxy or broker’s proxy card and bring it to the Annual Meeting in order to vote at the Annual Meeting.

The Board has designated two individuals to serve as proxies to vote the shares represented by proxies at the Annual Meeting. If you properly submit a proxy but do not specify how you want your shares to be voted, your shares will be voted by the designated proxies in accordance with the Board’s recommendations as follows:

The designated proxies will vote in their discretion on any other matter that may properly come before the Annual Meeting. At this time, we are unaware of any matters, other than as set forth above, that may properly come before the Annual Meeting.

To be elected, each of the 12 director nominees named in this Proxy Statement must receive more votes cast “for” such nominee’s election than votes cast “against” such nominee’s election. If a nominee who currently is serving as a director does not receive the required vote for re-election, Georgia law provides that such director will continue to serve on the Board of Directors as a “holdover” director. However, pursuant to Synovus’ Corporate Governance Guidelines, each holdover

director has tendered an irrevocable resignation that would be effective upon the Board’s acceptance of such resignation. In that situation, our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee would consider the resignation and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors about whether to accept or reject such resignation and publicly disclose its decision within 90 days following certification of the shareholder vote.

Under certain circumstances, including the election of directors and matters involving executive compensation, banks and brokers are prohibited from exercising discretionary authority for beneficial owners who have not provided voting instructions to the bank or broker. This is generally referred to as a “broker non-vote.” In these cases, for as long as a routine matter is also being voted on, and in cases where the shareholder does not vote on such routine matter, those shares will be counted for the purpose of determining if a quorum is present, but will not be included as votes cast with respect to those matters. Whether a

bank or broker has authority to vote its shares on uninstructed matters is determined by stock exchange rules. We expect that brokers will be allowed to exercise discretionary authority for beneficial owners who have not provided voting instructions only with respect to Proposal 3 but not with respect to any of the other proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting.

Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on any of the proposals to be considered at the Annual Meeting.

You can vote your shares by telephone by calling the toll-free telephone number (at no cost to you) shown on your proxy card. Telephone voting is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until 11:59 P.M., Eastern Time, on April 20, 2016. Easy-to-follow voice prompts allow you to vote your shares and confirm that your instructions have been

properly recorded. Our telephone voting procedures are designed to authenticate the shareholder by using individual control numbers. If you vote by telephone, you do NOT need to return your proxy card. If you vote by telephone, all of your shares will be voted as one vote per share.

You can also choose to vote on the Internet. The website for Internet voting is shown on your proxy card. Internet voting is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until 11:59 P.M., Eastern Time, on April 20, 2016. You will be given the opportunity to confirm that your instructions

have been properly recorded, and you can consent to view future proxy statements and annual reports on the Internet instead of receiving them in the mail. If you vote on the Internet, you do NOT need to return your proxy card.

If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other holder of record, you will receive instructions from such holder of record that you must follow for your shares to be voted. Please follow their instructions carefully. Also, please note that if the holder of record of your shares is a broker, bank or other nominee and you wish to vote

in person at the Annual Meeting, you must request a legal proxy or broker’s proxy from your bank, broker or other nominee that holds your shares and present that proxy and proof of identification at the Annual Meeting.

We have a voting structure under which a holder of our common stock may be entitled to exercise ten votes per share for each of his or her shares that satisfy certain prescribed criteria and one vote per share for each of his or her shares that does not. As provided in Synovus’ Articles of Incorporation and bylaws, holders of Synovus common stock meeting any one of the following criteria are entitled to ten votes on each matter submitted to a vote of shareholders for each share of Synovus common stock owned on February 18, 2016 which: (1) has had the same beneficial owner since April 24, 1986; or (2) has been beneficially owned continuously by the same shareholder since February 18, 2012; or (3) is held by the same beneficial owner to whom it was issued as a result of an acquisition of a company or business by Synovus where the resolutions adopted by Synovus’ Board of Directors approving the acquisition specifically grant ten votes per share; or (4) is held by the same beneficial owner to whom it was issued by Synovus, or to whom it was transferred by Synovus from treasury shares, and the resolutions adopted by Synovus’ Board of Directors approving such issuance and/or transfer specifically grant ten votes per share; or (5) was acquired under any employee, officer and/or director benefit plan maintained for one or more employees, officers and/or directors of Synovus and/or its subsidiaries, and is held by the same owner for whom it was acquired under any such plan; or (6) was acquired by reason of participation in a dividend reinvestment plan offered by Synovus and is held by the same owner who acquired it under such plan; or (7) is owned by a holder who, in addition to shares which are beneficially owned under the provisions of (1)-(6) above, is the owner of less than 162,723 shares of Synovus common stock (which amount is equal to 100,000 shares, as appropriately adjusted to reflect the change in shares of Synovus common stock by means of stock splits, stock dividends, any recapitalization or otherwise occurring since April 24, 1986). For purposes of determining voting power under these provisions, any share of Synovus common stock acquired pursuant to stock options shall be deemed to have been acquired on the date the option was granted, and any shares of common stock acquired as a direct result of a stock split, stock dividend or other type of share distribution will be deemed to have been acquired and held continuously from the date on which shares with regard to such dividend shares were issued were acquired. Under these voting provisions, a shareholder may hold some shares that qualify for 10-1 voting and some shares that do not. Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share unless the holder can demonstrate that the shares meet one of the criteria above for being entitled to ten votes per share.

For purposes of the foregoing, any share of our common stock held in “street” or “nominee” name shall be presumed to have been acquired by the beneficial owner subsequent to April 24, 1986 and to have had the same beneficial owner for a continuous period of less than 48 months prior to February 18, 2016. This presumption shall be rebuttable by presentation to our Board of Directors by such beneficial owner of evidence satisfactory to our Board of Directors that such share has had the same beneficial owner continuously since April 24, 1986 or such share has had the same beneficial owner for a period greater than 48 months prior to February 18, 2016.

In addition, for purposes of the foregoing, a beneficial owner of a share of our common stock is defined to include a person or group of persons

who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, undertaking, relationship or otherwise has or shares (1) voting power, which includes the power to vote, or to direct the voting of such share of common stock, (2) investment power, which includes the power to direct the sale or other disposition of such share of common stock, (3) the right to receive, retain or direct the distribution of the proceeds of any sale or other disposition of such share of common stock, or (4) the right to receive or direct the disposition of any distributions, including cash dividends, in respect of such share of common stock.

Shares of Synovus common stock are presumed to be entitled to only one vote per share unless this presumption is rebutted by providing evidence to the contrary to Synovus. Shareholders seeking to rebut this presumption should complete and execute the certification appearing on their proxy card. Synovus reserves the right to request additional documentation from you to confirm the voting power of your shares. Because certifications must be in writing, if you choose to vote by telephone, all of your shares will be voted as one vote per share. Shareholders who do not certify on their proxies submitted by mail or internet that they are entitled to ten votes per share or who do not present such a certification if they are voting in person at the Annual Meeting will be entitled to only one vote per share.

For more detailed information on your voting rights, please refer to the Synovus’ 10-1 Voting Instructions and an accompanying voting instruction worksheet that are available on our website at investor.synovus.com/2016annualmeeting.

Synovus common stock is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE. Accordingly, Synovus’ common stock is subject to the provisions of a NYSE rule which, in general, prohibits a company’s common stock and equity securities from being authorized or remaining authorized for trading on the NYSE if the company issues securities or takes other corporate action that would have the effect of nullifying, restricting or disparately reducing the voting rights of existing shareholders of the company. However, the rule contains a “grandfather” provision, under which Synovus’ ten vote provision falls, which, in general, permits grandfathered disparate voting rights plans to continue to operate as adopted. The number of votes that each shareholder will be entitled to exercise at the Annual Meeting will depend upon whether each share held by the shareholder meets the requirements which entitle one share of Synovus common stock to ten votes on each matter submitted to a vote of shareholders. Such determination will be made by Synovus based on information possessed by Synovus at the time of the Annual Meeting.

Synovus Stock Plans

If you participate in the Synovus Dividend Reinvestment and Direct Stock Purchase Plan, the Synovus Employee Stock Purchase Plan and/or the Synovus Director Stock Purchase Plan, your proxy card represents shares held in the respective plan, as well as shares you hold directly in certificate form registered in the same name. If you hold shares of Synovus common stock through a 401(k) plan, you will receive a separate proxy card representing those shares of Synovus common stock.

If you are a shareholder of record and vote by proxy, you may revoke that proxy at any time before it is voted at the Annual Meeting. You may do this by (1) signing another proxy card with a later date and returning it to us prior to the Annual Meeting, (2) voting again by telephone or on the Internet prior to 11:59 P.M., Eastern Time, on April 20, 2016, or (3) attending the Annual Meeting in person and casting a ballot.

If your Synovus shares are held by a bank, broker or other nominee, you must follow the instructions provided by the bank, broker or other nominee if you wish to change or revoke your vote.

The Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 21, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at Blanchard Hall, Columbus Bank and Trust Company, 1144 Broadway, Columbus, Georgia. Directions to Blanchard Hall may be obtained on our website at investor.synovus.com/2016annualmeeting. If you are unable to attend the meeting, you can listen to it live and view the slide presentation over the Internet at investor.synovus.com/2016annualmeeting.

Additionally, we will maintain copies of the slides and audio of the presentation for the Annual Meeting on our website for reference after the meeting. Information included on Synovus’ website, other than the Proxy Statement and form of proxy, is not a part of the proxy soliciting material.

The business affairs of Synovus are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors in accordance with the Georgia Business Corporation Code, as implemented by Synovus’ Articles of Incorporation and bylaws. The role of the Board of Directors is to effectively govern the affairs of Synovus for the benefit of its shareholders. The Board strives to

ensure the success and continuity of Synovus’ business through the appointment of qualified executive management. It is also responsible for ensuring that Synovus’ activities are conducted in a responsible and ethical manner. Synovus and its Board of Directors are committed to having sound corporate governance principles.

Synovus’ Board and management believe that good corporate governance practices promote the long-term interests of all shareholders and strengthen Board and management accountability. Highlights of such practices include:

The Board, under the leadership of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, will continue to actively monitor and consider additional changes to our corporate governance practices in the future.

The NYSE listing standards provide that a director does not qualify as independent unless the Board of Directors affirmatively determines that the director has no material relationship with Synovus. The Board has established categorical standards of independence to assist it in determining director independence which conform to the independence requirements in the NYSE listing standards. The categorical standards of independence are incorporated within our Corporate Governance Guidelines, are attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A and are also available in the Corporate Governance Section of our website at investor.synovus.com.

The Board has affirmatively determined that eleven of its twelve members are independent as defined by the listing standards of the

NYSE and the categorical standards of independence set by the Board. Synovus’ Board has determined that, as of January 1, 2016, the following directors are independent: Catherine A. Allen, Tim E. Bentsen, Stephen T. Butler, Elizabeth W. Camp, T. Michael Goodrich, V. Nathaniel Hansford, Jerry W. Nix, Harris Pastides, Joseph J. Prochaska, Jr., Melvin T. Stith, Barry L. Storey and Philip W. Tomlinson. Please see “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” on page 45 of this Proxy Statement for a discussion of certain relationships between Synovus and its independent directors. These relationships have been considered by the Board in determining a director’s independence from Synovus under Synovus’ Corporate Governance Guidelines and the NYSE listing standards and were determined to be immaterial.

The Board of Directors held twelve meetings in 2015. All directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings held during their tenure during 2015. The average attendance by incumbent directors at the aggregate number of Board and committee meetings they were scheduled to attend was approximately 97%. Although

Synovus has no formal policy with respect to Board members’ attendance at its annual meetings, it is customary for all Board members to attend the annual meetings. All of Synovus’ current directors attended Synovus’ 2015 annual meeting of shareholders.

Synovus’ Board of Directors has five principal standing committees — an Audit Committee, a Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Risk Committee and an Executive Committee. Each committee has a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors that complies with the applicable listing standards of the NYSE pertaining to corporate governance. Copies of the committee charters are available in the Corporate Governance section of

our website at investor.synovus.com. The Board has determined that each member of the Audit, Corporate Governance and Nominating, Risk and Compensation Committees is an independent director as defined by the listing standards of the NYSE and our Corporate Governance Guidelines. The following table shows the membership of the various committees as of the date of this Proxy Statement.

Synovus’ Audit Committee held thirteen meetings in 2015. The Audit Committee’s report is on page 27 of this Proxy Statement. The Board has determined that all four members of the Committee are independent and financially literate under the rules of the NYSE and that each of the four members of the Audit Committee is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the rules of the SEC. The primary functions of the Audit Committee include:

Synovus’ Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee held four meetings in 2015. The primary functions of Synovus’ Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee include:

Synovus’ Compensation Committee held six meetings in 2015. Its report is on page 39 of this Proxy Statement. The primary functions of the Compensation Committee include:

Information regarding the Compensation Committee’s processes and procedures for considering and determining executive officer compensation is provided in the “Executive Compensation – Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this Proxy Statement. Except to the extent prohibited by law or regulation, the Compensation Committee may delegate matters within its power and responsibility to individuals or subcommittees when it deems appropriate.

In addition, the Committee has the authority under its charter to retain outside advisors to assist the Committee in the performance of its duties. During 2015, the Committee retained the services of Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC, or Meridian, to:

The Committee evaluated whether the work provided by Meridian raised any conflict of interest. The Committee considered various factors, including the six factors mandated by SEC rules, and determined that no conflict of interest was raised by the work of Meridian described in this Proxy Statement.

Meridian was engaged directly by the Committee, although the Committee also directed that Meridian work with Synovus’ management to facilitate the Committee’s review of compensation practices and management’s recommendations. Synovus’ Chief Human Resources Officer and her staff develop executive compensation recommendations for the Committee’s consideration in conjunction with Synovus’ CEO and with the advice of Meridian.

Synovus’ Chief Human Resources Officer works with the Chairman of the Committee to establish the agenda for Committee meetings. Management also prepares background information for each committee meeting. Synovus’ Chief Human Resources Officer attends all committee meetings by invitation of the Committee, while Synovus’ CEO attends some committee meetings by invitation of the Committee. The CEO and the Chief Human Resources Officer do not have authority to vote on committee matters. Meridian attended all of the committee meetings held during 2015 at the request of the Committee. In addition, the Committee regularly meets in executive session with no members of management in attendance.

Synovus’ Risk Committee held nine meetings in 2015. The primary functions of Synovus’ Risk Committee include:

The Executive Committee is comprised of the chairpersons of the principal standing committees of the Synovus Board and Synovus Bank Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chairman of the Board (if different from the Chief Executive Officer) and the Lead Director. During the intervals between meetings of Synovus’ Board of Directors, the Executive Committee possesses and may exercise any and all of the

powers of Synovus’ Board of Directors in the management and direction of the business and affairs of Synovus with respect to which specific direction has not been previously given by the Board of Directors unless Board action is required by Synovus’ governing documents, law or rule. The Executive Committee did not meet in 2015.

Under Synovus’ Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board is charged with providing oversight of Synovus’ risk management processes. The Board does not view risk in isolation and considers risk in virtually every business decision and as part of the Company’s overall business strategy. While the Board oversees risk management, the

Company’s management is charged with managing risk. The Board’s role in risk oversight is an integral part of Synovus’ overall enterprise risk management framework. For a more detailed description of Synovus’ enterprise risk management framework, see “Part I — Item 1. Business — Enterprise Risk Management” in Synovus’ 2015 Annual Report.

The Risk Committee fulfills the overarching oversight role for overseeing the enterprise risk management and compliance processes, including approving risk tolerance levels and risk policies and limits, monitoring key and emerging risks and reviewing risk assessments. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Risk Committee works closely with Synovus’ Chief Risk Officer and other members of Synovus’ enterprise risk management and compliance teams. The Risk Committee meets periodically with the Chief Risk Officer and other members of management and receives a comprehensive report on enterprise risk management and compliance matters, including management’s assessment of risk exposures (including risks related to liquidity, interest rates, credit, operations, regulatory compliance, and future growth, among others) and the processes in place to monitor and control such exposures. The Chairman of the Risk Committee also receives updates between meetings from the Chief Risk Officer, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Information Security Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer and other members of management relating to risk oversight and compliance matters. The Risk Committee provides a report on risk management to the full Board on at least a quarterly basis.

In addition, oversight of risk is allocated to all other committees of the Board, who meet regularly and report back to the Board. The Audit Committee oversees risks related to financial reporting, internal controls

over financial reporting, the investments portfolio, legal matters, tax matters, credit matters and reputational risks relating to these areas. The Compensation Committee oversees risks related to incentive compensation, executive and director compensation, executive succession planning, talent retention and reputational risks relating to these areas. As a part of the risk governance process, the Chief Risk Officer provides an annual risk profile to the Compensation Committee. For a discussion of the Compensation Committee’s review of Synovus’ senior executive officer compensation plans and employee incentive compensation plans and the risks associated with these plans, see “Compensation Framework: Compensation Policies, Compensation Policies, Compensation Process and Risk Considerations – Risk Considerations” on page 38 of this Proxy Statement. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee oversees corporate governance-related risks, such as board succession planning, corporate governance policies, related party transactions, and reputational risks relating to these areas.

The Company believes that its enterprise risk framework, including the active engagement of management with the Board in the risk oversight function, supports the risk oversight function of the Board. For more information on the risks facing the Company, see the risk factors in “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the 2015 Annual Report.

Our current Board leadership structure consists of:

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines and governance framework provide the Board with flexibility to select the appropriate leadership structure for Synovus. In making leadership structure determinations, the Board considers many factors, including the specific needs of the business and what is in the best interests of Synovus’ shareholders. In accordance with Synovus’ bylaws, our Board of Directors elects our Chief Executive Officer and our Chairman, and each of these positions may be held by the same person or may be held by two persons. Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board does not have a policy, one way or the other, on whether the roles of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer should be separate and, if it is to be separate, whether the Chairman should be selected from the non-employee directors or be an employee. However, our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that, if the Chairman of the Board is not an independent director, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee shall nominate, and a majority of the independent directors shall elect, a Lead Director. Under its charter, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee periodically reviews and recommends to the Board the leadership structure of the Board and, if necessary, nominates the Lead Director candidate from the independent directors. Currently, one individual serves as both our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman and, as a result, Synovus also has a Lead Director. The Board currently believes that the combination of these two roles provides more consistent communication and coordination throughout the organization, which results in a more effective and efficient implementation of corporate strategy and is important in unifying Synovus’ strategy behind a single vision.

The Chairman of the Board is responsible for chairing Board meetings and meetings of shareholders, setting the agendas for Board meetings

in consultation with the Lead Director and providing information to Board members in advance of meetings and between meetings.

Pursuant to Synovus’ Corporate Governance Guidelines, the duties of the Lead Director include the following:

After careful consideration, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee has determined that Synovus’ current Board structure is the most appropriate leadership structure for Synovus and its shareholders at this time.

The Board and each Board committee conducts annual self-evaluations to assess the qualifications, attributes, skills and experience represented on the Board and its committees and to determine whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively. The results of the self-evaluations are discussed by the Board and each committee,

respectively, during executive session. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee uses the input from these self-evaluations to recommend changes to Synovus’ corporate governance practices and areas of focus for the following year.

Synovus’ Corporate Governance Guidelines contain Board membership criteria considered by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee in recommending nominees for a position on Synovus’ Board. The Committee believes that, at a minimum, a director candidate must possess personal and professional integrity, sound judgment and forthrightness. A director candidate must also have sufficient time and energy to devote to the affairs of Synovus, be free from conflicts of interest with Synovus, must not have reached the retirement age for Synovus directors and be willing to make, and be financially capable of making, the required investment in Synovus’ stock pursuant to Synovus’ Director Stock Ownership Guidelines. The Committee also considers the following criteria when reviewing director candidates and existing directors:

The Committee does not assign specific weights to particular criteria and no particular criterion is necessarily applicable to all prospective nominees. In addition to the criteria set forth above, the Committee considers how the skills and attributes of each individual candidate or incumbent director work together to create a board that is collegial, engaged and effective in performing its duties. Although the Board does not have a formal policy on diversity, the Board and the Committee believe that the background and qualifications of the directors, considered as a group, should provide a significant mix of experience, knowledge and abilities that will contribute to Board diversity and allow the Board to effectively fulfill its responsibilities. For a discussion of the specific backgrounds and qualifications of our director nominees, see “Proposals to be Voted on: Proposal 1 — Election of 12 Directors — Nominees for Election as Director” beginning on page 17 of this Proxy Statement.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee has two primary methods for identifying director candidates (other than those proposed by Synovus’ shareholders, as discussed below). First, on a periodic basis, the Committee solicits ideas for possible candidates from a number of sources including members of the Board, Synovus executives and individuals personally known to the members of the Board. Second, the Committee, as authorized under its charter, retains at Synovus’ expense one or more search firms to identify candidates (and to approve such firms’ fees and other retention terms).

The Committee will consider all director candidates identified through the processes described above, as well as any candidates identified by

shareholders through the process described below, and will evaluate each of them, including incumbents, based on the same criteria. The director candidates are evaluated at regular or special meetings of the Committee and may be considered at any point during the year. If based on the Committee’s initial evaluation a director candidate continues to be of interest to the Committee, the Chair of the Committee will interview the candidate and communicate his evaluation to the other Committee members and executive management. Additional interviews are conducted, if necessary, and ultimately the Committee will meet to finalize its list of recommended candidates for the Board’s consideration.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will consider candidates for nomination as a director submitted by shareholders. Although the Committee does not have a separate policy that addresses the consideration of director candidates recommended by shareholders, the Board does not believe that such a separate policy is necessary as Synovus’ bylaws permit shareholders to nominate candidates and as one of the duties set forth in the Corporate Governance and Nominating

Committee charter is to review and consider director candidates submitted by shareholders. The Committee will evaluate individuals recommended by shareholders for nomination as directors according to the criteria discussed above and in accordance with Synovus’ bylaws and the procedures described under “Shareholder Proposals and Nominations” on page 48 of this Proxy Statement.

Synovus’ Board provides a process for shareholders and other interested parties to communicate with one or more members of the Board, including the Lead Director, or the non-management or independent directors as a group. Shareholders and other interested parties may communicate with the Board as follows:

Relevant communications are distributed to the Board, or to any individual director or directors, as appropriate, depending upon the facts

and circumstances outlined in the communication. In that regard, the Board has requested that certain items that are unrelated to its duties and responsibilities be excluded, such as: business solicitations or advertisements; junk mail and mass mailings; resumes and other forms of job inquiries; spam; and surveys. In addition, material that is unduly hostile, threatening, illegal or similarly unsuitable will be excluded. Any communication that is filtered out is made available to any director upon request.

These procedures are also available in the Corporate Governance section of our website at investor.synovus.com. Synovus’ process for handling shareholder and other communications to the Board has been approved by Synovus’ independent directors.

Synovus and our Board believe that accountability to our shareholders is key to sound corporate governance principles, and as such, regular and transparent communication with our shareholders is essential to our long-term success. Throughout 2015, members of our management team met with a significant number of our shareholders to discuss our

corporate strategy, capital management, risk management, corporate governance and executive compensation. In regularly engaging with our shareholders, we provide perspective on our policies and practices and seek input from these shareholders to ensure that we are addressing their questions and concerns.

Synovus has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines which are regularly reviewed by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. We have also adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics which is applicable to all directors, officers and employees. In addition, we maintain procedures for the confidential, anonymous submission of any complaints or concerns about Synovus, including complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters. Shareholders may access Synovus’ Corporate

Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, each committee’s current charter, procedures for shareholders and other interested parties to communicate with the Lead Director or with the non-management or independent directors individually or as a group and procedures for reporting complaints and concerns about Synovus, including complaints concerning accounting, internal accounting controls and auditing matters, in the Corporate Governance section of our website at investor.synovus.com.

As reflected in the “Fees Earned or Paid in Cash” column of the Director Compensation Table, during 2015, non-management directors of Synovus received an annual cash retainer of $50,000, with

Directors who are employees of Synovus do not receive any additional compensation for their service on the Board.

By paying directors an annual retainer, Synovus compensates each director for his or her role and judgment as an advisor to Synovus, rather than for his or her attendance or effort at individual meetings. In so doing, directors with added responsibility are recognized with higher cash compensation. For example, members of the Audit Committee

receive a higher cash retainer based upon the enhanced duties, time commitment and responsibilities of service on that committee. The Board believes that this additional cash compensation is appropriate. In addition, directors may from time to time receive compensation for serving on advisory committees of the Synovus Board.

The members of the Board are compensated each April for their service on the Board from the date of the annual meeting to the following year’s annual meeting. As such, the Board was compensated in 2015 for the full year of service for the period from April 23, 2015 through April 21, 2016.

Directors may elect to defer all or a portion of their cash compensation under the Synovus Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan. The Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan does not provide directors with an “above market” rate of return. Instead, the deferred amounts mirror the return of one or more investment funds selected by the director. In so doing, the plan is designed to allow directors to defer the income taxation of a portion of their compensation and to receive an investment return on those deferred amounts. All deferred fees are payable only in cash. Two directors (Dr. Pastides and Mr. Storey) elected to defer their 2015 cash compensation under this plan.

During 2015, non-management directors also received awards of restricted stock units under the Synovus 2013 Omnibus Plan. On March 19, 2015, the Board approved grants of 1,965 restricted stock units ($55,000.00 grant date fair market value) to the non-management members of the Board elected on April 23, 2015 to serve as directors for a term ending on April 21, 2016. The director restricted stock units become fully vested and transferable upon the earlier to occur of the completion of three years of service and the date the holder reaches age 72. These restricted stock unit awards are designed to create equity ownership and to focus directors on the long-term performance of Synovus.

Synovus’ 2011 Director Stock Purchase Plan is a non-qualified, contributory stock purchase plan pursuant to which qualifying Synovus

directors can purchase, with the assistance of contributions from Synovus, presently issued and outstanding shares of Synovus stock. Under the terms of the Director Stock Purchase Plan, qualifying directors can elect to contribute up to $5,000 per calendar quarter to make purchases of Synovus stock, and Synovus contributes an additional amount (equal to 15% of the directors’ cash contributions in 2015). Participants in the Director Stock Purchase Plan are fully vested in all shares of Synovus stock purchased for their benefit under the Plan and may request that the shares purchased under the Plan be released to them at any time. Synovus’ contributions under this Plan are included in the “All Other Compensation” column of the Director Compensation Table below. Synovus’ contributions under the Director Stock Purchase Plan provide directors the opportunity to buy and maintain an equity interest in Synovus and to share in the capital appreciation of Synovus.

Synovus’ Corporate Governance Guidelines require all directors to accumulate over time shares of Synovus stock equal in value to at least three times the value of their annual retainer. Directors have five years to attain this level of total stock ownership, but must attain a share ownership threshold of one times the amount of the director’s annual retainer within three years. These stock ownership guidelines are

designed to align the interests of Synovus’ directors to that of Synovus’ shareholders and the long-term performance of Synovus. The restricted stock unit awards to directors and Synovus’ contributions under the Director Stock Purchase Plan assist and facilitate directors’ fulfillment of their stock ownership requirements. All of Synovus’ directors were in compliance with the guidelines as of December 31, 2015.

Pursuant to Synovus’ bylaws, the Board shall consist of not less than 8 nor more than 25 directors with such number to be set either by the Board or shareholders representing at least 66 2/3% of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of all of Synovus’ issued and outstanding shares. Currently, the size of the Board is set at 13 members. Effective as

of the 2016 Annual Meeting, the Board has set the size of the Board at 12 members. Proxies cannot be voted at the Annual Meeting for a greater number of persons than the 12 nominees named in this Proxy Statement.

The 12 nominees for director named in this Proxy Statement were selected by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee based upon a review of the nominees and consideration of the director qualifications described under “Corporate Governance and Board Matters — Consideration of Director Candidates — Director Qualifications” on page 13 of this Proxy Statement. In addition to the specific criteria for director nomination, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee assesses whether a candidate possesses the integrity, judgment, knowledge, experience, skills and expertise that are likely to enhance the Board’s ability to manage and direct the affairs and business of Synovus. With respect to the nomination of continuing directors for re-election, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee also considers the individual’s contributions to the Board and its committees. All of the 12 nominees currently serve as a director. The nominees for director include six current and former chief executive officers, at least 10 persons who could be recognized as “audit committee financial experts”, two current or former deans of national universities, and a former partner of a global auditing firm. The nominees collectively have over 160 years of experience in banking and financial services as well as significant experience in insurance, investment management, commercial real estate, risk management, and accounting. The nominees also bring extensive board and committee experience.

In addition to the overall composition of the Board, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee also considered the nominees’

individual roles in (1) oversight of our enterprise risk management process, (2) relationships with the numerous regulatory agencies that monitor Synovus’ operations, (3) assistance with the strategic plan of the Company, (4) oversight and support of our expense reduction initiatives, and (5) managing succession planning. In addition to fulfilling the above criteria, 11 of the 12 nominees for election named below are considered independent under the NYSE rules and Synovus’ Director Independence Standards. Each nominee also brings a strong and unique background and set of skills to the Board, giving the Board as a whole competence and experience in a wide variety of areas, including corporate governance and board service, executive management, risk management and oversight, corporate strategy, commercial real estate, troubled asset work-out and disposition situations, and ancillary financial services businesses. Each member of the Board has demonstrated leadership through his or her work on the boards of a variety of public, private and non-profit organizations and is familiar with board processes and corporate governance. We believe the atmosphere of our Board is collegial and that all Board members are engaged in their responsibilities. For additional information about our director independence requirements, consideration of director candidates, director tenure, leadership structure of our Board and other corporate governance matters, see “Corporate Governance and Board Matters” beginning on page 9 of this Proxy Statement.

The following table sets forth information regarding the 12 nominees for election to the Board.

Synovus believes that our compensation policies and procedures for our named executive officers are competitive, are focused on pay for performance principles and are strongly aligned with the long-term interests of our shareholders. Synovus also believes that both we and our shareholders benefit from responsive corporate governance policies and constructive and consistent dialogue. Each year, as required by Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act, we give you, as a shareholder, the opportunity to endorse the compensation for our named executive officers. The proposal described below, commonly known as a “Say on Pay” proposal, gives you the opportunity to approve or not approve, on an advisory basis, such compensation as described in this Proxy Statement.

In deciding how to vote on this proposal, the Board encourages you to read the “Executive Compensation — Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this Proxy Statement and the tabular and narrative disclosure which follows it. In those sections, we discuss each element of compensation, including base salaries, short-term incentives, long-term incentives and retirement benefits. We also discuss our policies and other factors which affect the decisions of our Compensation Committee.

In many cases, we are required to disclose in the executive compensation tables accounting or other non-cash estimates of future compensation. Because of this, we encourage you to read the footnotes and narratives which accompany each table in order to understand any non-cash items.

We believe our executive compensation is aligned with shareholders because:

We believe that the compensation delivered to each named executive officer in 2015 was fair and reasonable.

Unless the Board modifies its policy on the frequency of future “Say on Pay” advisory votes, the next “Say on Pay” vote will be held at the 2017 annual meeting of shareholders. The next advisory vote on the frequency of “Say on Pay” proposals is scheduled to occur at the 2017 annual meeting of shareholders.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the advisory vote on the compensation of the named executive officers as determined by the Compensation Committee.

The Audit Committee has appointed the firm of KPMG LLP as the independent auditor to audit the consolidated financial statements of Synovus and its subsidiaries for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016 and Synovus’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016. KPMG has been appointed continuously since 1975. Although shareholder ratification of the appointment of Synovus’ independent auditor is not required by our bylaws or otherwise, we are submitting the selection of KPMG to our shareholders for ratification to permit shareholders to participate in this important corporate decision. If not ratified, the Audit Committee will reconsider the selection, although the Audit Committee will not be required to select a different independent auditor for Synovus.

The Audit Committee annually reviews KPMG’s independence and performance in connection with the determination to retain KPMG. In conducting its review this year, the Audit Committee considered, among other things:

Based on the results of its review this year, the Audit Committee concluded that KPMG is independent and that it is in the best interests of Synovus and its shareholders to appoint KPMG LLP to serve as Synovus’ independent auditor for 2016.

Synovus’ Audit Committee oversees the process for, and ultimately approves, the selection of the independent auditor’s lead engagement partner at the five-year mandatory rotation period. At the Audit Committee’s instruction, KPMG selects candidates to be considered for the lead engagement partner role, who are then interviewed by members of Synovus’ senior management. After discussing the results of senior management’s interviews, the members of the Audit Committee, as a group, interview the candidates. The Audit Committee then considers the appointment and votes on the selection.

Representatives of KPMG will be present at the Annual Meeting with the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and will be available to respond to appropriate questions from shareholders present at the meeting.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the independent auditor for the year 2016.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is comprised of four directors, each of whom the Board has determined to be an independent director as defined by the listing standards of the NYSE and the categorical standards of independence set by the Board. The duties of the Audit Committee are summarized in this Proxy Statement under “Corporate Governance and Board Matters — Committees of the Board” beginning on page 10 and are more fully described in the Audit Committee charter adopted by the Board of Directors.

One of the Audit Committee’s primary responsibilities is to assist the Board in its oversight responsibility regarding the integrity of Synovus’ financial statements and systems of internal controls. Management is responsible for Synovus’ accounting and financial reporting processes, the establishment and effectiveness of internal controls and the preparation and integrity of Synovus’ consolidated financial statements. KPMG LLP, Synovus’ independent auditor, is responsible for performing an independent audit of Synovus’ consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and issuing opinions on whether those financial statements are presented fairly in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and on the effectiveness of Synovus’ internal control over financial reporting. The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the compensation, appointment and oversight of KPMG LLP. The function of the Audit Committee is not to duplicate the activities of management or the independent auditor, but to monitor and oversee Synovus’ financial reporting process.

In discharging its responsibilities regarding the financial reporting process, the Audit Committee:

The Audit Committee has discussed with Synovus’ internal auditors and KPMG LLP the overall scope and plans for their respective audits. The Audit Committee regularly meets with Synovus’ internal auditors and KPMG, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examinations and their observations and recommendations regarding Synovus’ internal controls.

Based upon the review and discussions referred to in the preceding paragraph, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited consolidated financial statements referred to above be included in Synovus’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Audit Committee

Tim E. Bentsen, Chair

Elizabeth W. Camp

Jerry W. Nix

Joseph J. Prochaska, Jr.

The Audit Committee has the responsibility for appointing, setting the compensation for and overseeing the work of Synovus’ independent auditor. In recognition of this responsibility, the Audit Committee has established a policy to pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by the independent auditor in order to assure that the provision of these services does not impair the independent auditor’s independence. Synovus’ Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy addresses services included within the four categories of audit and permissible non-audit services, which include Audit Services, Audit Related Services, Tax Services and All Other Services.

The Audit Committee uses a combination of two approaches to pre-approve audit and permitted non-audit services performed by the independent auditor: class pre-approval and specific pre-approval. The annual audit services engagement terms and fees are subject to the specific pre-approval of the Audit Committee. In addition, the Audit Committee must specifically approve permissible non-audit services classified as All Other Services.

Prior to engagement, management submits to the Committee for approval a detailed list of the Audit Services, Audit Related Services and Tax Services that it recommends the Committee engage the

independent auditor to provide for the fiscal year. Each service is allocated to the appropriate category and where specific pre-approval is required, the specific service is accompanied by a budget estimating the cost of that service. The Committee will, if appropriate, approve both the list of Audit Services, Audit Related Services and Tax Services, the classification of the service and where specific pre-approval is required, the budget for such services.

The Committee is informed at each Committee meeting as to the services actually provided by the independent auditor pursuant to the Pre-Approval Policy. Any proposed service that is not separately listed in the Pre-Approval Policy or any service exceeding the pre-approved fee levels must be specifically pre-approved by the Committee. The Audit Committee has delegated pre-approval authority (on engagements not exceeding $100,000) to the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Chairman must report any pre-approval decisions made by him to the Committee at its next scheduled meeting.

All of the services described in the table above under the captions “Audit Fees,” “Audit Related Fees,” “Tax Fees” and “All Other Fees” were approved by the Committee pursuant to legal requirements and the Committee’s Charter and Pre-Approval Policy.

Specifically, the CD&A addresses:

For additional information about the Compensation Committee and its charter, its processes and procedures for administering executive compensation, the role of compensation consultants and other governance information, please see “Corporate Governance and Board Matters — Committees of the Board — Compensation Committee” on page 10 of this Proxy Statement.

WHAT WE DO

		Pay for Performance — See page 32
		Mitigate Risk in Incentive Programs — See page 38
		Require Share Ownership and Retention of Shares until Retirement — See page 37
		Review Tally Sheets — See page 38
		Provide Reasonable “Double Trigger” Change in Control Provisions — See page 36
		Retain an Independent Compensation Consultant — See page 38
		Maintain Clawback Policy – See page 37

WHAT WE DON’T DO

		No Employment Contracts — See page 36
		No Option Repricing — See page 38
		No Hedging of Synovus Equity Securities by Executive Officers and Directors — See page 38
		No Pledging of Synovus Equity Securities by Executive Officers and Directors — See page 38

Our key achievements in 2015 include the following:

For more information regarding our 2015 financial performance and for a reconciliation of any non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the full discussion of Synovus’ financial results of operations for 2015 in our 2015 Annual Report that accompanies this Proxy Statement.

At the 2015 annual meeting of shareholders, we held an advisory vote on executive compensation for 2014. Over 96% of the votes cast were in favor of this advisory proposal. The Compensation Committee considered this favorable outcome and believed the outcome conveyed our shareholders’ support of our executive compensation programs and did not make any specific changes to our executive compensation

programs as a result of this vote. At the Annual Meeting, we will again hold an annual advisory vote to approve executive compensation paid in 2015. The Compensation Committee will continue to consider the results from this year’s and future advisory votes on executive compensation.