Leadership Team

A highly sought-after resource for insights, innovation, and creative deal structures, Scott has over three decades of experience in executive roles at KG. Scott joined KG in 1990 and was instrumental in helping Howard Kessler purchase its predecessor company. Scott has held a variety of executive leaderships roles at KG over his career, helping the company grow and expand its offerings, and establishing a number of strategic relationships with financial institutions, payment networks, and other large entities that have withstood the test of time.

Most recently as President of KG, Scott architected and executed the sale of KG to ECN Capital. In conjunction with the sale of KG to ECN, Scott took on the role of CEO and is now responsible for creating and orchestrating KG’s strategy and long-term vision. An engaging and collaborative leader, Scott works closely with his management team to deliver lasting results for KG’s clients across the full range of company solutions including our at risk marketing funding, marketing solutions and execution, strategic partnership development, M&A, and asset management programs. Scott thrives on helping clients solves complex problems and challenges, in the interest of developing long term relationships.

In driving the evolution of KG, Scott has assembled a top-flight team of banking and payments executives who have collectively developed and managed end to end payment and banking businesses at leading institutions. Areas of expertise across the team include starting up new businesses, marketing and sales, balance sheet and capital management, credit risk management and loss prevention, and oversight of large, mature payments and banking businesses.

Scott holds a BS in Biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire. Scott currently sits on three boards including Aliaswire, EData Networks and Ozumo Concepts International.

Scott is very active in the community, mentoring youth and supporting many charitable initiatives including The Ryan Shaw Foundation, Mustard Seed Communities, The Haven Project, St. Joseph’s School, The Ryan Shaw ’15 Entrepreneurial Program and the Shaw Family Center for Innovation and Design at St. John’s Prep.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Jay brings a unique combination of practical card marketing, financial analytics, and deep strategic business knowledge to The Kessler Group. He works directly with our financial services clients to support strategic analyses, and acquisitions or divestitures, along with structuring collaborative partnerships.

Prior to joining in 2015, he spent eleven years with JPMorgan Chase where he was responsible for modeling and evaluating every major card M&A transaction. He has a wealth of experience across private label and cobrand programs, and also did stints in both the deposit and credit card marketing divisions.

Jay has an MBA from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. With a BS from the Naval Academy, he served on active duty for five years in the United States Marine Corps. Jay lives in Chadds Ford, PA with his wife and three kids, and is active coaching youth lacrosse. He works out of Kessler’s Wilmington, DE office.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Jen is responsible for Digital Marketing and Strategy.  She officially joined Kessler in 2019 following 2 years as founder and owner of a digital consultancy company.  Jen has over 20 years of marketing leadership experience at four Fortune 500 companies across numerous unsecured consumer credit products and retail products.  This includes CMO of College Ave Student Loans, VP of Client Services at Ebay and Head of Marketing for UPromise.

Jen holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from University of Maryland and a BA in International Relations from Dickinson College.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Bayo joined The Kessler Group in 2011 on our Portfolio Advisory team and assists Kessler clients in executing M&A and organic growth initiatives across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Prior to joining Kessler, Bayo was the BFO of Sallie Mae’s credit card business and prior to that, he was acting CFO and founding member of a credit card startup. Bayo started his career at MBNA (subsequently Bank of America), where he developed financial models to value MBNA’s 5,000 affinity partners and associated card portfolios, as well as helped execute portfolio and business M&A transactions.

Bayo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Computer Information Systems from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and an MBA from the Drexel LeBow College of Business.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Jimm works with card issuers, lending institutions, and investors to lead the day-to-day asset management operations for Fidem Financial.

Prior to Fidem, Jimm led Consumer and Small Business Payments for Fifth Third Bank, including Credit, Debit, Prepaid, Healthcare Payments businesses and Mobile Wallets.  His responsibilities included product management, acquisition, account management, IT integrations, and supplier contract negotiations including those with TSYS, Vantiv and MasterCard.  Jimm served on multiple bank governance committees, including Consumer Credit Policy Committee, Corporate Responsibility and Reputation Committee, Regulatory Change Management, and the CRA/Responsible Lending Committee.

Before Fifth Third, Jimm led the retail-branded Credit Card portfolio at TD Bank, where he grew the business from start-up through its first $1B in receivables sourced from customer cross sell and direct marketing channels.  Jimm also held numerous roles within American Express, including Vendor Management, Loyalty Program Management, Engagement marketing, Product Line Strategy and New Product Development.

Jimm holds a Bachelor of Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

A long time employee, Amanda has spent the last 20 years building her career at Kessler. She is responsible for devising marketing plans, developing marketing strategies, and managing the execution of direct mail and integrated multi-channel programs for various big brand clients in the Affinity Credit Card space as well as alternative lending programs. She also manages 3rd party vendor relationships including managing their onboarding process. Her experience includes creating campaign reporting and analysis, budget management, cost saving initiatives and ideas for program expansion.

Amanda holds a BS in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Pat recently joined KG as part of the senior leadership team bringing with him over 34 years of experience in financial services with a focus on Finance and Credit oversight, credit risk policy and underwriting, GAAP & RAAP accounting practices and strategy development.

He has formerly held positions as CFO for First Bankcard, CCO Consumer Banking FNBO, and CFO of Bank of New York, Delaware. Most notable among his accomplishments, he has led the development of CECL models for all Consumer Banking lending products, implemented campaign tracking structures for First Bankcard and been the financial lead for $8 billion in credit card sales at BNY.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Mark joined KG in 2020, and is focused on helping clients with strategies that allow them to improve and grow their businesses.  Areas of expertise include business strategy, business development, initiation of new businesses, product development, operations, payment network relationship management, risk management, and negotiations.

Mark has spent the last thirty years conceiving, architecting, building, and managing businesses and teams.  He greatly enjoys working with and leading others.  Most recently, Mark was Chief Customer Officer at Kobie Marketing, an industry leading loyalty company.  While at Kobie, he originated and managed all client relationships with organizations like Ann Taylor, Verizon, Wawa, Synchrony Bank, and Williams-Sonoma, and led the company’s call centers.

Prior to Kobie, Mark was CMO for First National Omaha for seven years, leading the company’s product and direct marketing organizations.  Prior to FNBO, Mark was Chief Marketing Officer and Board Member for a de novo credit card company, and spent 18 years with MBNA and Bank of America, where he was the CEO of Mexico, residing in Mexico City.

A graduate of Swarthmore College with degrees in Economics and Psychology, Mark is active in the community and is a happy husband and father of three children.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Dax has a deep level of expertise in partnerships across business development, endorsed program management, and growth strategies, leading The Kessler Group’s efforts with key clients.

Dax joined Kessler in 2011 after spending the previous five years as a founder and COO of Revolution Money, a payments company that was sold to American Express. Prior to founding Revolution Money, Dax spent 14 years at MBNA serving as Division President and senior executive vice president of the key US Endorsed business, where he led the company’s 5,500 endorsing groups and $65 billion endorsed consumer loan portfolio. In addition, Dax held management positions leading MBNA’s regional offices, several business sectors, and the company’s new account activation efforts.

Dax currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Potomac School and the Advisory Board for the Connelly Center for Entrepreneurship at Washington and Lee University. Dax holds a BA in Politics from Washington and Lee University.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Carl is responsible for The Kessler Group’s prioritization and resource allocation processes. In addition, he works to develop new client and partner relationships and vertical expertise particularly in the unsecured lending and payments spaces.

Carl rejoined Kessler in 2013 following eight years with Exchange Solutions, Inc., where he managed the Retail Banking Practice focused on helping create and deploy a proprietary web-based technology platform to help banks deepen their customer relationships. Under his leadership, the solution was deployed in 22 countries and was contributing over $1.7 billion in annual incremental bank balances across all consumer banking products. Prior to Exchange Solutions, Carl worked at Kessler for eight years in both Corporate Development and Marketing roles where he helped grow both the breadth of marketing services and the clients served. Carl’s additional experience includes performing corporate planning and market analysis at MasterCard and consulting to large banks at Booz|Allen|Hamilton.

Carl holds an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Columbia Business School and a BS in International Finance from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Carl lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with his wife and family, enjoying numerous children’s activities, cooking and being at the beach. Carl has been as an Alumni Interviewer for Georgetown for many years and actively supports several community organizations including the Lutheran Church of the Newton and numerous school PTAs.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Steve is responsible for working with Kessler Group clients to develop strategies that advance each company’s business objectives for payments and lending programs. Specialty areas include credit card product design, direct to consumer marketing, credit risk policy and underwriting and cobrand and agent bank partnerships, among others. His focus is to help clients realize the full potential of consumer financial products to their prospects and current customers.

Over a 25 year career, Steve has worked at some of the largest banks in the U.S., including Citibank, JPMorgan Chase and most recently First National Omaha, where he oversaw all of the bank’s consumer deposit, mortgage and lending businesses as EVP, Consumer Banking. At FNBO he was also President of First Bankcard, a top twenty U.S. credit card issuer.

Steve holds a M.B.A. in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a B.A. from Rutgers University.

Greg leads The Kessler Group’s new business development efforts, contributing expertise in insurance, risk syndication and nonprime credit card program growth (organic and via acquisition). After working with The Kessler Group from 1996 to 2000, Greg left the firm to start an Internet marketing company, Vizium, where he served as director of Marketing. The company grew to 25 marketing and technical consultants before being sold to the largest independent media conglomerate in Europe. In 2003, Greg returned to Kessler to lead the Alternative Channels department.

Prior to Greg’s first stint at Kessler, he worked in Moscow for two years at a USAID-funded investment firm that had been founded to help medium-sized Russian businesses transition to a free-market economy. Greg is proficient in Russian.

Greg has a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MBA from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. He serves as treasurer on the Board of Trustees at Kingsley Montessori School in Boston.

Sanji is a senior finance leader with 25+ years of extensive experience with deal sourcing, revenue growth, client relationship development and management, strategy development and deal structuring.

He spent six years working for KG back in 2009 as Senior Executive Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions. Before and after, he has held a variety of other high level roles. Most recently he was President of a company that enabled leading financial institutions to de-risk their portfolios and redeploy their capital and Principal of a company advising global consumer finance business on strategic realignment, acquisition and divestitures. He was also formerly SVP of Card Services Global M&A at Bank of America and Senior Business Analyst for DuPont.

He has a BBA, Finance from The University of Georgia and an MBA, Finance from University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management.

Doug is a seasoned production professional with over 25 years of experience spanning numerous commercial industries. His background includes both the client and agency side of the advertising business with a focus on executing the production of best-in-class, multi-channel materials and marketing programs for leading products and services. Prior to joining Kessler’s Marketing Services team, Doug has worked for several well-known advertising agencies including Leo Burnett Worldwide and Hill Holiday as well as a leading print and marketing management company, HH Global.

Prior to that he spent several years on the manufacturing side of the business producing direct marketing materials for financial institutions, the insurance industry, packaged goods and medical device companies and others.

Doug lives in Westford, MA with his wife and two children. When not in the office he enjoys live music, travel, coaching youth lacrosse and just about anything that involves the great outdoors.

Lauren joined Kessler in 2007 and specializes in strategy development and transaction execution. She has played an integral role in the completion of over $10 billion in transactions, and advises clients on business development strategies.

Lauren joined Kessler from Investors Bank & Trust, where as part of the Corporate Finance division, she managed financial planning and analysis of the bank’s largest departments, business development and information technology.

Lauren holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BS in Finance from Quinnipiac University.

A lifelong animal lover, Lauren spends her free time as an advanced volunteer at the Animal Rescue League of Boston where she helps assess dogs’ behavior and train them before they are adopted.

During her 25-year tenure at Kessler, April has been responsible for developing creative, from strategy through execution, overseeing in-house and third-party resources. She has leveraged a test-and-learn strategy resulting in a proven track record of successful campaigns in direct mail and integrated multichannel programs for Kessler’s clients. She has also provided clients with competitive industry and creative assessments of client third-party agency work to make recommendations on improving overall response. Her experience spans acquisition, relationship and customer service programs in the Credit Card, Traditional Loan, Peer-to-peer Lending, Insurance, Collections, Deposits, and Education spaces. Her experience includes helping to grow small, start-up pilots to working on complex multivariate, high-volume marketing programs.

April holds a BFA from Syracuse University.

Patrick joined Kessler in 2011 and oversees key client business development and emerging payment strategy engagements. Patrick has developed extensive expertise in cultivating strategic alliances (organic and acquisition), program agreement and financial deal structuring and portfolio risk mitigation solutions.

Prior to joining the firm, Patrick held senior M&A and corporate strategic planning positions at Barclays, a de novo affinity credit card subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorp, and MBNA.

Mr. McCall holds an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a BS in Business Administration (Finance) from Marist College.

Kevin joined Kessler in 1997 and is responsible for business development in the financial institution sector. An expert in relationship management, strategy, and negotiation, Kevin crafts partnerships with tangible advantages for financial institutions and superior consumer value for their customers.

Kevin brings over 25 years of payments experience to his position and has formed over 500 agent partnerships in the bank and credit union space. Prior to joining the company, Kevin spent two years with First Data and four years with Bay Bank, now a part of Bank of America.

Kevin holds a BS in Economics and Finance from Bentley University.

In his spare time Kevin is a certified baker specializing in European artisan breads and serves as a senior advisor for Cards Across the Ocean, a global charity that focuses on the emotional needs of children and seniors in developing nations.

An accomplished marketing executive with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Andrea’s expertise spans across all product lines with a focus on credit card marketing (B2B and B2C), retail banking and payment networks.

Prior to joining Kessler, Andrea held a senior leadership position at MasterCard, serving as Account Lead for Wells Fargo, Chase Card Services, First National Bank of Omaha, M&T Bank, TD Bank, and Deutsche Bank.  Prior to MasterCard, Andrea had 16 years of marketing experience at Advanta, Bank One and Sparks State Bank.

Andrea holds an MS in Business Management from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in Marketing from Kutztown University.

As a mother of two children, Andrea and her husband support several children charities and associations as well as national organizations that provide assistance to our military.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Jason is the architect and head of Kessler Group’s Marketing Analytics practice, implementing a number of rigorous solutions for a host of clients in the financial services, membership group, and education spaces.

Prior to joining Kessler, Jason held senior analytics positions with Vistaprint and Aramark, and previously served as a technical consultant for MaPS and SAS. Jason holds an MBA and an MA in Statistics from Boston University and a BA in Mathematics from Saint Anselm College.

Jason holds membership at the MSPCA animal rescue league, volunteers at the St. Francis day shelter, and offers interview training to students as a skill based volunteer.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Joel manages Kessler Capital, making investments into Kessler’s clients by funding at-risk marketing programs and other capital investments. Joel has worked in various financial roles throughout the Kessler Group since 1999. He is a sought after financial consultant for Kessler’s clients, providing financial modeling and analytical support to help clients identify and implement optimal strategies in attracting and acquiring new business.

Joel holds a BS in Finance and Marketing from Syracuse University and an MBA from Babson College.

Joel is active in his town’s youth sports programs and other local community activities.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Since joining The Kessler Group in 1996, Steve has been instrumental in building and managing key accounting and control functions, including cash flow maximization, general ledger reporting, international consolidations, treasury management, overhead tracking and review, vendor security audits, and the implementation of accounting and information technology policies and procedures for all company entities. Steve also manages the day-to-day operations of The Kessler Group’s accounting and IT departments.

Prior to joining the company, Steve worked for nearly five years in the audit practice of KPMG Peat Marwick, becoming a Certified Public Accountant in 1994. Steve holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MS/MBA from Northeastern University.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Warren recently joined KG as part of the senior leadership team bringing with him more than 35 years of experience in consumer financial services. Warren has held a variety of executive management positions at Visa, Providian, Fleet Boston, Household International, Atlantic Financial and Citigroup. He was also instrumental in starting two successful fintechs, Happy Money and CreditShop. Warren was also a director of Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ: ECPG).

He has an M.S. in Management from Purdue University.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

A leading innovator in the financial services industry and a consummate dealmaker, Howard Kessler pioneered the concept of the affinity credit card with MBNA in 1982. Howard has spent the ensuing decades building businesses focused on delivering win-win solutions to the most critical problems faced by senior executives in retail financial services.

Deals and partnership programs created by Howard have literally reshaped the landscape of the payments industry— resulting in the creation of billions of dollars in value for shareholders. Howard has been at the forefront of innovation in credit cards and has developed concepts and techniques that have been exported to financial services firms around the world.

As a lifelong entrepreneur, Howard excels in the relentless pursuit of out-of-the-box answers to intractable problems, especially in deal making and in the crafting of alternative solutions in “workout” situations. This unique combination of tenacity and creativity has made him a trusted advisor to the most senior leaders in the fields of politics and financial services, and these relationships give him unparalleled insight into the strategic objectives and needs of major financial institutions.

Howard and his wife, Michele, are active philanthropists supporting a wide range of national and global causes, such as the William J. Clinton Foundation, the American Red Cross, the American Ireland Fund, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Prince of Wales Trust and Partners HealthCare, a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare system founded by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Howard has been the recipient of numerous public service awards, including the United Way Emerging Corporate Philanthropist Award, the Red Cross Lifetime Achievement Award, the Palm Beach Police Foundation Award for Community Service and the Carolyn and Peter Lynch Award for entrepreneurs who have made a significant difference in the lives of children. He is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.

Lena joined The Kessler Group in 1991 as Assistant to Chairman Emeritus Howard Kessler. Lena works closely with the Kessler Family and manages the talented administrative staff supporting the family and their various business and philanthropic endeavors.

Prior to joining The Kessler Group, Lena served as the Vice President of Property Management for First Investment of Wellesley, MA. In that role Lena managed 3,000 residential units and commercial space from Rhode Island to Texas while overseeing budget control, leasing, and advertising, as well as managing property managers, maintenance, and grounds staff.

Lena holds a Bachelor of Secretarial Science degree with merit and honors from Katharine Gibbs of Boston. As a member of the National Secretarial Association, a board member for the North Reading Dollars for Scholars, and through being active in the North Reading School system’s athletic and educational fundraising initiatives, Lena has blended her business and philanthropic expertise to help give back to her community. Lena resides in North Reading, MA with her husband Michael and enjoys cooking, dancing, and being with family.

To get in touch, please reach out through info@kessler.com.