SPEAKERS AND CO-OP LEADERSHIP

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  Todd Clark
  President/CEO, CO-OP Financial Services
  Todd Clark became President/CEO of CO-OP Financial Services on June 27, 2016, bringing with him a 25-year career featuring a unique mix of start-up and corporate experience in the payments industry. Clark served most recently as SVP/Head of STAR Network and Debit Processing for First Data Corporation, where he had full profit and loss responsibility for the EFT Group. In this capacity, he led a team of more than 600 product, strategy, communications, strategic sales, technology, operations and support personnel. Prior to First Data, Clark was an executive with Cardtronics, Inc., and also served in a prior capacity at First Data from 1991 to 2012.

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  Nicholas Calcanes
  Chief Information Officer, CO-OP Financial Services
  Chief Information Officer Nick Calcanes joined CO-OP in April 2017 from financial technology solutions provider Fiserv, where he was CIO for Financial Risk Management Solutions. His 25-year career in the financial services industry includes key technology leadership positions as CIO, Wholesale Credit and Client Technology, at Bank of America Corporation and CIO, Global Functions Technology, at Ally Financial. In these roles, Calcanes managed technology strategy and oversaw the IT functions for 1,000-plus person organizations and multi-millions in budgets. His experience includes transforming IT strategy to realign people, processes and technology across business operations, as well as increasing performance outputs. Calcanes’ focus at CO-OP is to elevate CO-OP’s technology strategy and build out infrastructure to continue its transformation as a digital company.

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  Jill DeNiro
  Chief People Officer, CO-OP Financial Services

  Jill DeNiro, with 25 years of Human Resources experience in the financial services and healthcare industries, serves as Chief People Officer, heading CO-OP’s Human Resources organization. DeNiro joined CO-OP Financial Services in August 2003.

  DeNiro has earned professional designations as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI), and Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) from WorldatWork Society of Certified Professionals. She also has a Credit Union Management Certificate from the Western CUNA Management School.

  Her work in her profession also includes assisting the HRCI on a national level as an Item Writer, drafting questions for the PHR-CA certification exam. She also served as an Advisor and Treasurer for her local chapter of the Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA).

  Prior to joining CO-OP Financial Services, DeNiro held several Human Resources roles, including Recruitment Manager at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Colorado. She also served as Human Resources Manager for Team Rehab.

  DeNiro holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management, Human Resources emphasis, from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She also attained an Executive MBA degree from Chapman University in Orange, California.

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  James Hanisch
  Chief Operating Officer, CO-OP Financial Services

  James (Jim) Hanisch has more than 35 years experience with credit unions and 40 years experience with payments and technology. Jim serves as Chief Operating Officer and heads the operational areas of the organization.

  Hanisch, an Iowa native, arrived at CO-OP Financial Services in 2000. He has been involved with credit unions since the late 1970’s and CO-OP since 1986. Hanisch led the technology design for both the CO-OP ATM and Co-OP Shared Branch networks while at Deluxe Data Systems (now FIS). He had the privilege to learn about credit unions from industry icons Tom Griffiths, Robert Rose, Gary Wolters, Carrol Beach, Bill Broxterman, Ed Callahan, Tom Sargent, Rick Craig, Stan Hollen and Pat Jury.

  Prior to CO-OP, Hanisch has served as VP Application Service Provider Services for ACI Worldwide, VP Strategic Planning for USPI, VP Financial Institution Services for Deluxe Data, and VP Electronic Banking at Norwest Bank. He was involved in development of the FIS Connex and ACI Base 24 platforms, formation of several of the early mid-western EFT networks and was a founder and first president of the Diebold-TABS Advisory Group.

  Hanisch serves on the board of and is a past chairman of the the Electronic Funds Transfer Association. He is a member of the Federal Reserve Faster Payments Committee. He serves or has served on the boards of RewardsNOW, Early Warning Systems, ResolverGroup, CUATM Services and Everlink.  He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Economics.  He lives in Upland, California with his wife Barb.

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  Mathew Kardell
  Chief Revenue Officer, CO-OP Financial Services
  Chief Revenue Officer Mathew Kardell joined CO-OP in April 2017, Previously, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager (SVP/GM) of STAR Network Relationship and Sales at First Data Corporation. He is a veteran of the payments and financial services industry with more than 25 years in high-performing revenue-generation and business development roles. At First Data, Kardell most recently was responsible for the company’s STAR Network client relationships with merchants and financial Institutions, with network transactions experiencing double-digit percent growth in 2015. Prior to that position, he was SVP/GM of Financial Institution Relationships and New Business Development, managing more than $1 billion in revenue and spanning more than 4,000 financial institutions in North America. In addition, Kardell has extensive experience in the credit union space, having managed those strategic relationships during his tenure at First Data.

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  Samantha Paxson
  Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, CO-OP Financial Services
  As Chief Marketing and Experience Officer for CO-OP Financial Services, Samantha Paxson is the architect of the company’s go-to-market strategy.

  Paxson focuses on the intersection of technology, creativity, purpose and experience to meet the needs of CO-OP clients and their members. Discovering new ways to make CO-OP one of the most admired and exciting companies is her passion. Specific responsibilities include brand strategy, sales enablement and product/marketing strategy integration, strategic planning and research, consumer user experience development and analysis, and paid/owned/earned media strategy for multiple brands and business lines.

  Joining CO-OP in 2005, Paxson created the THINK initiative, an innovation content platform for the credit union movement. Her background includes working overseas in international public relations, and managing accounts in the technology, automotive, action sports and financial services space for a Southern California marketing agency. Paxson is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in journalism and Social Sciences.

  She is also an advisor to the OpenIDEO Challenge on “Financial Empowerment”, a board member of USC Credit Union and a board member of Children’s Hospital Orange County’s Credit Union Committee.

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  Kari Wilfong
  Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer, CO-OP Financial Services
  In July 2006, Kari Wilfong joined CO-OP’s executive team as the Chief Financial Officer. Now serving as Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer, Wilfong’s main focus is on financial security, as well as the strategic, organic and future financial growth and development of CO-OP. She is also responsible for the advancement and management of enterprise-wide accounting, finance, information technology, risk management and security.

  Wilfong’s duties at CO-OP include extensive experience in acquisitions and investments, most recently with business partners Alkami Technology, Inc., of Plano, Texas, and Finivation, of New York, New York. Wilfong is also a member of Ongoing Operations of Hagerstown, Maryland, and provides financial guidance to other companies in which CO-OP holds a strategic investment.

  Wilfong held various leadership roles at Western National Group and USIWest in Irvine, Calif., and began her career at Frankeberger & Company in 1991 as a Support Staff Accountant. She is a certified public accountant and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration, with an academic achievement award, from Loyola Marymount University. In 2015, Wilfong completed her Executive MBA from Claremont Graduate University with high honors, focusing on strategy and leadership (separate certificates received for both leadership and strategy).

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  John Buzzard
  Account Executive - Fraud Specialist, CO-OP Financial Services
  John Buzzard is an Account Executive and Fraud Expert for CO-OP Financial Services-the largest credit union service organization in the US.  Mr. Buzzard has delivered significant influence in card fraud, risk and security services for financial institutions throughout the United States.   His years at FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) provided an open forum for his many literary contributions that included interviews, public discussions, presentations and written publications in various media’s such as local NBC and Fox News, Wall Street Journal, BankInfoSecurity.com and ATMMarketplace.com to name a few.  Additional accomplishments include a number of white papers, speaking opportunities with various organizations in the EFT/Banking industry, blogging and creation of the Fraud Alert Network that all provide educational and directional fraud, risk and security information to hundreds of financial institutions and law enforcement agencies throughout the US.