Company Information

Richard A. Leone
President and CEO, Richard A. Leone has doubled COCC’s revenues since he was named president in 2002. Mr. Leone actively promotes COCC’s next generation technologies, cooperative ownership structure, and entrepreneurial service culture. As the company has grown, its client service ratings have grown as well, ranking COCC in the excellent range for 24 consecutive quarters. Mr. Leone makes in excess of 100 personal calls on clients each year.

Mr. Leone is a recognized speaker on topics ranging from bank technology strategies to leadership initiatives in service industries. He is also a director of the Connecticut Technology Council, a member of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and recently served as president of the Avon, Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. He was awarded a CPA designation from the state of Connecticut in 1985.

David K. Christie
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, David K. Christie oversees the financial, administrative and human resources activities at COCC. Mr. Christie has guided COCC’s finances through the company’s strong growth period with minimal additions to staff and careful scrutiny of company expenses. Zero debt and effective cost controls have provided exceptional strength during the economic downturn of 2008-9.

Mr. Christie began his career with Deloitte & Touche, LLP, and has served as the chief financial officer for a manufacturing company and as a partner in the public accounting company UHY LLC. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants, and is the former president of the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut.

John D. Huber
Senior Vice President - Systems and Programming, Mr. Huber is responsible for all software system development and application software platforms at COCC. Since joining COCC in 1993, Mr. Huber has managed the company's deposit application, electronic banking, and migration development areas.

Mr. Huber speaks frequently to COCC's customers, informing them of upcoming enhancements and soliciting feedback on development initiatives. He has over 31 years' experience serving financial institutions in a data center environment. His expertise lies in the development, integration, and support of financial application software. Mr. Huber has an accounting degree from the University of Connecticut.

Stephen M. Kayser
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Stephen M. Kayser has marketed information technology services to the financial industry for 38 years. With responsibility for the company’s sales and marketing efforts as well as corporate and client communications since 1987, Mr. Kayser is an integral part of the company’s record growth.

Mr. Kayser is well-versed in the trends affecting banking and system as well as the competitive landscape. He speaks knowledgeably about the factors motivating community-based financial institutions to upgrade systems and has facts at his disposal to demonstrate how technology improves financial institution efficiency. Mr. Kayser holds a Masters degree in Business Administration.

Joseph D. Lockwood
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Joseph D. Lockwood is responsible for the quality of COCC’s technical operating environment as well as the company’s technology strategies. Drawing upon his deep knowledge of networks, security, operations management, and bank technology, Mr. Lockwood has managed COCC’s ground-breaking technical achievements, particularly its new .Net technology platform, extensive virtualization, check image exchange platform, and state-of-the-art business intelligence and risk management platforms.

Mr. Lockwood is a 2009 CIO 100 honoree and recipient of the Connecticut Quality Council’s first Process Excellence award. He speaks frequently to trade associations about technology issues and how financial institutions can best manage them. Mr. Lockwood holds a Masters degree in Business Administration.

Jotham F. Trafton
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer, Jotham F Trafton has managed the customer service and product development efforts for a wide range of financial institutions. At COCC, Mr. Trafton is responsible for building strategic alliances to maintain and expand the company’s product offerings. Mr. Trafton combines knowledge of the industry and its personalities with an understanding of the needs and desires of community-based financial institutions.

Mr. Trafton speaks at numerous industry events and has served as a director of the Association for Financial Technology.

Marco F. Bernasconi Jr.
Senior Vice President - Chief Services Officer, Mr. Bernasconi manages COCC’s account executive program and conversion activities. With 22 years of experience guiding financial institutions through technology conversions, upgrades, and issue resolution, Mr. Bernasconi understands the importance of communication in all client service activities. He has championed a continuous improvement process to reexamine every aspect of COCC’s service delivery mechanisms with an eye to improvement.

Prior to joining COCC, Mr. Bernasconi worked for the FDIC and in the lending department of a community bank. Mr. Bernasconi is a frequent speaker at industry events and has served as a director of the Association for Financial Technology.

Senior Vice President and Chief Partnership Officer, David Mitchell is responsible for COCC’s corporate and product marketing strategies, as well as all new business development. Dave has more than 20 years of experience in promoting and delivering breakthrough technology to the financial industry. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer responsible for global product strategy and new product development at Open Solutions, Inc. He also served as Chief Marketing Officer at Open Solutions, Inc. as well as President and General Manager of their e-Commerce and strategic products divisions.

He has received awards from the American Management Association, the Harvard Law School Consortium and the Center for Creative Leadership. David was named one of the Top Forty under Forty executives in Connecticut by the Hartford Business Journal and named one of the Top Five Chief Marketing Officers of the year in the United States by the CMO Institute.

Lisa Jacobi
First Vice President – Human Resources, Lisa Jacobi is responsible for leading COCC’s Talent Development and Human Resource Teams. Ms. Jacobi has been a driving force in finding the right talent to power COCC’s impressive growth while growing our culture to be a preferred employer of choice. She has built a progressive and technically advanced service philosophy to our employee base and was a key factor in COCC’s 2011 Top Workplace award. She continues to impact the organization through her growth of our leadership team and employee professional development.

Ms. Jacobi earned her Bachelor’s degree with Honors from Ithaca College and currently holds her certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). In addition, she earned an advanced Human Resources Certification through Cornell University’s Labor Relations School.