Insight

At 21 I had lengthy career potential and little experience and knowledge. In my 70s I have broad experience and knowledge and no long-term career aspirations. I saw unlimited opportunity when I was 20 in the 70s. Being in my 70s in the 2020s changes my focus to short term challenges where I can apply my knowledge.

 

Learning has always been a cornerstone of my journey, and I will never stop pursuing it. Following a long and successful career as a C-Suite Executive, Banker, Fintech Pioneer, Innovator, and Entrepreneur, I remain eager for new challenges. Walt Disney once said, “You reach a point where you don’t work for money.” For me, that resonates deeply. I thrive on the challenge of solving problems, innovating, and finding solutions to the tasks at hand. My leadership in pioneering Internet banking during the dial-up era of 1994 exemplifies this mindset—I design, build, and train teams to tackle the most demanding projects.

 

Compensation is secondary to the excitement and satisfaction of problem-solving. Whether as a fixer, project leader, change agent, or fractional executive, I am drawn to challenges more than pay rates. My confidence in my abilities comes from a rare combination of post-college work experience augmented by hands-on manufacturing knowledge during my high school and college years.

 

I excel in simplifying complexities and defining the unknown. Since the early 1990s, I have been a FinTech and digital banking trailblazer, alongside being a seasoned CEO, CCO, COO, and CFO. My skills should not be confined to retirement, as retirement is not part of my bucket list. Instead, I am driven to contribute to businesses and share my knowledge forward. This includes my experience as a director on multiple public and private boards and 3 public IPO’s.

 

My pioneering work in Internet banking began in 1994 during my tenure as president, CEO and Internet banking project lead at La Jolla Bank. By 2000, I was the founding project lead behind what is now Axos Bank. I assembled its founding team and crafted the business model, development framework, and staff training for what was initially known as Bank of Internet (BofI), to honor A.P. Giannini's legacy of innovation from his days at the Bank of Italy in 1904. Giannini spearheaded branching—a major breakthrough at the time—but I took innovation to the next level by eliminating branches entirely in favor of Internet-based banking and withing 45 days we had at least one account in all 50 states..

 

I approach each assignment with discernment, ensuring alignment with my strengths and passion. Collaborating effectively with engineers, programmers, staff, and boards, I am versatile and adaptable. I am available to travel anywhere within the U.S. for short-term projects (up to three months), and I am open to longer-term, hybrid, fractional, or remote positions nationwide.