Bob Curry
Managing Partner & Chief Business Officer
Bob was the initial founder of Bassett Capital Group following 25 years at The Kessler Group and Citigroup. He is widely considered one of the top credit card industry experts in the area of portfolio acquisitions and divestitures. Having completed over $50 billion in portfolio acquisitions across hundreds of programs, Bob is an accomplished portfolio valuation expert and is deeply versed in transaction structuring and portfolio conversions between financial institutions. His insights enable banks to work collaboratively, proficiently, and discreetly in transitioning portfolios between issuers.
In addition to his portfolio of M&A expertise, Bob is an Advisor to and Board Member of several FinTech and payments companies. His familiarity with product and service category leaders has been instrumental in the development of Bassett Capital’s suite of partners the company introduces to our clients.
Bob holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Manhattan College and an MBA from Long Island University.
Scott Abramowitz
Managing Partner
Scott brings a broad range of bank operations experience to Basset Capital’s financial institution clients, having spent the past 25 years in a variety of leadership roles with Citigroup, The Hartford, Bank of America, and most recently, Huntington National Bank, where he served as the Head of Retail and Commercial Card Services. Scott’s expertise spans a multitude of payment industry disciplines, from finance & analytics to strategic planning, product development, and marketing. His responsibilities have included P&L ownership of consumer, small business, and commercial card programs, as well as negotiations and management of vendor relationships with Equifax, TSYS, First Data, Zoot, and many other service providers.
Scott’s deep familiarity with all areas of bank operations brings a wealth of value to bank clients seeking strategies and solutions to improving performance and profitability throughout all functions of their organizations. Scott holds a degree from Boston University and an MBA from Iona.
STEVE GOULD
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Steve is an innovative and strategic thought leader with over 40 years’ experience in the finance and payments industries. Steve’s varied executive and key leadership roles at Bank of America, VISA, Ally Bank, and Hancock Whitney Bank have spanned a broad spectrum of strategic disciplines and given him the unique ability to see things from the perspective of a major international network, a top 5 bank and issuer, a virtual bank, and a mid-size regional bank. His areas of expertise include product innovation and development, strategic pricing, sales management, P&L, and profit optimization management. Steve is also an accomplished public speaker with a keen understanding of the rapidly evolving competitive and regulatory landscape. He was a featured speaker at the Visa Payments Forum and led a series of US Debit Card Issuer Engagement Seminars to help financial institutions across the country maximize debit card growth while mitigating risk. At Bassett Capital Group, Steve puts his broad banking and payments expertise to work for clients - offering unique insights, defining priorities, and developing actionable solutions to meet targeted goals and improve and optimize business performance. Steve holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Davis.
JOE GILANI
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Joe is a dynamic payments executive with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Joe's executive and leadership roles at Visa, Bread Financial, Bank of America, American Express, and Citibank have spanned the full spectrum of payments strategy and given him a unique perspective across major card networks, top national issuers, regional banks, community financial institutions, and specialized credit portfolios. His areas of expertise include product innovation and development, portfolio management, strategic partnerships, P&L ownership, and digital transformation. Joe has a proven track record of delivering measurable results - driving significant organic portfolio growth, generating substantial cost savings through strategic negotiations, and leading hundreds of consulting engagements identifying growth opportunities that drive revenue and operational excellence. At Bassett Capital Group, Joe puts his deep payments and credit card expertise to work for clients - offering strategic insights, building executive relationships, and developing actionable solutions to maximize portfolio performance. Joe holds both a BA and an MA in Economics from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
RUSS JEFFERSON
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Russ Jefferson has over 30 years’ experience in the credit card industry, including five different issuers and seven years with Mastercard. In that time Russ has worked in Credit Risk, marketing, Product Development and overall Portfolio Management. Russ was an integral leader of the most successful credit card start-ups in industry history which generated over one million new accounts in the first month after introduction. Russ also started two other credit card programs from concept to launch in addition to leading a turnaround of a portfolio with unacceptable credit losses. While at Mastercard, Russ was the lead in the development and introduction of World Mastercard, including assisting in the product launch at six top issuing credit card banks.
Russ joined Bassett Capital after leading the credit card business at Huntington Bank in April 2020 and has been Managing Director at Bassett Capital since. Russ currently lives in Florida.
SEAN CURRY
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Sean is a dedicated and experienced business development and sales management executive who brings a wealth of expertise in fostering strategic partnerships, driving revenue growth, and cultivating lasting client relationships. His journey in business development is marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence and innovative strategies for his clients, with a passion for forging meaningful financial institution and FinTech connections by identifying untapped opportunities and navigating the complexities of today's competitive landscape. He is committed to driving impactful growth and delivering unparalleled long-term value to partners and stakeholders alike. Sean is an alumnus of the University of Connecticut School of Business.
Barry Rosen
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Barry Rosen is an innovative sales executive with a proven track record of developing complex partnership programs for major for-profit and non-profit organizations throughout North America. Barry brings over 30 years of partnership contacts and knowledge to Bassett Capital, having spent 19 years at the Kessler Group, the world’s largest affinity-sales organization specializing in endorsed credit card programs. While at Kessler, Barry has developed the special interest and ethnic affinity sectors for MBNA America and established MBNA's presence in Puerto Rico and as country manager for MBNA Canada. After joining Bank of America in 2005, Barry was a member of the New Partner Business Development sales team for Endorsed Affinity markets in U.S. Consumer Finance, Credit Card, and Deposits. Barry then joined Nationwide Insurance’s Affinity partnership division, selling and supporting a portfolio of affinity partnerships in various segments, including alumni, youth sports, professional, special interest, amateur athletics, and financial institutions, all the while focused on finding new and creative ways to drive performance and exceed expectations.
Barry served three terms as an elected member of the California State Bar Foundation, helping with corporate sponsorships. Barry holds an English degree from the University of Georgia.
AARON GLENN
SALES SUPPORT MANAGER
Aaron excels in facilitating introductions and onboarding for new clients. In this role, Aaron serves as a liaison to both current and future business clients with top-notch customer service and sales support. In the evenings, Aaron can also be found performing as a piano bar entertainer in numerous iconic venues throughout New York.