Haberfeld Announces Key Leadership Transitions, Dr. Sean Payant Named President

Haberfeld Chief Strategy Officer taking over as President, reaffirming company’s commitment to its community financial institution partners

LINCOLN, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Haberfeld, a strategic growth partner for community financial institutions across the country, has announced today the promotion of Dr. Sean Payant to President and the transition of Achim Griesel to President Emeritus. The key executive changes are part of the company’s long-term succession plan.

Dr. Payant began as a Consultant at Haberfeld in 2007 and rose steadily within the organization while serving in key leadership roles, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Executive Vice President.

Dr. Payant brings a wealth of experience to his new role. As a respected industry expert, Dr. Payant has extensive experience working with industry associations and community financial institutions. He is an active faculty member at both the Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle, Washington and the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"With nearly two decades of experience at Haberfeld, Dr. Sean Payant has established himself as a nationally recognized expert in community banking," says Ben O'Neill, Chief Executive Officer of Haberfeld. "His appointment as President signals an exciting new chapter for the firm, and we are confident in the strength of leadership and depth of expertise he brings to the role."

Dr. Payant’s promotion coincides with a transition for former President Achim Griesel, who will assume a role as President Emeritus while continuing to serve on the Board of Directors. Mr. Griesel began his journey with Haberfeld in 2001 as an Account Executive and held a variety of leadership positions before being named President in 2016. During his tenure as President, he guided the company through a period of significant growth and advancement.

As President, Dr. Payant will collaborate with the leadership team to provide strategic oversight for the organization, manage key departments across the company, and ensure the continued strength of client relationships. He will also remain actively involved in the ongoing development of HabWell, Haberfeld’s health services vertical.

About Haberfeld

Haberfeld is a team of data analysts, consultants, creatives, industry experts, and more who excel at helping community financial institutions grow using their High Performance Growth™ strategy. Taken together, Haberfeld’s client network constitutes the 4th-largest financial institution in the country by branch count.

The company’s health services vertical, HabWell, uses data-driven strategies to help healthcare providers, systems, and payors grow patient volume and improve the patient experience for healthier communities.