Sean Burke appointed as CoBank’s Chief Financial Officer
DENVER (June 20, 2024) — CoBank, a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers and Farm Credit associations throughout the United States, today announced that Sean Burke has been appointed as the bank’s new Chief Financial Officer, effective July 16, 2024.
Burke brings over 25 years of banking and leadership experience to CoBank. Most recently, he served as Managing Director and Co-Head of North American Banks for Barclays, a $2.0 trillion universal bank headquartered in London. In that position, he oversaw investment banking services for Barclays’ banking clients, advising on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and other corporate transactions. Before that, Burke spent seven years as Chief Financial Officer for Investors Bancorp, a $30 billion commercial bank headquartered in New Jersey, until its acquisition by Citizens Financial Group in 2022. Previously, Burke held senior investment banking positions at RBC Capital Markets, Citigroup and Lehman Brothers. Burke started his career in public accounting, working as a licensed CPA within the financial services audit practice of Ernst & Young. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Northwestern University.
Burke will lead CoBank’s Finance Group and have responsibility for all aspects of financial operations, including the treasury, financial planning & analysis, capital planning, accounting, tax and financial reporting functions. He will report directly to President & CEO Tom Halverson and serve as a member of the Management Executive Committee.
“We’re delighted that Sean will be joining CoBank,” Halverson said. “Over the course of his career, Sean has built a wealth of experience as an investment banking advisor to financial companies and as a CFO for a leading commercial banking institution. Sean is a purpose driven leader, and we look forward to his contributions as a member of CoBank’s executive team.”
Burke succeeds retiring CFO David Burlage.
About CoBank
CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 77,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.