Optimal Payments’ Management Team
JOEL LEONOFF
President & CEO
Joel serves as executive director and president and CEO of Optimal Payments Plc. Joel is
an entrepreneurial leader and visionary, with a proven track record, having served as CEO,
COO and CFO of private and publicly traded companies. Joel created the e-commerce
powerhouse BCE Emergis through the merger of Mpact Immedia Ltd. with Bell Canada
Enterprises. In 1998 he founded SureFire Commerce Inc. (renamed Terra Payments), a
Canadian TSE‐ listed payments company, where he served as COO and CFO. SureFire
Commerce later merged with the Optimal Group to form Optimal Payments Inc., a NASDAQlisted online payments company. Joel has also previously served as group operations
director/COO of Partygaming Plc, a FTSE 100 company, regarded as the world’s leading
online gaming company.
In 2000, Joel was recognized by the Globe and Mail's Canada Top 40 under 40 award,
honoring Canadians for their vision, leadership, innovation, achievement, and community
involvement. Mr. Leonoff is a chartered accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree
(James McGill Award) and a Graduate Diploma in Public Accountancy (C.D. Mellor Award)
from McGill University.
KEITH BUTCHER
Chief Financial Officer
Keith joined the group in 2010 as CFO and oversaw the transformational acquisition of OP
Inc in February 2011. Keith sits on the PLC Board as one of the two executive directors,
along with the CEO. Keith has extensive experience in the online payments and technology
sectors having previously been finance director of a number of London Stock market listed
businesses including Datacash Group Plc, the online payments processor, where he was
served for six years from 2002 during its period of rapid growth leading to its ultimate sale to
MasterCard. Keith was also finance director of Flomerics Group Plc, an AIM-listed
international engineering software business, where he oversaw the sale of the business to
NASDAQ-listed Mentor Graphics Inc. Keith qualified in the UK as a chartered accountant
with KPMG and has worked as a consultant with firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Keith has a Bachelor of Science (BSC) degree in Management Science from the University
of Warwick and is a qualified chartered accountant (Institute of Chartered Accountants in
England and Wales.
DANNY CHAZONOFF
Chief Operating Officer
Danny is the COO of the Optimal Payments group. He has also held the positions of CTO
and COO at Optimal Payments and has been a part of the company since its founding.
Danny’s areas of focus include providing leadership, management and direction in the areas
of Bank and Partner relationships, Product Direction, Technology and Risk and
Operations. Prior to joining Optimal, Danny served as vice president, MIS and Web
Development at BCE Emergis, a subsidiary of Bell Canada, and as director of operations for
AVS Technologies, a leading distributor of consumer electronics. Danny brings a wealth of
international payments expertise and IT experience to the Optimal Payments group.
Danny holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Management Information Systems
from McGill University and an MBA from the John Molson School of Business in Montreal.
NEIL ERLICK
Executive Vice-President, Business Development
A seasoned industry executive, Neil has been a key member of the Optimal Payments
senior management team since 2000. In recent years, Neil has been tasked with the
strategic development and marketing of online payment solutions for large-scale
merchants. These comprehensive solutions include the implementation of online gateway
services, merchant accounts, mobile and alternative payments, and risk management
services. Neil is responsible for the Company’s North American gaming initiatives and
seeking new strategic partnerships. Neil previously served as senior vice president of
business development, where he oversaw the Company’s regulated European gaming
services.
LORENZO PELLEGRINO
Executive Vice-President, NETELLER
An experienced business strategist, Lorenzo Pellegrino has been instrumental in growing
Optimal Payments’ NETELLER eWallet globally. As executive vice-president of NETELLER,
Lorenzo is responsible for expanding the Company’s B2B and B2C business, identifying
new business opportunities, increasing customer acquisition, delivering on revenue goals
and executing product development plans. Prior to joining Optimal Payments, Lorenzo held
the position of vice president, business development and vice president, sales & account
management at a global consumer-based e-payment company. Lorenzo is a graduate of
Università Commerciale “Luigi Bocconi” in Milan, Italy.