Meet our Founder.
Betsy Z. Cohen is an astute business visionary and a born entrepreneur. This powerful combination has resulted in a more than 40-year career of groundbreaking achievements.
Betsy Z. Cohen in her New York office.
Betsy Z. Cohen
Founder and Strategic Advisor
Widely acknowledged as a pioneer in financial law, banking, real estate lending, investing and development, Betsy Cohen and her achievements have been widely recognized by some of the nation’s most prestigious organizations and publications. By the time she founded Jefferson Bank at 32 years of age (which she subsequently sold for over $370 million), she had already served as only the second female law professor on the East Coast (after Ruth Bader Ginsburg), created a commercial law firm, started a shipping business in Hong Kong, set up a leasing company in Brazil, and entered into a joint venture with a bank in Spain. But it would be her creation in 1999 of The Bancorp - a revolutionary concept in commercial banking - that would anchor her position as a true financial services visionary. Today, as Chairman of the Board of FinTech Acquisition Corp., Betsy’s entrepreneurial vision is focused on identifying disruptive technology innovation in the financial services industry, with a particular focus on established companies that offer data processing, transactional or data security, consumer engagement platforms and payment processing services.
Economic Club of New York Board Secretary Edward F. Cox, General Counsel Andrew Grumet, Trustee Betsy Z. Cohen and Past President Paul W. Bateman.
“The success of a business person can be measured by the problems she has successfully solved.”
Philanthropist and avid supporter of the arts Betsy Z. Cohen accepts an honoree portrait created by Rush Kids! of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation.
Select Awards
Named by US BANKER/25 Women to Watch
Recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award
Named by US BANKER/25 Outstanding Women Bankers
Recipient of the Drexel University Business Leader of the Year Award
Ranked #89 in Working Woman Top 500
Recipient of the Elizabeth Dole Glass Ceiling Award, from the Southeastern PA American Red Cross
Ranked #103 in Working Woman magazine’s T0P 500 businesswomen
Recipient of A Woman of Distinction Award, Community Women's Education Project
Named one of 50 Leading Female Entrepreneurs of the World by the National Foundation for Women Business Owners
Recipient of the Paradigm Award by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, keynote address by Governor Tom Ridge
Named one of TOP 50 businesswomen in Pennsylvania
Recipient of the Delaware Valley Master Entrepreneur of the Year in association with Inc. “Entrepreneur of the Year” awards
Betsy Z. Cohen with Henry Kissinger, Asia Society
Corporate and Board Affiliations
| Director | Aetna, Inc. (NYSE: "AET") |
| Chairman | Fintech |
| Founding Member | Asia Society Policy Institute |
| Secretary | Asia Society |
| Trustee | Asia Society, Executive Committee |
| Trustee | Brookings Institution |
| Honorary Trustee | Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| Finance Committee | Metropolitan Opera |
| Treasurer | Metropolitan Opera |
| Managing Director | Metropolitan Opera |
Career Highlights
| 1966 | Served as Law Clerk to the Honorable John Biggs, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit |
| 1967 | Became the second female law professor on the East Coast, teaching Antitrust Law and Government Regulation of Business at Rutgers University Law School. |
| 1970 | Co-founded a Philadelphia law firm that specialized in representing financial institutions and industry clients in complex real estate and financial matters. |
| 1971 | Following the passage of the Bank Holding Act, consulted to small and mid-sized banks and bank holding companies nationwide on debt restructuring, recapitalization, and regulatory issues. |
| 1974 | Raised capital and received regulatory approval to found Jefferson Bank, the first new bank in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 11 years. Jefferson Bank subsequently grew to become the largest financial institution headquartered in Pennsylvania. The only female bank CEO in Pennsylvania, Betsy served continuously as Jefferson Bank’s Chairman and CEO, as well as Chairman and CEO of its holding company, JeffBanks, Inc. (NASDAQ: “JEFF”), until selling the company to Hudson United Bancshares (NYSE: “HU”) in early 2000. |
| 1984 | Became Chairman and CEO of State National Bank (Maryland), which was sold to Dominion Bank in 1986 and subsequently acquired by First Union Bank in 1989. |
| 1986 through 1993 | Served as a Director of First Union Bank (Virginia). |
| 1992 | Founded Jefferson Bank New Jersey in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. |
| 1993 | Orchestrated the Initial Public Offering of State Bancshares, Inc., a bank holding company that was later known as JeffBanks, Inc |
| 1998 | Formed RAIT Financial Trust (NYSE: “RAS”), a $10 billion real estate investment trust, and served as its Chairman until resigning in December 2010. |
| 2000 | Founded The Bancorp Bank, an FDIC-insured online commercial bank that delivers a full array of financial services and products both directly and through more than 300 private-label affinity partner programs nationwide. When it was introduced in 2000, The Bancorp’s ability to create customized banks for affinity partners set a new standard in financial services innovation. Today The Bancorp remains a leader as one of the few banks dedicated to providing private-label banking and technology solutions for non-bank companies. |
| 2014 | Stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of The Bancorp; is continuing on with the company in an advisory capacity. |
| 2015 | Began serving as Chairman of the Board of FinTech Acquisition Corp. |
