Lesa Vanotti and John Janco.
Torrington Savings Bank has appointed Lesa A. Vanotti as the institution’s new president and COO, making her the 14th president in the bank’s 150-year history.
The announcement is part of the bank’s nine-month transition plan that will see John E. Janco Sr., who has been president and CEO since 2014, retire on Sept. 30, 2020, with Vanotti becoming the president and CEO on Oct. 1.
“After 46 years at Torrington Savings Bank, John Janco earned the utmost respect of our employees, corporators, and trustees; the residents of the greater Torrington area; and fellow bankers,” Chip Booth, Chairman of TSB’s board of trustees, said in a statement. “His integrity and work ethic are second to none. As CFO and president and CEO, John helped navigate the bank through years of a tough rate environment, and the bank remains strong and well capitalized. His daily presence and knowledge will be greatly missed after his retirement.”
The Torrington Savings Bank’s board of trustees began searching for Janco’s successor earlier this year.
“After a comprehensive CEO search process, we are pleased our only internal candidate, Lesa Vanotti, rose to the top of the field,” Booth said in the statement. “Her accounting background and her last six years as CFO helped groom her skills in many different areas of the bank. As a seasoned trustee, it is very gratifying to watch an employee grow and excel over the years. The trustees look forward to working with Lesa to write the next chapter of Torrington Savings Bank history.”
Vanotti, who most recently held the role of senior vice president, treasurer and CFO, joined Torrington Savings Bank as an accounting assistant in 1996. During her tenure, she has held titles of accounting officer, assistant treasurer, and vice president and controller.
“I am pleased that our board has selected Lesa to be our next president and CEO,” Janco said in a statement. “Over the past five years, she has worked closely with me, progressively assuming greater responsibility at the bank. Her work ethic is exceptional. She is well positioned to assure our continued success in an ever-changing banking environment.”
Vanotti said she was honored by the vote of confidence from the board of trustees’ in selecting her as Janco’s successor.
“[Janco’s] long-term commitment to the bank and the greater Torrington community sets a high standard to follow,” Vanotti said in the statement. “I look forward to working with the board and the bank employees to continue the important mission of service to our customers and our community.”
A Torrington native, Vanotti is a trustee of the Torrington Library and vice chair of the board of directors at Community Health & Wellness Center of Greater Torrington. She is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants and the Financial Manager’s Society and is actively involved in the Connecticut Bankers Association School of Finance & Management.
