Kafene Bolsters Executive Team with Key Legal and Partnerships Roles

Furniture World News Desk on 2/7/2024

Kafene, a point-of-sale leasing platform offering lease-to-own agreements to help retailers serve a broader customer base, has expanded its executive leadership team. Vin Thomas has been appointed as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, and Tony Cerino as Senior Vice President of Partnerships, the company announced today.

Thomas is tasked with leading Kafene's legal and compliance efforts, bringing over 15 years of experience from both public and private sectors in the financial services industry. His background includes positions at Troutman Pepper and PROG Group Holdings, among others, where he has held similar roles. Thomas holds degrees from the University of Georgia and Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law.

Cerino will focus on scaling the company's enterprise sales team, aiming to forge partnerships with prominent retailers across the United States. With over 25 years of experience in sales and business development, Cerino's prior roles include leadership positions at Tandym and Jifiti, and he played a significant role in Katapult's journey to going public in 2021. His recent achievements at Kafene include signing partnerships with Furniture Marketing Group and Versatile Credit.

Neal Desai, Co-Founder and CEO of Kafene, expressed enthusiasm about the new hires, stating, "We are thrilled to welcome Tony and Vin to the Kafene team. Their collective vision and expertise will be invaluable assets as we continue to strengthen our internal operations and expand our presence in stores across the country."

Desai further emphasized the strategic importance of these appointments: "Vin's experience as a veteran fintech general counsel and Tony's proven track record in business development for the financing space are exactly what we need for the next leg of our journey. Their addition to the leadership team underscores the firm's commitment to fostering excellence and driving innovation in every facet of our operations. With their guidance, we are confident in our ability to drive sustainable growth for years to come. It's an exciting time at Kafene."

In late 2023, Kafene completed a Series B venture funding round, raising $31 million in equity financing led by Third Prime, along with a $15 million venture debt facility with Trinity Capital in January 2024.

About Kafene
Kafene is a leading point-of-sale leasing partner dedicated to empowering flexible ownership solutions for underserved customers nationwide. By enabling our retail partners to offer flexible LTO purchase options for prime and nonprime consumers, Kafene helps merchants grow their customer base, and meet growing demand for furniture, appliances, electronics, tires and other durable goods. Utilizing cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies, our platform creates a best-in-class experience for both merchants and customers. Kafene has generated more than $150 million in incremental sales for its retailer partners in less than four years since launch. To learn more about Kafene please visit www.kafene.com, and to learn more about Kafene's commitment to customer experience and consumer protection, please visit here: https://kafene.com/consumer-friendly-commitments.