Joe Polniak
Public Company General Counsel & Corporate Secretary | Governance, Enterprise Risk & M&A | Financial Services, Aerospace & Defense, Medical Devices
- Role
- General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Pathfinder Bank
- Location
- Buffalo, NY, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Joe Polniak
Public company General Counsel and Corporate Secretary with 17+ years of experience advising Boards of Directors and executive leadership teams across highly regulated industries, including financial services, aerospace & defense, medical devices, and industrial manufacturing. I advise Boards, CEOs, and CFOs on governance, SEC reporting and disclosure, M&A, enterprise risk, ethics and compliance, crisis management, and complex transactional and litigation matters. My background spans Big Law, private equity–backed environments, and senior in-house leadership roles at NYSE- and NASDAQ-listed companies with global operations. MBA-trained and fluent in business strategy, I partner closely with executive leadership on capital allocation, growth initiatives, regulatory strategy, and organizational change. I am known for building and transforming legal and compliance functions into proactive, business-aligned partners, while remaining personally hands-on in lean, regulated, and high-stakes environments.
Experience
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Dec 2025 — Present · Oswego, NY, US
Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc.(NASDAQ: PBHC) is bank holding company operating a diversified commercial, consumer, mortgage, and real-estate lending platform within a highly regulated financial services environment.
Education
Clarkson University
B.S., Graduated with Distinction, Business Administration
Clarkson University
M.B.A.
University at Buffalo School of Law
J.D., Magna Cum Laude
Skills
- Powerpoint
- Microsoft Excel
- Appeals
- A La Carte
- Legal Research
- Hospitality
- Event Planning
- Creative Problem Solving
- Siebel
- Acquisitions
- Due Diligence
- Microsoft Word
- Legal Writing
- Litigation
- Intellectual Property
- Leadership
- Portfolio Management
- Mergers
- Contract Negotiation
- Dreams
- Folio Management
- Venture Capital
- Securities
- Resorts
- Dscs
- Management
- Lilo
- Capital
- Hotel Management
- Social Media
- Research
- Hotels
- Restructuring
- Civil Litigation
- Castapps
- Event Management
- Corporate Law
- Private Equity
- Accovia
- Customer Service
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