Our Leadership Team
David Burton
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, JEFFERSON CAPITAL HOLDINGS
David Burton has almost 30 years of experience in all aspects of the accounts receivable management industry. He founded Jefferson Capital in 2002. Prior to that he was Group President of OSI Education Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (OSI), the nation’s largest accounts receivable management service provider. David entered the accounts receivable industry in 1992 when he joined A.M. Miller & Associates, Inc., eventually becoming its President and Chief Operating Officer. Throughout his career, David has built industry-leading companies that provide innovative solutions for clients and consumers while maintaining a reputation for professionalism, integrity, and best-in-class compliance. David earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan School of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Law.
Dave Mitchell
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Dave Mitchell joined Jefferson Capital in 2021 with more than 25 years of treasury and finance experience. As Chief Financial Officer, Dave is responsible for the accounting, financial reporting, treasury, tax, and financial planning and analysis functions. Immediately prior to joining Jefferson Capital, Dave served as Chief Financial Officer of two portfolio companies within Breazeale Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to that, Dave was at Ecolab where he served as the Assistant Treasurer and as the Vice President for North America operations within Ecolab's Global Business Services. Prior to Ecolab, Dave held financial roles with increasing responsibility at Ceridian, GMAC, General Motors, and Arthur Andersen & Co. Dave holds a B.A. in Accounting and Economics from the College of the Holy Cross, a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Matt Pfohl
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
Matt Pfohl joined Jefferson Capital in 2015 and has over 25 years of legal experience. After several years as a criminal prosecutor and civil litigator, he served as General Counsel for five years for a national hospitality company. He then spent seven years in private practice with a Minneapolis law firm, before becoming Vice President-Compliance and General Counsel for a national auto sales and finance organization with a significant consumer financial services component. Matt is licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota, and formerly served for 12 years as a member of the Fourth District Ethics Committee for the State of Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility. He has been certified as a Consumer Credit Compliance Professional by National Automotive Finance Association. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame, a J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago, and received a Certificate in Franchise Management from the M.B.A. program at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.
Mark Zellmann
PRESIDENT
Mark Zellmann joined the company in 2004 and currently leads Jefferson Capital as President of our US Business Lines including our Debt Collections Acquisitions and Servicing, Bankruptcy, and Payment Rewards businesses. His leadership duties include the oversight of Underwriting, Portfolio Management, Data Sciences and Analytics, Collections Operations, and Information Technology. Mark holds a B.A. from the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. from St. Cloud State University. Mark also holds a Certified Management Accountant designation from the Institute of Management Accountants.
Penny Campbell
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
Penny Campbell has over 31 years of operations management and sales leadership experience in the consumer financial services industry, including 14 years of experience with a national retail consumer goods and financing company. Penny joined Jefferson Capital in 2002 as Manager of its external recovery operations and since that time has held a variety of operational and business development roles within the company. This includes oversight of internal call center operations as well as leadership of both its client services and marketing teams. She currently leads Jefferson Capital’s U.S. business development team, identifying solutions for new clients and managing existing client relationships across all lines of business. Penny holds two degrees from St. Cloud Business College.
Sue B. Unterberger
CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
Sue Unterberger serves as our Chief Compliance Officer and is the Secretary of the Board of Directors Compliance Committee. Sue is responsible for the oversight and enforcement of policies and compliance in support of Board direction and compliance with all applicable Federal, State and local laws. She has the independence and authority to cross departmental lines and has access to all areas of operations to perform compliance reviews and to ensure corrective action has been implemented. Sue has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of the financial services industry. She has been with Jefferson Capital since it was formed in 2002 and has been in our Compliance Department since October 2004. She earned the prestigious (CRCM) Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager designation from the American Bankers Association in November of 2014 and is recognized by RMA International as a Certified Receivables Compliance Professional (CRCP).
Chris Hunt
VICE PRESIDENT, DATA SCIENCES
Chris Hunt, currently the Vice President of Data Sciences, joined Jefferson Capital in 2011 as an Analyst. With an initial focus on pricing analytics, Chris’s role has evolved to include reporting, data processing and analytic oversight across all operational departments. He is responsible for a team of data scientists focused on developing and continuously refining the models that underpin the company’s portfolio valuation and collections optimization strategies. Chris has over 12 years of experience in mining complex data structures and statistical methods that have supported business decisions in the collections, credit and marketing industries. Chris holds a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Mathematics from St. Cloud State University.