Executive Team

Brian brings extensive experience and in-depth immersion into Lean practices and thinking. Having won two Connecticut Shingo prizes, Brian lives “Lean.” Under his leadership, this commitment to Lean informs everything that HABCO does as a manufacturer that’s aimed at providing customers with the highest level of operational readiness and safety. He’s relentless in his drive to make Lean a way of life at HABCO. His impact is felt throughout everything that HABCO does as a business. Prior to HABCO, Brian held various leadership roles and positions at Wiremold/Legrand, C&M Corporation, Respironics Novametrix and HID Global. He was also a professor of Lean Management at Eastern Connecticut State University and still lectures frequently as well as authoring papers on Lean topics. Brian holds an undergraduate degree from Siena College and an MBA from Central Connecticut State University.

Kate joined HABCO with varied experience in financial management, business leadership, corporate strategy and a strong background in manufacturing. She is an operationally focused financial executive with over 20 years of experience partnering with company directors, executives and managers to support business objectives and drive results.  She has a strong focus on process improvement, driving innovation, building financially disciplined growth, as well as fostering a culture of learning, trust and excellence.  Prior to joining HABCO in 2020, she worked for Farids LLC (the parent company of Edible Arrangements) as Vice President of Finance and as the Director of Accounting and Finance for Coburn Technologies. Kate earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Eastern Connecticut State University.

With more than 30 years of experience working in the human resources field, Carol brings a wealth of knowledge that spans far beyond the typical HR realm. Under her guidance, HABCO’s employee retention rate has jumped significantly to more than 90%. Her strategic thinking and enthusiasm for employee engagement has influenced the company’s culture in the most positive way, and she understands that happy and engaged employees equal quality products and satisfied customers. A graduate of Le Moyne College in upstate New York, Carol is a 2^nd generation HR professional. Prior to joining HABCO in 2018, Carol was the Chief HR Officer at actûrus (formerly The Pert Group), and VP of Human Resources at American Payment Systems.

Daniel Franzese is Vice President and General Manager of HABCO MRO, bringing over 20 years of strategic and operational experience in the aerospace industry. His expertise spans FAA repair station operations, commercial and military sales, and global customer engagement. Daniel has managed strategic programs across a broad portfolio of aerospace market applications driving sustainable growth and market expansion. Before joining HABCO, Daniel held senior management positions at BAE Systems and Esterline Technologies, supporting global military and aftermarket aerospace customers. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for driving customer-centric initiatives, operational efficiency, and long-term business development. Daniel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing from Merrimack College and an MBA from Bentley University. He is also FAA-certified as a 14 CFR Part 145 Repairman and is committed to advancing quality, compliance, and customer excellence throughout the MRO operation.

Jill Silliman joins HABCO as a versatile and strategic human resources executive with deep expertise in talent management, organizational effectiveness, and leadership development. With more than 20 years of experience in large, publicly traded companies, she is recognized for her ability to align people strategies with business growth, drive continuous improvement, and elevate organizational performance. Prior to HABCO, Jill held several executive roles at Prudential Financial, most recently serving as Vice President of Talent Management for U.S. Businesses, where she led executive development, coaching, and enterprise-wide talent strategy. She also served as Vice President of Human Resources for the Group Insurance division, where she led large-scale transformation initiatives including workforce redesign, cost optimization, and Agile implementation. Additionally, in her role as Vice President of Talent Transformation, she partnered with senior leaders to architect organizational and talent strategies that enabled key business objectives. Earlier in her career, Jill held human resources positions at Comcast and The Hartford. Jill earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Albertus Magnus College. She is passionate about building a culture of growth and customer connection, designing meaningful employee experiences, and helping businesses thrive through values-driven leadership.

Cemocan “Gemo” Yesil, is a combat veteran and an Aerospace & Defense Business Development executive with 20 years of experience. As a dual-rated U.S. Air Force pilot, he has flown Combat Rescue helicopters and Tactical Airlift jets in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and S. America. After managing Fortune 500 engineering teams on two $2B+ programs at Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin and scaling his EdTech startup nationally, Gemo served as CMC Electronics' Global Sales & Strategy Director and Gecko Robotics' VP of Defense Business Development. In addition to providing executive oversight to his Global Defense consulting business, Bastion Atlas, he remains proudly connected to his alma mater (MIT), retains an active security clearance, and — as a personal passion — continues to manage national STEM Education initiatives.