Hanft Elected to Lead BHN Board of Directors

COOPERSTOWN—Robert Hanft, former executive at J.P. Morgan and current senior adviser with Strategic Financial Services in Utica, has been elected chair of Bassett Healthcare Network’s Board of Directors. According to a press release, he will serve a three-year term, which officially began on July 11 following formal election at the board’s annual meeting in Cooperstown. Hanft succeeds Douglas Hastings, who was elected as chair of Bassett Healthcare Network’s Board of Directors in 2019 and has finished his term.

Hanft joined Bassett Healthcare Network’s Board of Directors in 2020. He has served as a member of Bassett’s Executive Committee, chairman of Bassett’s Finance Committee, and as a member of Bassett’s Strategic Planning Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Bassett Medical Center, which he joined in 2017, and Templeton Foundation. Hanft’s other local community work includes serving on the boards of Pathfinder Village, Fenimore Art Museum and Springbrook.

Originally from Seaford, Long Island, Hanft is an alumnus of Hartwick College, where he attained a BA in economics. He later attended Long Island University, where he received an MBA in finance. In 2018, Hartwick College awarded Hanft an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. He served on Hartwick College’s Board of Directors for 18 years, including six as chairman of the board. According to Hanft, it was his treasured memories as an undergraduate student in Oneonta and his time on Hartwick College’s board that attracted him to move to upstate New York in 2008 from Ridgewood, New Jersey. 

Hanft worked for J.P. Morgan in New York City for 30 years. Joining the firm directly after he graduated from college, he progressed through the company, serving as senior managing director in the firm’s Global Equities and Derivatives business, holding positions including chief operating officer, co-head of Global Equity Research and Sales, and president of J.P. Morgan Securities. Prior to joining Global Equities, Hanft held other responsibilities at J.P. Morgan, including in commercial banking, lending, mergers, and acquisitions, providing financial consulting services to the firm’s corporate clients. Hanft eventually left J.P. Morgan and served as a senior vice president with AIG International and a managing director with the Trinsum Group, an investment banking and consulting firm. He is currently a senior adviser with Strategic Financial Services, a Utica-based wealth management firm.

“Bob is an experienced leader who has a deep knowledge of Bassett and a passion for rural healthcare,” said Staci Thompson, MHA, FACMPE, president and chief executive officer of Bassett Healthcare Network. “We are fortunate to have Bob at the helm of our network board. He brings decades of strategic business knowledge, along with a striking devotion to our communities, a love for upstate New York, and an unwavering faith in Bassett’s values and mission. Bob will continue to help lead Bassett Healthcare Network forward as we evolve and grow to meet the needs of our patients and communities.”

In the press release, Bassett Healthcare Network extended its deep gratitude to Douglas Hastings, outgoing board chair. During his tenure as chair of Bassett Healthcare Network’s Board of Directors, Hastings played a key leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are incredibly grateful to Doug for his steadfast voice of reason, dedication, and the countless ways he worked with leaders across our organization and beyond as Bassett Healthcare Network came through challenges over the past few years,” said Thompson. “Our board and executive teams have evolved positively under Doug’s leadership and Bassett is well-positioned to continue the critical initiatives we have in place to thrive as a healthcare provider.”

Hanft and his wife, Pat, live in Cooperstown. They have three children and eight grandchildren.

“I am deeply honored to serve as a steward of Bassett Healthcare Network, a vital organization in our Central New York communities,” said Hanft. “I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow board members across the network, along with the outstanding caregivers and practitioners who are at the heart of this organization, to ensure Bassett’s success—and connect our patients and communities with the exceptional healthcare they deserve.”