Chuck Bernicker
Chief Financial Officer, Lifeline
Chuck Bernicker is Chief Financial Officer of Lifeline, the connected health platform behind Lifeline, Medical Alert, and 100Plus. With more than 20 years of financial leadership across PE-backed and public companies in payments, software, and financial services, Chuck drives the financial strategy behind Lifeline’s mission to make proactive, connected care accessible to every American.
About Chuck Bernicker
Chuck Bernicker is Chief Financial Officer of Lifeline, the connected health platform behind Lifeline, Medical Alert, and 100Plus. He leads all financial operations, capital strategy, and investor relations, ensuring the company’s financial foundation supports its mission and growth.
Chuck brings more than two decades of executive financial leadership across payments, software, and financial services. He has a strong track record of partnering with private equity sponsors, boards of directors, and CEOs to scale businesses, execute strategic transactions, and deliver sustainable value.
Before joining Lifeline, Chuck served as CFO and COO of a PE-backed software and payments business, CEO of two Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, and a Board of Directors member at Billtrust prior to its take-private transaction with EQT. Earlier, he served as CFO of CardConnect through its merger with FinTech Acquisition Corp. and its subsequent acquisition by Fiserv. He also held leadership roles as Executive Director at Heartland Payment Systems and in senior positions at Bank of America and TD Bank.
Chuck began his career on the audit staff at Ernst and Young in their Philadelphia office, where he developed the financial rigor that has defined his executive leadership style ever since.
Areas of Expertise
Chuck contributes strategic financial insight across topics including:
- Healthcare technology business models and PE-backed growth strategy
- Capital structure, mergers and acquisitions, and successful exit execution
- Financial strategy for connected health and remote patient monitoring platforms
- Scaling PE-backed and public companies from growth stage to profitable exit
- SPAC transactions, public market readiness, and capital markets strategy
- Operational excellence and financial transformation in healthcare services
Career Highlights
Lifeline
Present
Chief Financial Officer
Leads financial strategy, operations, and capital planning for Lifeline and its brands: Lifeline, Medical Alert, and 100Plus.
PE-Backed Software and Payments Company
CFO and COO
Drove strategic and operational financial leadership for a private equity-backed software and payments business.
South Mountain Merger Corp.
Chief Executive Officer
Served as CEO of two Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, including South Mountain Merger Corp., which successfully merged with Billtrust in January 2021. Raised $250M in the SPAC IPO.
Billtrust (BTRS Holdings)
Board of Directors Member
Served as a board member prior to Billtrust's take-private transaction with EQT, contributing financial oversight and strategic guidance.
Corcentric
Chief Financial Officer
Led financial goals, management, and strategy for a global B2B payments and procurement solutions provider.
CardConnect
Chief Financial Officer
Guided CardConnect through its merger with FinTech Acquisition Corp. and subsequent acquisition by First Data (now Fiserv).
Heartland Payment Systems
Executive Director
Senior leadership role overseeing key financial and operational functions at one of the nation's leading payment processing companies.
Bank of America and TD Bank
Senior Leadership Roles
Held senior positions across two major financial institutions, building deep expertise in financial services and risk management.
Visa
Card Operations Risk Executive Council Member
Contributed to payment industry risk and policy governance at the executive level.
Ernst and Young
Audit Staff
Launched his career at the Philadelphia office of Ernst and Young, building the analytical foundation that has informed his executive leadership across industries.
Education
University of Delaware, Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics
Bachelor of Science, Accounting