Tackling The First Online Brokerage Offering (AOL)

Before becoming the CEO of Zecco (an online, social media-oriented broker), Michael Raneri worked for a small firm called Quick & Reilly.

“[I] started my career as a floor runner on the New York Stock Exchange as part of a management training program,” Raneri told Benzinga during a recent interview. “We got to experience all the different pieces of the business from floor operations to sales to branch work.”

Full Interview: The Rise Of The Financial Social Network With Zecco CEO Michael Raneri

Raneri said that he worked in the area of online trading before there was software. He even negotiated the first online brokerage offering with Steve Case and America Online (NYSE: AOL). “Back then,” he said, “there was no user interface. I've seen so much happen since that point from the introduction of Windows (NASDAQ: MSFT) to the introduction of Web browsers to wireless. It's been an amazing period of time.”

After Quick & Reilly (and close to 18 years in the business), Raneri went to work at Charles Schwab (NYSE: SCHW), where he focused on the firm's customer facing technology experiences.

“After that very long career, I was recruited to become a board member for Zecco,” Raneri said. “Before I knew it, I came into an operating role as a CIO and helped them rebuild their technology. Over time, the founders of Zecco stepped back and I took over as CEO about a year ago.”

To hear more from Zecco's chief executive – including his views on the transformation of financial services – don't miss Benzinga's full interview with Michael Raneri.