ILLA BURBANK

Executive Director, North Carolina Employee Ownership Center

NORTH CAROLINA

Illa Burbank's business career spans over 30 years. Starting as a commercial credit analyst and lender at a regional bank, she then joined Incodema, a start-up sheet metal prototype manufacturing company. There she became CFO and wore many hats in finance, human resources, regulatory and more before being appointed President. During her 21 years with Incodema, the company made one acquisition and spun off a new business segment as its own company. Illa was instrumental in transitioning Incodema Inc. to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and is very familiar with employee ownership’s power for employee engagement and wealth building. She enjoys working with Cornell University's accelerator programs to mentor start-ups and small businesses and sits on the board of an ESOP company. Illa earned a BS degree in Finance and an MBA from Ithaca College.



In her spare time, Illa volunteers with the Hillsborough Community Garden to grow food for families in need, plays in the dirt at home with her own garden, and enjoys visiting her three adult children.