Esteemed Contributors.

For more than 30 years, Catherine A. Allen has been an outstanding thought leader in business innovation, technology strategy, and financial services.

Today, Catherine is Chairman and CEO of The Santa Fe Group, a strategic advisory services company based in Santa Fe, NM. The Santa Fe Group specializes in briefings to C-level executives and boards of directors at financial institutions and other critical infrastructure companies in the areas of cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and risk management. The Santa Fe Group provides management for strategic industry and institutional projects, including the Shared Assessments Program, focused on third party risk management.

Catherine currently serves as a board member of Synovus Financial Corporation, El Paso Electric Company, and Analytics Pros, and is a member of the Risk, Energy and Natural Resources, External Affairs and Nominating and Governance Committees. She chairs the Security Committee for El Paso Electric. She formerly sat on the Advisory Board of Houlihan Lokey. She served as a former board member and Chair of the Technology Committee for Stewart Information Services. She is Co-Chair of the University of Missouri’s Capital Campaign and sits on the Research and Development Committee. She is also on the advisory board of Women Corporate Directors and the Executive Women’s Forum. Catherine is the former Chair of the Board of Trustees and member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and currently chairs Appleseed New Mexico. She is also a member of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, International Folk Art Alliance, Lensic Center for Performing Arts, Communities for Schools in New Mexico and the Mark Twain Research Foundation boards. She is formerly a trustee of the Valles Caldera.

In 2007, Catherine stepped down from her role as the founding CEO of the financial services industry consortium, BITS, after a decade of service, to continue her work with The Santa Fe Group and pursue her passion as a corporate board member. During her tenure, Catherine worked closely with CEOs, CIOs, and executives at the nation’s largest financial institutions on strategic issues, from payments strategies to risk management. BITS’ accomplishments under Catherine’s leadership include creating best practices in more than 30 areas of financial services management.

Earlier in her career, Catherine served in several senior executive positions at Citicorp in the retail, bankcards, and corporate technology divisions. She represented Citibank as founding Chair and President of the multi-industry Smart Card Forum. Prior to joining Citibank, Catherine was director of corporate planning for Dun and Bradstreet, where she created and chaired the Electronic Yellow Pages and Information Association. Catherine was also a consultant to CBS, Inc. on new technologies and international trade while she was a professor at American University’s Kogod College of Business Administration.

Catherine is active politically in national and local spheres, including being a former member of President Barack Obama’s Economic Development and Small Business Committees and the New Mexico State Investment Council.

Catherine was recently honored by US Banker Magazine with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions to financial services and technology. In 2013, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to technology by the Executive Women’s Forum. She is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Missouri, recognizing her professional achievements in financial services and technology.

Catherine is married to Paul Rooker and they live between Santa Fe, NM and Cape Cod, MA.

BACKGROUND

Kapila is an Audit Committee financial expert (as defined under the Securities and Exchange Commission Rules regarding the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) with a deep global background in the real estate/REIT and the consumer-focused travel and hospitality industries. She has had experience building private equity and regulatory businesses and was responsible for architecting and executing strategy in those roles. She has governance experience through her corporate board roles as well as the global Chair and lead director of the Women Corporate Directors organization.

BOARD PROFILE

• Extended Stay America, Inc. (NASDAQ STAY): Board of Directors serving on the Audit committee and as Chair of the Nominating and Governance committee
• ESH Hospitality, Inc., REIT Board of Directors serving as the Chair of the Audit Committee
• Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE OHI) serving on the Audit committee
• KPMG LLP US Board of Directors 2005-2010 serving on Strategy, Governance, Compensation, Diversity, Nominations and Professional Practice/Regulatory committees
• KPMG Americas during a major outsourcing and ERP implementation
Non Profit:
• Chair and Lead Director of the WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation
• Rush University Medical Center: Board of Trustees
• Board member, U.S. Fund for UNICEF
• Former Chair of the KPMG Foundation
• Former Chair of The Chicago Network, a membership organization of senior executives
• Former member of Franciscan Ministries Audit Committee

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Roles at KPMG LLP 1979 to present

Kapila retired as an active partner in 2016 and was retained as a senior advisor to KPMG. During her tenure as a senior partner, Kapila has had a variety of leadership roles within the Firm as an audit signing partner through the evolution of Sarbanes Oxley legislation, as an advisory partner building new businesses, an Audit Committee Liaison partner and as a KPMG LLP Board member. Kapila was sponsored by KPMG’s global chairman for listing on Catalyst’s Corporate Board Resource database.

During her career, Kapila served as KPMG’s National Partner-in-Charge, Public Policy Business Initiatives responsible for coordinating the U.S. Firm’s strategy and response to public policy changes that impact the Firm‘s clients. In addition, she was named the National Segment Leader for Travel, Leisure and Hospitality serving large global clients in this consumer business which experienced double digit growth during her tenure.

She has served as both an audit partner on NYSE registered clients as well as a partner in KPMG’s Advisory Services practice. In these roles she has been involved with projects as diverse as financial reporting, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, social, digital, mobile strategy, business and technology transformation projects, enterprise risk management, process and internal control projects and IT controls including those over information protection. These projects required frequent interaction with Board committees including risk and audit committees. In her public policy role she has been involved as a strategic advisor to many clients in industries that have seen significant change as a result of health care reform and Dodd Frank related compliance challenges.

Kapila has built advisory businesses from the ground up and developed strategic plans within both KPMG’s Private Equity and Real Estate and Hospitality practices respectively. She was also the architect of KPMG’s inaugural public policy business strategy which gave her experience across industries with regulatory challenges. Kapila is active in Accounting, Governance and Risk peer exchanges and a speaker at WCD and National Association of Corporate Director events.

• KPMG LLP Board 2005 to 2010
• Partner in Charge – Public Policy Business Initiatives including its firm wide strategy 2009 to 2013
• Industry Segment Leader – Travel, Leisure and Hospitality 2011 to 2017
• Advisory Leader – Private Equity, Real Estate and Hospitality 2002 to 2009
• Audit Partner – Real Estate and Hospitality with specialization in REITS 1989 to 2002
• Senior advisor to KPMG 2016 to present

PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Frequent speaker nationally at industry conferences and governance forums and has authored numerous articles on investment and finance such as those sponsored by: PUBLICATIONS

• National Real Estate Investor
• Hotel Motel Management
• The Wall Street Journal
• Private Equity Real Estate
• Commercial Property News and Lodging Magazine
• The Miliken Institute

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

• Recognized as a “Woman to Watch” by the Illinois CPA Society
• Awarded the “Inspirational Leader”Award by ASCEND, the largest Pan Asian educational network
• Profiled as a “Voice of Experience” by the Glass Hammer, an online community created for women executives.
• Awarded Northern Illinois University’s Department of Accountancy Honorary Alumnus award
• Recognized in Equilar's C-Suite magazine as a “2017 Director to Watch”

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• B.S. Accounting with a minor in Computer Science, Michigan State University
• M.B.A., Michigan State University
• Licensed CPA in Illinois

Global Executive with experience as Chairman & CEO of a public company for almost 9 years (Chiquita) and a broad range of global leadership positions at P&G during almost 24 years.

Founder The Triple Play Group LLC., focused on Investment opportunities in sports (Cincinnati Reds baseball) and Minor League Baseball teams.

Extensive Board of Directors experience currently Aetna & Barry Callebaut, and formerly Levi Strauss & Co., Chiquita, Coveris Group, Coca Cola Enterprises & Univision.

Member of the Board of COLE (Duke Fuqua & Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics), the Procter & Gamble Alumni Association & the Advisory Board of The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte.

Member of YPO since 1991 (YPO Intercontinental chapter) Member of WPO since 2008

Philanthropic efforts focused on Type 1 diabetes through the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Speaker on leadership, diversity, business management, and social media. Very active on Twitter @FdoAguirreCEO

Kathleen C. Barclay provides international strategic advisory services focused on cross-border business opportunities between the United States and Chile and arising in Chile and extending elsewhere in the Americas. She is a member of the Boards of Directors of Bicecorp, Banco Bice, Geomar S.A., Austral Capital, Stars S.A. and Limonada, among other Chilean companies. She is also member of the Board of Banco Caja Social in Colombia. In the past, Ms. Barclay served on the boards of Entel S.A., Ripley S.A., SAESA, Inversiones Pathfinder, and Luz del Sur (Peru).

Additionally, Ms. Barclay is active in cultural and academic affairs including participation as a member of the Board of the Pan-American Development Foundation (PADF), the Advisory Board of the Centro de Estudios Públicos, a member of the Advisory Editorial committee of El Diario Financiero, a member of the Board of the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, member of the Advisory Board of Endeavor-Chile and Vice Chair of the Fundacion Adolfo Ibanez. She is a member of the Council of the Americas and the US Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she serves as a member of the Advisory Council to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) for its Karukinka project in Chile.

Ms. Barclay is Pas Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Chile - AmCham Chile and currently a member of the Board and Executive Committee. She was active in the process of seeking support for the US-Chile Free Trade Agreement, which has been highly successful for both countries. From 2005 to 2007 she was elected Chair of AACCLA (the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America). From 2003 through 2005 she served as AACCLA’s Treasurer and member of its Executive Committee. Today she serves as an active AACCLA Past President.

Prior to 2001, Ms. Barclay had a 23-year career in J. P. Morgan Chase including assignments in New York, London and Santiago. She ran the Latin American Corporate Credit Area in the early 1980s, was Director of Investment Banking in London covering Latin American multinational advisory and capital markets from 1988-1992. From 1992 through 2000, Ms. Barclay was responsible for the Bank’s business in Chile with an emphasis on cross-border transactions and investment banking services. As Senior Country Officer, she represented the firm on various boards of directors on behalf of the Bank’s private equity sister company. Under her direction the Bank obtained a top-three leadership position for international M&A, capital markets and syndicated loan transactions.

She has a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Nancy Calderon is KPMG’s global lead partner for IBM, responsible for building and managing the firm’s global relationship with the company. In this position, Nancy manages a global team of 500 partners and professionals in more than 50 countries providing a wide range of services to this Fortune 25 company and its customers.

She is a board director of KPMG’s Global Delivery Center, Ltd., the firm’s operating arm in India and is a senior advisor to KPMG’s Audit Committee Institute.

Prior to assuming this role in 2012, Nancy was chief administrative officer, KPMG Americas Region, and U.S. national partner in charge, operations. She was responsible for developing and executing many of the firm’s Operations strategies and key infrastructure initiatives, ranging from Information Technology and Finance & Accounting to Procurement, Real Estate, and Enterprise Risk. During the Financial Crisis she implemented a strategy that reduced the operational costs of the firm by $500 million. Her direct reports included the chief financial officer and chief information officer, and heads of Real Estate, Global Outsourcing and Procurement.

Nancy has almost 30 years’ experience with KPMG, having held a variety of operational, client service, and leadership positions in the firm. Before moving to her current position, Nancy sat on a number of KPMG committees including the Americas Region Management Committee, Enterprise Risk Management, Privacy, Social Media, and Knowledge Management.

Nancy also serves on the WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation board, Women’s Forum of New York board and the Greater New York YMCA board, chairing the Audit and Compensation Committees as well as the 2014/2015 CEO Search Committee. She is a member of The International and New York Women’s Forums. Nancy has been honored as a “Woman Worth Watching” and a Supplier Diversity Leader by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Nancy was honored as the NYC YMCA’s Volunteer of the Year and a recipient of the American Woman’s Society of CPA’s Woman of Courage Award.

During 2014, Nancy co-authored a book with Susan Stautberg, “Women on Board – insider secrets to getting onto a board and succeeding as a director”.

Maria has been building and founding technology businesses for 25 years. Her operational, entrepreneurial, and senior management experience in venture-backed technology companies includes two Massachusetts IPOs of the Year and the founding of two successful companies and a venture capital firm.

Prior to co-founding .406 Ventures in 2006, Maria served as an SVP of VeriSign following its 2005 acquisition of Guardent, the market-leading Managed Security Services provider, for $142 million. Guardent was a Sequoia, Charles River Ventures, and NEA-backed IT security company that Maria co-founded and led as CEO. In this role, Maria received industry recognition as "Massachusetts CEO of the Year" and "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year," among other honors.

Prior to Guardent, Maria was Senior Vice President responsible for sales and marketing at Razorfish, an IT services company that acquired her previous company, i-Cube, for $1.8 billion in 1999. At i-Cube, Maria led sales and marketing. Prior to i-Cube, from 1993 to 1997, Maria was responsible for North American sales at Shiva, the category-creating remote access leader. Prior to Shiva, Maria held sales and marketing roles at Lotus Development Corporation and Software City Inc.

Maria holds an AB in English literature from Mount Holyoke College, where she has served as a Trustee and as a member of the college's investment committee.

As Staff Vice President and Chief Security Officer of ADP, Roland Cloutier brings an unprecedented understanding and knowledge of global protection and security leadership to one of the world's largest providers of human capital management solutions. With over 25 years of experience in the military, law enforcement, and commercial sector, Roland is one of today’s leading experts in corporate and enterprise security, cyber-defense program development, and business operations protection.

At ADP, a global provider of comprehensive payroll services and human resources management solutions, Roland has functional and operational responsibility for cyber, information protection, operational risk, workforce protection, crisis management, and investigative and protective security operations worldwide.

Prior to ADP, Roland served as Vice President and CSO of EMC, was a United States Air Force Combat Security Specialist, and an Aerospace Protection and Anti-Terrorism Specialist for the Department of Defense. He also specialized in fraud and healthcare crime as part of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Roland continues to lead by example in the development of the security industry through practitioner excellence. He was most recently honored as the RSA Conference 2016’s Excellence in the Field of Information Security Award Winner. He was also named the #1 Security Executive of the Year by ExecRank, Tech Exec Networks' Information Security Executive of the Year, and one of the Most Influential People in Security by Security Magazine.

Paving the way for the world’s next generation of security leaders, Roland is also the distinguished author of his book, ‘Becoming a Global Chief Security Executive Officer’ where he shares his expertise on how to advance the practice of security executive management, security program architecture and how to effectively plan for the future demands of leadership in global security.

Roland is a member of the Executive Security Action Forum, The Security World 50, and serves on the Board of Directors Cyber Subcommittee for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the Board of The International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP), and the Board of The National Cyber Forensics Training Alliance (NCFTA). As a U.S. Air Force veteran, he takes the time to give back and volunteer for veteran organizations such as the American Legion, 100 Nights of Remembrance and serves as executive sponsor for the ADP National Employee Veteran Council.

Previous Board Observer rights on multiple boards of portfolio companies within private credit investment. Previous Board Member of USO of Metropolitan New York, Plainfield Country Club, and Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Westfield, NJ.

Dean is currently an advisor to Allianz Global Investors, which purchased Sound Harbor Partners, of which he was Co-Owner and Partner. Sound Harbor specializes in high-yield private credit, managing pools of capital targeting both liquid and illiquid assets.

Dean joined Blackstone in January 2002 as Founding Member of the firm’s loan management division, and was elevated to Partner in 2005. In 2006, he was elevated to share responsibility for Blackstone’s Corporate Debt platform, a division with $11 billion in assets-under-management spanning across mezzanine debt, leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, and structured products.

Between 1997 and 2001, he was responsible for founding and growing a $3 billion loan management business for Trimaran Advisors, a CIBC affiliate.

Dean’s specializations in high-yield credit include asset management, investment fund structures, leveraged finance/private equity, structured products, credit derivatives, and credit capital markets.

Ms. Davis is a Partner at Sayfarth Shaw, a recognized leader in delivering value and innovation for legal services. Seyfarth Shaw has more than 850 attorneys in 15 offices providing a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation, corporate and real estate.

With a concentration in litigation, she is a certified information privacy professional (CIPP/US) certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Ms. Davis’ data privacy practice focuses on risk assessments in implementation of products and services and hiring of third-party vendors, corporate governance issues relating to data privacy protection and compliance, and development of comprehensive privacy programs.

Prior to joining ZEK, Ms. Davis was Principal Court Attorney to Justice Charles Edward Ramos of the New York State Supreme Court, Commercial Division in Manhattan. She also worked with numerous other Manhattan Supreme Court Justices as a Senior Court Attorney in the Law Department of the New York State Supreme Court, Civil Term. She was an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York Law School.

Ms. Davis currently serves on the board of a large non-profit – the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund, Inc. and is one of five appointed Commissioners of the New York State Ethics Commission for the Unified Court System. She is a member of the New York State Court’s Commercial Division Advisory Council; the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Technology in the Law and the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on the Judiciary. Previously, she chaired the preeminent Commercial and Federal Litigation Section of the New York State Bar Association. She also served on the board of a non-profit, Literacy, Inc., where she chaired its governance committee.

Ms. Davis received her B.A. degree from Montclair State University (formerly Montclair State College) and J.D. degree from American University, Washington College of Law. She is admitted in New York, New Jersey, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts.

Ms. Davis is a co-author of the report “If Not Now, When: Achieving Equality for Women Attorneys in the Courtroom and In ADR” adopted by the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.

Susan C. Keating became Chief Executive Officer of the WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation (WCD) December 1, 2017, the largest organization of women board members globally. WCD has over 2,500 members serving on over 10,500 corporate and family business boards and 80 chapters on 6 continents in cities throughout North, Central, and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, India and throughout Asia. The combined market capitalization of the public companies on whose boards the WCD members serve totals nearly $8 trillion. Members serve as directors of companies and global stock exchanges and are influential Chair or C-Suite level executives.

Prior to joining WCD, Susan was President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). Founded in 1951, the NFCC is the largest and longest-serving nonprofit credit counseling organization with 65 member agencies and 400 offices across the United States. Susan joined the NFCC in 2004 at an especially challenging time for the financial counseling sector. Under her leadership NFCC members improved the financial well-being of 26 million people with the support of $88 million in funding for housing programs essential during the financial crisis, and $36 million for other programs promoting financial wellness and stability. She also developed important national partnerships, formulated new strategies and business models while implementing changes to governance and operational processes critical to the NFCC’s ability to navigate the rapidly changing environment.

Susan spent 29 years in financial services before moving into the nonprofit sector. During her tenure she was the highest ranking female CEO of a US bank holding company. From 2000-2002 she was President and Chief Executive of Allfirst Financial, Inc. the 43rd largest US bank, and the largest US holding of Allied Irish Banks plc (AIB Group). In 2002, Susan was named to the Group Executive Committee of AIB which is responsible for developing corporate strategy and overseeing management of AIB Group.

Susan began her banking career in 1974 as a trainee at First Bank System in Milwaukee. She was promoted to Senior Vice President of retail banking after having served as marketing and credit card manager in Minneapolis. In 1988 Susan joined MNC Financial as Senior Vice President Maryland retail banking, and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 1991. When NationsBank (Bank of America) acquired MNC in 1993, Susan served as President and Senior Banking Executive for Maryland.

Susan recently served on Bank of America’s National Consumer Advisory Council, and was a Board Member and Personnel Committee Chair for the Council on Accreditation (COA). She also participated in the Financial Regulation Reform Collaborative, a non-partisan group committed to finding solutions for reforming financial services regulation. Susan was former Board Chair of the USA Swimming Foundation. Previously, Susan served on the board of the Baltimore Life Companies, and the Financial Services Roundtable, serving as Chair of the Consumer Issues Committee. In addition, Susan served as Board Member for the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, was 2002 Chairperson for the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way of Central Maryland, and served as Banking Chair for the US Savings Bond National Volunteer Committee.

On the NGO front, Zelma serves on ProMujer International, Vida Perú, and CARE Perú.

Susan and her husband reside in Florida.

Kris Manos is an active director of public, private and employee-owned companies. She is committed to strong governance as the foundation for healthy companies and lasting results. Kris is a director of KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY),, Columbia Forest Products (ESOP), and Dexter Apache Holdings (ESOP). She previously served as a director of American Capital (NASDAQ:ACAS), Select Comfort (NASDAQ:SCSS) and Soil Safe, Inc (Private).

Kris has chaired Audit, Nominating/Governance and Special Investigation Committees, in addition to serving on Compensation and Strategic Alternative Committees. She brings deep expertise in governance best practices, compliance and risk management (including cybersecurity), complex regulatory environments and CEO succession. She also provides customer and market-focused view of strategic alternatives, and insights into the strategic importance of corporate culture.

Kris is a seasoned executive with experience leading business-to-business, design-driven building products companies. As President of both Wilsonart and Herman Miller, she grew revenue and enhanced profitability through her unique strength in clarifying strategy, building healthy culture, and honing execution skills. Her cross-functional experience in marketing, product development, manufacturing, finance and distribution lets her quickly assess a company and create lasting positive change.

Today, Kris is a Partner at Sanderson Berry, focusing on business strategy and marketing for small to medium-sized businesses, both as a consultant and an investor. Previously, she served as the first outside President of Wilsonart, a decorative laminates company with over $600 million in sales, and as President of the office furniture company Herman Miller’s $1.5 billion North American business. Her prior experience includes serving as Vice President of Global Marketing and Global Product Development and as Director of customer service for Haworth, a $2 billion family-owned office furniture manufacturer. She started her business career as a first line supervisor and manufacturing engineer in a diesel engine plant at Navistar International.

Kris earned a master’s degree from the Yale School of Management, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard College. She is a member of Women Corporate Directors, the National Association of Corporate Directors, and the Committee of 200. Civically, she serves on the board of Kick Start International, a social enterprise that manufactures and distributes human-powered irrigation pumps in Africa. She has also served on the boards of International Relief and Development, an NGO, and Holland Hospital, a 200-bed community hospital in Holland Michigan.

Applying a strong understanding of today’s business realities and opportunities, Karen helps companies compete successfully by developing long-term strategic frameworks and competitive positioning. Her vast experience in global finance is complemented by a keen ability to navigate the complex interpersonal dynamics within large, closely-held companies both in Mexico and abroad. In late 2013, she launched K-Mex Strategies LLC, an elite consulting firm of senior level professionals focused on closely-held Mexican corporations. With 30+ years of experience in Latin America with an emphasis on Mexico, Karen’s tactical vision has identified and built new businesses for financial institutions such as HSBC, Bank of America and Fidelity Investments. In the last two years the firm has executed two major corporate restructurings, as well as raising syndicated bank financings for a number of clients. In December 2015, the firm was part of a team advising the new investors in Casas GEO, a transaction that included an exit from bankruptcy via a recapitalization of MXN3.5Bn and a 77% reduction in debt. More recently Kmex Strategies has worked with a large family held company in Northern Mexico on the institutionalization of the company; including corporate repositioning as well as establishing a corporate governance process. KMex is currently working with a tech start up; from the creation of the business plan to raising capital.

In addition to consulting, Karen serves on the Board of Directors of Centro Financiero BHD Leon and Puesto de Bolsa BHD Leon, the second largest privately held financial group in the Dominican Republic. This invitation was at the behest of the International Finance Corporation (a World Bank subsidiary); Karen has been added to the list of Nominee Directors for the IFC. In August 2015 she accepted an invitation to the Board of Directors of Operadora de Servicios Mega, a Mexican financial services company. Karen recently left the Board of Directors of Fondo Chiapas, a fund listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange that is focused on social impact investing in the Mexican state of Chiapas, one of the poorest regions in Mexico. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Ruta de la Monarca Foundation, the Finance Committee of the ABC Hospital in Mexico City and is Mexico Chapter Co-Chair for Women Corporate Directors.

Targeting Underserved Markets

In October 2013 Karen stepped down from an executive leadership position at HSBC Bank in its Mexican banking subsidiary, where she was head of the Large Corporate and Structured Banking Division. It was created thanks to Karen’s drive to serve a neglected market: large family owned Mexican corporations. She identified the business opportunity and tailored the local operations to fit the HSBC global strategy, winning buy-in from local and global senior management. In 2010 this segment, with minimum staffing, drove a 32% increase in the HSBC Mexico commercial banking revenues.

Karen’s executive leadership role at HSBC Mexico began in 2005 when she redesigned the commercial lending process, from origination to execution. This required major transformations in the commercial strategy and organizational structure as well as overcoming resistance to change throughout the organization. The bank is now positioned as the go-to lender for complex/sophisticated transactions and the portfolio has experienced double-digit growth (with the exception of the crisis years.) Many of the changes she instituted have been applied throughout HSBC’s Latin American operations.

Reaching Consensus During a Crisis

During the global financial crisis Karen designed and executed an integrated risk mitigation strategy for the HSBC Mexico commercial banking portfolio. Her ability to react quickly and decisively in a fast changing environment was reflected in a US$115 million reduction in loan impairment charges in 2009. Her interpersonal skills were instrumental in reaching consensus in several large and often acrimonious corporate restructurings.

During this same period, as a Board member of Arrendadora Mega (a Mexican leasing company/financial group), she worked closely with the owners to define funding and portfolio management strategies that enabled the company to survive and then flourish despite one of the worst financial crises in Mexican history. As a Board Member and Treasurer of the American Benevolent Society, Karen also worked through the financial crisis to ensure that the primary revenue generator for the charity, the American cemetery, was managed prudently.

Prior to joining HSBC Karen was a managing partner at Equitum, LLC, a bi-national business advisory firm. While at Equitum (2002-2004) she worked with several Mexican family owned businesses which were experiencing a generational transition, advising them on the different alternatives. With one client she worked on selling off non-core assets while another client began the process of institutionalization.

Identifying Opportunities Overseas

Karen’s ability to identify market opportunities and set appropriate strategies was demonstrated at both Bank of America and Fidelity Investments. In 1996 Karen’s strategic vision was tapped by Fidelity Investments World Funds Group, where she formed part of a team to build a de novo mutual funds business targeted at the offshore Latin American high net worth market. Using her market knowledge she helped set the strategy and successfully launched the funds into five of the targeted institutional channels.

While at Bank of America, Los Angeles, she worked with the head of Latin American Private Banking to design and implement a strategic plan which resulted in a 100% increase in assets under management. When an entire private banking office defected to the competition, Karen restructured the office, limiting asset runoff to only 5% of the portfolio, at the same time mitigating credit losses from the 1995 Mexican financial crisis.

Karen was born in Rapid City, South Dakota and grew up in a U.S. military family, moving from country to country and post to post. She graduated from the University of Arizona, in Tucson, Arizona with an Honors Degree in Economics and Latin American Studies. She has done graduate studies in Law, International Economic Development and Business Administration.

She lives in Mexico City where she focuses on her other great passion in life – horseback riding.

Connie McDaniel is a member of the Board and Audit Committee of Total System Services, Inc (TSYS), a $4.2 billion provider of payment solutions for banks and merchants, based in Columbus, GA. She assumed the Audit Committee Chair role in the spring of 2016, and joined the Nominating & Governance Committee in 2017. Ms. McDaniel is also a member of the Board of Trustees and Audit Committee of Virtus Mutual Funds, a $44+ billion multi-strategy mutual fund family based in Hartford, CT.

Ms. McDaniel was previously a member of the Board of Trustees of Ridgeworth Funds, a $17+ billion fixed income and equity mutual fund family based in Atlanta, until the sale of their investment advisor in 2017. She served as the Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Governance & Nominating Committee.

Ms. McDaniel retired from The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 2013 after twenty-four years in a variety of finance roles including VP & Chief of Internal Audit, VP & Controller, and Division Finance Manager roles in Thailand and Germany.

She began her auditing and accounting career at EY in Atlanta, holding roles with increasing responsibility through Audit Senior Manager. In recognition of her leadership and management expertise, she was named to the ‘Top 100 Most Influential People in Finance’ by Treasury & Risk Magazine in 2007, received the Service to Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business Award in 2010 and Georgia State University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016.

Ms. McDaniel is a member of the Board of Advisors of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University and formerly served on the Board of Trustees of the Shepherd Center Foundation, a leading rehabilitation hospital specializing in spinal cord and brain injury.

She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting from Georgia State University and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1982. Ms. McDaniel and her husband live in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

Pat is a senior finance executive and board member and was the CFO of publicly traded, global Fortune 150 companies in the consumer products and retail industries. She is currently a partner and managing director of Templeton & Company, LLP, a regional South Florida-based professional services and consulting firm. Pat returned to a consulting role after a successful 20+ year career in industry as a senior finance executive, and currently provides a broad range of consulting services to retailers and other companies leveraging that experience. She currently provides consulting and, as managing director, heads the firm’s Family Office Group.

Pat also has extensive board service background. She was a member of the Board of Directors for Office Depot, Inc. and is currently the chair of the Board of Directors for the Florida Atlantic University Foundation. A member of the Audit Committee (and incoming board member) for Holy Cross Hospital, Pat also previously served as a member of the advisory board of Blueware Inc., an EMR healthcare technology company. She currently serves as a Trustee for the Washington, DC-based Committee for Economic Development (CED), a public policy forum. Pat is the CFO of Women Corporate Directors, a member of its Global Advisory Board, and co-chair of its South Florida chapter. She previously served on the Florida board of NACD. Pat serves as a member of the boards of various non-profit organizations.

Pat has successfully executed complex transactions such as recapitalization strategies, acquisitions, and divestitures, as well as the spin-offs. She has also led and/or partnered with executive teams to drive change and operational improvements, which included implementations of global systems and creation of shared services designed to drive top-line growth and cost reductions.

Melissa is a Managing Director in Pearl Meyer’s Boston office with over 20 years of experience. Melissa’s areas of expertise include executive and non-employee Director compensation, designing, implementing and communicating total compensation strategies, pay-for-performance alignment, and short- and long-term incentive compensation programs. Melissa works closely with Boards and management teams in addressing issues including governance practices, executive transitions, succession planning, and aligning pay with business strategies.

She specializes in working with firms ranging in size from small, private and pre-IPO organizations to large multi-national companies across many different industries, including materials/industrials, construction, retail, consumer, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, and biotechnology. In being in the Boardroom most days with different clients, Melissa also helps provide context to Boards on group behavioral interactions among the Board and with management.

Prior to joining Pearl Meyer, Melissa held consulting positions at William M. Mercer and Towers Perrin. She also served as a Compensation & Benefits Director for a pre-IPO company and the Compensation Manager for a $10 billion for-profit healthcare company.

Eager to give back to her professional community, Melissa is a speaker and writer on executive and non-employee Director Compensation topics. She is a Certified Compensation Professional and a Certified Equity Professional. She is a member, author and article reviewer for WorldatWork and the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals. She is a member, author, speaker and Board Leadership Fellow for the National Association of Corporate Directors, where she also served on the Program Committee. Melissa is also a member, author and speaker for Woman Corporate Directors where she also serves on the Nominating and Governance Committee, and the Communications and Thought Leadership Committee of the Board. She is a member of The Boston Club, served on the Corporate Board Committee, and chaired the Corporate Advisory Board Committee. Melissa was named to the Financial Times Agenda Compensation 100, a listing of top board-ready professionals with deep expertise to serve on a public company compensation committee.

Melissa and her colleagues at Pearl Meyer assisted Woman Corporate Directors in creating their Thought Leadership Council and are the authors of the first report released in May 2014, titled Going Beyond Best Practices: The Role of the Board in Effectively Motivating and Rewarding Executives. Melissa and her colleagues recently released another Thought Leadership Report in May 2017, titled The Visionary Board at Work: Developing a Culture of Leadership.

Despite her demanding professional life, Melissa has a passion for being a part of organizations whose mission is to help others, as well as give back to the community and their constituency.

A fearless change agent fuel-injected with enthusiasm, Ms. Tapia empowers visions and executes game-changing business growth strategies with her unique people-centric “no walls, no barriers” leadership. She consistently produces deep insights into customer behaviors and market trends that move beyond near-term numbers to consistent top-line growth and longer-term strategic planning.

Greater than eye sight, Ms. Tapia has mind sight – a “look out and work forward” savvy about possibilities based on three fundamentalpillars: creation of powerhouse teams; use of the latest technology; and relentless focus on innovation, execution and productivity.

During her twenty-five year career with Procter & Gamble Company, an American multinational consumer goods company, Ms. Tapia has been part of the momentum that led to the company’s position as a front-runner in Mexico. Throughout her career, she has been described as a professional to whom customers listen. Under her leadership as Latin America Brand Operations Director, she has decisively moved the division into a higher growth, higher value cohesive group. During her tenure as Mexico Brand Operations leader, Ms. Tapia managed the second largest marketing budget in the region, leading her team to increase productivity and returns on investment for five consecutive years, for which she received a regional brand-building award.

One striking characteristic of Ms. Tapia’s career is the rare leadership trait of purposeful strategies based in customer-centric marketing that revolutionizes internal processes and produces platforms for company maturity. Her ability to recognize opportunity, combined with strategic insights, has blossomed into many visionary initiatives that expanded to cover large regions in Latin America. With a combination of intuition and data-driven insights, she drives change and propels new initiatives to stand behind strategic and calculated risks that evolve and scale the brand in new ways. Throughout her career decision-making has moved closer to customers, resulting in better partnerships, collaboration, and digital innovation attuned to local needs.

At the podium, Ms. Tapia asks a question deeply rooted in her leadership style: “How can we create marketing impact aligned to the broader strategic challenges that involve the company’s competition, innovation, and core customers?" As a trusted advisor and guest lecturer, she provides key insights at the intersection of competitive advantage and leadership to harness the true power of human capital and high growth. Ms. Tapia’s fusion of real-life stories and conversational techniques allow her to connect with her audiences at an intimate, intense, and individual level.

Her awards span business and industry leading associations: among them, the CNN’s Expansion Most Powerful Women in Mexico and the Advertising Age Women to Watch awards. Ms. Tapia is Company Board Member at Rendilitros SA de CV, Gas Company, Chair-Marketing Committee. She also holds a number of leadership positions on nonprofit and advisory boards that currently include Sisnova, Comunidad Educativa Tomás Moro, PGAlumns, EnviaYa, and Recovery. She is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), Women Corporate Directors (WCD) and the International Women’s Forum (IWF), Mexico Chapter, which is by invitation only and is influenced by definitive international standards. Nominated to a selective group of 35 women chosen globally to attend the IWF Leadership Foundation Program 2012, she studied under the direction of Harvard Business School and INSEAD, Business School for the World. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science (with honors) from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, Mexico.

Jim Routh is the Chief Security Officer and leads the Global Security function for MassMutual. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Cyberstarts, the ClearSky Security Fund, Armis Security, Gurucul and Rain Capital. Jim formerly led let the Global Security function for Aetna and was Chair of the NH-ISAC Board. He also served as the Global Head of Application & Mobile Security for JPMorgan Chase. Prior to that he was the CISO for KPMG, DTCC, and American Express.

Jim is the winner of the 2017 Evanta Breakaway Leaders Award, 2016 Security Alliance Award for Innovation, 2016 ISE Luminary Leadership Award, the Northeast and the 2014 North American Information Security Executive of the Year for Healthcare, and the 2009 BITS Leadership Award, sponsored by the financial industry in collaboration with NIST and the Department of Treasury.

In 2007, Zelma joined Interbank, Peru´s fourth largest bank with approximately US$ 12.7 billion in total assets, the 2nd largest provider of consumer loans with a 19.1% market share, the 2nd largest provider of credit card financing with a 21.9% market share and an 8.6% market share in commercial banking. Interbank is recognized for its innovation DNA, digital banking and focus on customer-centric experiences by delivering the most convenient and friendly service through its distribution channels and innovative digital platforms. Interbank, is part of Intercorp, a Peruvian conglomerate involved in financial services, insurance, supermarkets, retail, real estate and education. Intercorp represents 2.5% of Peru´s GDP and 4% of market capitalization. Involved in shaping Peru´s banking legal framework, Zelma led the Legal Banking Committee of the Banking Association for the period 2011-2013 and continues to be involved as part of the committee´s leadership, focusing on enabling innovation in the financial services and working with regulators on data protection and innovation technology impact in the industry. Zelma participates in IPAE, a Peruvian Think Tank seeking to develop strategies to institutionalize the country´s governance and influence public policy. A frequent speaker and lecturer on compliance, governance and leadership, Zelma serves on the advisory council of Red ASCLA - which seeks to promote the role of the corporate secretary as a key piece in the management of good corporate governance in LATAM.

Prior to Interbank, Zelma joined Clifford Chance, London, as part of the Project Finance Energy Group where she was involved in major privatization and infrastructure projects in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Perú. Before joining Clifford Chance, Zelma worked at Milbank, New York.

Zelma is a board member of La Fiduciaria and Intertitulos, both provide fiduciary services. She also serves on the board of Turismoi.pe, a digital market place for travel and tourism operators in Colombia, Ecuador, Spain and Mexico.

On the NGO front, Zelma serves on ProMujer International, Vida Perú, and CARE Perú. Zelma holds an MBA from the University of Piura, an LLM in International Banking Law from the Center for Finance, Law & Policy, Boston University, a Master in Comparative Jurisprudence from New York University, and a Law Degree from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Caracas. Zelma is a member of the New York and Caracas Bar Associations.

She and her husband Hans have one child. All three reside in Lima, Perú.

Jana retired from The Northern Trust Company on September 1, 2018, in the position of Chief Operating Officer. During her 38-year-plus career at Northern Trust, she enjoyed a variety of other C-suite leadership roles, including President, Wealth Management; President, Operations and Technology; and Chief Risk Officer. Utilizing her professional background and building on 10 years of experience as an Independent Director, Jana is now focusing her career on service to corporate boards.

As President and CEO of Temin and Company – a boutique management consultancy that helps corporations and organizations create, enhance and save their reputations and coaches board directors and C-Suite executives – Davia Temin works with some of the most talented and impactful leaders in the world, helping them to refine and strengthen their vision, voice and market position in times of crisis and opportunity.

Temin and Company specializes in crisis and reputation management and corporate culture consulting for global companies, professional services firms, foundations, colleges and universities, and governments. Davia serves as a spokesman during crises, strategist, and leadership and communications coach at the board, CEO and executive committee levels. Temin and Company works with clients to create brand-distinguishing thought leadership and best practices in governance and corporate leadership, as well as to promote women’s leadership, provide socially responsible marketing, media and social media strategy and execution, and create cultures supportive of gender equity.

Davia is a frequent speaker around the world on reputation and crisis management, leadership, corporate governance, women’s leadership, resilience and what boards and leaders need to know about media, social media and artificial intelligence. A nationally recognized writer, commentator and expert in her fields, she has appeared on CBS, CNN, NBC, Bloomberg, PBS, ABC, and in The Wall Street Journal, and numerous other publications and networks around the world.

Prior to founding the firm 21 years ago with the backing of GE, Davia headed Corporate Marketing for GE Capital, Schroders, Scudder, Citi Investment Bank and Columbia Business School. An Honors graduate of Swarthmore College, she serves on their Board of Trustees. For 9 years she served as First Vice Chair of the Board of Girl Scouts of the USA and Chair of their National Fund Development Committee – originating their $1 billion campaign for girls, the largest fundraising campaign for girls in the world, and now also serves on the Board of Trustees of Girl Scouts of Greater New York. She is Chair the of Board of Video Volunteers, an investigative media nonprofit based in India, and sits on the Boards or Advisory Boards of ProPublica, The Knight-Bagehot Fellowship, Committee for Economic Development, WomenCorporateDirectors, Harvard Women’s Leadership Board, and Predmore Holdings. She is a member of the Women Creating Change Leadership Council, and also serves as an advisor to Chinook.ai and SpringBoard.ai.

In 2018, Davia was named an Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women magazine. She was honored by the National Organization for Women, accepting their 2017 Woman of Power & Influence Award for forging new paths for the next generation of women leaders. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award by Trust Across America-Trust Around the World and was named a “Top Thought Leader in Trust.” She was awarded The Girl Scouts Pinnacle Award for Leadership in 2015 – their highest honor. In 2014, Davia was chosen as a Delegate by the U.S. State Department to the Global Entrepreneurship Program in Greece. She has also been honored as one of the “30 Outstanding Women” in the world by the National Council for Research on Women; and named by Girl Scouts as a Woman of Distinction. Profiled in many business and leadership books – most recently Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works and Stiletto Network – she writes the “Reputation Matters” column for Forbes.com, is a contributor to Huffington Post and American Banker, and has written “Rebuilding Trust in the Financial Markets” for the book Trust, Inc.