Corporate Governance

Lee Shaiman

Lee Shaiman has served as a member of the Board and chair of the Audit Committee of the Board since May 7, 2020. Mr. Shaiman has served as Executive Director of the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (“LSTA”) since January 2018. Prior to joining the LSTA, Mr. Shaiman was the Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager for the liquid-credit business at ArrowMark Colorado Holdings, LLC, where he lead an investment team focused on investing in senior secured loans, held primarily in collateralized loan obligation vehicles. Prior to joining ArrowMark, Mr. Shaiman was a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager and Chairman of the Debt Funds investment committee at GSO Capital Partners, a division of Blackstone. He was directly involved in all aspects of managing, structuring and raising funds primarily invested in senior secured loans. Mr. Shaiman received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University and a Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. We believe Mr. Shaiman’s extensive experience with financial institutions and his knowledge of capital markets, accounting and public company regulatory issues brings important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Thomas Sullivan

Thomas Sullivan has served as a member of the Board since September 15, 2019. Mr. Sullivan has served as a partner with Standard General L.P., a New York-based investment firm that manages event-driven opportunity funds, since June 2016 where he is responsible for portfolio management of Standard General’s SG Special Situations Fund L.P. Prior to joining Standard General L.P., Mr. Sullivan was the managing partner of Smallwood Partners, LLC, a financial advisory services firm from 2009 to 2015 and a managing director of Investcorp International, Inc., a global middle market private equity firm from 1996 to 2008. Mr. Sullivan has served on numerous boards and committees over the prior twenty years. He currently serves as a member of the board of trustees of Spirit MTA REIT, an externally managed, publicly traded REIT, and is a member of its audit committee, compensation committee and related party transactions committee. Mr. Sullivan served as a member of the board of directors, including as a member of the audit committee, finance committee and budget advisory committee, of Media General Inc. from November 2013 to February 2017. Additionally, Mr. Sullivan served as a member of the board of directors, lead director of the suitability committee and chairperson of the nominating and governance committee of American Apparel Inc. from August 2014 to March 2016. Mr. Sullivan received a Bachelor of Business Studies from Villanova University. We believe Mr. Sullivan’s extensive experience with financial institutions and his knowledge of capital markets and structured financing brings important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Robert Wagner

Robert Wagner serves as a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Wagner has been a selfemployed management consultant, working closely with client management on company strategy, financing, investor relations and compensation policies since March 2012. In February 2012, Mr. Wagner retired from Silver Point Capital, L.P., a credit opportunity hedge fund, where he had served as a senior management leader and operating committee member and Director of Marketing and Investor Relations since May 2006. While at Silver Point Capital, L.P., Mr. Wagner ran its Global Markets team, a deal-sourcing and relationship development team, and served on the firm’s private-side, direct lending investment committee. From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Wagner served as a Managing Director and a senior leader in the fixed income division at Goldman, Sachs & Co., a global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. From 1993 to 1999, Mr. Wagner served as a Managing Director and team leader of the leveraged loan capital markets group at BT Securities Corp., a financial services company and a subsidiary of Bankers Trust Corp., which was acquired by Deutsche Bank in April 1999. Mr. Wagner served in a similar capacity at Bank of America from 1989 to 1993. Mr. Wagner received a B.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University—Graduate School of Journalism. We believe Mr. Wagner’s extensive experience in deal-sourcing, investor relations and credit underwriting brings important and valuable skills to our Board of Directors.

Robert Ryder

Robert Ryder serves as a member of our board of directors. Mr. Ryder previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ), a wine, beer and spirits company, since May 2007. From 2005 to 2006, Mr. Ryder served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of IMG, a sports marketing and media company. From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Ryder was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of American Greetings Corporation, a publicly traded, multinational consumer products company. From 1989 to 2002, Mr. Ryder held several management positions of increasing responsibility with PepsiCo, Inc. These included control, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, CFO and Controller positions serving at PepsiCo’s corporate headquarters and at its Frito-Lay International and Frito-Lay North America divisions. Mr. Ryder received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Scranton and is a certified public accountant. We believe Mr. Ryder’s extensive experience with public companies, public boards and knowledge of accounting and public company regulatory issues brings important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Julie Persily

Julie Persily serves as a member of our board of directors. Ms. Persily retired from serving as the Co-Head of Leveraged Finance and Capital Markets of Nomura Securities North America, a unit of Nomura Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NMR), a securities and investment banking company, since July 2010. Ms. Persily previously served in various capacities at Citigroup Inc., a financial services company, including as the Co-Head of Leveraged Finance Group from December 2006 to November 2008, the Head of Acquisition Finance Group from December 2001 to November 2006 and as Managing Director from July 1999 to November 2001. From 1990 to 1999, Ms. Persily served in various capacities including as a Managing Director, Leveraged Finance at BT Securities Corp., a financial services company and a subsidiary of Bankers Trust Corp., which was acquired by Deutsche Bank in April 1999. From 1987 to 1989, Ms. Persily served as an analyst at Drexel Burnham Lambert, a securities and investment banking company. Ms. Persily received a B.A. in psychology and economics from Columbia College and a M.B.A in financing and accounting from Columbia Business School. We believe Ms. Persily’s extensive experience with structuring, negotiating and marketing senior loans, high yield and mezzanine financings brings important and valuable skills to our board of directors.

Christopher E. Jansen

President and Secretary, CM Finance
Co-Founder and Co-CIO, CM Investment Partners

Christopher Jansen formerly was a founding Managing Partner and Senior Portfolio Manager for Stanfield Capital Partners from its formation in 1998 through the sale of the Company in 2010. His responsibilities included investment oversight and administration of the investment process and the implementation of portfolio management procedures of the Company’s sub-investment grade/leveraged loan businesses. In addition, as a member of the firm’s Management Committee, Mr. Jansen was involved in planning the strategic direction of the firm. Prior to founding Stanfield, Mr. Jansen was Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Chancellor Senior Secured Management from 1990 to 1998. From 1983 to 1990, Mr. Jansen held various positions at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, served as Vice President in the Bank’s Acquisition Finance Group and LBO Management Group.  Mr. Jansen received a B.A. from Rutgers College and an M.M. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

Michael C. Mauer

Chairman and CEO, CM Finance
Managing Partner, Co-Founder and Co-CIO, CM Investment Partners

Michael Mauer formerly worked for Icahn Capital where he was a Senior Managing Director and a member of the investment team. In addition, he was in charge of the firm’s Marketing and Investor Relations. Prior to that, Mr. Mauer spent over eight years at Citigroup, where he was a Managing Director.  During that time he led several businesses including roles as the Global Co-Head of Leverage Finance and Global Co-Head of Fixed Income Currency and Commodity Distribution. From 1988 to 2001, Mr. Mauer held several positions at JPMorgan including Head of North American Investment Grade and Leverage Loan Syndicate, Sales and Trading businesses.  Mr. Mauer began his career in 1982 at Price Waterhouse & Co. where he was a Senior Accountant and a C.P.A.  Mr. Mauer received a B.S. from the University of Scranton and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.