Global management team
CEO, Georgeson Corporate Advisory
Cas Sydorowitz
Cas is responsible for Georgeson’s Northern European Proxy and Corporate Advisory business and has been with Georgeson for over 15 years. Cas has an expert knowledge of proxy voting mechanics and key governance matters affecting issuers and shareholders globally. Having worked for several activists, and against many more, he has in-depth experience to support investors or issuers in complex, sensitive activist campaigns. Cas remains an ongoing advisor to the UK Department of Business, Innovations and Skills as well as the UK Takeover Panel and the London Stock Exchange on various corporate actions and proxy-related matters.
Investor Engagement Global COO
Domenic Brancati
Domenic began working for Georgeson in the UK in 2000, and has since played major roles in some of the largest M&A transactions and proxy fights in UK, Europe, Asia and Australasia. Domenic is a trusted advisor to the firm’s clients on all matters relating to stakeholder engagement. He currently has responsibility for all Georgeson across UK/Europe and parts of Asia. Domenic had also spent time in Australia running the local Georgeson business.
CEO, Global Ownership Intelligence
Laks Meyyappan
Laks joined Georgeson in 2003. He has over 26 years industry experience and owns a Masters degree in Global Finance. He has been the deputy CEO of Japan Shareholder Services from 2005 to 2015, a joint venture between Computershare and Mitsubishi United Financial Group. He started his career as Junior Account Executive in 1990 at Morrow & Co. followed by Chase Mellon Shareholder Services, Corporate Investor Communications and Computershare. Currently Laks is the CEO of Australasia responsible for all Georgeson services across the region overseeing a global staff located across Australia and Asia.
Head of Continental Europe and Integration CEO Investor Engagement
Kirsten van Rooijen
Kirsten joined the Computershare business in 2007 as an Account Manager at Georgeson in London. After relocating to the Netherlands, she led Georgeson’s Benelux team on numerous transactions, activist situations, and shareholder meetings for companies such as ASM International, ING Group, Philips, and Shell. She has had key involvement in a number of high-profile M&A transactions. In 2009, Kirsten took on the role of Managing Director Netherlands at Computershare, extending the local footprint and participating in various shareholder meetings, employee share plan roll-outs, and class action litigations. After her tenure in growing the Benelux business, Kirsten assumed responsibility for Computershare Shareholder Meetings globally within the company and was appointed the Head of Continental Europe, covering seven country organizations in 2022. Since the beginning of 2025, Kirsten has been leading the new Investor Engagement business in Computershare Issuer Services, integrating Georgeson with the recently acquired companies CMi2i and ingage.
CEO Investor Engagement, Computershare North America
Aaron Bertinetti
Aaron is CEO of Investor Engagement at Computershare North America, where his teams deliver strategic intelligence, software and corporate advisory to directors and executives at listed companies, including many of Computershare's 2,500+ US issuer clients. He brings 20 years of global experience across capital markets, investor relations, technology and corporate governance, and P&L ownership of businesses with hundreds of employees across four continents. Aaron previously served as Managing Director, Investor Relations and Head of ESG at JPMorgan Chase, a trusted advisor to its C-Suite and Board, with award winning recognition from both investors and companies (Institutional Investor 2022-2024; IR Awards 2024-2025). Earlier, he led global research and corporate advisory at Glass Lewis, including the M&A and activism practice, engaging Boards and C-Suites at ~2,000 companies. A global executive and board director, Aaron has deep commercial range across people, product, sales, marketing, corporate development, finance, strategy and tech. His practitioner expertise spans investor relations, governance, communications, equity research, stewardship, sustainability, shareholder engagement, corporate advisory, M&A, contests and activism. He also has 15 years in software and startups as a fintech CEO and angel investor in 100+ companies.
España
Asia
Australia
Canada
France
Germany
Italy
United Kingdom
United StatesEspaña
Carlos Sáez Gallego
Country Head Spain
Nacido en Madrid, Carlos Sáez es Graduado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas y MBA por ICADE, Experto en Gestión de Intangibles por el Instituto de Análisis de Intangibles, PDD por el IESE Business School; asimismo cuenta con un Programa Ejecutivo en Reputación Corporativa por el IE Business School. Carlos es actualmente Country Head y Secretario del Consejo de Administración de Georgeson en España. Cuenta con una amplia experiencia en el mundo de la consultoría estratégica, gobierno corporativo, proxy solicitation y M&A tanto en mercados nacionales como internacionales. Ha trabajado para firmas como KPMG, donde fue Gerente del área de Governance, Risk & Compliance, Villafañe & Asociados donde fue consultor senior, y Soluziona (Actual Indra) donde fue Consultor en estrategia y operaciones. Compagina su trabajo en Georgeson con su labor docente. Actualmente es profesor invitado en el Programa de Consejeros ESADE-Pwc, en el Programa Woman to Watch de Pwc y en el Programa Superior de Responsabilidad Corporativa del IE. Asimismo, es conferenciante habitual en diversos foros como WomenCEO ó el Foro de RRHH de Garrigues entre otros. Desde el año 2015, coordina el Observatorio de la Inversión Responsable que Georgeson elabora todos los años en colaboración con el Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad.
Claudia Maria Morante Belgrano
Head of Corporate Governance for Spain
Tras obtener la Licenciatura en Administración de Empresas en la Universidad de Lima (Perú), Claudia inició su carrera profesional en el sector financiero, como analista bursátil de la Bolsa de Valores del Grupo Interbancario (Lima-Perú). También es licenciada en Gestión de Calidad Empresarial por la Universidad CEU (Madrid-España). Desde 2003 hasta 2016, Claudia desarrolló su carrera en el campo de la consultoría de negocios, trabajando durante más de 12 años en KPMG y PwC. Claudia cuenta con una amplia experiencia en el asesoramiento a empresas en temas de Gobierno Corporativo, principalmente en las empresas Ibex-35, donde desarrolló evaluaciones anuales de Consejos de Administración, análisis de gobierno corporativo, benchmarking sobre temas de remuneración para directores no ejecutivos. Es coautor de varias publicaciones sobre el desarrollo de prácticas de gobierno corporativo en empresas españolas cotizadas y ha participado en foros dentro de centros educativos referenciales. Es miembro de ICGN (International Corporate Governance Network).
Giulia Angela Matteo Sézille
Head of Execution for Spain
Giulia comenzó su carrera en Georgeson en 2010, donde actualmente ocupa el cargo de Head of Execution para España. Durante su experiencia en Georgeson ha desarrollado un amplio conocimiento del mercado financiero y se ha especializado en el mercado español, para el cual actualmente desarrolla sus actividades. Su trabajo se enfoca en la planificación estratégica, ejecución y gerencia de actividades relativas a las juntas generales de accionistas (Proxy Solicitation e Information Agent), con el objetivo de controlar el riesgo en el gobierno corporativo de las empresas cotizadas, así como en actividades relativas al análisis del capital para diferentes compañías del mercado español y latinoamericano. Asimismo, ofrece su apoyo en las actividades relativas a la asesoría en Gobierno Corporativo y ESG, impulsadas por Georgeson España. Ha trabajado en actividades de identificación y análisis de accionistas y de tenedores de bonos para diversos mercados, así como en actividades de comunicación de operaciones financieras. Nacida en Caracas, Venezuela, Giulia tiene una licenciatura en Comunicación Social y un master en Mercados Financieros. Su lengua materna es el español, y habla fluidamente el inglés y el italiano.
Asia
Savoy Lee
Director, Head of Corporate Advisory
Savoy Lee joined Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Ltd in 2016, responsible for the development and service offerings of Georgeson’s corporate advisory segment in North Asia. Specialising in institutional fund analytics, Savoy has more than 25 years of experience in providing capital market advisory services to publicly-traded corporations, including enhancement of their shareholding structures, investor-targeting initiatives, proxy solicitation and ESG reporting. Savoy worked as a Senior Vice President at Fleishman-Hillard, a Director at Taylor Rafferty, an Institutional Fund Analyst at Thomson Reuters and consulting roles at two global PR agencies, namely Hill and Knowlton and Burson-Marsteller. Savoy speaks fluent Cantonese, English and Mandarin.
Australia
Ben Horne
Account Director
Ben joined Georgeson in early 2001 and has been operationally involved in performing training, quality assurance, call centre and account management functions. As an Account Director Ben is responsible for the management and execution of targeted shareholder and member communication campaigns across a broad range of corporate actions, shareholder activism and special projects. In recent years Ben has worked on many of the largest Proxy fights, Takeovers, Capital Raisings, Annual and Extraordinary Shareholder Meetings.
Catherine Napper
Account Director
Catherine joined Georgeson in 2006 after 5 years’ experience with Westpac. She is currently an Account Director responsible for the management and execution of targeted shareholder communication campaigns across a broad range of corporate actions, including unsolicited takeover Offers, Scheme Meetings, IPO’s, restructuring and Capital Raisings. Catherine has been heavily involved on many large transactions, including the Acquisition of Navitas by BGH, Credible merger with Fox Corporation, the acquisition of Xenith group by IPH, Demerger of CYBG from NAB, a number of IAG campaigns, the Woolworths takeover of David Jones, the GrowthPoint takeover of GPT, a Rio Tinto Buy back, the QTMB merger with RACQ via Scheme of Arrangement, a number of NAB Capital Notes Offers, a AFIC SPP, the Santos Entitlement Offer, Caltex Buyback, a number of Duet Capital Raisings, the Asciano Merger with Brookfield and Qube by Scheme of Arrangement, AMP unmarketable parcel campaign, and AMP Subordinated Notes Offer.
Sam Horner
Director, Business Development
Sam has more than 10 years of experience in investing, trading, educating and management in financial markets. He has extensive knowledge of the Australian equities market, with a deep focus on the listed small and mid-cap space. He also has his own podcast specialising in understanding small caps and is regularly involved in industry events. He previously ran Peloton Capital’s Shareholder Services division, which involved providing strategic advice to directors on corporate actions, scheme implementations, proxy campaigns and investor relations. During his tenure he won significant market share and executed and led several successful campaigns. As Georgeson’s newest account Director Sam looks forward to continuing to foster new business relationships in the small and larger listed space, as well as executing and delivering outstanding service and improved engagement for listed companies’ shareholders.
Michael Davis
Institutional Investor Relations Manager
Michael Joined Georgeson in 2004. As Institutional Investor Relations Manager Michael is responsible for investor research and engagement programs within the region. Michael has successfully managed many large scale engagement programs across Shareholder Meetings, M&A and ESG. He has successfully run engagement and investor insight programs for top ASX listed entities including Computershare Limited, Blackmores Limited and Seek Limited. Michael has an extensive global network of contacts that assists our clients in achieving their goals.
Mariana Marabini
ESG Associate
Driven by a strong passion for supporting organisations to thrive on their commitments to solve evolving and complex ESG issues, Mariana is the Corporate Governance Associate within Georgeson’s corporate advisory team in Sydney. She has several years of experience as an analyst, providing advice as well as operational and project support across both the Australian Not-for-Profit industry and international Governmental agencies. Before joining Georgeson, Mariana collaborated on various research projects including the analysis of qualitative and quantitative ESG metrics of the ASX50 listed companies. Some of the examined information included an appraisal of efforts from GRI, SASB-IIRC and TCFD amongst other frameworks and the adherence to the Modern Slavery Act and Circular Economy practices. While holding a Bachelor of Science in Economics, she is currently studying a Masters in Environmental Management and Sustainability at the University of Newcastle.
Canada
Jason Spasaro
More details
Jason Spasaro
Assistant Vice President, Business Development Jason.Spasaro@computershare.com P +1 416 263 9419 M +1 416 357 8985 Toronto, ON
France
Matthieu Simon Blavier
Head of Market France
Matthieu joined Georgeson in 2004. Matthieu has managed and supervised all the transaction-related assignments in France: Arcelor defense strategy against Mittal’s hostile bid / BNP Paribas friendly offer on BNL / Eiffage and Macquarie offer for APRR / Suez-Gaz de France friendly merger project. Matthieu has also been involved as Project Manager of most of the French AGMs over the past 7 years. A graduate from the Paris School of Management (ESCP) and from the ParisX University of Psychology, Matthieu has worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers as a manager in charge of privatization deals, and for other consulting firms with international managing roles. He is a Director of the French Corporate Governance Association (AFGE), a member of the French Directors Institute (IFA) and a Certified Board Member (ASC). Matthieu is French and speaks fluent English and Italian.
Christine Genin
Senior Account Manager
Christine joined Georgeson in 2011 as Senior Account Manager for France and French speaking countries. Christine has a wealth of experience with 19 years in the proxy, M&A, activist and governance industry. Previously she worked as European Proxy/M&A Director at D.F. King. Christine has a vast knowledge of French governance matters and proxy experience having worked on some of the most hotly contested meetings in France. She has also been involved in and managed many of the high profile M&A transactions in France. Christine is fluent in English and French.
Germany
Matthias Nau
Head of Market DACH
Matthias has been with Georgeson since January 2007 and, as Head of Market DACH, looks after customers in the German-speaking market together with his team. Previously he trained with Dresdner Bank in Germany where he worked as Senior Financial Advisor for private clients and smaller companies for five years. In addition, he has worked for PBV Versicherung as sales coach and Account Manager in Germany and gathered overseas experience at the Ministry of Economic Development in New Zealand and working in Australia. Originally from Stuttgart, Germany, Matthias is a qualified banker and has the Assistance in Finance qualification approved by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Matthias is fluent in English and German. Matthias has supported a large number of contested and un-contested shareholder meetings, M&A transactions and activist situations in the DACH region.
Italy
Lorenzo Casale
Head of Market Italy
Laureato in Giurisprudenza, Lorenzo entra in Georgeson nel 2009, acquisendo forte conoscenza della comunicazione finanziaria e fornendo consulenza di IR a società quotate, investitori, advisors finanziari e legali. Nello specifico, guida per anni il dipartimento di ID & Intelligence, focalizzandosi sulle attività di Identificazione di azionisti e obbligazionisti e sui servizi di Intelligence. Dopo aver ricoperto il ruolo di Senior Account Manager per il mercato italiano, coordinando le attività di Operations e fornendo analisi a supporto dei processi decisionali ed operativi degli investitori istituzionali per campagne assembleari e operazioni speciali, a partire da settembre 2020 ha assunto l’incarico di Head of Market Italy.
Francesco Surace
Head of Corporate Governance Italy
Con un percorso di studi giuridici alle spalle ed una significativa esperienza sulle tematiche di diritto societario e corporate governance maturate attraverso un esperienza pluriennale in una società di consulenza internazionale, Francesco entra in Georgeson nel 2021. Attraverso la conoscenza maturata negli anni delle pratiche raccomandate dagli investitori istituzionali, si occupa di allineare le esigenze dei clienti alle aspettative della comunità finanziaria con specifico riferimento agli aspetti di governo societario, composizione del cda, remunerazione e ESG. Ha inoltre scritto in alcune importanti riviste nazionali ed internazionali e partecipato in qualità di speaker a convegni e corsi universitari.
Alberto D’Aroma
Senior Account Manager
Con un percorso di studi legali ed economici alle spalle ed un’esperienza significativa nel diritto bancario e commerciale maturata presso un primario studio legale internazionale, Alberto entra in Georgeson nel 2015, supportando attivamente il buon fine di numerose operazioni ordinarie e straordinarie, verificando l’allineamento tra le proposte societarie e quanto raccomandato dalle best practice di mercato. Con tale prospettiva ha quindi sviluppato un’estesa conoscenza delle pratiche raccomandate dagli investitori istituzionali, offrendo i propri clienti un quadro di insieme funzionale a comprendere i potenziali esiti assembleari e, tramite opportuni adattamenti, rafforzare il supporto sulle proposte portate al voto degli azionisti. Dopo aver guidato il dipartimento di Corporate Governance di Georgeson Italia ha assunto il ruolo di Senior Account Manager, curando i progetti di rilievo dei clienti Georgeson per l’Italia.Lidia De Gasperis
Head of Intelligence & ID
Laureata in Giurisprudenza, Lidia completa il proprio percorso di studi conseguendo una seconda Laurea in Giurisprudenza presso l’Università di León (Spagna) ed ottenendo due Master in Diritto Internazionale della Navigazione e in Economia, presso l’Università di Teramo e presso l’Università di Valencia (Spagna). Fino al 2012 lavora presso due studi di avvocati come consulente legale. Entra in Georgeson nel 2013, diventando due anni più tardi Head of ID & Intelligence. Nella sua esperienza presso Georgeson, Lidia consegue una profonda conoscenza della comunicazione finanziaria fornendo, con la sua squadra di analisti, servizi di identificazione della struttura azionaria e obbligazionaria, attività di intelligence e di consulenza IR a società quotate, investitori, advisors finanziari e legali.
Roberta Armentano
Head of Retail Relationships
Laureata in Scienze Politiche presso l’Università LUISS di Roma, lavora per il Parlamento Europeo e l’Ambasciata Italiana ad Ottawa (Canada). Entra in Georgeson nel 2011 come Contact Centre Manager, per essere poi nominata Head of Retail Relationships. Roberta gestisce tutte le operazioni di contact centre inbound/outbound per: emissioni sul mercato primario; campagne assembleari; concordati preventivi; aumenti di capitale; offerte pubbliche.
Andrea Mastrostefano
Account Manager
Inizia la sua carriera a Londra nel 1996 nella divisione Equity Capital Markets della Barclays de Zoete Wedd e successivamente nella sala operativa della Banca di Roma International. Nel 2001 passa in Bank Insinger de Beaufort N.V. (Italia) dove ricopre il ruolo di Head of Equity Sales Trading. Nel 2014 entra nell’area finanza della multinazionale Permasteelisa S.p.A come Group Credit Manager riportando direttamente al CFO e CEO del Gruppo. In Georgeson dal 2017, ha supportato numerose campagne proxy italiane ed estere prima come Institutional Investor Relator e poi come Account Manager. Andrea è laureato in Finanza presso Boston College.
LATAM & Emerging markets
Stefano Marini
CEO of Latin America and Emerging Markets and Senior Advisor Southern Europe
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Stefano Marini
CEO of Latin America and Emerging Markets and Senior Advisor Southern Europe
Born in Rome, he obtained a degree in Political Sciences (magna cum laude) and completed his education through post graduate courses in Finance at SDA Bocconi (Milan), in Financial Analysis at IFAF (Milan), in Investor Relations at IRS (London), in Communication Management at NIRI (New York) and at SDA Bocconi (Milan) and in Marketing at SDA Bocconi (Milan). Stefano has worked for some of the largest corporations in Italy including Montedison, Ferruzzi Group, INA/Generali, UNIM and Pirelli Group. In 1996 he founded Proxitalia, the first Proxy Solicitor in Continental Europe which became part of Georgeson in 1999. In 2001 he supported Georgeson’s expansion of the Continental European business to France followed by Spain and Portugal in 2002 before entering the market in Argentina, Latin America in 2004. Until June 2019, Stefano held the position of CEO Southern Europe at Georgeson and is now CEO Latin America and Emerging Markets.
United Kingdom
Mark Harwood
Head of M&A - UK & Europe
Kiran Vasantham
Head of Investor Engagement UK/Europe
Kiran Vasantham is Head of Investor Engagement UK/Europe at Georgeson and is based in our London offices. He provides strategic direction for investor research and engagement activities. Kiran has over 15 years industry knowledge in the investor engagement and shareholder response arena guiding corporate issuers on emerging investor trends including corporate governance, shareholder activism and sustainable investing. Kiran also has an established and trusted global network of Institutional Investors including the UK, Europe, and US. His relationships help our clients identify and navigate the increasingly complex challenges of proxy solicitation, investment stewardship, ESG voting behaviours and activist situations.
Daniele Vitale
Head of Governance UK & Europe
Daniele joined Georgeson in 2010 and specialises in corporate governance and executive remuneration analysis. Daniele has over fifteen years of experience advising institutional investors and corporations on corporate governance, executive remuneration and proxy voting issues. Previously he worked as Senior Researcher at PIRC Ltd, a London-based proxy advisory firm, and at Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Deminor in Brussels. Daniele is Italian and is fluent in English, Italian, French and German.
Nicholas Laugier
Head of Market, UK & Nordics
Nick has worked in the proxy solicitation industry since 2009 and joined the corporate advisory team at Georgeson in 2015 as a senior account manager. During his career Nick has supported issuer clients across multiple jurisdictions including the UK, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Turkey, Japan, South Korea and the US. Nick has worked on some of the most high profile M&A and contentious shareholder activist situations during his 13 years in the industry. Nick has spent time working in Italy and France and holds and MA in Modern Languages from The University of Cambridge.
Daniel Veazey
Corporate Governance Manager
Daniel joined Georgeson in 2023 as Corporate Governance Manager and specialises in stewardship, corporate governance, executive remuneration and ESG analysis. Daniel leads a team of governance analysts with responsibilities focused on engaging with companies and investors on upcoming shareholder meetings, shareholder activism and M&A scenarios. Daniel previously worked within the asset management industry with over 25 years’ experience with Schroders Investment Management as their Head of Corporate Governance and Wellington Management as Stewardship Practice Leader.
North America – Investor Engagement
Khaled Aboulaiha
Senior Managing Director, Georgeson Advisory, North America
212-440-9132 mailto:kaboulaiha@georgeson.com Khaled Aboulaiha is a Senior Managing Director with Georgeson Advisory, serving in this role as a lead client advisor since August 2016. Khaled joined the firm in 2006. During his tenure with Georgeson, he has held various positions in the firm’s proxy services and client management departments providing him a wide breadth of industry and operational knowledge. He began his career with Georgeson as a shareholder call center manager, where he was responsible for training a team of call center representatives on proxy-related issues (annual meetings, mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate actions) and leading call program initiatives for the centers. Khaled later joined the proxy operations team as a Director, where he became a team specialist in managing complex proxy solicitations, corporate actions and tender offers. Khaled is a member of the Society of Governance Professionals. Khaled attended Drew University in Madison, NJ. He is fluent in Spanish and Arabic, and can speak conversational French.
Matthew Albert
Senior Investor Intelligence Analyst
M +1 347 414 2169 malbert@georgeson.com Matthew Albert is a senior member of Georgeson’s Investor Intelligence team, bringing nearly a decade of market experience delivering timely and actionable shareholder ownership insights for investor relations teams and strategic advisors. Matthew specializes in analyzing trading activity to provide near real-time insight into institutional buying and selling, helping companies understand changes in ownership, investor behavior, and market dynamics. He has extensive experience supporting clients through shareholder activist investor situations, delivering early indicators of potential hostile accumulation and monitoring trading activity throughout an activist campaign. He works closely with investor relations teams and senior management to support preparedness, messaging, and strategic decision-making. Prior to his current role, Matthew was an analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence (formerly Ipreo, subsequently IHS Markit), where he supported investor relations professionals with shareholder ownership analysis, stock surveillance, and investor intelligence. He began his career in commercial banking as a Credit Analyst, building a strong foundation in financial analysis and capital markets. Matthew is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).
Matthew Attubato
Managing Director, Georgeson Advisory, North America
781-575-2628 Mattubato@georgeson.com Matthew Attubato is a Managing Director at Georgeson Advisory. Matthew joined the firm in 2022 however has been with the Computershare family since 1997. During his tenure with Computershare, he has held various positions in the firm’s call center, correspondence, research teams and Corporate Actions team. Matthew has a diverse background in all areas of mergers, voluntary events, rights offerings, elections, Reverse Morris Trusts and more. He has handled the most complex and largest M&A events that the company has handled for over 20 years. Nearly all of the Fortune 500 companies that had an M&A event through Computershare were handled by him. He further managed the Corporate Actions M&A team for the largest ADR depositories as well. Matthew is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance.
Amanda Buthe
Managing Director, ESG Advisory, Georgeson Advisory
+17815752000 amanda.buthe@georgeson.com Amanda has 10 years of experience building ESG strategies, conducting risk assessments, developing sustainable supply chain programs and leading stakeholder engagement. Her career has been focused on helping companies to address issues involving human rights, the environment, and building responsible supply chains. Amanda has been an ESG consultant for Fortune 500 clients in industries including FMCG, Apparel, Entertainment, Logistics and Utilities. She has also worked as a strategy consultant for a public policy firm focused on sustainability and economic development projects for the government of New Zealand, and has private sector supply chain experience in the food and beverage industry. Amanda holds an MBA and a MSc in Economic Development from the University of Oxford and a BSc in Economics from Santa Clara University.Daniel Chang
Senior Shareholder Engagement Analyst
484-278-8453 Daniel.Chang1@georgeson.com Daniel Chang is a Senior Shareholder Engagement Analyst on the Georgeson Advisory North America team, where he supports issuer clients with investor intelligence, governance analysis, and strategic guidance across proxy related and shareholder engagement matters. Prior to joining Georgeson, Daniel spent over a decade with Vanguard’s Investment Stewardship team, where he played a key role in global proxy voting and engagement for the Vanguard funds. During his tenure, he worked closely on stewardship matters affecting portfolios representing approximately $12 trillion in assets under management, engaging with companies on governance practices, shareholder proposals, and long term value considerations. With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Daniel brings deep expertise in corporate governance and institutional investor expectations. He is uniquely positioned to help issuers understand how investors think, vote, and engage, supporting more informed decision making and confident boardroom and IR conversations. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Temple University’s Fox School of Business.
Christopher G. Dowd
Senior Managing Director, Georgeson Advisory, North America
Christopher Dowd is a senior managing director in Georgeson’s corporate proxy practice. Chris specializes in advising companies on complex corporate governance and equity compensation issues. He has over 30 years of experience consulting with Fortune 500 and small- to mid-cap corporations and is recognized for his in-depth knowledge of ISS voting policies and institutional guidelines. Recent M&A, proxy contests and complex transactions in which Chris participated include: • Eli Lilly Tender for ARMO • Eli Lilly Tender for Loxo Oncology • Fiserv Acquisition of First Data • Independent Bank Corp.’s acquisition of Blue Hills Bancorp • Independent Bank Corp.’s acquisition of MNB Bank • NetMed, Inc.’s Self-Tender • NewBridge Bancorp’s acquisition of CapStone Bank • Sprint Bond Consents for T-Mobile merger • Sprint’s acquisition of Clearwire • Sprint’s merger with SoftBank • SunTrust acquisition by BB&T • United Bankshares’ acquisition of Virginia Commerce Prior to Georgeson, Chris was a director of Kissel-Blake Inc., where he managed the corporate governance consulting, mergers and acquisitions, and proxy solicitation divisions. He is a member of multiple industry organizations, including: The National Association of Corporate Directors; the Shareholder Services Association, where he previously served as Treasurer/Director; the American Compensation Association and the Society for Corporate Governance. Chris is an active participant in industry seminars, conferences, and law firm events, speaking on corporate governance and executive compensation topics. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from St. John’s University in New York and was awarded his CCP certification in executive compensation from the American Compensation Association.
David Farkas
Head of Investor Intelligence, North America
+1 732 837 8745 dfarkas@georgeson.com David Farkas is the Head of Investor Intelligence, North America, a practice delivering timely and accurate shareholder ownership insights for investor relations professionals, the C-suite, and boards of directors. David has extensive experience advising clients on investor matters, helping companies bolster their investor outreach plans, while strengthening defenses against shareholder activism and hostile M&A scenarios. With over 20 years of experience, David has worked with hundreds of companies in varying industries, providing tailored expertise as a trusted advisor. Prior to joining Georgeson, David was a Managing Director in the Activism and M&A Solutions group at FTI Consulting. He was the practice lead for FTI Consulting’s Shareholder Insights & Intelligence offering that focused on stock surveillance, activism vulnerabilities, and investor targeting. David was also previously a Director in the Global Markets Intelligence group at Ipreo (subsequently acquired by IHS Markit, then S&P Global). In this role, he advised C-suite and investor relations professionals on corporate strategies and shareholder insights, and oversaw Ipreo’s Shareholder Activist Intelligence efforts, delivering daily insights into potentially hostile shareholder activist accumulations. David is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). Press and publications: Shareholder activism: Utilities most vulnerable as regional bank risks wane – Corporate Secretary Magazine: Governance Intelligence, September 14, 2023 How to handle activist investors – Fortune, October 7, 2022 Watch for More Hostile Takeover Attempts in 2021 – NACD BoardTalk, January 20, 2021
William P. Fiske
Head of M&A and Contested Situations, Georgeson Advisory, North America
212-440-9128 bfiske@georgeson.com Bill Fiske leads Georgeson’s M&A and Contested Situations group in the United States. In that capacity, Bill and his team advise boards of directors and company executives on a range of issues involved in corporate transactions and complex shareholder issues. Georgeson’s advice and expertise prepare clients in all facets of corporate governance, shareholder activism, shareholder identification, and institutional investor and proxy advisor voting policies; providing guidance to steer through the maze of tactics and procedures involved in these situations. Bill is a 30+ year veteran in the proxy industry with 25 years of service with Georgeson. He has worked with hundreds of public issuers developing and implementing targeted investor communication strategies regarding stockholder meetings, corporate actions including both negotiated and unsolicited M&A, proxy contests and shareholder activism. Bill’s clientele includes companies from all industries and all size market caps. His practice involves a broad spectrum of matters involving stockholder voting, including: • Corporate Governance – Advising executives and boards of directors or special committees with respect to corporate governance issues, anti-takeover defenses, and response plans to recent stockholder votes. Bill is widely considered an expert on institutional investor voting guidelines. • Mergers and Acquisitions – Representing both public and private strategic/private equity clients on M&A transactions, Bill advises on the tactics and procedures involved in achieving favorable outcomes. Understanding trading activity and how changes in stockholder ownership can affect outcomes is a focus. • Shareholder Activism – Representing both issuers as well as activists, advising with respect to shareholder proposals, proxy contests, defensive measures, vulnerability assessments, as well as keeping current with regulatory and legislative initiatives relating to governance and director elections. Bill is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). He has also been a featured speaker at many industry events including national and regional Society and NIRI chapter events, The Corporate Boardroom Summit, The General Counsel Forum, as well as many other law firm and advisor conferences.
Neil Gallagher
Managing Director of Sales
201-280-6590 Nail.Gallagher1@computershare.com Neil Gallagher is a Managing Director of Sales within Georgeson’s Investor Engagement practice, where he works closely with investor relations professionals, executives, and boards to help companies of all market capitalization communicate more effectively with both existing and prospective shareholders. With nearly 20 years of experience supporting public company issuers, Neil partners with clients to navigate the full spectrum of shareholder engagement, from day to day IR programs to high stakes situations such as activism preparedness, investor days, capital markets events, and ongoing engagement with the investment community. His approach is grounded in helping companies combine timely market intelligence, thoughtful investor targeting, and the right mix of technology and advisory support to make better decisions and reduce risk. Neil has worked with hundreds of issuers across industries and market capitalizations, advising on shareholder surveillance, investor targeting, engagement strategy, and the platforms that support proactive, defensible IR and governance programs. Clients value his ability to translate complex data and market insight into clear, practical guidance that supports executive leadership and board level priorities. Before joining Georgeson, Neil spent more than ten years at S&P Global’s Issuer Solutions, where he began as a stock surveillance analyst and later held product management and team leadership, specializing in the energy and consumer sectors. Because he was known for building trusted, long term client partnerships, he rose to a sales and account management role. That experience gives him a deep understanding of how investor data, analytics, and technology directly support effective IR, corporate governance, and executive decision making. A New York native, now based in Raleigh, NC, Neil, is an active member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) at both the national and chapter level, and brings an informed, issuer first perspective to every client relationship.
Edward Greene
Managing Director, Georgeson Advisory, North America
212 805 7303 egreene@georgeson.com Edward Greene is a proxy and corporate governance expert with over a decade of experience guiding issuers through complex proxy solicitation campaigns and supporting clients with the shareholder data, trends and analytics that allow them to deploy smarter and more informed proxy strategies. Edward has been involved in hundreds of proxy solicitation campaigns and has led clients to successful outcomes in various matters relating to executive compensation, corporate governance and shareholder activism. He provides year-round corporate governance advisory services to help numerous Russell 3000 and Fortune 500 companies make smarter governance decisions. He is a member of Georgeson’s Activism and M&A teams and regularly contributes to Georgeson content development. He has also been a featured speaker for IR Magazine and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) webinars. Prior to joining Georgeson, Edward oversaw the Kingsdale U.S. research team as vice president of research. He also served as vice president of governance at AST Phoenix Advisors and vice president at Laurel Hill Advisory Group. Edward is an active member of the Society for Corporate Governance and the NIRI.
James Gill
Head of Client Services, Georgeson Advisory, North America
212 440 9827 jgill@georgeson.com James “Jim” Gill brings over 20 years of industry experience to his role at Georgeson. His primary focus is counseling clients on tactics and procedures for corporate proxy solicitation, M&A transactions, tender offers and rights offerings. He routinely advises clients on strategic investor communications and the proxy voting patterns of shareholder constituencies so clients are prepared to meet their goals with regards to executive compensation, shareholder proposals and corporate reorganizations. Prior to joining Georgeson, Jim was a managing director of Eagle Rock Proxy Advisors, a proxy solicitation firm and subsidiary of the transfer agent Registrar & Transfer. While at Eagle Rock, Jim’s main responsibilities were building and maintaining client relationships within the corporate proxy field, including proxy solicitation, merger transactions and tender offers. Jim was instrumental in developing Eagle Rock from its inception as a startup organization in 2010 to its acquisition by Georgeson as part of the Computershare acquisition of Registrar & Transfer in 2014. Jim started his career as a vice president with Corporate Investor Communications, Inc. where he spent nine years in the proxy solicitation and corporate governance consulting group. Jim received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Christopher M. Hayden
President, Georgeson Advisory, North America
212-440-9850 chayden@georgeson.com Christopher M. Hayden serves as President of Georgeson Advisory, North America, where he advises public operating and investment management companies on corporate governance issues, shareholder proposals and proxy contests. With over 30 years of experience in the proxy solicitation industry, Chris specializes in complex solicitations for both corporate issuers and closed-end funds. His corporate annual meeting clients include many S&P 100 members. He has represented more than 100 different closed-end funds involved in proxy contests over the course of his career and has worked on more than 2,000 non-contested closed-end fund solicitations. Chris is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance. He has also been a featured speaker at industry events hosted by the Investment Company Institute, the Society for Corporate Governance, the National Investor Relations Institute and Practising Law Institute. He also serves as a Senior Managing Director for Georgeson Securities Corporation where he oversees the firm’s Dealer Manager activities. Chris received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Colgate University and holds Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses. Chris is an active volunteer with The Peddie School, where he currently serves as an advisory co-chair to The Peddie Fund.
Rajeev Kumar
Senior Managing Director, Georgeson Advisory, North America
212-440-9812 rkumar@georgeson.com Rajeev Kumar specializes in advising clients on issues of executive compensation, proxy contests, M&A transactions, and complicated shareholder proposals, among other proxy matters as a senior managing director of corporate governance. Using his in-depth knowledge of corporate governance issues and proxy advisory firms and institutional investor policies, he expertly advises Georgeson clients on their engagement with proxy advisory firms and shareholder outreach efforts. Prior to joining Georgeson in 2008, Rajeev worked at Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) where he led a team of research analysts producing proxy research reports for institutional clients, advising them on shareholder issues as the director of the U.S. research group. Under Rajeev’s guidance, his team conducted analyses of management and shareholder proposals on director elections, executive compensation and corporate transactions including M&A, proxy contests, re-incorporations, private placements, capital structure, and other event-driven issues. As a key member of the Policy Committee, Rajeev helped formulate and interpret application of ISS policy guidelines on proxy issues. A frequent commentator on governance issues, Rajeev has been quoted in various corporate governance publications, and spoken at various industry events. Before getting into the field of corporate governance, Rajeev’s previous experience has been in finance where he held various positions in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate development and financial business planning and analysis at firms ranging from startup to Fortune 100. Rajeev is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), has an MBA in finance from Tulane University and holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in India. Recent thought leadership: Viewing Independent Chair Proposal Support Through the Lens of COVID-19 Director Election Analysis: Trends and Observations in Recent Results Examining Engagement and Disclosure After Failed or Red Zone Say-on-Pay ResultsMichael Maiolo
Director of Shareholder Engagement, Georgeson Advisory, North America
Meighan McGowan
Head of Business Development, Investor Engagement, North America
Meighan McGowan is the Head of Business Development, Investor Engagement, North America, where she leads strategic initiatives and drives growth across the U.S. market. She brings over a decade of experience advising corporate executives and boards of directors on a broad range of matters, including corporate governance, proxy solicitation, M&A transactions, stock surveillance, and sustainability. Known for her ability to understand each client’s unique challenges, Meighan delivers practical, actionable recommendations that support informed decision-making, optimize shareholder engagement, and mitigate risk. Her cross-sector expertise and tailored approach have made her a trusted advisor to companies of all sizes and industries. Before joining Georgeson, Meighan served as a Director at Sodali & Co., where she partnered closely with leadership teams on governance and shareholder engagement strategies. Earlier in her career, she held senior roles at Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) within the Market Intelligence group, collaborating with asset managers to develop data and research partnerships that enhanced market visibility. Meighan is an active member of the Society for Corporate Governance and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).
Kilian Moote
Head of Strategy & Integration, Investor Engagement, North America
Kilian Moote is Head of Strategy & Integration, Investor Engagement, North America, where he advises clients on developing and implementing effective strategies that align with investors’ expectations. Kilian has 15 years of experience working with executives and investors on sustainability, including leading the development of the ESG rating tool KnowTheChain. Prior to joining Georgeson, Kilian developed and managed strategies on corporate responsibility and public policy for the private foundation Humanity United. He has deep expertise on responsible supply chain management, having previously taught an MBA course at the University of San Francisco. As a leading expert on social and human capital issues he's frequently called on to provide guidance. He is currently advising The Investment Integration Project and involved in an effort to enhance SASB's human capital management standard. Kilian earned an MBA with Distinction from the Imperial College Business School in London and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of San Francisco.Kathy O'Connor
Director of Client Services, Georgeson Advisory, North America
Sean P. O'Hara
Senior Managing Director, Georgeson Advisory
212-440-9879 sohara@georgeson.com Sean O’Hara is a Senior Managing Director at Georgeson with over 29 years of experience in the proxy solicitation industry. He advises clients and their financial and legal advisors on proxy contests, shareholder meetings, tender/exchange offers and other complex financial transactions. As a member of Georgeson’s M&A advisory group, Sean also advises clients regarding shareholder composition and its effect on vote outcomes and on the development of investor outreach and communication strategies. Sean recently represented the following companies: • Aetna Inc. with its merger with CVS Corp. • STERIS Plc with its redomiciliation from the UK to Ireland • CYS Investments, Inc. with its merger with Two Harbors Investment Corp. • Calgon Carbon Corporation with its acquisition by Kuraray Co. Ltd (going private transaction) • Harland Clarke Holdings with its tender offer for MaxPoint Interactive, Inc. • Accuride Corporation with its contested merger with Crestview Advisors L.L.C. • RTI International Metals, Inc. with its acquisition by Alcoa Inc. Sean is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) and the Society for Corporate Governance. Sean received a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Stony Brook University.
Thomas Simms
Head of Shareholder Engagement, Georgeson Advisory, North America
212 440 9882 tsimms@georgeson.com Thomas Simms is Head of Shareholder Engagement, Georgeson Advisory, North America, providing clients with critical securities and shareholder data to help them gain a more complete understanding of their base and how to achieve their goals. Thomas, who has been with the firm for over 25 years, began his tenure as an analyst focused on tracking client and issuer stocks in the market and reporting on performance, trends and noteworthy events. Thomas also developed deep shareholder expertise with Georgeson, working to identify global shareholder bases for several large clients, and he maintains strong relationships with institutional investors so he can continue to facilitate efficient communications between issuers and the street. Thomas is a member of the Corporate Actions group within SIFMA, a group well known for their advocacy for effective and efficient capital markets in the U.S. securities industry. He earned a B.S. degree in Finance from York College (CUNY), Queens, NY.
Drew Slobodian
Managing Director, Canada
416-389-2507 dslobodian@georgeson.com Drew Slobodian brings over a decade of capital markets experience and is a proxy solicitation, strategic shareholder advisory and corporate governance expert. Drew has led public companies in Canada ranging from mega-cap to TSX-Venture listed issuers through complex friendly and hostile mergers and acquisitions, proxy fights, consents, annual meetings and other highly visible special initiatives. Drew's diverse legal background paired with his progressively senior roles at Royal Bank of Canada and two of Canada's largest proxy solicitors allows him to bring a unique perspective across the ecosystem of companies, investors, solicitors, activists, banks, law firms and exchanges in the Canadian market. Drew is highly skilled in understanding and consulting on shareholder engagement and proxy voting data along with trends in the market. He has become a trusted advisor to his clients for his ability to translate this knowledge into strategic advisory engagements and operational initiatives across a broad range of public company mandates. Drew holds a law degree (JD/LLB) with Honours from University College London and a BA from Western University.
Talon Torressen
Chief Operating Officer, Georgeson Advisory, North America
212-440-9817 ttorressen@georgeson.com Talon Torressen is Chief Operating Officer, Georgeson Advisory, North America, managing the client support for proxy solicitation, information agent, and advisory services. Prior to leading the US Georgeson operations, he was the Director of Research at Georgeson. Talon is a corporate governance expert with over seventeen years of industry experience, which he leverages to provide insights that strengthen Georgeson clients’ understanding of the investor perspective. Additionally, Talon has comprehensive legal, compliance, and risk expertise. Prior to joining Georgeson, Talon was Director of Investment Proxy Research at Fidelity Investments. As part of Fidelity’s management team, he was responsible for corporate governance analysis and proxy voting 6,000+ companies annually representing equity assets in excess of $1 trillion. During his tenure, he held many responsibilities including corporate governance analysis, collaboration with investment professionals, and engaging with directors and executives of portfolio companies. In the latter part of his tenure, he created and led Fidelity’s international corporate governance team. This team was focused on developing corporate governance expertise around the globe. With his experience at Fidelity, Talon is uniquely positioned to understand and communicate the needs and demands of institutional investors. Talon is a member of the New Hampshire Bar and the Massachusetts Bar. Talon received his BBA from Wilkes University, his J.D. from the New England Law Boston and his MBA from the University of New Hampshire.
Martin Wong
Director, ESG Advisory (Research Lead)
Martin Wong has joined Georgeson as Director, ESG Advisory (Research Lead), in which he will support clients with developing and implementing ESG strategies that align with internal and external expectations. Martin has 7+ years of ESG, sustainability, and climate experience. His work ranges from asset to executive and Board level engagements around disclosure and strategy. Prior to joining Georgeson, Martin worked as a consultant in multinational firms, with clients from the Fortune 500 and organizations in industries ranging from healthcare, insurance, private equity, manufacturing, consumer goods, and mining. Martin has led and helped these companies with stakeholder engagement, insights gathering, and annual disclosure development, with a specific focus on GRI and SASB reporting frameworks. Martin holds an MSc in Sustainability Management from the University of Toronto and a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University.