Global management team
Global Head of Georgeson
Cas Sydorowitz
Cas has more than 25 years’ experience in international investor relations and shareholder identification and has been with Georgeson since 1998. As responsible for Georgeson’s Global activism and M&A practice, he has been involved in the highest profile M&A and activist situations. Cas has a longstanding knowledge of Global 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 in how activists run their campaigns and the different stakeholders they look to influence in sensitive activist campaigns. Prior to joining Georgeson he had five years’ experience in international investor relations and shareholder identification. While honing his skills in the US, Cas has been in the UK since 2002.
Global Chief Operating Officer
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.
Chief Strategy Officer
Ryan Wade
Ryan Wade joined Georgeson in 2002 and has over 22 years’ experience in financial services, strategic consulting and investor communications. Ryan brings a global perspective to all business initiatives having worked in Sydney, London, Hong Kong and New York where he is now based. Ryan’s extensive knowledge and skills gained over this time are focussed on innovatively improving the insight and consulting advice to Georgeson’s global client base particularly on Environmental, Social and Governance matters. Ryan was formerly Managing Director Georgeson Australia & New Zealand for more than 10 years where he managed engagement strategies for high profile transactions including the NAB / Clydesdale Bank demerger, AXA’s merger with AMP, St George Bank’s merger with Westpac, Coles’ merger with Wesfarmers, Suncorp’s merger with Promina, Foster’s bid for Southcorp and APA’s bid for Qantas. As a senior Computershare Executive, Ryan has led and participated in a number of regional and global initiatives including business strategy reviews, new market analysis, M&A opportunities, major government tenders and joint venture partnerships. Ryan earned an MBA from University of New South Wales (AGSM) and a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University, Sydney Australia.
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.
Asia 
Australia 
Canada 
France 
Germany 
Italy 
Spain 
United Kingdom 
United States
For any other European countries, please see the United Kingdom.
United States
William Jackson
President and CEO, Georgeson LLC
781-575-3563 wjackson@georgeson.com William (Bill) Jackson is the U.S. President and CEO of Georgeson LLC, a global provider of strategic proxy solicitation and corporate governance consulting services. Under Bill’s leadership, Georgeson has remained a preeminent financial services firm dedicated to consistently delivering customized services that are designed to meet each clients’ unique policies and goals. In 2016, Georgeson engaged over 18 million shareholders, managed nearly 500 annual meetings and proudly served 131 clients in the S&P 500. Bill was previously executive vice president responsible for running operations for Alamo Direct, a mutual fund proxy and compliance mailing services company, which was acquired by Computershare in 2004. Prior to that, Bill spent the first 25 years of his career in the mutual fund transfer agent services business in various management capacities, starting to focus on proxy services in 1990. Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in administrative science from Colby College and an MBA from Northeastern University.
William P. Fiske
Head of M&A and Contested Situations – U.S.
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.
Ryan Wade
Chief Strategy Officer
Ryan Wade joined Georgeson in 2002 and has over 22 years’ experience in financial services, strategic consulting and investor communications. Ryan brings a global perspective to all business initiatives having worked in Sydney, London, Hong Kong and New York where he is now based. Ryan’s extensive knowledge and skills gained over this time are focussed on innovatively improving the insight and consulting advice to Georgeson’s global client base particularly on Environmental, Social and Governance matters. Ryan was formerly Managing Director Georgeson Australia & New Zealand for more than 10 years where he managed engagement strategies for high profile transactions including the NAB / Clydesdale Bank demerger, AXA’s merger with AMP, St George Bank’s merger with Westpac, Coles’ merger with Wesfarmers, Suncorp’s merger with Promina, Foster’s bid for Southcorp and APA’s bid for Qantas. As a senior Computershare Executive, Ryan has led and participated in a number of regional and global initiatives including business strategy reviews, new market analysis, M&A opportunities, major government tenders and joint venture partnerships. Ryan earned an MBA from University of New South Wales (AGSM) and a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University, Sydney Australia.
Cynthia Nisley
President, Georgeson Securities Corporation and Georgeson Unclaimed Property Services
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Cynthia Nisley
President, Georgeson Securities Corporation and Georgeson Unclaimed Property Services
201-386-3533 cnisley@georgeson.com Cynthia Nisley is President for Georgeson Securities Corporation (GSC), a Computershare company, and the introducing broker dealer supporting Computershare's dividend reinvestment plan, direct stock purchase plan, and employee stock purchase plan trading as well as the Georgeson PostMerger CleanUp™ and Shareholder CleanUp asset reunification businesses. Cynthia also owns profit and loss responsibility for two Georgeson product lines: small shareholder programs and unclaimed asset programs. She also serves as a Director on the Board of Computershare Trust Company, N.A. Previous responsibilities have included management of Computershare's Investment Services Team and Corporate Actions Team. She was also General Manager of Computershare Trust Company of New York before its merger into Computershare's national trust company. Prior to her tenure in New York, she served as Director of Relationship Management for Transfer Agent clients and as Senior Operations Manager in Computershare's Chicago office. Prior to joining Computershare in July 2000, Cynthia worked as a systems consultant to the securities industry for nine years. Before that, she worked for Harris Trust and Savings Bank, supporting their securities lending system and for Arthur Andersen in their Management Information Consulting Division. Ms. Nisley holds a B.S. in Business Administration/Management Systems Analysis from California State University Northridge.
Khaled Aboulaiha
Managing Director, Georgeson LLC
212-440-9132 mailto:kaboulaiha@georgeson.com Khaled Aboulaiha is a Managing Director with Georgeson, 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.
Donald W. Cassidy
Executive Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Strategy, Georgeson LLC
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Donald W. Cassidy
Executive Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Strategy, Georgeson LLC
212-440-9820 dcassidy@georgeson.com Don Cassidy joined Georgeson in 2016 as Executive Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Strategy. Prior to joining Georgeson, Don spent 21 years with Fidelity and brings significant global experience in legal, compliance, and corporate governance matters. Early in his career, Don served as Director of Investment Proxy Research for Fidelity in Boston, leading corporate governance policy and the voting process for the company’s US-based funds and institutional client portfolios. Don subsequently spent twelve years in the United Kingdom with Fidelity International (FIL), first as Director of the Global Institutional Business group and then as Director of FIL’s Corporate Governance Research group. Most recently, Don was Head of the Legal Department for FIL Limited in Bermuda. Don received his J.D. in 1994 from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was a member of the Minnesota Law Review; he has been a member of the Massachusetts Bar since 1994. Don received a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan and a B.A., cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Rajeev Kumar
Senior Managing Director, Georgeson LLC
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 Results
Brigid Rosati
Managing Director, Business Development and Corporate Strategy, Georgeson LLC
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Brigid Rosati
Managing Director, Business Development and Corporate Strategy, Georgeson LLC
212-440-9821 brosati@georgeson.com Brigid Rosati is Director of Business Development at Georgeson, pursuing strategic opportunities and cultivating key relationships for the firm. She consistently develops programs to generate awareness around the importance of the positive impact that good corporate governance has on the overall business. She leverages key industry data and analytics to help clients across geographies make informed decisions about their proxy solicitation campaigns and corporate governance strategies. At Georgeson, Brigid manages publication efforts for the firm and is a lead contributor to the Annual Corporate Governance Review, a report containing definitive proxy season data and analytics. Representing Georgeson in the Equilar Diversity Network, she frequently speaks and writes on important board diversity issues. Brigid also manages Georgeson’s summer internship program, and has been featured in an IR Magazine article about the success of the program. Brigid is a member of the Financial Women’s Association (FWA), the Society for Corporate Governance, and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). Brigid received her BA from the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts and is currently pursuing her MBA at New York University. Brigid is a board member of Computershare’s Women4Women Network. Recent thought leadership: The 2020 Annual Corporate Governance Review Examining U.S. and Non-U.S. Investor Voting Behavior at 2019 Annual Meetings Preparing for the Future of ESG Reporting in the Financial Services Industry
Christopher G. Dowd
Senior Managing Director, Georgeson LLC
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.
Edward Greene
Managing Director, Georgeson LLC
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.
Christopher M. Hayden
Chief Operating Officer - US, Georgeson LLC
212-440-9850 chayden@georgeson.com Christopher M. Hayden advises public operating and investment management companies on corporate governance issues, shareholder proposals and proxy contests as Chief Operating Officer - U.S. in Georgeson’s corporate proxy practice. Additionally, Chris coordinates FCC- and IRS-mandated shareholder ownership surveys for clients. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Chris specializes in complex cross-border transactions and is well-versed in closed-end funds and proxy contests. During his tenure at Georgeson, Chris has consulted with many corporations on offensive and defensive tactics in complex and extraordinary transactions, including, but not limited to, tender offers. His corporate annual meeting clients include a number of S&P 100 members. Chris is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance. 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’s degree in political science from Colgate University and holds Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses.
Karen Lewis
Vice President of Operations, Georgeson LLC
201-386-3527 klewis@georgeson.com Karen is the vice president of operations at Georgeson. Throughout her 18+ year tenure with the firm, she has managed some of the company’s highest-profile international engagements with numerous fortune 500 clients. Karen is currently responsible for managing Georgeson’s asset reunification client relationship team, customer research team, and customer service group. Under Karen’s leadership a number of quality assurance programs have been implemented, and she was also a key lead in the development and launch of Georgeson’s Shareholder Cleanup program. She is a member of the Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization (UPPO) and the Shareholder Services Association (SSA). Karen graduated from Adelphi University with a degree in mathematics and business and has successfully completed her Series 7, Series 24, Series 63, and Series 99 exams
David Martínez
Vice President, Strategic Operations, Georgeson LLC
David has over 16 years of experience in relationship management, operations management, and business process improvement at Georgeson. During his tenure, David has managed each department within our unclaimed property business and is currently supervising Georgeson’s back office operations, the unclaimed property reporting team and our technology solutions. He oversees new account processing and payments, coordinates our activities with various transfer agents, banks and brokers, and manages our proprietary software solutions. David has a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and is a member of the Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization (UPPO).
Kilian Moote
Managing Director, ESG Advisory
Kilian Moote is a Managing Director within Georgeson’s ESG advisory practice, 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.
Lee Anne Hagel
Director, ESG Advisory
Lee Anne Hagel is a Director within Georgeson’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) advisory team, where she advises clients on developing and implementing effective strategies that align with investors’ expectations. As a former equity analyst, Lee Anne has a deep understanding of the various approaches investors take in assessing companies’ current and potential ESG profiles. Prior to joining Georgeson, Lee Anne was an equity analyst at RBC Capital Markets, where she covered companies in the utility and renewable energy sectors. In this role, she interfaced between companies and institutional investors to provide insights on market sentiment and industry themes. Her thematic research often focused on carbon reduction goals, climate risk disclosure, and corporate messaging related to ESG. Lee Anne earned an MBA from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science from Bentley University.
Sean P. O'Hara
Managing Director, Corporate Proxy, Georgeson LLC
212-440-9879 sohara@georgeson.com Sean O’Hara is a 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.
Hannah Orowitz
Senior Managing Director, Head of ESG – US
212-805-7322 horowitz@georgeson.com Hannah Orowitz is a senior managing director on Georgeson’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) advisory team. Hannah works closely with clients across all market capitalizations and industries to develop proactive ESG strategies and shareholder engagement programs. Hannah leverages her legal background and disclosure expertise to help Georgeson clients enhance and effectively communicate key ESG matters to their investors. As a former in-house counsel, Hannah understands the complexities presented by investors’ ever-increasing focus on ESG matters and helps clients reach consensus within their organizations as to how to best integrate communicate with stakeholders on these topics. Hannah frequently represents Georgeson at industry events and presentations and is regularly featured in media coverage regarding ESG and shareholder engagement. Prior to joining Georgeson, Hannah was Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary for XL Group Ltd, responsible for securities and corporate governance matters, including the development and execution of XL’s shareholder engagement and sustainability strategies, all aspects of XL’s shareholder meetings and governance matters related to XL’s acquisition of Catlin Group Limited and later its merger with and into AXA SA. Hannah began her career as an Associate with Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan (now Eversheds Sutherland), where she counseled clients on public and private securities offerings and corporate governance matters. Hannah received her J.D., Cum Laude, from American University Washington College of Law and her B.A. from Hamilton College. She is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance and of its Sustainability Practices Committee. Recent thought leadership: The 2020 Annual Corporate Governance Review Examining U.S. and Non-U.S. Investor Voting Behavior at 2019 Annual Meetings Annual Meeting Adjustments Amid COVID-19 Preparing for the Future of ESG Reporting in the Financial Services Industry
Brian Permenter
Senior Vice President, Georgeson LLC
212-805-7188 bpermenter@georgeson.com Brian Permenter has developed and coordinated unique strategies to increase the response of retail investor campaigns, and has managed and implemented more than 400 small shareholder programs, corporate events and asset reunification projects for Georgeson clients for 18 years. Brian currently heads the business development of our small shareholder (“oddlot”) programs, asset reunification services (inclusive of our PostMerger CleanUp™ program), shareholder cleanup and unclaimed asset programs, and broker-dealer services related to open-market stock purchase plans. He is also responsible for the coordination of capital raising efforts via waiver plans and Computershare’s Corporate Action services. Brian joined Georgeson in 1998 as an account executive managing small shareholder programs on behalf of clients. Brian is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute. Brian graduated from the University of Delaware with a double major in finance and marketing and has successfully completed his Series 7, Series 24 and 63 exams.
Talon Torressen
Director of Research, Georgeson LLC
212-440-9817 ttorressen@georgeson.com Talon Torressen is Director of Research at Georgeson, specializing in corporate governance consulting. He is particularly focused on ESG, M&A and activism defense practice areas. Talon is a corporate governance expert with over twelve 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.
Pamela Wentz
National Practice Leader, Unclaimed Property Consulting, Georgeson LLC
201 744 5405 pwentz@georgeson.com As the National Practice Leader of the unclaimed property consulting and reporting practice, Pam is responsible for business development and the management and delivery of consulting and reporting services. Pam brings over two decades of diverse and extensive experience to clients of Georgeson’s unclaimed asset services. Pam has technical expertise and experience in a broad range of industries. Prior to joining Georgeson, she served as a director in an unclaimed property consulting practice where she was responsible for providing project oversight, monitoring quality reviews and assisting with staff development and training. In addition, Pam served in leadership roles as a subject matter specialist in various aspects of unclaimed property consulting and compliance; including audit assistance, state voluntary disclosure assistance, risk assessments, and policies and procedures. Pam also previously worked in the unclaimed property consulting practices at Thomson Reuters and Deloitte and served as the audit director for the North Dakota Unclaimed Property Division. Pam has been a featured speaker on the topic of unclaimed property at numerous conferences and has authored articles for trade association magazines and publications. While with the state, she was an active member of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) and received the NAUPA Presidential Distinguished Service Award for her work on the NAUPA Auditor Agenda Committee. She is also a member and frequent speaker for the Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization (UPPO) and currently serves as co-chair of the UPPO Leadership Development Committee. Pam is a certified fraud examiner (CFE) and member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. She graduated from Mount Marty College with a B.A. in Accounting and received an MBA from the University of Mary.
Asia
Bryan Ko
Head of Asia
With over 20 years’ experience in the financial industry, including over 10 years market experience in Asia Investor Relations, Bryan has worked in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam markets. Bryan has an in-depth understanding of how the different exchanges/markets work within the APAC region & how market intelligence products fits into these variants. Prior to joining Georgeson, Bryan worked for Ipreo & Link Group — Orient Capital & led a team to establish and grow a successful business in the Asian markets. His entrepreneurial mindset and dedication throughout his leadership roles and through continuous collaboration with business executives has resulted in growth and success.
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.
Laks Meyyappan
CEO, Global Ownership Intelligence
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.
Australia
About us
More detailsAbout us
Established in 1935, Georgeson, a Computershare company, is the world's original and foremost provider of strategic services to corporations and investors working to influence corporate strategy. Our core proxy expertise is underpinned by our services such as, solicitation strategy, corporate governance analysis, vote projections and insight into investor ownership and voting profiles. The combination of our local presence and global footprint allows us to analyse and mitigate operational risk associated with various corporate actions worldwide.
Andrew Thain
Head of Australia and Managing Director
Andrew has more than 20 years of senior management experience and an extensive knowledge of the Australian corporate landscape. As Georgeson Australia’s Country Head, he is responsible for leading the local business by implementing the Georgeson Global Strategy; particularly as it relates to local execution, go-to-market initiatives, business development, operations and risk management. He provides his clients with strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, annual and extraordinary shareholder meetings, dissident and contested campaigns having worked on many of the largest and most complex Australian M&A deals in recent years, including Brookfield’s acquisition of Healthscope, BGH Capital’s acquisition of Navitas, Credible Labs merger with Fox Corporation, before joining Georgeson he was a director with Morrow Sodali Australia.
Jamie Cameron
General Manager
Jamie has many years of experience in shareholder engagement, client advisory and campaign management across a wide range of corporate activities including M&A, proxy fights, annual meetings and capital raisings. Jamie is a trusted advisor and has supported numerous ASX300 companies to help achieve their goals, including working on many of the largest and most complex Australian M&A deals in recent years. Jamie was formerly Australian director of client services for Morrow Sodali.
Allyson Porter
Corporate Governance Manager Australia
In the role of Corporate Governance Manager Allyson leverages her investor relations experience and proven communication skills to provide a broad range of governance advisory services to Georgeson clients. Allyson understands the increasing complexity of environment, social and governance (ESG) obligations and helps our clients to develop proactive shareholder engagement programs to address the ever-evolving ESG landscape. Prior to joining Georgeson, Allyson was part of the Investor Relations team at ASX50 listed Sydney Airport, responsible for continuous disclosure and corporate governance matters, including the development and execution of shareholder engagement and sustainability strategies, the preparation of market material for results and governance meetings, including the preparation of the Board and executive management for the meetings and roadshows and acting as investor relations lead in their recent $2B AUD equity raising. Allyson holds a Diploma of Investor Relations from Australasian Investor Relations Association, a Bachelor of Commerce from Australian National University and a Master of Science (Aviation Management) from University of New South Wales.
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.
Jason Hayes
Account Director
Jason joined Georgeson after an extensive career in the financial planning industry, including as Secretary to the Investment Committee at Yellow Brick Road Wealth Management. Jason has worked with investors, advisors and regulators to help clients achieve their desired investment goals. As Account Director, Jason is responsible for managing and executing targeted shareholder communication campaigns.
Sam Horner
Account Director
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.
Philip Xuan
Account Director
Philip has extensive experience in the financial services industry, including shareholder engagement, insolvency and registry services. As Account Director, Philip is responsible for the management and execution of a wide range of corporate activities including M&A, special meetings, proxy fights, annual meetings and capital raisings. Philip has advised on a number of significant transactions in recent years and supported numerous companies with their annual meetings. Prior to joining Georgeson, Philip held similar roles at Morrow Sodali and Link Market Services.
Michael Davis
Institutional Investor Relations Manager
Michael Joined Georgeson in 2004. As Communications Centre Manager Michael is responsible for contact centre operations and campaign service delivery. Michael has successfully managed many large scale transaction with a key focus on training, customer service and quality assurance. Recently he has worked on campaigns for several top ASX listed entities including National Australia Bank, AMP, BHP, Afterpay, Wesfarmers and IAG.
Mariana Marabini
Corporate Governance 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 joined Georgeson in January 2007 and works as Account Manager with our clients in the German speaking market. 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.
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.
Netherlands
Ivana Cvjetkovic
Head of Market Benelux
Ivana Cvjetkovic initially joined the Georgeson team in London in 2011. After a short time away, she joined the Georgeson team in Rotterdam in 2017. Over the years she has worked on high profile AGMs such as Unilever, DSM, ING Group, Aegon, Heineken and KPN. In addition she had key involvement in the Klepierre bid for Corio, the Liberty Global bid for Ziggo, the JAB acquisition of DE Master Blenders, the América Móvil hostile partial offer for KPN, and the Wereldhave, Imtech and KPN Rights Issue. Ivana’s focus is on Corporate Actions and Corporate Governance in the Benelux market. Prior to re-joining the Georgeson team she worked in the CEO & Board practice of an executive search firm. She holds a Masters in European Private Law from the University of Amsterdam.
Kirsten Van Rooijen
Head of Continental Europe
Kirsten joined Georgeson in 2007 and has worked on numerous high profile AGMs and transactions for Benelux companies including ASM International, ING Group, Shell, Ahold and PL. She has had key involvement in a number of acquisitions, including Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of Crucell, ING Rights Issue, JAB acquisition of DE Masterblenders and Liberty Global acquisition of Ziggo. Since 2009, Kirsten has headed up the Georgeson office in the Netherlands and also has the responsibility of the Computershare Netherlands business.
Spain
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.
United Kingdom
Anthony Kluk
Head of Market - UK & Nordics
Anthony joined the Georgeson corporate advisory team in 2016 and has worked on a number of large-cap M&A transactions including Takeda-Shire and Linde-Praxair, as well as several activism and proxy contest situations in Europe. Prior to Georgeson, Anthony spent 10 years at Loeb Aron & Co, a corporate finance boutique, where he was responsible for a broad range of advisory mandates including capital raising, debt-for-equity, new admissions and proxy contests. Anthony studied physics at the University of Leeds and is certified by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).
Cas Sydorowitz
Global Head of Georgeson
Cas has more than 25 years’ experience in international investor relations and shareholder identification and has been with Georgeson since 1998. As responsible for Georgeson’s Global activism and M&A practice, he has been involved in the highest profile M&A and activist situations. Cas has a longstanding knowledge of Global 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 in how activists run their campaigns and the different stakeholders they look to influence in sensitive activist campaigns. Prior to joining Georgeson he had five years’ experience in international investor relations and shareholder identification. While honing his skills in the US, Cas has been in the UK since 2002.
Domenic Brancati
Global Chief Operating Officer
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.
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
Business Development Director
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.
