James W. (Jim) Keyes
Director
James W. (Jim) Keyes, who has agreed to serve as a member of our board of directors following the completion of this offering, has over 30 years of experience in retail, consumer products and aerospace. Mr. Keyes has been the Chairman of the board of directors of Key Development, LLC since 2005. Mr. Keyes formerly served as the Chairman of the board of directors of Wild Oats Marketplace, a producer of natural and organic food. During his time at Wild Oats Marketplace, it developed a strategic partnership with Walmart. Previously, he served in roles of the Chairman of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer at Blockbuster, where he helped Blockbuster survive the financial market collapse in 2008 through a successful restructuring and sale to Dish Networks. Prior to that, Mr. Keyes spent over 20 years in executive roles at 7-Eleven, Inc., including as Global President and Chief Executive Officer from 2000 to 2005. Mr. Keyes also served in various roles at CITGO Petroleum and Gulf Oil Corporation. Mr. Keyes also served as a member of the board of directors of Andretti Acquisition Corp. Mr. Keyes received a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor’s degree from College of the Holy Cross. Mr. Keyes has been awarded with the Horatio Alger Award in 2005 and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2008. Mr. Keyes currently serves on the board of directors for Murphy USA (NYSE: MUSA) and has served on a number of philanthropic boards, including the American Red Cross and the Education is Freedom foundation. Mr. Keyes is well-qualified to serve as a director due to his extensive experience as a business leader, including as a Chief Executive Officer, his experience as a public company director, and his industry knowledge in the consumer and retail sectors.
Cassandra S. (Cassie) Lee
Director
Cassandra S. (Cassie) Lee, who has agreed to serve as a member of our board of directors following the completion of this offering, is an experienced financial leader with extensive experience in the technology industry. Since 2021, Ms. Lee has served as the Chief Audit Executive for AT&T (NYSE: T), where she is responsible for risk assessment, validation of risk mitigation strategies and ensuring that significant business processes are followed across the firm. In her previous role as Chief Financial Officer for AT&T’s Network and Technology Organizations, Ms. Lee was responsible for all financial operations of network construction, engineering and operations, technology development, security operations and global supply chain. She has spent three decades at AT&T, gaining deep experience in all areas of the business. Ms. Lee currently serves on the board of directors of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), a utility company. Ms. Lee also served as a member of the board of directors of Andretti Acquisition Corp. Ms. Lee earned a Bachelor of Professional Accountancy degree from Mississippi State University and is a member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants. Ms. Lee served in the Mississippi Army National Guard and is a U.S. Army Veteran. Ms. Lee is well-qualified to serve as a director due to her experience as a financial and accounting leader, including in public company compliance, with an extensive knowledge of the telecommunications sector.
Gerald D. (Jerry) Putnam
Director
Gerald D. (Jerry) Putnam, who has agreed to serve as a member of our board of directors following the completion of this offering, has decades of experience in the financial services industry, both in management roles and on corporate boards of directors. Since July 2020, Mr. Putnam has been a member of the board of directors of MIYO Health, a technology company providing mental health solutions. He also has served as a member of the board of directors of Product Ventures, Ltd., a brand design company since June 2024. Mr. Putnam also served as a member of the board of directors of Andretti Acquisition Corp. Mr. Putnam served as the Chairman of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer of TruMarx Data Partners Inc. from 2011 to 2012. Prior to that, he was the Senior Advisor of Corporate Strategy, Technology Integration and Derivative Products of NYSE Euronext Inc. from 2007 until 2008 and the President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of NYSE Euronext Inc. from 2006 to 2007. Prior to the merger of NYSE Group, Inc. and Euronext, Mr. Putnam was the President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of NYSE Group, Inc. from 2006 to 2007. A highly successful entrepreneur, he founded Archipelago Holdings, an electronic communications network, in 1997. Mr. Putnam served as the Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of the board of directors of Archipelago Holdings, leading a $150 million initial public offering in 2004 and the sale of the company to the NYSE in 2006 for approximately $9 billion. Before founding Archipelago Holdings, Mr. Putnam founded Terra Nova Financial, LLC and served as the President from 1994 until 1999. He has served on multiple boards of directors, including Securities Industry Automation Corporation, OptionsHouse LLC, Greenplum, Inc., FX Alliance, LLC, TruMarx Data Partners, Inc. and MediaCrossing. In recognition of his many accomplishments, Mr. Putnam was selected as one of Time Magazine’s innovators of the 21st century and was a recipient of the Chicago Innovation Visionary Award. Mr. Putnam received his undergraduate degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Putnam is well-qualified to serve as a director due to his background in founding and growing businesses, including as a Chief Executive Officer, his experience as a corporate director, and his knowledge of the financial services and technology sectors.
John J. Romanelli
Director
John J. Romanelli, who has agreed to serve as a member of our board of directors following the completion of this offering, is an experienced corporate finance executive with transactional and client coverage experience, and has advised boards of directors, chief executive officers and chief financial officers on a wide variety of strategic and financial matters. Mr. Romanelli is skilled with respect to initial public offerings, acquisition financing, messaging and investor relations and strategic transactions. Additionally, he possesses a keen understanding of participants in the special purpose acquisition companies market and public company governance and responsibilities. Mr. Romanelli currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of #1 Cochran Group, an automobile retail company. Since 2007, Mr. Romanelli has served as the Founder and Managing Partner at Seahawk Advisory Corp., an advisory boutique firm. He has advised private and public companies on a variety of strategic and financial transactions, including restructuring, M&A, investor relations strategies, growth capital and strategies, capital structure and strategic alternatives. At Seahawk Advisory Corp. Mr. Romanelli worked on a wide range of issues and transactions with Mr. Sandbrook, including numerous acquisitions. Prior to Seahawk Advisory Corp., Mr. Romanelli was a Senior Managing Director in the Strategic Finance group at Bear Stearns & Co., and he spent over 20 years in investment banking at Bear Stearns & Co., The First Boston Corporation/Credit Suisse First Boston and Prudential-Bache Securities. Mr. Romanelli also served as a member of the board of directors of Andretti Acquisition Corp. Mr. Romanelli holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. He is also a Co-Founder of the Connacht Whiskey Company, based in Ireland. Mr. Romanelli is well-qualified to serve as a director due to his experience as a leader in finance sector, including his extensive transaction experience in financing and mergers and acquisitions.