Leadership

Ballard Partners: Caracas Office Opens With Scott Wagner As Managing Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 2, 2026

Ballard Partners, one of the nation's leading government relations firms, has announced the opening of a new office in Caracas, Venezuela, and the appointment of firm Partner Scott Wagner as its Managing Partner. Wagner will lead the Caracas office while remaining a Partner in the Washington office, servicing clients in both national capitals.

Cytactic Adds Stripe Executive Shawn J. Chen To Advisory Board Following Strategic Investment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 2, 2026

Cytactic has appointed cybercrime and crisis management expert Shawn J. Chen to its advisory board following a strategic investment by Chen in the company. Chen currently serves as Global Head of Litigation, Financial Crime & Risk Legal, IP and Cyber & Data Privacy at Stripe. He previously served as Global General Counsel for Litigation, Regulatory Enforcement and Investigations at HSBC.

Ionis: Dr. Frank Bennett To Retire As Chief Scientific Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that Frank Bennett, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief scientific officer, will retire effective February 2027.

Ashland: Peter Thomas And Allen Spizzo Appointed To Board Of Directors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Ashland announced the appointments of two new independent members of the Company Board of Directors and the formation of a Capital Allocation Advisory Committee as part of its entry into a cooperation agreement with Ancora Holdings Group, a meaningful stockholder.

Qlaris Bio: Parisa Zamiri, M.D., Ph.D., Appointed To Board Of Directors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Qlaris Bio, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing first-in-class therapies for glaucoma, has appointed Parisa Zamiri, M.D., Ph.D., to its board of directors. The appointment comes as Qlaris continues to advance its lead development program, QLS-111, through late-stage clinical trials as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of glaucoma.

Canton Strategic: Three New Directors Elected To Board

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Canton Strategic Holdings, the first publicly traded company to leverage Canton Coin to support the Canton Network's ability to digitize traditional financial markets, announced that Sean Galvin, Pamela L. Carter, and Rishi Nangalia were elected as directors of the Board of Directors, effective July 13, 2026, following the company's Annual Shareholder Meeting.

Tersis Technologies: Paul Vanderpool Named Strategic Advisor To PolyCycle

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Tersis Technologies, a clean technology company focused on transforming waste streams into valuable resources, has appointed plastics recycling veteran Paul Vanderpool as Strategic Advisor to PolyCycle, the company's plastics recycling and remanufacturing division.

AeroVironment: Stephen F. Page To Retire From Board Of Directors In 2026

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

AeroVironment announced that board member Stephen F. Page will not seek re-election and will retire from the board at the company's 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The move ends more than a decade of service on the company's board, spanning a period in which AeroVironment reshaped much of its business.

Tronox: Keith Schwarz Appointed To Board Of Directors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Tronox Holdings, the world's leading integrated manufacturer of titanium dioxide pigment, announced the appointment of Keith Schwarz to the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Schwarz will also serve as a member of the Audit Committee. Following the appointment, the Board will be comprised of 9 directors, 6 of whom are independent.

Wolfspeed: Andy W. Mattes Appointed To Board Strengthening Semiconductor Expertise

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Wolfspeed, a global leader in silicon carbide technology, announced that Andy W. Mattes has been appointed to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Flex Reveals Leadership Teams For Flex And Planned Cloud And Power Infrastructure Spin-Off (SpinCo)

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Flex announced key leadership roles for both Flex and SpinCo, the planned independent, publicly traded company comprising its Cloud and Power Infrastructure segment following the expected spin-off in the first calendar quarter of 2027. These appointments further strengthen the leadership teams expected to lead both companies, alongside previously announced Chief Executive Officers Revathi Advaithi and Michael Hartung at SpinCo and Flex, respectively.

Spirit Blockchain Capital: Judy Galvez Appointed As Chief Financial Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Spirit Blockchain Capital announced the appointment of Judy Galvez, CPA, CMA, as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Concurrent with the appointment, Raymond O'Neill has transitioned from his role as Interim Chief Financial Officer and will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.

Centene Announces Board Of Directors Changes

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Centene Corporation announced that Kenneth A. Burdick has retired from the company's Board of Directors, effective July 28, 2026, and that Paul J. Diaz has been appointed to the Board, also effective July 28, 2026.

Grip: John Hummel Joins As President Of Grip Fulfillment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Grip, the technology, fulfillment, and logistics company specializing in perishable direct-to-consumer deliveries, announced that John Hummel will join the company as President of Grip Fulfillment, leading Grip's national fulfillment operations.

Kirkland & Ellis: Dan Prieto And Amanda Rush Join As Leading Mass Tort Restructuring Lawyers

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Kirkland & Ellis announced that Dan Prieto and Amanda Rush have joined the firm as partners and will be the first members of the firm's Restructuring Group based in Dallas.

DLA Piper: Kfir Abutbul, Jacob Durkin, Brady Lambeth, And Kristine Manoukian Join To Bolster Global Private Markets Team

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

DLA Piper announced the strategic appointment of three partners in its global Finance practice across New York and London. Partners Kfir Abutbul and Jacob Durkin join the firm's global Capital Solutions team along with Of Counsel Brady Lambeth, and Partner Kristine Manoukian joins the Restructuring practice.

Norton Rose Fulbright: John Boelter Joins As Chicago M&A Partner

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Norton Rose Fulbright announced that John Boelter has joined the firm's Chicago office as a partner in the corporate, M&A, and securities practice, further strengthening its transactional capabilities and expanding its service for clients in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries.

Freshfields: M&A Star Keith Hallam Joins Freshfields In New York

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Freshfields announced that Keith Hallam will join the firm's New York office as a partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions and corporate practice.

Centuria: Gordon Smith Appointed Fund Manager – Retail

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Australasian real estate fund manager Centuria Capital Group has appointed 20-year retail veteran Gordon Smith as its new Fund Manager – Retail, effective from Monday, 27 July 2026.

Roamly Pushes Global Expansion With New London Hub And Appoints Dan Severin To Lead Global Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Roamly, the specialty insurance provider of The Ride Platform, has announced the opening of its flagship London office and the appointment of industry veteran Dan Severin as Head of Global Mobility Insurance. The move establishes a UK operational foundation to drive international scaling, building on the company's large base of professional mobility operators currently in the UK and Europe.

Garrett Motion: Dave Crompton Appointed To Board Of Directors

By Amit Chowdhry ● Aug 1, 2026

Garrett Motion, a global leader in differentiated turbocharging and electrification technologies for mobility and industrial applications, has appointed Dave Crompton to its Board of Directors.

Yoodli Appoints Former Meta And Coalition Product Leader Kartik Murthy As VP Of Product

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 31, 2026

Yoodli has appointed Kartik Murthy as Vice President of Product. Murthy officially joined the company July 27, 2026 and will lead product strategy as Yoodli scales its platform for global revenue teams. He brings more than 17 years of product leadership spanning AI, consumer software, hardware, and learning.

EigenQ Appoints Mark Pecen As Vice Chairman And Promotes Alexander Truskovsky To Chief Information Security Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 31, 2026

EigenQ has appointed Mark Pecen as Vice Chairman and promoted Alexander Truskovsky to Chief Information Security Officer. The appointments were announced ahead of EigenQ's proposed merger with Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp.

OMERS Private Equity Welcomes Adam Buzanis As Managing Director, Head Of Funds

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 31, 2026

OMERS Private Equity has announced the appointment of Adam Buzanis as Managing Director, Head of Funds, as the firm continues to expand its external funds program. Buzanis brings deep experience across global private markets, including primary funds, co-investments, and secondaries, positioning him to build out this growing area of the platform.

Scale AI Appoints Francis deSouza As CEO To Lead Next Phase Of Company’s Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 31, 2026

Scale AI announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Francis deSouza as Chief Executive Officer, effective August 10, 2026. The appointment was announced July 30, 2026. Jason Droege, who has led Scale as interim CEO since June 2025, will work closely with deSouza during the transition.

Kirkland: Leading Debt Finance Lawyer Kelsey Baumberger Joins

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 31, 2026

Kirkland & Ellis has announced that Kelsey Baumberger has joined the firm as a partner in its Debt Finance Practice Group. Baumberger brings experience structuring sophisticated financing arrangements, including asset-backed securities and other tailored capital solutions.

Valeon Partners Names Lawson Smith As Managing Director

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 30, 2026

Valeon Partners, a merchant bank serving founders, family offices, and private equity stakeholders in partnership with Leon Capital Group, announced that Lawson Smith has joined the firm as a Managing Director. Smith will be responsible for overseeing the firm's market strategies.

Gibson Dunn Adds Investment Funds And Real Estate Tax Partner James Manzione

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 29, 2026

Gibson Dunn has added James Manzione as a partner in the law firm’s New York Tax Practice Group. Manzione is returning to Gibson Dunn after previously working as an associate in its New York office. He most recently served as a partner at another international law firm.

Cetera Appoints Craig Bartlett To Lead Cetera Financial Specialists

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 29, 2026

Cetera has appointed Craig Bartlett as Community Leader of Cetera Financial Specialists, the company’s network of financial professionals specializing in tax-focused wealth management.

50T Funds Appoints George Jamgochian As Head Of Capital Formation

By Amit Chowdhry ● Jul 29, 2026

50T Funds has appointed George Jamgochian as Head of Capital Formation to lead institutional fundraising and investor relations for the digital asset investment firm.