SUMMIT AGENDA
2025 Summit Agenda
- Ken Squire Founder and President, 13D Monitor/13D Management
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Squire

Ken Squire is the Founder and President of 13D Monitor and the Founder, Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager of the 13D Activist Fund.
13D Monitor is the premier subscription research service specializing in the analysis of activist investors' 13D filings and following the broader shareholder activist community. Squire has focused exclusively on following shareholder activism and corporate governance since 2006 and is a leading commentator in the industry. He is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal and other financial publications, and his weekly column The Activist Spotlight was featured in Barron's from 2007 to 2020. He is now a CNBC Contributor and The Activist Spotlight column can be read on CNBC.com.
In 2010, Squire created the annual Active-Passive Investor Summit, a forum that brings together the entire activist investor and corporate governance community and provides top activist investors a platform to present their best investment ideas.
In 2012, Squire founded the 13D Activist Fund, an event-driven mutual fund that focuses on investing in opportunities identified in 13D filings. Squire is the founder, chief investment strategist and portfolio manager. The Fund was the first of its kind, providing both individual and institutional investors diversified, liquid and low-cost access to the most compelling activist investments in this asset class. Following the success of the 13D Activist Fund, Squire launched a hedge fund for larger institutional investors. This private investment vehicle invests alongside, and with the same strategy, as the 13D Activist mutual fund.
In 2021, Squire created the AESG™ investment category, an activist investment style focused on improving ESG practices at companies.
Prior to starting 13D Monitor, Squire was a private equity investor as a principal of LSC Investors and Crown Capital Group, where he worked on analyzing, making and managing various investments in public and private companies. Prior to that, he was an associate in the Corporate and Securities Department at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in their New York office. Squire holds a B.S. with a concentration in finance from New York University's Stern School of Business and a J.D. from New York University's School of Law where he was an editor of the Law Review.
- Jeffrey C Smith Managing Member and the Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer, Starboard Value LP
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Smith

Jeffrey Smith is a Managing Member, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Starboard Value LP, an Activist investment advisor founded in 2011. Mr. Smith has significant public company board experience including his current role on the board of Kenvue Inc. Mr. Smith also serves on the Board of Advisors for First Generation Investors, a non-profit with a mission to help first-generation investors learn about wealth generation as well as the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, a foundation creating pathways for underserved youth to help them achieve their full potential. Mr. Smith received his Bachelor’s in Economics from The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania.
- Sara Eisen (moderator), Co-Anchor, CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” & “Money Movers”
- Jay Clayton United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
- Gary Cohn Vice Chairman, IBM
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Eisen
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Clayton
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Cohn

Sara Eisen is co-anchor of the 10AM hour of CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” (M-F, 9AM-11AM ET) and co-anchor of “Money Movers” (M-F, 11AM-12PM ET), which both broadcast from Post 9 at the New York Stock Exchange. She is known for her deep expertise in financial markets and the global economy as well as regular news making interviews with some of the most prominent names in the financial world, including Phil Knight, Janet Yellen and Christine Lagarde, among others.
Previously, Eisen anchored CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” “Squawk on the Street,” “Power Lunch” and “Worldwide Exchange.” She also reported on the one-hour documentary, “Inside Track: The Business of Formula 1,” that explores the world’s most prestigious racing series, what is fueling its popularity and who is profiting. Eisen joined CNBC in December 2013 as a correspondent, focusing on the global consumer.
Prior to CNBC, Eisen was co-anchor of “Bloomberg Surveillance” as well as a correspondent for Bloomberg Television, where she covered global macroeconomics, policy and business. During that time, she covered the European debt crisis, the tsunami aftermath and Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan. Eisen also hosted the Bloomberg Radio program, “On the Economy.”
She is the editor of “Currencies After the Crash: The Uncertain Future of the Global Paper-Based Currency System” published by McGraw-Hill in Jan. 2013.
Eisen holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism with a concentration in business reporting from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Senior Policy Advisor & Of Counsel, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Independent Chair, Apollo Global Management
Jay Clayton’s activities involve the intersection of business strategy, corporate governance, regulation, and market developments. As Senior Policy Advisor at Sullivan & Cromwell, he advises various organizations on proactively navigating these issues. Jay also is the Independent Chair of Apollo Global Management, a Director of American Express, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Co-Chair of Penn’s Institute for Law and Economics. He also shares his views on current issues through broadcast and print media, including CNBC, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Jay Clayton served as the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from May 2017 to December 2020. In that capacity, he also was a member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the Financial Stability Board and the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets.
During Mr. Clayton’s tenure, the SEC focused on modernizing the regulation and oversight of U.S. equity (circa $50 trillion) and fixed income markets (circa $50 trillion), concentrating on the interests of long-term investors. Under his leadership, the SEC updated and improved dozens of rules and regulations, increasing efficiency, stability and investor protection. Mr. Clayton oversaw an investor-focused and impactful enforcement program, involving over 2,800 actions, resulting in $15 billion in financial remedies and over $3.5 billion returned to harmed investors.
The SEC also addressed various market developments and emerging risks, including the COVID-19 economic shock, the Brexit and LIBOR transitions, and various cybersecurity matters. Mr. Clayton testified before Congress on numerous occasions and substantially increased the scope and quality of the Commission’s public reporting of its operations and initiatives.
Prior to Mr. Clayton’s tenure at the SEC, he was a member of Sullivan & Cromwell’s management committee. He was a lead lawyer in an array of notable matters, including representing various financial institutions during the 2008 global financial crisis and the underwriters in the world’s largest initial public offering. Mr. Clayton was resident in the firm’s New York, London and Washington offices.
Mr. Clayton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in economics from The University of Cambridge and a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Gary D. Cohn is an American business leader, investor and the former director of the U.S. National Economic Council. He is an internationally recognized expert on the financial markets, global economy and economic policy.
Mr. Cohn is Vice Chairman of IBM, working in partnership with IBM’s Executive Leadership Team on a wide range of business initiatives and external engagement in areas including business development, public advocacy and client relationship management.
Mr. Cohn served as Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council from 2017-2018. As chief economic advisor to the president of the United States, Mr. Cohn managed the administration’s economic policy agenda and led the successful effort to grow the U.S. economy, create jobs and increase wages through tax and regulatory reform.
Before serving in the White House, Mr. Cohn was President and Chief Operating Officer of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. from 2006-2016. He joined Goldman Sachs in 1990 and held several other leadership positions including Global Co-Head of the Equities and Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities Division. He was a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and Chairman of the Firmwide Client and Business Standards Committee.
Mr. Cohn began his career at U.S. Steel before moving to New York to trade on the New York Commodities Exchange from 1982-1990.
Mr. Cohn is Lead Independent Director of the Apollo Board of Directors. He is Chairman of Pallas Advisors, Vice Chair of Zinnia and serves on many other private corporate boards. Additionally, he is a member of the Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Mr. Cohn has long been dedicated to advancing healthcare and education. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of NYU Langone Health and serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board for the NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital. He is also on the Board of Overseers of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. In 2019 Mr. Cohn was a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.
After growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Mr. Cohn received his undergraduate degree from American University in 1982 and moved to New York City.
- Bruce Goldfarb President and Chief Executive Officer, Okapi Partners LLC
- Jessica McDougall Partner and Head of Corporate Governance and Shareholder Engagement, Longacre Square Partners
- Patricia Olasker Partner, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
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Goldfarb
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McDougall
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Olasker

Bruce H. Goldfarb is President and Chief Executive Officer of Okapi Partners, the proxy solicitation and investor response firm. Bruce works extensively with corporations and investors focusing on investor response strategy and execution for contested election campaigns, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance matters, investor engagement campaigns, and other extraordinary situations.
Prior to establishing Okapi Partners, Bruce was the Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of Georgeson Inc. (now a subsidiary of Computershare Limited), where he headed the Global M&A Advisory Group.
Before entering the proxy solicitation business, Bruce was a Senior Vice President of the investment management firm, Scudder, Stevens & Clark, which is now a part of DWS Group. At Scudder, he was a member of the Legal Department and served as Chairman of the Firm’s Proxy Review Committee.
Bruce practiced corporate law with Cravath, Swaine & Moore for more than six years, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions, securities transactions and international matters.
Bruce is a current member of the Board of Visitors of the Columbia University School of Law, the Advisory Board of the Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership, and the Board of Advisors of the NYU Law School Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance. He was previously a member of the Council of Institutional Investors Market Advisory Council and the Advisory Board of the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance. Bruce also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the not-for-profit Signature Theatre Company.

As Head of the Corporate Governance and Shareholder Engagement practice at Longacre Square, Jessica advises clients across a range of issues, including investor engagement, board governance, strategic transitions, and special situations. Jessica previously was a Director on the BlackRock Investment Stewardship team. During her seven-year tenure at BlackRock, Jessica covered companies within the Industrials and Materials sectors. She was also responsible for oversight of the team’s proxy voting and engagement policies for the US and Canada. In addition to policy implementation, she engaged with management teams and boards of directors on shareholder activism, governance, board composition, M&A, and sustainability-related topics. Prior to BlackRock, Jessica served in a similar role at TIAA. Before her roles in governance, Jessica was a Certified Financial Planner at institutional and boutique asset management firms. She holds a BA from the University of Virginia.

One of Canada’s leading lawyers in shareholder activism and mergers and acquisitions, Patricia spearheads the activism practice of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, advising both activists and issuers. As one of the country’s pre-eminent law firms, Davies has been involved in many high-profile activist campaigns in Canada, representing activists and investors including Elliott Management in relation to Suncor Energy, Turtle Creek in relation to Gildan Activewear, Riot Platforms in connection with Bitfarms Ltd., Pershing Square in connection with Canadian Pacific and Allergan/Valeant, Mantle Ridge in respect of CSX, Aramark and Dollar Tree, Legion Capital in respect of Primo Water, JANA Partners in respect of Agrium, MHR Fund Management in respect of Lions Gate, Oaktree Capital in respect of Rayonier/Tembec, and defending issuers including SunOpta Inc., TransCanada Corporation, Sherritt International, Telus Corporation, Slate Asset Management, Invest REIT, Turquoise Hill Resources, IAMGold Corporation and Aleafia Health. Patricia is a member of the Board of the Ontario Securities Commission. She is also an adjunct professor of law at Osgoode Hall Law School where she teaches advanced mergers and acquisitions.
In 2024, Patricia was awarded the Award of Excellence by Osgoode Hall Law School. She was named one of the leading female transactional lawyers in the world for 2023 by IFLR1000 and was honored as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN. She is recognized in Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a Band 1 lawyer in Corporate/M&A and in the Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada in Corporate Finance and Securities; Corporate Commercial; and Mergers and Acquisitions. Patricia was named Toronto’s 2020 Lawyer of the Year in Mergers and Acquisitions Law by Best Lawyers in Canada, was honored with a Lexpert Zenith Award as one of Canada’s Leading Women Lawyers and was named among the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada by Canadian Lawyer magazine.
- Scott Ostfeld Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager, JANA Partners LLC
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Ostfeld

Mr. Ostfeld is the Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager at JANA Partners where he has nearly 20 years of experience enhancing value as an engaged shareholder. Prior to joining JANA in 2006, Mr. Ostfeld was at GSC Partners, where he served in their distressed debt private equity group and focused on acquiring companies through the restructuring process and enhancing value as an equity owner. He was previously an investment banker at Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation.
Mr. Ostfeld currently serves on the Board of Directors of Mercury Systems and TreeHouse Foods. He was previously a director at Conagra Brands, HD Supply until its sale to Home Depot, and Team Health until its sale to Blackstone Group. Mr. Ostfeld serves on the board of Columbia University’s Richman Center for Business, Law and Public Policy.
Mr. Ostfeld received a JD from Columbia Law School where he was a Senior Editor of Columbia Law Review, an MBA (Beta Gamma Sigma) from Columbia Business School and a BA (magna cum laude/Phi Beta Kappa) from Columbia University.
- Joe Berardino Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
- Sagar Gupta Portfolio Manager, Anson Funds
- Walied Soliman Global Chair, Norton Rose Fulbright
- Sebastian Tiller Partner, Vinson & Elkins LLP
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Tiller

Joseph Berardino is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal in West Palm Beach. With decades of executive leadership and board service experience, he has a proven track record of managing complex board and C-suite dynamics to enact change.
Mr. Berardino offers differentiated transformation to corporations looking for change at a pace and scale that traditional approaches cannot provide. He leverages the functional expertise offered by performance improvement talent coupled with the firm’s renowned restructuring and private equity capabilities to help vulnerable businesses or those looking to keep pace with constant disruptors address activist investors and position their corporation for success through enterprise-wide change.
Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Berardino was an Audit Partner with Arthur Andersen, where he spent over 30 years in various client-serving and leadership roles, including CEO of Andersen Worldwide.
Mr. Berardino earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Fairfield University. He has served on numerous boards of directors for nonprofits and public companies.

Sagar leads the activism strategy at Anson Funds, a US$2bn hedge fund, where he manages a long-term, concentrated portfolio of North American small/mid-cap opportunities. He previously worked in investment banking at UBS, private equity at KKR, long/short equities at Balyasny Asset Management, and activism at Legion Partners. Sagar currently serves on the board of Five9 Inc. (FIVN) and previously served on the board of Momentive Global Inc. (MNTV). He holds a BS from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated Beta Alpha Psi.

Walied Soliman is the Canadian chair of Norton Rose Fulbright and co-founder of its globally ranked, Special Situations team. He is widely regarded as one of the leading lawyers in his field internationally. Mr. Soliman has been involved in some of the most significant and complex M&A transactions and proxy battles in Canada and globally, advising buyers and sellers, boards, hostile bidders, and shareholder activists. In addition, Walied’s practice focuses on restructurings, corporate finance, governance, and structured products.
Mr. Soliman is listed among Canada’s top-performing M&A practitioners in the Lexpert Special Edition Finance and M&A 2025. He has been continuously recognized by the world’s leading legal rankings, including Chambers Global, International Financial Law Review 1000, Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, Best Lawyers in Canada, Chambers Canada, and Legal 500 Canada. Mr. Soliman has been featured in The Globe and Mail's Report on Business Magazine Power 50 list, and has been designated a "Star Lawyer" by Acritas for ranking in the top 28 lawyers in the world.
Mr. Soliman was mandated by the government of Ontario to chair its Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce, a year long effort resulting in dozens of consequential recommendations to strengthen Canada’s capital markets.
Appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2025, Mr. Soliman was recognized for his community service and chosen by the United Nations Association in Canada to be its Global Citizen Laureate and recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal. He is the chair of the Board of the Toronto SickKids Hospital Foundation and sits on the boards of Toronto Metropolitan University as well as the BlackNorth Initiative against anti-Black racism, and is a member of The Bishop Strachan School Board of Trustees

Sebastian Tiller is Head of Vinson & Elkins’ Strategic Mergers & Acquisitions practice. Sebastian represents corporations, private equity firms and financial advisers in a range of mergers & acquisitions transactions and corporate governance matters. He has deep experience representing public and private companies in multi-billion dollar strategic mergers & acquisitions and has closed high-profile transactions in the financial services, technology, energy and consumer goods industries, among others.
- Ken Squire (moderator), Founder and President, 13D Monitor/13D Management
- Julie Felss Masino President and Chief Executive Officer, Cracker Barrel
- Richard Wolfson Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Cracker Barrel
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Squire
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Masino
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Wolfson

Ken Squire is the Founder and President of 13D Monitor and the Founder, Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager of the 13D Activist Fund.
13D Monitor is the premier subscription research service specializing in the analysis of activist investors' 13D filings and following the broader shareholder activist community. Squire has focused exclusively on following shareholder activism and corporate governance since 2006 and is a leading commentator in the industry. He is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal and other financial publications, and his weekly column The Activist Spotlight was featured in Barron's from 2007 to 2020. He is now a CNBC Contributor and The Activist Spotlight column can be read on CNBC.com.
In 2010, Squire created the annual Active-Passive Investor Summit, a forum that brings together the entire activist investor and corporate governance community and provides top activist investors a platform to present their best investment ideas.
In 2012, Squire founded the 13D Activist Fund, an event-driven mutual fund that focuses on investing in opportunities identified in 13D filings. Squire is the founder, chief investment strategist and portfolio manager. The Fund was the first of its kind, providing both individual and institutional investors diversified, liquid and low-cost access to the most compelling activist investments in this asset class. Following the success of the 13D Activist Fund, Squire launched a hedge fund for larger institutional investors. This private investment vehicle invests alongside, and with the same strategy, as the 13D Activist mutual fund.
In 2021, Squire created the AESG™ investment category, an activist investment style focused on improving ESG practices at companies.
Prior to starting 13D Monitor, Squire was a private equity investor as a principal of LSC Investors and Crown Capital Group, where he worked on analyzing, making and managing various investments in public and private companies. Prior to that, he was an associate in the Corporate and Securities Department at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in their New York office. Squire holds a B.S. with a concentration in finance from New York University's Stern School of Business and a J.D. from New York University's School of Law where he was an editor of the Law Review.

Julie Felss Masino was named President and Chief Executive Officer for Cracker Barrel in July 2023 and assumed the position, along with an appointment to the Company’s Board of Directors, November 1, 2023.
A seasoned executive with a track record of success, Ms. Masino has more than 30 years of experience driving innovation and growth for globally loved and recognized restaurant and retail brands.
Ms. Masino previously served as the President, International of Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) from January 2020 to June 2023. From January 2018 to December 2019, she served as President, North America of Taco Bell. Ms. Masino served as the President, SVP and GM Fisher-Price at Mattel, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAT) from April 2017 to January 2018. Prior to her service at Mattel, Ms. Masino served as the President and then the Chief Executive Officer of Sprinkles Cupcakes from 2014 to 2017. From 2002 to 2014, Ms. Masino served in various leadership roles at Starbucks Corporation (Nasdaq: SBUX). She began her professional career in corporate positions at a variety of retail companies, including Godiva Chocolatier, Coach, J. Crew, and Macy's.
She currently serves on the board of directors of Vivid Seats Inc. (Nasdaq: SEAT).
Ms. Masino has a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Since 2017, Richard Wolfson has served as the Senior Vice President - General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL), a beloved national restaurant and retail concept with 75,000 employees. For nearly three years, Mr. Wolfson also served as Cracker Barrel’s Chief Human Resources Officer.
Prior to joining Cracker Barrel, Mr. Wolfson was Vice President – General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of CLARCOR Inc. (NYSE: CLC), a diversified global manufacturer of filtration products and consumer and industrial packaging products that was acquired for $4 billion by Parker Hannifin in 2017.
For five years Mr. Wolfson was a partner of the InterAmerican Group, a private equity and corporate development advisory services business, specializing in cross-border industrial transactions.
Mr. Wolfson began his career the Chicago office of Baker & McKenzie, where he specialized in complex cross-border transactions and M&A. He was elected partner in 1999 and also worked for Baker offices in Barcelona, Spain and in Santiago, Chile. He is fluent in Spanish.
Mr. Wolfson is an honors graduate of Colgate University and holds a JD with distinction from Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern University.
- Jessica Graziano Director, Chair of Audit Committee and Member of Governance and Executive Committees of Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., (former CFO, US Steel)
- Scott Winter Co-Chair, Innisfree M&A Incorporated
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Graziano
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Jessica Trocchi Graziano served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at United States Steel Corporation from August 2022 to June 2025. In this role, Ms. Graziano led all aspects of finance, including financial planning and analysis, corporate accounting, tax, treasury, pension investments, investor relations, as well as labor relations, real estate and sales & operations planning, and strategy functions.
Before joining U. S. Steel, Ms. Graziano spent eight years with United Rentals, Inc., the world’s largest equipment rental provider, culminating in her position as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2018 through July 2022. In this role, she was responsible for all finance functions and participated in making key operational, acquisition and global expansion decisions.
Previously, Ms. Graziano spent five years at Revlon, Inc. where she advanced through positions of increasing responsibility before being named Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller. Prior to Revlon, she served in a variety of senior leadership roles in the areas of internal audit, financial reporting, and financial planning and analysis.
Ms. Graziano serves on the Board of Directors of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross. In 2025, Ms. Graziano was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top 250 Board Directors, which highlights the most influential and effective corporate directors set to serve on an S&P500 board throughout 2025. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from Villanova University and completed her Master of Business Administration in Finance from Fairfield University. She is a certified public accountant.

Scott S. Winter is a Managing Director of Innisfree M&A Incorporated. Mr. Winter advises companies and investors on all aspects of shareholder engagement focusing on hostile and friendly acquisitions, shareholder activism, contested shareholder meetings, corporate governance, and other proxy solicitation matters. Scott has been involved in most of the significant U.S. hostile takeovers in the past decade as well as activism situations involving, among others, Barington, Corvex, Elliott Management, Engaged Capital, Engine No. 1, Icahn Associates, Land & Buildings, JANA Partners, Pershing Square, Sachem Head, Sarissa Capital, Starboard Value, Third Point, Trian, and ValueAct.
Prior to joining Innisfree, Mr. Winter was an attorney with Skadden specializing in mergers and acquisitions, including cross-border and hostile transactions. Before attending law school, he was a certified public accountant with Ernst & Young LLP for a number of hedge fund and broker-dealer clients.
Mr. Winter earned a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Wisconsin, and a J.D. from the New York University School of Law. Mr. Winter is member of the Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Control Contests Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the American Bar Association, and the Society for Corporate Governance.
- Lauren Taylor Wolfe Managing Partner, Impactive Capital
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Wolfe

Lauren Taylor Wolfe is co-founder and Managing Partner of Impactive Capital, a $3 Billion active impact investing firm. Impactive Capital helps companies allocate capital effectively and ethically to drive more sustainable, profitable and valuable businesses over the long run. Prior to founding Impactive Capital, from 2007 to 2017, Lauren was a Managing Director at investment firm, Blue Harbour Group, where she led investments in the technology, consumer and business and healthcare services industries. Prior to joining Blue Harbour in 2007, Lauren was a Portfolio Manager at SIAR Capital, where she invested in small capitalization public companies and private companies.
Lauren received an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University. Lauren has been active on various public and private boards including, $4 Billion TEV Envestnet Inc [NYSE: ENV], $10 Billion TEV HD Supply [Nasdaq: HDS], 30% Club Steering Committee, an Angel Member of 100 Women in Finance.
- Dan Burch Chief Executive Officer, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
- Barrett Golden Partner, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
- Elina Tetelbaum Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
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Daniel H. Burch is the Chairman, CEO and co-founder of MacKenzie Partners, Inc.; responsible for developing and implementing strategies and campaigns for clients involved in proxy contests, tender offers, mergers, financial restructuring and other complex corporate transactions. His particular focus is also on shareholder activism and corporate governance. He has led MacKenzie’s efforts on behalf of its clients in campaigns in North America and Europe for the past 30 years. Mr. Burch previously served as director of corporate development for a major NYSE listed real estate company.
He is a member of the Society for Corporate Governance and the National Investor Relations Institute.
B.S. Accounting - Lehigh University

A founding member of Joele Frank, Barrett advises Boards and management teams facing complex, high-profile events including proxy contests, mergers and acquisitions, unsolicited takeovers and special situations that threaten the Company’s reputation and their leadership’s credibility.
Over her 20 years with Joele Frank, she has counseled scores of companies navigating engagement with and front-page contests involving some of the most prominent activist investors, including Carl Icahn, D.E. Shaw, Elliott Management, JANA, Starboard, Third Point, Trian and ValueAct, among others.
A trusted M&A advisor, she develops and executes multi-stakeholder communications strategies that have influenced successful outcomes in hundreds of unsolicited, shareholder contested and negotiated M&A transactions.
She speaks frequently on subjects of proxy contests, activism, mergers and acquisitions, corporate crises and reputation management.
In recognition of her achievements, Barrett was named to PR Week’s inaugural “40 Under 40” list. She joined Joele Frank from Abernathy MacGregor Frank. Earlier she worked for Kirby McInerney & Squire and served in the office of Congressman Bob Goodlatte. She received a BA from the University of Virginia, where she also attended the University’s McIntire Institute for Business.

Elina Tetelbaum is a Corporate Partner at Wachtell Lipton, where she leads the firm’s efforts on shareholder activism defense and preparedness. Ms. Tetelbaum regularly counsels boards of directors on corporate governance matters, crisis management, M&A, and activism situations. Ms. Tetelbaum has been named a Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer, one of The Deal’s Top Women in Dealmaking, a Law360 Rising Star for M&A and one of the 500 Leading Dealmakers in America by Lawdragon, among other honors. Ms. Tetelbaum received an A.B. magna cum laude in Economics from Harvard University and completed a J.D. from Yale Law School, after which she served as a law clerk to the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
- Tom Matthews (moderator), Partner, White & Case LLP
- Adam Katz Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Irenic Capital Management
- Harlan Zimmerman Senior Partner, Cevian Capital
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Tom Matthews is a partner in White & Case’s Global M&A and Corporate practice in London, where he leads the Firm’s EMEA Activism practice. Since establishing the practice in 2019, Tom has advised on many of the most significant and precedent-setting shareholder activism campaigns in the UK and Europe, helping to propel White & Case to the #1 Global Activism ranking by Bloomberg, LSEG, and Diligent.
He has acted for both activists and companies across a wide spectrum of campaigns, from high-stakes boardroom contests to strategic M&A interventions, giving him a unique perspective on how shareholder engagement plays out in practice. Recent highlights include advising Saba Capital Management on its landmark £4 billion campaign involving nine UK investment trusts, and working with Frasers Group PLC on multiple activist initiatives, including board changes at Boohoo Group and a public bid for Norwegian retailer XXL ASA.
Tom is a frequent commentator on trends in shareholder engagement and has spoken at leading industry forums, including Diligent’s inaugural UK Activism Conference at the London Stock Exchange. His mandates are regularly covered by the Financial Times and other major publications, cementing his reputation as a market-leading adviser in the fast-evolving activism landscape.

Adam Katz is a co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Irenic Capital Management. Previously, Mr. Katz was an Associate Portfolio Manager at Elliott Management where he focused on special situations including public equity activism, private equity, and distressed credit. Adam has extensive experience with multiple $1 billion+ public equity activist engagements. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, and a JD from Harvard Law School. He also received an AB in Government from Harvard University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with High Honors in Field.

Harlan Zimmerman is a Senior Partner of Cevian Capital, with responsibilities across investment, engagement, and business matters of the firm. He has been involved with Cevian since its founding in 2003, and has headed the London office since 2007. Prior to Cevian, Mr. Zimmerman worked in private equity, listed equities and banking.
Mr. Zimmerman is a 1992 graduate of the Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned an MBA in Finance from Wharton and an MA in International Relations. He also holds a BA (International Relations/Russian) from the University of California, Davis.
- Michael Breheney (moderator), Managing Director & Head of US Sales Trading, TD Securities
- Alex Silver Co-Founder & CIO, Ananym Capital Management
- James Smith Founder and CIO, Palliser Capital (UK) Ltd
- Andy Taylor Managing Director, Carronade Capital Management
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Michael is the Head of US Sales Trading and sits on the Equity Operating Committee. He is responsible for developing and implementing business plans and strategies to drive and maximize market share and profitability for the TDS US Cash Equities business.
Michael joined TD Securities as part of the TD Cowen integration. Prior to joining Cowen Inc., Michael was Head of AMRS Sales Trading at Bank of America. Michael's career spanned 18 years at BofA in cash equites. Prior to BofA, he worked at Morgan Stanley on equity sales trading desk.
Arts degree from Franklin & Marshall College. He is also a co-chair of St. Jude Children's Hospital committee of New York/ALSAC chapter.

- Former Partner (since founding) and Investment Committee Member at P2 Capital Partners (2007-2023) where he led many of its most profitable investments.
- tExperience also includes pursuing and completing multi-billion dollar take-privates of portfolio companies, including P2’s largest public-to-private transaction - Blackhawk Network - in a $3.5 billion transaction.
- Previously with Karsch Capital Management ($2.5B long/short equity hedge fund) (2005-2007), Soros Private Equity Partners (Soros Fund Management’s direct private equity arm) (2001-2003), and Lazard Freres (1999-2001).
- Extensive experience in TMT, consumer and business services, products, industrials, and health care services.
- Board experience includes Achievers, Blackhawk Network Holdings, Columbia Medical Center’s Children’s Board, EB Research Partnership (founder), Johns Lyng Group, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIH institute), and Phoenicis Therapeutics.
- MBA from Harvard Business School (2005), where he received a Little Family Foundation Fellowship, and a BA in political science from Brown University (1999), where he graduated magna cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Prior to founding Palliser Capital in 2021, James Smith was the Head of Elliott’s Hong Kong office. James joined Elliott UK in 2001 where he focused on European investments before moving to Hong Kong and advancing to the roles of Portfolio Manager & Head of Office. Prior to joining Elliott and from 1999, James gained a variety of experience in the telecommunications sector with start-up company FirstMark Communications Europe. Prior to FirstMark, and following his graduation from Cambridge University in 1997, James held the role of Investment Analyst at Fleming Asset Management.
- Lawrence Elbaum Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
- Jennifer Longhurst Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
- Doug Rappaport Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
- Joe Reece Chairman of the Board or Directors, NCR Atleos Corporation and Compass Minerals
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Lawrence Elbaum is Co-Head of Sullivan & Cromwell’s Shareholder Activism Practice and a partner in the Firm’s M&A Group. Lawrence leverages nearly two decades of experience as a securities attorney and business advisor to counsel boards and c-suites of public companies with respect to proxy fights, hostile bids, merger contests, “Withhold the Vote” or “Vote No” campaigns, precatory proposals and short attacks, as well as an array of complex corporate governance matters.
Over the past 10 proxy seasons, Lawrence has led over 300 activism defense engagements for public companies of all sizes and across all industries. He regularly defends clients against high-profile shareholder activists such as Elliott Management, Starboard Value, Carl Icahn, D.E. Shaw, Corvex Management, Engaged Capital, Ancora Advisors and Third Point.
“Lawrence is incredibly sharp, sophisticated and thoughtful. He applies his vast knowledge and expertise in a nuanced fashion, and strategic thoughts bring real value to any project.” – Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense (New York), 2025
Outside the office, Lawrence works with organizations to promote gender and ethnic diversity in public company boardrooms across corporate America. He also devotes significant efforts to pro bono work, including having represented battered and indigent women in connection with divorce, alimony, and child custody and support proceedings in New York City. In addition, he supports a host of regional, national and global charities, including various Holocaust remembrance and genocide prevention initiatives, The Boys and Girls Club of America and Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

Jennifer Longhurst is a partner in McCarthy Tétrault’s M&A and Corporate Governance Groups, and is Co-leader of the firm’s Critical Situations & Shareholder Activism Group. Recognized by Chambers and Partners as an industry leader, Jennifer is distinguished for her work advising business leaders, boards of directors, special committees and investors on complex M&A transactions, shareholder activism, special situations and corporate governance matters.
To maximize value and drive successful outcomes, Jennifer delivers integrated, judgment-based advice to assist both public market issuers and investors. Her practice spans the full spectrum of activism-related situations, including in corporate governance issues and disputes, proxy contests and solicitation campaigns, unsolicited M&A proposals, activist campaign strategies, securities compliance issues, insider trading and reporting and securities regulatory proceedings and investigations.
Her extensive practice knowledge is matched by expertise across key Canadian industries, including, metals and mining, energy and natural resources, heavy industries, financial services, real estate, pharmaceuticals, private equity, telecommunications and retail and consumer markets, making her a trusted advisor on strategic and legal issues and broader business concerns.
Jennifer is known for her ability to navigate high-stakes negotiations, with particular expertise in complex activist situations and global and cross-border transactions. She has advised on many of the most high-profile Canadian and international public M&A transactions and proxy contests. She also regularly counsels on corporate governance, securities law, and public reporting, offering clients a 360-degree perspective on their most pressing matters.
In addition to her practice experience, Jennifer is active in the business community as a thought leader, educator, and representative on industry committees and boards. She is a frequent speaker, author, and regular contributor to industry periodicals, as well as conferences and events. Recently, Jennifer co-authored “Anticipating and Responding to Shareholder Activism: An IRO’s Guide” which was featured in IR Leader, a publication of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI). She is also a past adjunct professor of corporate transactions at Osgoode Hall Law School’s Professional Development LLM program and a frequent adjunct instructor of the Osgoode Professional LLM Governance, Activism and M&A conferences. Jennifer is a past Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission’s Securities Advisory Committee, a member of American Bar Association’s Corporate Governance and M&A Committees and the Canadian and Ontario Bar Associations’ Corporate Governance Committees, and a member of the Board of Directors of The Walrus.

Douglas Rappaport is a leading litigator and regulatory and compliance lawyer serving as head of Akin’s investment funds litigation practice and co-head of the shareholder activism group.
On a daily basis, Doug advises investment fund clients and others on regulatory compliance and corporate governance matters, including those involving U.S. securities laws, trading issues, compliance procedures and fiduciary obligations.
With significant litigation experience advising funds and companies, Doug has served as lead counsel in matters involving disputes over breaches of fiduciary duty, secured assets, Section 16 short-swing trading, partnership interests, securities fraud, options backdating and insider trading. Doug has won numerous dispositive motions, trials and appeals in both state and federal courts.
Clients interviewed by Chambers USA describe Doug as “a fantastic litigator who is always available and most importantly, consistently delivers positive results.”
He also provides advice on activist investing issues, devising strategies regarding the solicitation of board seats, the displacement of existing corporate management and contests for corporate control.
In addition, Doug regularly represents investment funds, corporations and individuals in regulatory and internal investigations. His experience extends to matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the New York Attorney General’s office, and other state and non-U.S. securities agencies.
- Glenn Welling Principal & Chief Investment Officer, Engaged Capital
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Welling

Glenn is the founder and CIO of Engaged Capital, a constructive activist fund that invests in small and mid-cap public companies. Previously, Glenn was a Principal and Managing Director at Relational Investors, a $6B activist fund. He was responsible for managing the fund’s consumer, healthcare and utility investments and was involved in all aspects of Relational’s research process. Prior to Relational, Glenn spent 7 years as a Managing Director at Credit Suisse and Head of the Investment Banking Department’s Advisory Businesses. He built his group into one of the leading commercially focused advisory businesses on Wall Street advising on over $100B of transactions. Glenn joined Credit Suisse when the Firm acquired HOLT Value Associates, where he was a Partner and Managing Director. Prior to HOLT, Glenn was the Managing Director of Valuad U.S., a financial software and advisory business. Prior to Valuad U.S., he worked at leading consulting firms including A.T. Kearney and Marakon Associates.
Glenn is a member of the Board of Directors of BRC, Inc, a NYSE listed multichannel coffee and lifestyle brand where he is a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee. From 2022 to 2023 he was a member of the Board of Directors of NCR Corporation, a NYSE listed software- and services-led enterprise technology provider for the financial, retail, and hospitality industries where he Chaired the Special Committee and served on the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and the Audit Committee. From 2017 to 2022, Glenn was a member of the Board of Directors of The Hain Celestial Group, a NASDAQ listed leading marketer, manufacturer and seller of organic and natural better-for-you-products where he was the Chair of the Compensation Committee and member of the Strategy Committee. From 2015 to 2020 Glenn was a member of the Board of Directors of TiVo Corporation, a NASDAQ listed provider of digital entertainment technology solutions where he was the Chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Strategy Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. From 2015 to 2018 he served on the Board of Medifast, Inc., a NYSE listed manufacturer of medically based, proprietary healthy living and meal replacement products where he was a member of the Audit, Compensation, and Mergers and Acquisitions Committees. From January 2015 to August 2018 he served on the Board of Jamba, Inc., a NASDAQ listed leading restaurant retailer of better-for-you food and beverage offerings where he was the Chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Finance Committee. From 2017 to 2019 he also served on the Corporate Governance Advisory Council of the Council of Institutional Investors. Glenn also taught executive education courses at the Wharton School of Business, his alma mater. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the university’s tennis program and as a member of the Wharton Executive Education Board. In 2018, Glenn was recognized by The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as one of the 100 most influential directors in corporate boardrooms. In 2025, Glenn was awarded the Enhancement of Economic Value Award from the Forum for Corporate Directors, Orange County Chapter.
- Leza Bieber Partner, Freshfields
- Lex Suvanto CEO, Edelman Smithfield
- Qin Tuminelli SVP, Contested Situations Advisory Team, Jefferies
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Leza Bieber is a corporate partner at Freshfields US LLP, where she is the US head of activism defense and shareholder engagement, focusing on activism and takeover defense preparedness and corporate governance.
Ms. Bieber advises boards of directors and executive management teams on activism, governance and crisis management, including stakeholder engagement and board and disclosure issues. Ms. Bieber is a recognized thought leader on governance and activism matters. For the last five years, Ms. Bieber co-hosted Freshfields’ annual post-proxy season event with leading institutional investors to demystify investor views and expectations with hundreds of public company clients. She also regularly chairs a panel at Corporate Board Member’s Boardroom Summit on shareholder activism and engagement trends. She is the co-editor of Freshfields’ annual proxy season recap, co-host of our webcast series on governance and disclosure updates and co-host of our governance podcast series. Leza is ranked as “Up and Coming” by Chambers and a “Rising Star” for shareholder activism and corporate governance and is a key member of the Tier 1 corporate governance group, both as ranked by Legal 500. Ms. Bieber received a J.D and a B.A in economics and psychology from New York University.

Lex serves as CEO of Edelman Smithfield, a financial communications boutique within Edelman that specializes in activism defense, M&A and capital markets transactions, restructuring, and IR as well as communications support for the investment community. Lex personally focuses on advising Boards and management teams on strategic communications programs during high pressure and transformational situations.
During a two-decade career in the industry, Lex has advised on some of the most high-profile corporate transactions, proxy fights, IPOs and crisis situations. Lex has provided counsel to companies across industries through all stages of activism defense involving the full range of activist investors including Elliott Management, Starboard, Ichan Associates, JANA, Third Point, Trian, ValueAct, Engaged, Engine, D.E. Shaw, Barington, and Pershing Square, among others. Lex has a particular passion for helping companies ensure their plan is best positioned to create shareholder value, and helping companies communicate that plan in a compelling manner.
Leveraging Edelman’s breadth of services, Lex has led hundreds of transaction assignments that deploy fully integrated communications campaigns to win support from all stakeholders. He has also advised dozens of Boards on positioning strategy for CEO transitions, crisis situations, independent investigations, and other issues that impact investor trust.
Lex is a frequent speaker and author on reputation strategy, IR best practices and governance trends. Prior to joining Edelman Smithfield, Lex was a Managing Director at Abernathy MacGregor. Lex has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB from Harvard College.

Qin Tuminelli is a Senior Member of Jefferies’ Contested Situations Advisory Team. She has over 25 years of experience in shareholder activism, shareholder engagements, contested or hostile M&A, proxy contests, M&A advisory, corporate governance, corporate development, and corporate finance. Prior to joining Jefferies, Qin co-led the Activism and Takeover Defense practice at Credit Suisse, and before that she helped found ISS’ Special Situations Research Team and develop the analytical frameworks for proxy fights and contested M&A that ISS currently applies. Qin Tuminelli holds an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester and a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from Tongji University.
- Donna Anderson Former Head of Global Corporate Governance, T. Rowe Price
- Ken Squire Founder and President, 13D Monitor/13D Management
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Donna F. Anderson was Global Head of Corporate Governance at T. Rowe Price for 18 years until her retirement earlier this month. In this role, Ms. Anderson served as an internal resource on governance topics for the firm’s portfolio management team, led the firm’s engagement efforts with portfolio companies, and directed proxy voting decisions for the Americas region.
Before joining T. Rowe Price in 2007, Ms. Anderson was Director of Equity Research for Invesco Funds in Houston.

Ken Squire is the Founder and President of 13D Monitor and the Founder, Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager of the 13D Activist Fund.
13D Monitor is the premier subscription research service specializing in the analysis of activist investors' 13D filings and following the broader shareholder activist community. Squire has focused exclusively on following shareholder activism and corporate governance since 2006 and is a leading commentator in the industry. He is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal and other financial publications, and his weekly column The Activist Spotlight was featured in Barron's from 2007 to 2020. He is now a CNBC Contributor and The Activist Spotlight column can be read on CNBC.com.
In 2010, Squire created the annual Active-Passive Investor Summit, a forum that brings together the entire activist investor and corporate governance community and provides top activist investors a platform to present their best investment ideas.
In 2012, Squire founded the 13D Activist Fund, an event-driven mutual fund that focuses on investing in opportunities identified in 13D filings. Squire is the founder, chief investment strategist and portfolio manager. The Fund was the first of its kind, providing both individual and institutional investors diversified, liquid and low-cost access to the most compelling activist investments in this asset class. Following the success of the 13D Activist Fund, Squire launched a hedge fund for larger institutional investors. This private investment vehicle invests alongside, and with the same strategy, as the 13D Activist mutual fund.
In 2021, Squire created the AESG™ investment category, an activist investment style focused on improving ESG practices at companies.
Prior to starting 13D Monitor, Squire was a private equity investor as a principal of LSC Investors and Crown Capital Group, where he worked on analyzing, making and managing various investments in public and private companies. Prior to that, he was an associate in the Corporate and Securities Department at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in their New York office. Squire holds a B.S. with a concentration in finance from New York University's Stern School of Business and a J.D. from New York University's School of Law where he was an editor of the Law Review.
- Ele Klein Partner, McDermott Will & Schulte
- J. Travis Laster Vice Chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery
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Ele represents activists, investment banks and companies in matters ranging from corporate governance and control to proxy contests and defensive strategies.
He works on numerous activist campaigns and related transactions every year for some of the largest private investment groups and investment banks in the United States and abroad.
In addition, Ele advises on private investments in public equity (PIPEs), initial public offerings and secondary offerings, venture capital
financing, and indenture defaults and interpretation, and he counsels clients in the regulatory areas of insider trading, short selling, Sections 13 and 16, Rule 144, insider trading and Regulation M/Rule 105.
Ele is recognized as a 2022 American Lawyer “Dealmaker of the Year” for his work at Exxon Mobil for Engine No. 1, the largest proxy fight in history, which resulted in the addition of three directors to the ExxonMobil board of directors.
He is also ranked as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, New York Super Lawyers – New York Metro Top 100 and Super Lawyers Business Edition.
Ele has served as a moderator and speaker at numerous conferences and events addressing shareholder activism, regulatory and reporting issues, PIPEs, M&A deals, the capital markets and other topics of interest to the alternative investment industry.
He is a regular contributor to the Shareholder Activism Insight report and The Activist Investing Annual Review, produced annually by Activist Insight in association with McDermott Will & Schulte.

The Honorable J. Travis Laster was sworn in as Vice Chancellor of the Court of Chancery on October 9, 2009. Prior to his appointment, he was one of the founding partners of
Abrams & Laster LLP, a corporate law boutique specializing in high stakes litigation
involving Delaware corporations and other business entities, and advising on
transactional matters carrying a significant risk of litigation. Before forming Abrams &
Laster, he was a director in the Corporate Department of Richards, Layton & Finger P.A.
Before joining Richards Layton & Finger, he clerked for the Honorable Jane R. Roth of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Vice Chancellor Laster received his A.B summa cum laude from Princeton University and
his J.D. and M.A. from the University of Virginia, where he served on the Virginia Law
Review, was a member of the Order of the Coif, and received the Law School Alumni
Association Award for Academic Excellence for having the best academic record in his
graduating class. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Delaware State Bar
Association, and the Rodney Inn of Court.
- Keith Meister Founder & CIO, Corvex Management LP
- Ken Squire Founder and President, 13D Monitor/13D Management
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Meister
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Keith Meister is Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Corvex Management LP, which he founded in December 2010.
Prior to founding Corvex, Mr. Meister served as Chief Executive Officer and then Principal Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Icahn Enterprises from August 2003 to August 2010. From their launch in November 2004 to August 2010, Mr. Meister also served as Senior Managing Director of the General Partners of Icahn Partners LP and affiliated funds. Prior to joining the Icahn Organization, Mr. Meister served as Co‐President of J Net Ventures from January 2000 through September 2001. Prior to launching J Net Ventures, Mr. Meister worked at NorthStar Capital and Lazard Freres.
Mr. Meister currently serves on the board of directors for MGM Resorts, Bet MGM, and GeneDX. He has previously served as a director on numerous other public boards including Yum! Brands, Inc., The Williams Companies, The ADT Corporation, Ralcorp Holdings, and Motorola/Motorola Mobility, among others. He is also Chairman of the board of directors for Harlem Children’s Zone and a member of the board of trustees for the American Museum of Natural History.
Mr. Meister received an A.B. in government, cum laude, from Harvard College in 1995.

Ken Squire is the Founder and President of 13D Monitor and the Founder, Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager of the 13D Activist Fund.
13D Monitor is the premier subscription research service specializing in the analysis of activist investors' 13D filings and following the broader shareholder activist community. Squire has focused exclusively on following shareholder activism and corporate governance since 2006 and is a leading commentator in the industry. He is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal and other financial publications, and his weekly column The Activist Spotlight was featured in Barron's from 2007 to 2020. He is now a CNBC Contributor and The Activist Spotlight column can be read on CNBC.com.
In 2010, Squire created the annual Active-Passive Investor Summit, a forum that brings together the entire activist investor and corporate governance community and provides top activist investors a platform to present their best investment ideas.
In 2012, Squire founded the 13D Activist Fund, an event-driven mutual fund that focuses on investing in opportunities identified in 13D filings. Squire is the founder, chief investment strategist and portfolio manager. The Fund was the first of its kind, providing both individual and institutional investors diversified, liquid and low-cost access to the most compelling activist investments in this asset class. Following the success of the 13D Activist Fund, Squire launched a hedge fund for larger institutional investors. This private investment vehicle invests alongside, and with the same strategy, as the 13D Activist mutual fund.
In 2021, Squire created the AESG™ investment category, an activist investment style focused on improving ESG practices at companies.
Prior to starting 13D Monitor, Squire was a private equity investor as a principal of LSC Investors and Crown Capital Group, where he worked on analyzing, making and managing various investments in public and private companies. Prior to that, he was an associate in the Corporate and Securities Department at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in their New York office. Squire holds a B.S. with a concentration in finance from New York University's Stern School of Business and a J.D. from New York University's School of Law where he was an editor of the Law Review.
- Andrew Freedman (moderator), Co-Managing Partner and Chair of Shareholder Activism Practice, Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP
- Andrew Borek Head of Special Situations Research , Institutional Shareholder Services Inc.
- Jason McCandless Head of M&A and Contested Proxy Research, Glass Lewis & Co.
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Widely acknowledged nationally as preeminent in the shareholder activism arena, Andrew Freedman represents many of the most active and prominent activist investors and investment funds, as well as newly launched activist investment firms. A co-founder of Olshan's Shareholder Activism Practice, he now leads Olshan’s top-ranked global Shareholder Activism Group.
Leading activist hedge funds and investors choose Andy to guide them in their shareholder activism campaigns, proxy fights, 13D filings, hostile takeovers, corporate governance matters, and engagements with public company management and boards of directors. Private equity firms also seek his counsel regarding “toehold” stakes, PIPEs, M&A strategies, and transaction negotiations, including offer letters, diligence, NDAs, and regulatory issues.
Andy has represented investors in hundreds of high-stakes, high-profile shareholder activism campaigns in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, helping clients replace more than 1,000 directors on public company boards and strengthening corporate governance and accountability in the process. An out-of-the-box strategic thinker, Andy finds solutions.
Andy has achieved landmark, precedent-setting proxy contest victories, including Browning West's historic win in a recent proxy contest to replace the entire board at Canadian clothing maker Gildan Activewear, where Browning West's eight nominees were installed, and its former CEO and founder, Glenn Chamandy, was reinstated. He also represented first-time activist, Irenic Capital, earlier this year in its successful proxy campaign at Barnes Group Inc., a global provider of highly engineered products, differentiated industrial technologies, and innovative solutions. Additionally, Andy represented Hestia Capital in its proxy campaign at Pitney Bowes Inc., marking the first-ever control slate proxy contest to go to a vote under the SEC's new universal proxy card voting regime. He has delivered similarly successful results for activist investors such as Starboard Value LP, Elliott Investment Management, and Ancora Advisors.
Andy's skill in assessing the prospects for change and devising proxy campaign strategies gives clients a competitive edge regardless of campaign constraints. He is regularly praised as a tenacious adversary, a master strategist, and sophisticated in managing the myriad technical details of campaigns. A tactician of the highest order and aggressive in delivering results, Andy's talent and reputation lend credibility and power to campaigns, ultimately resulting in highly successful outcomes.
Andy is recognized as the #1 lawyer in Shareholder Activism, having been ranked by Chambers USA since 2017 and achieving a prestigious Band 1 ranking in 2024. The Legal 500 United States also ranks him as a Tier 1 Leading Lawyer in M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Shareholder Activism – Advice to Shareholders. In 2022, Business

Andrew Borek is the Head of Special Situations Research (SSR) at ISS, which provides comprehensive, independent research on high-profile economic proposals and contests for corporate control. He is a subject matter expert in both shareholder activism and a wide range of corporate governance topics, with broad experience in contested situations and in constructive engagement with issuers, investors, and other stakeholders. As a frequent speaker, Andrew has addressed industry audiences at fora hosted by the Investment Company Institute, Bloomberg, the National Association of Corporate Directors, and others.
Andrew holds a B.A. from the University of Mary Washington, and a J.D. from William & Mary Law School.

Jason McCandless heads the M&A and Contested Proxy team responsible for global M&A and activism research coverage as well as all special situation issuer and shareholder engagements. He has held this position since 2016 and joined the team in 2003. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Davis and a master’s degree in business from Santa Clara University.
- Scott Ferguson Managing Partner, Sachem Head Capital Management
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Scott is the managing partner and portfolio manager of Sachem Head Capital Management, a value-oriented investment management firm based in New York. Prior to starting Sachem Head in 2012, he spent nine years at Pershing Square Capital Management, which he joined at its inception in 2003. Prior to Pershing Square, Scott earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 2003 and was a vice president at American Industrial Partners, private equity firm, from 1999 to 2001. Scott was also a business analyst at McKinsey & Company from 1996 to 1999. Scott graduated from Stanford University with an A.B. in Public Policy in 1996. He currently serves on the Supervisory Board of Delivery Hero SE, a leading global food delivery company, and was formerly on the boards of Olin Corporation, Elanco Animal Health, Autodesk and US Foods Holdings Corp. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Henry Street Settlement and is also a member of the Robin Hood Leadership Council. He lives in New York with his wife and three children.
- Seth Fischer Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Oasis Management Company Ltd.
- Ken Squire Founder and President, 13D Monitor/13D Management
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Seth H. Fischer is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Oasis Management, an investment manager headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in Tokyo and the U.S. Mr. Fischer founded Oasis in 2002 following a seven-year career at Highbridge Capital Management, where he managed the firm’s Asian investment portfolio.
A proponent of corporate governance reforms across Asia, he is a frequent speaker on economic and investment panels. Oasis is a signatory to Stewardship Codes in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong, and a Sustaining Donor to the Board Director Training Institute of Japan, as well as a member of the Japan Corporate Governance Network, the Asia Corporate Governance Association, the Japan Stewardship Initiative, and Japan’s 30% Club.
Prior to joining Highbridge, Mr. Fischer served in the Israel Defense Forces. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Yeshiva University in 1993. He is a Board Member of the Karen Leung Foundation and the Carmel School in Hong Kong, Vice Chairman of the Ohel Leah Synagogue Management Committee in Hong Kong, and co-founder of the Aumann-Fischer Center for Law, Economics, and Public Policy at Hebrew University opened in 2022.

Ken Squire is the Founder and President of 13D Monitor and the Founder, Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager of the 13D Activist Fund.
13D Monitor is the premier subscription research service specializing in the analysis of activist investors' 13D filings and following the broader shareholder activist community. Squire has focused exclusively on following shareholder activism and corporate governance since 2006 and is a leading commentator in the industry. He is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal and other financial publications, and his weekly column The Activist Spotlight was featured in Barron's from 2007 to 2020. He is now a CNBC Contributor and The Activist Spotlight column can be read on CNBC.com.
In 2010, Squire created the annual Active-Passive Investor Summit, a forum that brings together the entire activist investor and corporate governance community and provides top activist investors a platform to present their best investment ideas.
In 2012, Squire founded the 13D Activist Fund, an event-driven mutual fund that focuses on investing in opportunities identified in 13D filings. Squire is the founder, chief investment strategist and portfolio manager. The Fund was the first of its kind, providing both individual and institutional investors diversified, liquid and low-cost access to the most compelling activist investments in this asset class. Following the success of the 13D Activist Fund, Squire launched a hedge fund for larger institutional investors. This private investment vehicle invests alongside, and with the same strategy, as the 13D Activist mutual fund.
In 2021, Squire created the AESG™ investment category, an activist investment style focused on improving ESG practices at companies.
Prior to starting 13D Monitor, Squire was a private equity investor as a principal of LSC Investors and Crown Capital Group, where he worked on analyzing, making and managing various investments in public and private companies. Prior to that, he was an associate in the Corporate and Securities Department at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in their New York office. Squire holds a B.S. with a concentration in finance from New York University's Stern School of Business and a J.D. from New York University's School of Law where he was an editor of the Law Review.