Evelyn D’An, Evelyn D’An, of D’An Financial Services, brings her board experience and extensive knowledge on corporate governance matters to this panel. A former Big 4 Audit Partner, she currently advises business owners and senior management teams on the financial significance of strategic business decisions, corporate and operating structures, and growth of enterprises. Evelyn will share her perspective as director and former Chair of Nom & Gov of onboarding activist investors.
Evelyn Dilsaver, spent the first 17 years of her career in the audit and finance function as Controller for a bank and for Charles Schwab and as CFO and Chief Administrative Officer for U.S. Trust. She was given the opportunity to hone her skills in marketing, business development, strategy, M&A and product development, culminating in the role of EVP of Charles Schwab, member of the Management Committee and President and CEO of Charles Schwab Investment Management.
Melissa Sawyer, a partner in Sullivan & Cromwell LLP’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group and co-head of the Firm’s Corporate Governance & Activism Practice, will moderate the event. In addition to advising clients on public and private M&A transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, she also regularly advises clients on corporate governance, activism and takeover defense matters. Ms. Sawyer’s experience spans multiple industries, including consumer and retail, industrials, medtech and insurance.
Meredith Adler, Currently, Meredith is a Director on the Board of Performance Food Group, a US-based foodservice distributor, where she is a member of the audit committee and an SEC-qualified financial expert. In 2017 she was nominated to the Board of Whole Foods byJana Partners, a large, NY-based activist investor. In 2018 she was nominated to theBoard of Cars.com by Starboad Value, another NY-based activist fund. In the end she did not join either Board, with Whole Foods being acquired by Amazon and Cars.com choosing different Starboard nominees. Meredith had been an equity analyst at Barclays Capital, and its predecessor, Lehman Brothers, for 20 years, following food, drug and dollar store retailers, as well as healthy living and foodservice distribution companies. She retired from Barclays in July 2016.
In 2015, for the fourteenth year in a row, she was ranked as the #1 Food and Drug Retailing analyst in Institutional Investor’s annual poll of large investors. Prior to researching equities, Meredith was a high yield bond analyst for ten years following companies in the retail, healthcare and consumer product sectors. Previous to that she worked in the commercial banking industry. She received her B.A. (Magna Cum Laud) in Comparative Religion from Boston University and her M.B.A. in Finance from New York University. She is married and has two sons, ages 23 and 24.
Quentin Koffey, Mr. Koffey is the Portfolio Manager for Strategic Investments at the D. E. Shaw group, a global investment and technology development firm with over $50 billion in assets under management. Based on extensive research and consultation with well-respected and highly experienced operating partners, Mr. Koffey seeks to work actively with management teams of portfolio companies to unlock long-term value for shareholders. Mr. Koffey engages actively with management teams, boards of directors, and shareholders of portfolio companies in strategic, operational, and corporate governance matters.
EVENT DETAIL
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6:30 p.m. - Registration and Networking Cocktail Reception
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7:10 p.m. - Welcome Remarks, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
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7:15 p.m. - Panel Discussion and Q&A
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8:00 p.m. - Closing Remarks, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
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8:15 p.m. – Desserts and Networking Reception
*This event is complimentary for current BoardNext/WCD members and guests of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and $125 for non-members.