Board of Directors
Board of Directors
-
Robert L. Antin
Robert L. Antin has served as a member of the Board since June 2017. Mr. Antin was a co-founder of VCA Inc., a national animal healthcare company that provides veterinary services, diagnostic testing and various medical technology products and related services to the veterinary market and was publicly traded (NASDAQ: WOOF) until the company was privately acquired in September 2017. Mr. Antin has served as a Chief Executive Officer and President at VCA Inc. since its inception in 1986. Mr. Antin also served as the Chairman of the Board of VCA, Inc. from inception through the September 2017 acquisition. Mr. Antin currently serves on the Board of Directors of Rexford Industrial Realty, Inc. (NYSE: REXR) since July 2013, and Passion Dental, a private company, since 2020. He previously served on the Board of Heska Corporation (NASDAQ: HSKA) from November 2020 to May 2023. From September 1983 to 1985, Mr. Antin was President, Chief Executive Officer, a director, and co-founder of AlternaCare Corp., a publicly held company that owned, operated and developed freestanding out-patient surgical centers. From July 1978 until September 1983, Mr. Antin was an officer of American Medical International, Inc., an owner and operator of health care facilities. Mr. Antin received his MBA with a certification in hospital and health administration from Cornell University. Mr. Antin’s executive leadership experience provides an important resource to the Board.
-
Tammy Brandt
Tammy Brandt has served as a member of the Board since December 20, 2021. Since February 2023, Ms. Brandt has served as a senior member of the legal team at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a leading global entertainment and sports agency. From March 2021 to January 2023, Ms. Brandt served as Chief Legal Officer; Head of Business and Legal Affairs at FaZe Clan Inc. (NASDAQ: FAZE), a leading gaming, lifestyle, and media platform. A champion of diversity and inclusion, Ms. Brandt devotes her time and voice to organizations that advance and empower students and underrepresented groups. She has served on the Lambda Legal West Coast Leadership Board since 2019. From 2018 to June 2022, Ms. Brandt served on the Board of Cayton Children’s Museum, including as chair of its Audit Committee and a member of its Nomination and Governance Committee. From May 2017 to May 2021, she served as Chief Legal Officer at Dreamscape Immersive, and previously served as Chief Corporate, Securities, M&A and Alliance Counsel at DXC Technology and its predecessor, Computer Sciences Corporation; and as General Counsel at ServiceMesh, Inc., an enterprise software company in the cloud management space. Ms. Brandt is a graduate of Notre Dame Law School, where she was Managing Editor of the Notre Dame Law Review, and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in economics and business administration from Bluffton University. Ms. Brandt’s business and legal experience provides an important resource to the Board.
-
Robert D’Agostino
Robert D’Agostino has served as a member of the Board since October 2015. Mr. D’Agostino has served as President of Q-mation, Inc. since 1999. Q-mation, Inc. is a leading supplier of software solutions targeted at increasing operational efficiencies and asset performance in manufacturing companies. Mr. D’Agostino joined Q-mation, Inc. in 1990 and held various sales, marketing, and operations management positions prior to his appointment as President. He previously served on the board of Alliance Semiconductor Corp. from July 2005 to February 2012. Mr. D’Agostino graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Mr. D’Agostino’s executive leadership experience provides an important resource to the Board.
-
Chair
-
Member
-
-
Thomas J. Kelleher
Thomas J. Kelleher has served as our Co-Chief Executive Officer since July 2018 and as a member of our board since October 2015. He also previously served as President from August 2014 to July 2018. Mr. Kelleher previously served as Chief Executive Officer of B. Riley & Co., LLC, a position he held from 2006 to 2014. From the firm’s founding in 1997 to 2006, Mr. Kelleher held several senior management positions with B. Riley & Co., LLC, including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. Mr. Kelleher served on the board of directors of Special Diversified Opportunities Inc. from October 2015 to June 2017. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University. Mr. Kelleher’s experience and expertise in the investment banking industry provides the Board with valuable insight into the capital markets. Mr. Kelleher’s executive leadership experience is an important resource for the Board.
-
Renée E. LaBran
Renée E. LaBran has served as a member of the Board since August 11, 2021. Ms. LaBran co-founded Rustic Canyon Partners, a technology venture capital fund launched in 2000, and has served from 2006 to 2021 as Partner with Rustic Canyon/Fontis Partners, an investment fund which is now completed, targeting growth investments and lower middle market buy-outs in media, consumer goods, and business and consumer services industries. During this time, she served as a board director and advisor to multiple portfolio companies while providing oversight of her investment firm's finance and operations functions. Ms. LaBran currently serves on the board of Idealab, Inc. since March 2015 and Stravos Education, LLC since August 2022. Ms. LaBran previously served on the boards of Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp (NYSE:ICNC-UN) from October 2021 to October 2023; Sambazon, Inc. from 2009 to 2021; and TomboyX from 2018 to 2019. From March 2015 to December 2020, she served as a governor-appointed non-attorney public member on the Board of Trustees for the State Bar of California. Ms. LaBran is an Adjunct Professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management’s MBA program, earned an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School, and received an A.B. degree in Economics from UC Berkeley. Ms. LaBran’s board experience, business and financial acumen, and venture capital experience provide an important resource to the Board.
-
Randall E. Paulson
Randall E. Paulson has served as a member of the Board since June 18, 2020. Mr. Paulson currently serves on the Board of Directors of Testek Inc. and Dash Medical Holdings, LLC. Testek is a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC where he served as a Managing Principal from 2005 to 2019. Prior to this, Mr. Paulson was Executive Vice President — Acquisitions and Strategic Development at National Financial Partners, a New York based consolidator of independent financial services distribution firms. From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Paulson was at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. where he was a Senior Managing Director in the Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Finance groups. Prior to Bear Stearns, Mr. Paulson was a member of GE Capital’s merchant banking group. A native of Minnesota, Mr. Paulson received a BSB in Accounting from the University of Minnesota and his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Mr. Paulson’s financial services industry and accounting experience will provide an important resource to the Board.
-
Chair
-
-
Bryant R. Riley
Bryant R. Riley has served as our Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer since June 2014 and July 2018 respectively, and as a director since August 2009. He also previously served as our Chief Executive Officer from June 2014 to July 2018. In addition, Mr. Riley served as the Chairman of B. Riley & Co., LLC since founding the stock brokerage firm in 1997 until its combination with FBR Capital Markets & Co., LLC in 2017 and as Chief Executive Officer of B. Riley & Co., LLC from 1997 to 2006. He also served as Chairman of B. Riley Principal Merger Corp. from April 2019 to February 2020, at which time it completed its business combination with Alta Equipment Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALTG); as Chairman of B. Riley Principal Merger Corp. II from May 2020 to November 2020 at which time it had completed it business combination with Eos Energy Enterprises Inc. (Nasdaq: EOSE); and as Chairman of B. Riley Principa1 150 Merger Corp. from June 2020 to July 2022, at which time it completed its business combination with FaZe Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: FAZE). He served as Chairman of B. Riley Principal 250 Merger Corp. from May 2021 until its dissolution in May 2023. Mr. Riley served as director of Select Interior Concepts, Inc. from November 2019 until October 2021. He also previously served on the board of Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: BW) from April 2019 to September 2020; Sonim Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SONM) from October 2017 to March 2019; and Freedom VCM Holdings, LLC (fka Franchise Group, Inc., a public company (NASDAQ: FRG), with the last day of trading of 8/21/23) from September 2018 through March 2020, rejoining in August of 2023. Mr. Riley received his B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University. Mr. Riley’s experience and expertise in the investment banking industry provides the Board with valuable insight into the capital markets. Mr. Riley’s extensive experience serving on other public company boards is an important resource for the Board.
-
Michael J. Sheldon
Michael J. Sheldon has served as a member of the Board since July 2017. Mr. Sheldon served as CEO of Deutsch North America, one of the most awarded creative agencies in the United States, from January 2015 until his retirement in December 2019. Mr. Sheldon had also served as CEO of Deutsch’s Los Angeles office from September 1997 to January 2015. Mr. Sheldon received a B.A. degree from Michigan State University in Advertising. Mr. Sheldon’s entrepreneurial skills and marketing experience provide an important resource to the Board.
-
Member
-
-
Mimi K. Walters
Mimi K. Walters has served as a member of the Board since July 12, 2019. She served from 2015 to 2019 as the U.S. Representative for California’s 45th Congressional District. She has worked on key legislation, business and policy initiatives related to technology, energy, environmental and healthcare, including the opioid crisis and veterans’ medical services. As a member of House leadership, she served on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Ms. Walters represented California’s 37th State Senate District from 2008 to 2014, where she served on the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee and as Vice Chair for the Public Employment and Retirement Committee. From 2004 to 2008, she represented California’s 73rd Assembly District. Ms. Walters was a member of the Laguna Niguel City Council from 1996 to 2004, serving as Mayor in 2000, and chair of Laguna Niguel’s Investment and Banking Committee. Previously, Ms. Walters was an investment executive at Drexel Burnham Lambert and, subsequently, Kidder, Peabody & Co. from 1988 to 1995. Currently, Ms. Walters is the Chief Commercial Officer for Leading Edge Power Solutions, LLC since November 2019 and serves on the Board of Directors of Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOSE) since November 2020. Ms. Walters earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Walters extensive political and financial experience provides an important resource to the Board.