Executive Officers

Bala Padmakumar, 63
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director

Bala Padmakumar is a broad based entrepreneur and technologist with a strong background in strategic partnerships, product and business development, technology and operations, private equity, and venture capital environments. Mr. Padmakumar has broad experience leading special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), including serving as Chairman and board member of Four Leaf Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: FORL), a SPAC in search of target business, since July 2022, and serving as CEO, Chairman and board member of Monterey Capital Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: MCAC), from September 2021 until the closing of its business combination with ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. (“ConnectM”), a clean energy solution provider, in July 2024. Since July 2024, he has served as Vice Chairman, Corporate Development for ConnectM (Nasdaq: CNTM). In addition, since August 2020, Mr. Padmakumar has been a partner at Advantary LLC, where he specializes in business development and advises on strategic matters. From July 2016 to December 2021, Mr. Padmakumar also advised on deal flow and provided operational support to portfolio companies for a fund set up to support SK Telecom Co., Ltd.’s strategic interests. From 2011 to October 2020, Mr. Padmakumar was the Chief Executive Officer at Amperics, Inc., a developer and vendor of high energy density ultracap hybrid storage systems. Mr. Padmakumar also has extensive experience in the clean energy sectors, having been an advisor to Lionrock Batteries Ltd., which creates flexible batteries and high performance separator technology since 2019, an advisor to the board and CEO of Hyperscale Data Center Company, a company focused on energy usage efficiency in hyperscale data centers from 2018 to 2020, and an advisor to the chairman of Advanced Systems Automation Limited in Singapore, where he advised on issues surrounding urban transportation, High Energy Density Li Ion battery (NMC technology) and 3D printing technology from 2017 to 2019. Mr. Padmakumar also has broad experience advising on capital raising and corporate strategy, serving as a mentor to OneValley Inc., a global entrepreneurship platform for individuals, startups, and corporations seeking innovation and accelerated growth, and as an advisor to several early stage companies from audio technologies to SaaS products. Mr. Padmakumar holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology from the University of Madras in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University.

Evan M. Graj, 48
Chief Financial Officer and Director

Evan M. Graj is an experienced entrepreneur, investor and operator in the technology and digital retail spaces. Currently, Mr. Graj serves as CEO of Fusion AI, a Singapore startup company he founded in September 2023 to deliver AI-powered marketing solutions. He is also a director nominee of Shepherd Ave Capital Acquisition Corporation, a Cayman Islands SPAC seeking Nasdaq listing. Before founding Fusion AI, Mr. Graj has accumulated for more than a decade of experience in the e-commerce space. From July 2022 to August 2023, he served as Chief Strategy Officer of DFI Retail Group (LSE: DFIB), a major Southeast and East Asia retailer; from January 2020 to April 2022, he served as Executive Vice President of NTUC Enterprise Co-operative Limited, the holding company for a group of social enterprises supported by the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), one of Singapore’s largest trade unions; from September 2018 to November 2019, he served as Australia country manager for Amazon Prime, the paid membership program for the global e-commerce giant, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN); from February 2017 to May 2018, he served as Executive Vice President and Regional Head of Express, Lazada Group, one of Southeast Asia’s largest e-commerce websites; from July 2016 to February 2017, Mr. Graj served as General Manager, UberEATs Singapore, the food delivery service arm of Uber (NYSE: UBER). In addition to his extensive experience in retail and e-commerce, Mr. Graj has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor and startup founder. Before founding Fusion AI, he founded and served as the CEO of Apricot Delivery, a Thailand e-commerce delivery service, in 2021 to 2022, and founded and served as the CEO of Dine In, a London-based restaurant delivery start-up, between 2010 and 2015. Earlier in his career, after founding and managing several internet businesses in the late 1990s, Mr. Graj spent for almost a decade in the financial industry, leading several algorithm trading practices at several London-based investment banks and asset managers, including Bear Stearns, Newedge Group and Knight Capital. Mr. Graj holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master’s Degree in Chemical Physics from Columbia University. Mr. Graj has been nominated as a director nominee for Shepherd Ave Capital Acquisition Corporation, a Cayman Islands SPAC seeking Nasdaq listing.

Board of Directors

William W. Snyder, 56
Director Nominee

has extensive experience in corporate finance, financial advisory and business consulting. Since February 2020, Mr. Snyder has served as Managing Partner of Daedalus Analytics International, a provider of business intelligence and strategy advisory services. In addition, since June 2024, Mr. Snyder has also served as the Chairman, CEO and director of Shepherd Ave Capital Acquisition Corporation, a Cayman Islands SPAC seeking Nasdaq listing. Before that, between February 2015 and February 2020, Mr. Snyder served as Managing Director, Transaction Advisory Services (TAS), at Ernst & Young (EY). Mr. Snyder holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California, a Master’s Degree in Science, Technology & International Affairs from George Washington University, and a Master’s Degree in Economics from Georgetown University. Mr. Snyder is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).

David Mao, 48
Director Nominee

David Mao has more than two decades in financial consulting and financial valuation. He has diverse experience serving a wide range of industries including industrial manufacturing, consumer products, healthcare/life sciences, and technology, media & entertainment. Mr. Mao has been a Managing Director at Ironside Advisory, a M&A advisory firm in California, since January 2023. Before joining Ironside, Mr. Mao served as a Director at RSM US LLP, from September 2020 to December 2022, serving as a senior member and co-leader of the accounting firm’s Los Angeles valuation practices. Between November 2013 to January 2020, Mr. Mao served as a Senior Manager in the Economics & Valuation Services (EVS) practices at KPMG LLP. Prior to joining RSM, Mr. Mao worked for 8 years at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP from 2005 to 2013. Mr. Mao began his career in 2001, working in valuation and advisory positions at various boutique accounting, valuation and advisory firms before joining Deloitte. Mr. Mao holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from University of California, Riverside. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder and an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) designation holder.

Robert H. Grigsby, 54
Director Nominee

Robert H. Grigsby has broad experience in private equity and investment, with a particular focus on real estate investment. His decades-long real estate investment and management background includes corporate relocation, lease restructuring, tax incentive negotiation, real estate finance, and investment sales. Since October 2016, Mr. Grigsby has served as the Managing Partner of BSW Capital Group, LLC, a boutique private equity firm he founded to focus on real estate and operating business investment. Previously, from December 2013 to October 2016, he served as Managing Director of Mandalay-FCRE Management Company LLC, an independent real estate investment firm with offices in U.S. and Asia, and a $335 million portfolio of value add and core plus office properties around the Southeast U.S. During the same period, Mr. Grigsby also served as Managing Director of Fairlead Commercial Real Estate, LLC, a multi-disciplined platform providing risk adjusted returns in real estate related investment opportunities. In addition to his business activities, Mr. Grigsby is active in several community organizations in Georgia. Since February 2022, he has served as a member of the Georgia Student Finance Commission Board of Commissioners, the state entity that oversees $1 billion funding in scholarships, grants and loans for the Georgia University System, a position appointed by the Governor of Georgia. Mr. Grigsby holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Anderson University, South Carolina.