Executive Officers

Bill Galvin, 58
Chief Executive Officer and Director Nominee

Mr. Galvin is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Anixter, a role that he held from July 2018 through June 2020. Prior to its acquisition, Anixter was a leading global distributor of Network & Security Solutions, Electrical & Electronic Solutions and Utility Power Solutions. Mr. Galvin joined Anixter in 1984 and held a variety of roles prior to his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer, including President and Chief Operating Officer (2017 – 2018), Executive Vice President—Network and Security Solutions (2007 – 2017) and Senior Vice President—North America Enterprise Cabling Solutions Sales (2006 – 2007). In addition, Mr. Galvin served on Anixter’s Board of Directors. Mr. Galvin holds a BA from Manhattan College.

Philip Tinkler, 55
Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Tinkler is the Chief Financial Officer of Chai Trust Company, LLC (corporate trustee for the Zell family trusts), and has served as director of Notable Labs, a biotechnology company, since February 2020. Since 1990, Mr. Tinkler has served in various leadership capacities for EGI and its affiliates. Among those roles was Chief Financial Officer of Danielson Holding Corporation, the predecessor of Covanta Holding Corporation, an international owner/operator of energy-from-waste and power generation facilities. Earlier in his career, Mr. Tinkler served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of First Capital Financial, LLC, and as the Managing General Partner of the First Capital real estate funds. He began his career at Ernst & Young. Philip holds an MST from DePaul University and a BS from Northern Illinois University.

Joseph Miron, 52
Secretary

Mr. Miron is Chief Legal Officer and a Managing Director of EGI where he oversees all of EGI’s legal activities. He is also Chief Legal Officer of Chai Trust Company, LLC (corporate trustee for the Zell family trusts). Prior to joining EGI in 2017, Mr. Miron worked at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in the corporate practice group from 1999. Earlier in his career, he was a manager in the consulting division of Arthur Andersen and in the legal and regulatory division of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He holds a JD summa cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law, an MBA with distinction in finance from DePaul University and a BA in finance from Michigan State University. Joe is a CPA, and a long-standing volunteer and advisor to the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and the Community Law Project.

Board of Directors

Sam Zell, 78
Chairman of the Board

Mr. Zell is the founder of Equity Group Investments, the private investment firm in Chicago he started more than 50 years ago. EGI invests opportunistically across industries and geographies throughout the capital structure. EGI’s current portfolio investments are in energy, waste and infrastructure, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, communications, healthcare, agribusiness, and real estate. EGI provides flexible capital and employs an engaged ownership approach to maximize the potential of its investments. In addition to his role as Chairman of EGI, Mr. Zell chairs four companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange: Equity Residential, a leading apartment REIT; Equity LifeStyle Properties, a manufactured home community and resort REIT; Equity Commonwealth, an office REIT; and Covanta Holding Corporation, an international owner/operator of energy-from-waste and power generation facilities. Mr. Zell also served as the Chairman of Anixter from 1986 through June 2020. Mr. Zell holds a JD degree and a BA degree from the University of Michigan. In 2017, Forbes recognized Mr. Zell as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.

Robert W. Grubbs, 64
Director 

Mr. Grubbs served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Anixter from 1994 to 2008, following a successful 30-year career with the company. During Mr. Grubbs’ tenure, Anixter saw tremendous growth in sales, profitability and shareholder returns. Mr. Grubbs continued to serve on the board of Anixter until May 2018. Mr. Grubbs currently serves on the board of Schneider National, a truckload, intermodal and logistics services provider, and is the Executive Chairman of Harrington Industrial Plastics, a process-solutions provider for corrosive and high-purity water systems. Previously, Mr. Grubbs served as the Chairman of GNAP, a leading specialty abrasives distributor, from 2016 until 2018 when Frontenac sold it to CenterOak Partners. Mr. Grubbs also has significant experience working with private equity firms, both through GNAP and Ohio Transmission Corporation, a leading technical distributor previously held by Irving Place Capital and currently held by Genstar Capital. Mr. Grubbs served as Chairman of Ohio Transmission Corporation from 2013 to 2019. Mr. Grubbs holds a BA in business administration from the University of Missouri.

Ellen Havdala, 54
Director 

Ms. Havdala is a Managing Director with EGI and has worked in a variety of capacities for Mr. Zell’s affiliated companies since 1990. Ms. Havdala serves on the board of Ardent Health Services, a provider of hospital and healthcare services. Ms. Havdala focuses on sourcing potential investment transactions and meeting new capital sources. In addition, Ms. Havdala is responsible for establishing and overseeing the Zell Global Entrepreneurship Network, an organization designed to provide continuing education and mentorship for students and alumni of Mr. Zell’s three entrepreneurship education programs. During Ms. Havdala’s tenure with EGI, she has served on several boards, including SIRVA Worldwide, Inc., a provider of moving and relocation services; Rewards Network, Inc., a dining rewards company; and WRS Holding Company, an environmental construction and remediation company; Mrs. Havdala has also held the roles of Acting Chief Executive Officer at Rewards Network, Executive Vice President at Equity International, and Vice President of Scott Sports Group, Inc. Prior to joining Mr. Zell’s organization, Ms. Havdala was a financial analyst with The First Boston Corporation in New York City. Ms. Havdala graduated magna cum laude with a BA from Harvard College, and earned her Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago in 2016.

Bill Simon, 60
Director 

Mr. Simon most recently served as Executive Vice President of Walmart and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart U.S. from 2010 to 2014, and he remained a consultant to the firm through February 2015. During his tenure at Walmart, Mr. Simon also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Walmart U.S. and Executive Vice President of Professional Services and New Business Development. Prior to joining Walmart, Mr. Simon held various roles at Brinker International and spent 25 years in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Navy Reserve. Mr. Simon served on the boards of Anixter, Agrium and Drizly and currently serves on the boards of Darden Restaurants, an American multi-brand restaurant operator of several recognizable brands in full-service dining; Gamestop, an omni-channel video game retailer; and Chico’s, a women’s clothing retailer. Mr. Simon also serves as an advisor to KKR, an investment firm. Since 2015, Mr. Simon has been an adjunct professor at Baylor University, and was a member of the Baylor Board of Regents until June 2020. Mr. Simon received his BA and MBA from the University of Connecticut.

Charles Swoboda, 53
Director 

Mr. Swoboda is currently the president of Cape Point Advisors and has served as the innovator-in-resident at Marquette University since 2019. Mr. Swoboda retired as Chairman and CEO of Cree in October of 2017, having led the company through an LED lighting revolution, a period of tremendous technological change within the lighting industry. During Mr. Swoboda’s tenure, Cree grew from just over $6 million in annual revenue in 1993 to more than $1.6 billion in 2016. The company is now a market leader in LEDs and semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications. In 2017, Mr. Swoboda founded Cape Point Advisors, a consulting company focused on innovation and technology disruption. Mr. Swoboda served on the board of Anixter and currently serves on the boards of Lonerider Brewing Company, a craft brewery; Vesper, a provider of MEMS microphones for use in smartphones and other connected devices; and KNOW Bio, a life sciences company in the nitric oxide field focused on a wide array of therapeutic applications. Ernst & Young named Mr. Swoboda Entrepreneur of the Year for the Carolinas in 2010, MIT Technology Review named Cree one of their 50 Smartest Companies for 2014, and Fast Company named Cree one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2015. Mr. Swoboda is the author of “The Innovator’s Spirit: Discover the Mindset to Pursue the Impossible,” a how-to book on innovation. Mr. Swoboda graduated from Marquette University with a BS in Electrical Engineering.