Simone Grimes

Simone is an accomplished Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Qualified Audit Committee Financial Expert with over 20 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry, including insurance, banking, real estate, housing finance, private equity, and public accounting. She has held senior roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Grant Thornton, and Walker & Company LLP, overseeing audit engagements and capital restructuring strategies for large financial institutions, private equity firms, and high-growth companies. Notable executive leadership roles include Chief Financial Officer of Acadia Insurance, a W.R. Berkley Company, Vice President at Progressive Insurance, and Special Advisor at the Federal housing Finance Agency for the Conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Simone also serves on corporate boards, advising on complex mergers and acquisitions, cybersecurity governance, sustainability initiatives, and the design of executive compensation programs for named executive officers (NEOs). Simone is passionate about delivering value to investors, raising capital, and growing businesses. She believes in active shareholder engagement and a proactive approach to investor relations. She led two successful multimillion dollar M&A exits in her career. She teaches courses on a variety of technical topics including corporate governance, risk management, and accounting standard updates. Simone holds an MBA from Cornell University, a Certificate in Sustainable Investments from Columbia University, is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Internal Auditor and holds a Certified Corporate Director designation from the National Association of Corporate Directors.