NEW YORK, July 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (the “Company” or “ARI”) (NYSE:ARI), today announced the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company elected Pamela Carlton to serve as an independent director, effective July 22, 2021. Ms. Carlton joins a recently expanded ARI Board, following the election earlier this year of Carmencita Whonder at the Company’s Annual Meeting. Ms. Carlton’s election brings the total number of board members to ten, six of whom are independent directors. She will serve as a member of the Compensation Committee.
Commenting on the expanded Board, Michael Salvati, non-executive Chairman of the Board of ARI, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Pamela and Carmencita, who joined us earlier this year, to the Board of ARI. Both women are seasoned executives and we believe ARI will benefit greatly from their insight and expertise.”
Ms. Carlton is the President of Springboard – Partners in Cross Cultural Leadership, LLC. After 22 years as an investment banker on Wall Street, Ms. Carlton launched Springboard, a diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and consulting firm. Prior to founding Springboard, Ms. Carlton retired as a Managing Director and Associate Director of U.S. Equity Research at JPMorgan Chase, having also served as Director of U.S. Equity Research for Chase Asset Management. Prior to JPMorgan Chase, Pamela was an investment banker with Morgan Stanley and served as Morgan Stanley’s Co-Director of U.S. and Latin America Equity Research. She began her career as a corporate attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. Ms. Carlton also serves on the Board of Directors of Evercore (NYSE: EVR), the Board of Directors of Columbia Threadneedle Investments (the mutual fund board of Ameriprise), the Board of Directors of DR Bank and the Board of Directors of New York Presbyterian Hospital. She is a member of the Women’s Forum of New York. Ms. Carlton earned a B.A. from Williams College, graduating Magna Cum Laude, was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and was elected as President of the Willams College Phi Beta Kappa Society. She also earned a J.D. from Yale Law School and an M.B.A. from Yale School of Management.
Ms. Whonder serves as Policy Director at the lobbying and law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. She also founded OF WHONDER, a size inclusive luxury womenswear brand, and is chief executive officer of Whonder Apparel Group, LLC. Previously, Ms. Whonder served as the staff director for the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development and as the principal advisor on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee to United States Senator Charles E. Schumer. During the 109th Congress, she held the position of Minority Staff Director for the Senate Subcommittee on Economic Policy. Ms. Whonder has also worked as a Leadership Education Counselor for Gates Millennium Scholars Program/UNCF, an initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Ms. Whonder currently serves on the Board of Directors at Direct ChassisLink, Inc. as well as the Board of Directors of the DC Jazz Festival. Ms. Whonder has a B.A. from Howard University, a diploma from the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca and a Masters in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University.
About Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc.
Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: ARI) is a real estate investment trust that primarily originates, acquires, invests in and manages performing commercial first mortgage loans, subordinate financings and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. The Company is externally managed and advised by ACREFI Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, Inc., a high-growth, global alternative asset manager with approximately $461 billion of assets under management at March 31, 2021.
Additional information can be found on the Company's website at www.apolloreit.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of the Company's business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans and objectives. When used in this release, the words believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, plan, continue, intend, should, may or similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking: macro- and micro-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions taken by governmental authorities to contain the COVID-19 pandemic or treat its impact; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources; market trends in the Company’s industry, interest rates, real estate values, the debt securities markets or the general economy; the timing and amounts of expected future fundings of unfunded commitments; the return on equity; the yield on investments; the ability to borrow to finance assets; the Company’s ability to deploy the proceeds of its capital raises or acquire its target assets; and risks associated with investing in real estate assets, including changes in business conditions and the general economy. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements, and other risks, uncertainties and factors are based on the Company's beliefs, assumptions and expectations of its future performance, taking into account all information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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