Advisory Board

Peter Giulioni, Jr.

Mr. Giulioni is one of the newest Associate Professors and Assistant Deans for Nanyang Business School in Singapore. Pete brings with him a significant track record of 35+ years of corporate and business consulting experience in learning, change management/adoption, organizational development/ effectiveness/transformation, and talent strategy as well as recruiting strategy and processes at top MBA^® programs.

Until recently Pete was the global Organizational Effectiveness partner within Infosys Consultings’ Manufacturing Vertical, and was Managing Director for Business Consulting at Slalom LLC. Pete was appointed the Assistant Dean and Executive Director of University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business’ Keenan MBA^® Career Center. He served as a senior partner in the Human Capital practice of Deloitte Consulting, LLP, and was the founder and managing partner for GA Enterprises & OD Partners Inc.

Pete has previously served on the National Board of Trustees for Camp Fire USA, the MBA^® Career Service Council, the International Directors Conference, AYSO Region 214 BofD and the South Pasadena Educational Foundation BofD. He currently serves on the Boards of Beyond B-School, and Pasadena Ronald McDonald House. He holds both a Bachelor’s Degree and Masters in Business Administration from the Sellinger School of Management at Loyola University in Baltimore, MD.

Andrew Kane (Chair)

Dr. Andrew S. Kane OBE, studied Economics, Accounting and Finance at the London School of Economics, where he obtained an honors degree. He then joined Arthur Andersen where he spent over 30 years. Andy also served as Managing Director and CEO of HSBC’s Private Bank in Southern California, then as Director of East West Bank. Leveraging 40 years of his experience and education, he became a coach, and is a member of the International Coaching Federation. Andy is also a FCA, and holds his CPA^® and CGMA^®.

Andy has served on many non-profit and for-profit boards, utilizing his experience in finance, audit, branding, strategic planning, and transition, and is currently Chairman of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. He sits on the North American Advisory Board of the London School of Economics and is also Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs at IUPS. He was awarded a British Honor of Chivalry by Her Majesty the Queen for services to British American business interests, and was invested as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Andy has been an active speaker for many years and has co-authored articles, surveys and books on a variety of topics during his career.

Joe Schmidt

Joe Schmidt as an Operating Partner at Clearlight Partners LLC. Before joining ClearLight, Joe spent over 30 years running a variety of small to middle market private companies as CEO or President. While at the last company he ran prior to joining ClearLight he grew revenue by 150% in four years while taking net profit from negative $5 million to positive EBITDA of nearly $12 million.

Joe has experience leading companies in manufacturing, engineering, consumer products and promotional marketing. During his career he has launched company startups, led turnarounds, made multiple add-on company acquisitions and led several companies to highly successful sale outcomes for their investors.

Joe was a Franklin Award winner as outstanding male graduate from the University of San Diego and has a degree in Business Administration. He has also received the Career Achievement Award from the University of San Diego in business.

Donald Solsby

Mr. Solsby is a 40+ year financial services expert with an extensive background in all aspects of banking, including business development, commercial lending, middle-market banking, and executive management, for several Orange County banks. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Real Estate Finance from San Diego State University. Mr. Solsby began his career with Union Bank as Regional Vice President located in Pasadena. He then transitioned to leadership in independent banks, where he served as President and CEO of PNB Financial Group. He later filled C-Suite roles in Southern California, serving as President and CEO of American Interstate Bank in Newport Beach and then Regional Vice President for Mellon 1st Business Bank. In the early 2000s, he began overseeing new bank formation and sales as Director, CEO, and President of Plaza Bank. After managing the sale of Plaza Bank, he was recruited by Independence Bank in Newport Beach before it was sold to Pacific Premier Bank at an attractive premium-to-book-value in 2015.

Presently, Donald is the Founder and Principal of CompassDirect, a financial solutions company specializing in commercial loan placement with companies and banks, and consulting on bank startups and acquisitions. CompassDirect has been helping businesses and organizations in Orange County since 2015. During his tenure in Orange County, he has served on the board of many community organizations and non-profit corporations, including the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, and The Council on Aging in Orange County. He currently sits as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Cystinosis Research Foundation.

John Zaepfel

Mr. Zaepfel is co-founder of The Board Group, an extensive network of CEOs who have created and served on more than 100 boards of advisors, fiduciary, and public boards. The Board Group and its founders have strong alliances with Southern California investment bankers, accounting firms, attorneys, and wealth management professionals.

John spent 15 years as a CEO, founding CPG International in 1985 as an outgrowth of a LBO. Companies in the group included Chartpak, Pickett Industries, Clearprint Paper, Planhold, and Grumbacher. This $90 million operating company manufactured and marketed fine art, graphic art, engineering, drafting, and media supplies through 13 domestic and international facilities. CPG was sold in May of 1989. Before forming CPG, he was CEO of Chartpak and Pickett Industries, wholly owned subsidiaries of Times Mirror. John started his career with Crown Zellerbach in marketing and pursued his career in this functional discipline with Western Kraft and Sealed Air Corporation prior to joining Avery International.

John has served on 45 public and private companies and currently serves on 20 public, private statutory, and advisory boards, often acting as non-executive chairman. He is a past member of the Young Presidents Organization and served as chairman of the group’s Southern California chapter. He is currently a member of the Chief Executives Organization. Mr. Zaepfel is a graduate of the University of Washington and holds an MBA^® from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.