Our Board of Directors
Our executive officers, directors and director nominees are as follows:
© Ault Disruptive Technologies Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Our executive officers, directors and director nominees are as follows:
Milton C. (Todd) Ault III, the Chairman of the Board of our company, has nearly 30 years of experience identifyingvalue in multiple asset classes in numerous financial markets as an entrepreneur, private equity investor, board member andcorporate executive. Since March 2017, Mr. Ault has spent a substantial portion of his time transforming BitNile into a diversified holding company with interests in the defense-aerospace, industrial, automobile, telecommunications, medical-biopharma andtextile industries. Mr. Ault has been the Executive Chairman of the Board of BitNile from March 2017 to date, and served as its Chief Executive Officer from December 2017 to January 2021.
Mr. Ault also serves as the Chairman Emeritus of Alzamend Neuro, Inc. ("Alzamend Neuro"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders, since June 2021, and previously served as its Executive Chairman of the Board from February 2016 to June 2021. Mr. Ault serves asthe Executive Chairman of the Board of Avalanche International Corp. dba MTIX International ("Avalanche"), a publicly-traded company engaged in developing advanced materials and processing technology for textile applications, since September 2014.Further, Mr. Ault serves as the Chairman of the Board of Ault & Company, Inc., a holding company with various investments, since December 2015. Additionally, Mr. Ault has been the Vice President of Business Development for MCKEA Holdings, LLC, a private wealth management family office, since January 2011.
As our Chairman, Mr. Ault will lead our board of directors and guide our company. Mr. Ault brings extensive knowledge of the current business environment and a deep background in identifying undervalued businesses and disruptive technology companies and transactional expertise in mergers and acquisitions, financial restructuring and capital markets.
William B. Horne, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, has also been a key team member of BitNile. He has been BitNile’s Chief Executive Officer since January 2021, its President from August 2020 to January 2021, and its Chief Financial Officer from January 2018 to August 2020. Mr. Horne joined the board of directors of BitNile in October 2016. Mr. Horne has demonstrated day-to-day operational leadership of BitNile and experience with a range of disruptive technology companies in quickly evolving industries, as well as extensive knowledge of complex financial and accounting issues.
Mr. Horne has been the Chairman of the Board of Alzamend Neuro since June 2021 and served as its Chief Financial Officer from June 2016 to December 2018 and director from June 2016 to June 2021. He is also a director and the Chief Financial Officer of Avalanche since June 2016. Mr. Horne previously served as Chief Financial Officer of OptimisCorp, a healthcare technology developer, from January 2008 to May 2013, and Chief Financial Officer of Patient Safety Technologies, Inc., a medical device provider, from June 2005 to October 2008, and its interim Chief Executive Officer from January 2007 to April 2008. Prior to that, Mr. Horne held supervisory positions at the accounting firm Price Waterhouse, LLP (now PwC). Mr. Horneearned a B.A. degree in accounting from Seattle University.
Henry C.W. Nisser, our President, General Counsel and a member of our board of directors, joined BitNile as its Executive Vice President and General Counsel in May 2019, and became a director in September 2020 and President, while remaining its General Counsel, in January 2021. Mr. Nisser is well qualified in his position due to his substantial knowledge and more than two decades of working experience in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate controls and governance.
Mr. Nisser has served as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Alzamend Neuro on a part-time basis since May 2019, and has been a director of that company since September 2020. Mr. Nisser has also been the Executive VicePresident and General Counsel of Avalanche since May 2019. Prior to joining BitNile and these companies, Mr. Nisser practiced law at the New York law firm Sichenzia Ross Ference LLP from October 2011 to April 2019, concentrating on national and international corporate law, with a focus on U.S. federal securities law compliance, mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, and corporate governance. Mr. Nisser earned a B.A. degree in international relations and economics from ConnecticutCollege and an LL.B. from University of Buckingham School of Law in the United Kingdom. Mr. Nisser speaks fluent French and Swedish and is conversant in Italian.
Kenneth S. Cragun, our Chief Financial Officer, has been the Chief Financial Officer of BitNile since August 2020 and Senior Vice President of Finance of Alzamend Neuro on a part-time basis since June 2021, and was previously its Chief FinancialOfficer on a part-time basis from December 2018 to June 2021. Mr. Cragun currently sits on the board of directors and is the chairman of the audit committee of Verb Technology Company, Inc. (NYSE American: VERB), a publicly-traded software-as-a-service applications platform developer, since September 2018.
Mr. Cragun served as a CFO Partner at Hardesty, LLC, a national executive services firm, from October 2016 to December 2018. His assignments at Hardesty included serving as Chief Financial Officer of CorVel Corporation (NYSE American:CRVL), a publicly-traded healthcare risk management software company, and RISA Tech, Inc., a structural design and optimization software company. Mr. Cragun also served as Chief Financial Officer of two Nasdaq-traded companies, LocalCorporation, which operated a U.S. top 100 website “Local.com” and, in June 2015, filed a voluntary petition in the United StatesBankruptcy Court for the Central District of California seeking relief under the provisions of Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code,from April 2009 to September 2016, and Modtech Holdings, Inc., a supplier of modular buildings, from June 2006 to March2009. Mr. Cragun began his career at the accounting firm Deloitte. Mr. Cragun earned a B.S. degree in accounting from ColoradoState University-Pueblo.
David Katzoff, our Vice President – Finance, has been the Senior Vice President of Finance of BitNile since January 2019. He is also the Chief Operating Officer of Alzamend Neuro since December 2020 and was previously its Senior VicePresident of Operations from November 2019 to December 2020. Mr. Katzoff served as the Chief Financial Officer of LuminaMedia, LLC, a privately-held media company and publisher of life-style publications, from 2015 to December 2018, and VicePresident of Finance of Local Corporation from 2003 to 2017. Mr. Katzoff earned a B.S. degree in business management from the University of California at Davis.
Jeffrey A. Bentz has agreed to join our board of directors upon the effectiveness of this offering. Mr. Bentz is an experienced businessman who has served since 1994 as President of North Star Terminal & Stevedore Company, a full-service stevedoring company located in Alaska and whose major areas of business include terminal operations and management, Stevedore services and heavy equipment operations. Mr. Bentz has served as a director of BitNile since January 2018. He also has served as a director and advisor to several private companies and agencies. Mr. Bentz obtained a B.A. degree in Business and Finance from Western Washington University. We believe that Mr. Bentz’s executive-level experience, including his operational and financial oversight of companies with multiple profit centers, and his extensive experience in the real estate and commercial services industries give him the qualifications and skills to serve as one of our directors.
Mark Gustafson has agreed to join our board of directors upon the effectiveness of this offering. Mr. Gustafson is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 35 years of corporate, private and public company experience. Since April 2021, Mr. Gustafson has been the Chief Financial Officer for PharmaKure Limited, a London-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Since June 2020, Mr. Gustafson has served as a director of Alpha Helium Inc., a private Canadian company focused on helium exploration and development. From 2014 to 2020, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Challenger Acquisitions Limited, a London Stock Exchange listed entertainment company.
From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Gustafson was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Euromax Resources Limited, aToronto Stock Exchange listed mineral exploration company. From 2005 to 2009, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Triangle Petroleum Corporation, an oil and gas exploration company, from 2004 to 2006, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Torrent Energy Corporation, a private oil and gas company, and from 2001 to 2002, he served as a financial consultant for Samson Oil & Gas and Peavine Resources, two private oil and gas companies. From 1997 to 1999, Mr. Gustafson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Total Energy Services Ltd., a Toronto Stock Exchange listed oilfield services company, from 1993 to 1995, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Q/media Software Corporation, a Toronto Stock Exchange listed software company, and from 1987 to 1993, he served initially as the Chief Financial Officer and then as a Vice President in charge of two operating divisions at EnServ Corporation, a Toronto Stock Exchange listed oilfield services company. From 1981 to 1987, he served as an audit manager at Price Waterhouse in Calgary Alberta. In addition to this board position, Mr. Gustafson is a member of the board of directors of Alzamend Neuro and chairman of its audit committee since June 2021. Mr. Gustafson received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. We believe that Mr. Gustafson’s over 35 years of corporate, private and public company operational and financial experience gives him the qualifications and skills to serve as one of our directors.
Mark Nelson has agreed to join our board of directors upon the effectiveness of this offering. Mr. Nelson is currently the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Arctic International LLC, a Russian-based company that provides project and fabrication services for the oil and gas industry, since 2003, and the Managing Director of Sockeye Point Marine Services LLC, an Alaska-based company that provides services inspecting and repairing barges and vessels, since 2005. Mr. Nelson also serves as a director of Oasis Group International, an international engineering, procurement and construction management company, since 2010, and Sundance Mining Group LLC, a gold and silver mining development and production company, since 2020. Mr. Nelson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of ASRC Energy Services, an Alaska-based energy services company, and served as President of ASRC Energy Services O&M, ASRC Energy Services’ subsidiary, from 2005 to 2011. Mr. Nelson received a B.S. degree in finance from the University of Idaho. Mr. Nelson provides decades of experience in leading and managing industrial and engineering operations in evolving industries, making him well qualified to be a member of the board.
Robert O. Smith has agreed to join our board of directors upon the effectiveness of this offering. Mr. Smith is currently an independent Clevel executive consultant working with Bay Area high-tech firms on various strategic initiatives in all aspects of their business. Mr. Smith has served as a director of BitNile since September 2016, and was previously a member of its board from November 2010 to May 2015. From 2004 to 2007, he served on the board of directors of Castelle Corporation. From 1990 to 2002, he was the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of BitNile. From 1980 to 1990, he held several management positions with Computer Products, Inc., the most recent being President of their Compower/Boschert Division. From 1970 to 1980, he held managerial accounting positions with Ametek/Lamb Electric and with the JM Smucker Company. Mr. Smith received his BBA degree in Accounting from Ohio University. We believe that Mr. Smith’s executive-level experience, including his previous service as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of BitNile, his extensive experience in the accounting industry, give him the qualifications and skills to serve as one of our directors.