Lesley Goldwasser
About Lesley Goldwasser
Independent director and Lead Independent Director at Tiptree Inc. (TIPT); age 63; director since January 2015; University of Cape Town graduate. Recognized as an “audit committee financial expert” by TIPT’s Board; currently a Managing Partner at GreensLedge Capital Markets LLC with deep capital markets, structured products, and trading experience from Bear Stearns and Credit Suisse .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GreensLedge Capital Markets LLC | Managing Partner | Since Sep 2013 | Capital markets leadership |
| Credit Suisse Group AG | Managing Director; global responsibility for Hedge Fund Strategic Services | Sep 2010–Nov 2013 | Hedge fund services oversight |
| Bear Stearns | Co-head Global Debt & Equity Capital Markets; global responsibility for structured products | 12 years (prior to 2010; exact dates not disclosed) | Structured products leadership |
| Credit Suisse (earlier tenure) | Multiple management roles; led Asset-Backed and Non-Agency Mortgage Trading Desks | 12 years (prior to Bear Stearns; exact dates not disclosed) | Trading desk leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caledonia Mining Corporation plc | Director | Joined Feb 2025 | Not disclosed |
| Fold, Inc. | Director; Audit Committee member | Joined Feb 2025 | Audit oversight |
| Liquid Telecom | Director | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| FinTech Acquisition Corp. V (SPAC) | Director | Dec 2020–Dec 2022 (liquidation) | Not disclosed |
| FTAC Parnassus Acquisition Corp. (SPAC) | Director | Mar 2021–Mar 2023 (liquidation) | Not disclosed |
Note: Two prior SPAC boards ultimately liquidated, which is not necessarily a governance issue but may be a cautionary data point for track record evaluation .
Board Governance
- Independence: Affirmatively determined independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Lead Independent Director: Appointed to lead executive sessions; presides when Chair is not present; executive sessions chaired by Ms. Goldwasser in 2024 .
- Committee memberships:
- Audit Committee: Member; designated “audit committee financial expert” .
- Compensation, Nominating & Governance (CNG) Committee: Member .
- Attendance and engagement:
- Meetings held in 2024: Board (5), Audit (5), CNG (5); all directors attended at least 75% of aggregate meetings; all directors attended last annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | FY2024 Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $100,000 | As reported for Ms. Goldwasser |
| Stock Awards (Grant-date value) | $147,684 | Immediately vested shares per program mechanics |
| Total | $247,684 | Sum of cash and stock awards |
| Program baseline (non-employee directors) | Cash $112,500; Stock $112,500; quarterly in arrears | Directors may elect up to $150,000 in stock; cash reduced proportionately |
| Lead Director additional retainer | $25,000 | Applicable to Ms. Goldwasser |
| 2025 change | Annual cash retainer increased to $137,500 (other terms unchanged) | Effective Jan 1, 2025 |
Performance Compensation (Director)
| Metric | Structure | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Performance linkage | None disclosed for directors | Non-employee director equity is immediately vested; no performance metrics specified |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company roles: Caledonia Mining Corporation plc (director) .
- Private roles: Liquid Telecom (director); Fold, Inc. (director; audit committee) .
- SPAC history: FinTech Acquisition Corp. V and FTAC Parnassus Acquisition Corp. (both liquidated) .
- Interlocks/conflicts: No TIPT-disclosed related-party transactions involving Ms. Goldwasser; main related-party exposure at TIPT involves Tiptree Advisors controlled by Executive Chairman Michael Barnes (fees ~$6.7m in 2024), not tied to Ms. Goldwasser .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit and financial oversight: Audit committee financial expert designation .
- Capital markets: Senior leadership across structured products, debt and equity capital markets .
- Education: University of Cape Town .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned | 107,413 |
| Ownership % of common stock | <1% (proxy denotes “*”) |
| Shares outstanding (record date) | 37,493,883 |
| Hedging/pledging policy | Hedging prohibited; limited pledging allowed for directors up to loans not exceeding 25% of total value of pledged stock (common shares only; not options/RSUs) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independence and leadership: Lead Independent Director; independent membership on both Audit and CNG committees .
- Financial expertise: Explicit audit committee financial expert designation supports oversight of financial reporting and risk .
- Engagement: Meeting cadence and ≥75% attendance; presence at annual meeting; independent director executive sessions chaired by Ms. Goldwasser .
- Compensation governance: Use of independent compensation consultant (CAP) and clear clawback policy; no repricing, no tax gross-ups in executive employment agreements (context for overall governance culture) .
- Watch items / potential red flags:
- Pledging allowance: Policy permits limited pledging by directors, which can introduce alignment risk if utilized; monitor any pledges by individual directors (none disclosed for Ms. Goldwasser) .
- SPAC liquidations: Prior service on SPAC boards that liquidated (FinTech Acquisition Corp. V; FTAC Parnassus) — not inherently negative, but investors may view as neutral-to-cautious track record data points .
- Compensation alignment:
- Director pay mix includes meaningful stock component via immediately vested shares and Lead Director retainer — positive for alignment; no performance conditions tied to director equity .
Overall: Ms. Goldwasser’s independence, leadership as Lead Independent Director, and audit financial expertise are positives for board effectiveness and investor confidence. No TIPT-disclosed related-party transactions or attendance issues associated with her; continued monitoring of pledging and external board commitments is prudent .