Company: FFWM
Filing Date: 2025-04-17
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-036041
Chunk: 29

Company: First Foundation Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-17
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 29
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 October 2020 until the merger. Prior to this, Mr. Shafer served as Chief Operating Officer of TCF Financial Corporation and President and Chief Operating Officer of TCF National Bank beginning in August 2019. Before those roles, he served in multiple executive positions at TCF Financial Corporation’s and TCF National Bank’s predecessor organizations since 2010, including serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Chemical Bank from 2016 to 2019. Mr. Shafer is a graduate of Hillsdale College and the University of Wisconsin’s Graduate School of Banking. We believe that Mr. Shafer’s extensive experience as a banking executive of large, complex banking organizations brings valuable experience and insight to our Board. Jacob P. Sonenshine, J.D., CFA . Mr. Sonenshine has served as a director of the Company since 2007. Mr. Sonenshine is, and since 2012, has served as President of Prell Restaurant Group, an operator of fast casual restaurants. From 2006 until 2012, Mr. Sonenshine served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Professionals Retirement Strategy, a retirement planning and entity risk management firm. From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Sonenshine was President and co-founder of RSM EquiCo, an investment bank specializing in 17 TABLE OF CONTENTS mergers and acquisitions of privately-held middle market companies. Mr. Sonenshine earned a Bachelor’s of Science in economics and a Bachelor’s of Administration in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D. degree and a MBA degree from the University of Southern California. We believe Mr. Sonenshine’s experience as President of a retirement planning firm is valuable to the Board in overseeing FFA’s wealth management and investment advisory business. Executive Officers Set forth below are the names and biographical information of our executive officers other than Mr. Shafer and Ms. Lagomarsino, who are described above: James Britton. Mr. Britton, age 48, has been the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and FFB since August 2023. Mr. Britton previously served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Texas Security Bankshares, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Texas Security Bank, from March 2022 to August 2023, where he was corporate secretary and directed the bank’s finance, accounting, technology, facilities and treasury sales functions as