As president of The Carideo Group, Tony Carideo heads a nationwide team of 14 inspectors that since 2005 has collectively inspected more than 2,300 meetings. Mr. Carideo himself has inspected more than 500 meetings, ranging from regular annual meetings to special meetings and virtual shareholder meetings, and each year inspects approximately 70 meetings in the U.S., Canada and Europe.  Mr. Carideo brings a diverse background to his business, including a 30-year career as a journalist, experience as a securities analyst and the director of a sell-side research department, and on the corporate side as an investor relations professional. Prior to launching The Carideo Group in 2003, Tony was a senior vice president in the Investor Relations practice at a national investor relations firm, and was director of Investor Relations and Treasury Operations at two software companies.  A Chartered Financial Analyst, he was also an analyst and director of research at a sell-side brokerage house, and was a business journalist for more than 15 years.  He has a bachelor’s degree from Gannon University and a master’s from Northwestern University.

Nick’s professional career spans over 14 years in the healthcare industry. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA, and an MBA from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. He is a mental health practitioner by trade and has held roles as a direct service provider, program manager and treatment director, business operations manager, and most recently as a public policy strategist for the State of Minnesota’s Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to his current position, Nick has also worked for privately-owned clinics, non-profit organizations and large healthcare delivery systems.

Jon Commers has been an inspector of elections with the Carideo Group since 2010. He has inspected more than 120 annual and special meetings nationally, including virtual shareholder meetings. As a principal of Donjek Incorporated, Jon provides finance and strategy services to private and public clients. He is also an adjunct instructor of urban studies at the University of Minnesota, and previously taught economics at the College of Saint Catherine, and was a policy fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and political economy from Carleton College in Northfield and has an MBA in finance from the University of Saint Thomas.   He is based in Minneapolis, MN.

Ken Franke has more than 50 years of experience in securities custody, transfer agent and corporate action industry.  From 2012 to 2020 he was a Senior Director of Transfer Agent Solutions at Broadridge Financial Services, responsible for sales of transfer agent, corporate action and related services to corporate issuers.  Ken served in a similar role for BNY Mellon Shareowner Services from 1995 until 2012, and from 1985 through 1995 held a number of sales and sales management roles for Mellon Financial Corp. in Chicago, IL.  After graduation from Benedictine University with a degree in Business Economics, he functioned in a number of sales, trust officer and accounting positions at Northern Trust, ADP Pension Services and Sears Bank and Trust Co.  He is based in Nashville, TN, and since joining the Carideo Group in 2020 has inspected more than 100 annual and special meetings.

Robert Johnson retired from J. C. Penney Company, Inc. in 2008 as Vice President of Investor Relations. Johnson had a 32-year career with J. C. Penney, where he held increasing levels of responsibility, primarily within the finance organization. He started his career in corporate internal audit and over the course of his career his responsibilities also included, but were not limited to, strategic planning, real estate controller, and external financial reporting. Since 2010 he has provided consulting services related to financial communications and investor relations through QMobius, a branding and communications firm based in Dallas, TX. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and holds his CPA and CIA (certified internal auditor) certifications. Bob is based in Dallas and has inspected more than 200 meetings.

Cheryl Niebeling, CPA (CPA inactive), is an accounting professional with more than 30 years of experience in public accounting, audit and international and domestic financial management.  After serving as a senior auditor at KPMG, Cheryl served in auditing and financial management positions at Donaldson Company and ADC Telecommunications, and as a controller at a company undertaking a bankruptcy Chapter 13 reorganization.  She holds an MBA in International Finance from Thunderbird, The School of Global Management, in Phoenix, AZ, and a BA in Business Administration and Accounting from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN. She is based in suburban Minneapolis, and has since 2019, when she joined The Carideo Group, has inspected more than 60 annual and special meetings.

Kris is president of The Links Group, a public and investor relations firm based in Minneapolis, MN.  Prior to starting her own business in 2005, Kris served as a corporate officer at Information Resources, Inc., Supervalu, Inc., Fleming Companies, and U.S. Satellite Broadcasting; and a Director at CenterPoint Energy. Her responsibilities included corporate communications to customers, employees, investors, legislators/regulators, media and the public. She has been elected to her community’s City Council, and appointed to the Minnesota Racing Commission and the Minnesota Environmental Protection Agency Citizen Advisory Committee. Ms. Sundberg holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University and a masters from the University of Illinois Springfield. She has been an inspector of elections since 2009, having inspected more than 200 meetings.