Arctic Wolf Networks / Eden Prairie, MN
Arctic Wolf® closed on its acquisition of Cylance® from BlackBerry Limited on Feb. 3. The company paid $160 million in cash and gave BlackBerry 5.5 million common shares of Arctic Wolf. This represents the company’s sixth acquisition since its founding in 2012.
Barnes & Thornburg LLP / Indianapolis
Brian C. Crist joined the firm as a partner in November. He guides clients through complex private and public real estate projects from initial concept through closing. Crist is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and a juris doctorate from Vanderbilt University Law School.
Finovifi / Birmingham, AL
Brian Hoffman joined the company as a fintech sales executive, serving Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. He has more than 25 years of financial services experience, including nearly a decade at an Illinois bank, plus 12.5 years at the Illinois Bankers Association, most notably as president of Illinois Bankers Business Services.
Hoffman holds a degree from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Graduate School of Banking / University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mary Hermes joined the school as vice president of education and professional development. She has more than 15 years of experience in curriculum design, leadership development and data-driven program assessment, including customizing educational programs to meet the professional development needs of current and emerging organizational leaders. Hermes earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a master’s degree from Cardinal Stritch University.
KlariVis / Roanoke, VA
Amber Robinson has been promoted to vice president of sales and strategic alliances. She has been with the company for four years. Robinson has nearly 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, including more than a decade in fintech. She holds a degree from Endicott College.
Krieg DeVault LLP / Indianapolis
Matthew W. Norris has been appointed chair of the firm’s governmental affairs and public advocacy practice. He has served as of counsel based out of the firm’s Indianapolis office since 2016. Norris is past president of the Government Affairs Society of Indiana, is a member of the Indiana State University President’s Advisory Council and serves as pack leader for the Boy Scouts of America’s Pack 211. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and a juris doctorate from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University-Indianapolis.
Shawn E. Peterson has been promoted to partner. He has been of counsel with the firm’s public finance & municipal law practice since July 2023 after previously serving with the firm from 2013-16. Peterson represents business and nonprofit clients, specifically in managing complex incentive and project finance transactions. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and his juris doctorate from the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Fenton D. Strickland has been appointed chair of the firm’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice. He has been part of that team since joining the firm in 2016, focusing his practice on employee stock ownership plans and ESOP transactions, as well as retirement and incentive plans. Strickland earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and his juris doctorate from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University-Indianapolis.
Kruggel Lawton CPA / Elkhart
Dan Leyes joined the firm in November as director of business valuation. He has a decade of experience as a controller and director for two diversified manufacturing corporations preceded by mid-market and big-4 public accounting experience focused on audit and due diligence services. Leyes is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
New Associate Members
Gemini Technology Solutions
Steve Dicks, (812) 759-8288
GeminiTechnologySolutions.com
Gemini provides healthcare, retail and wholesale payment lockbox services for financial institutions. The company also offers check scanners for remote deposit or branch scanning.
Zest AI
Erin Bennett, (323) 450-3000
Zest.ai
Since 2009, Zest AI has been innovating and perfecting AI lending technology. A U.S.-based technology-as-a-service company and pioneer in the field serving more than $5.5 trillion in assets, Zest AI aims to make best-in-class AI available to financial institutions to help broaden access to equitable lending.
