Executive Connections mentors

As a C-level executive, advisor, and board member with more than 30 years of business experience, Lawrence has guided organizations through complex restructurings, acquisitions, corporate development activities and capital transactions totaling over $20 billion. His experience spans start-ups to private companies to publicly traded companies and includes diverse companies and industries – such as Grand Casinos, Mesaba Airlines, Mercedes Homes, Zounds Hearing and Odyssey Capital Group. He possesses an extensive knowledge of finance, strategy and operations and has developed strategic, financial, operating and turnaround strategies across multiple industries including casino gaming, hospitality, manufacturing, aviation, real estate, retail, and healthcare.

He is currently president of Taylor Strategy Group and provides strategy, financial, and restructuring consulting to companies and boards. In addition, he also provides expert witness testimony.

Lawrence currently serves on two public and two private company boards and has served on committees (Audit, Nominating and Governance, M&A, Strategic Planning, Restructuring, Finance and Compensation) of multiple companies, including two companies in Chapter 11. Lawrence is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow and NACD Directorship Certified. He was also recognized as a “Director to Watch 2020” by the Private Company Director Magazine. He is an SEC qualified financial expert, has chaired an audit committee and is a frequent panelist and article contributor on board governance and board related issues.

Lawrence is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. A native of New Orleans, he is an avid cook, woodturner, hiker, and golfer and resides in Litchfield Park, AZ.

Anna Thomasson has more than 30 years of experience driving functional excellence through talent development, process, and technology. She is known for leading effective change for businesses via strategic improvements to culture, employee performance and engagement, and succession management, all of which serve her well in her role at Willis Towers Watson — a leading global consulting organization engaging 40,000 employees and serving more than 140 countries.

In addition to being a consultant, Anna has held numerous leadership roles, including a stint as managing partner through which she grew some of the firm’s largest client relationships with prominent global brands. She has served as an advisor to seven startups, including her own pet products company.

Anna holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor's in psychology from the University of Oregon. She currently serves as a public member of the Arizona State Bar Board of Governors, and is an active fundraiser for the local Franciscan Renewal Center. Her leisure time is spent hiking and indulging her passion for raising and training guide dogs for the blind.

Paul Tufano currently serves as the Chairman of both Teradyne, a supplier of automated test systems and robotics solutions, as well as EnerSys, a leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications. He has over forty years of experience in the technology and telecommunications industries serving in a variety of finance, operations, and executive leadership positions.

From September 2016 through his retirement in March 2019, Mr. Tufano was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Benchmark Electronics, a global provider of engineering and design services; technology solutions; and advanced manufacturing services for mission critical products in the medical; aerospace and defense; industrial; semiconductor capital equipment; computing; and telecommunications industries. He served as a member of its board of directors from February 2016 through March 2019.

Mr. Tufano served as Chief Financial Officer of the Alcatel-Lucent Group, a global provider of networking and communications technology products and services from 2008 through 2013 located in Paris. In September 2012, in addition to his Chief Financial Officer responsibilities, he was also named Chief Operating Officer.

Before joining Alcatel-Lucent, Mr. Tufano served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Solectron Corporation, an electronics manufacturing company for original equipment manufacturers, from January 2006 to October 2007 and as Interim Chief Executive Officer from February 2007 to October 2007.

Prior to joining Solectron, Mr. Tufano was President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Maxtor Corporation, a manufacturer of hard disk drives for business, consumer, and entertainment applications from February 2003 to November 2004. He was Maxtor’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from April 2001 and its Chief Financial Officer from July 1996.

From 1979 until he joined Maxtor Corporation in 1996, Mr. Tufano held management positions in finance and operations at International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), a technology and consulting company.

Mr. Tufano has been a member of the board of directors of Teradyne since March 2005. He has been a member of the board of directors of EnerSys since April 2015.

Mr. Tufano is also an Executive-In-Residence, Executive Connections Mentorship Program, W.P. Carey School of Business – Arizona State University since August 2019.

Mr. Tufano holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from St. John’s University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance, Accounting, and International Business from Columbia University.

Michael Tully currently serves as an independent director for CopperPoint Insurance Companies, a multi-line commercial insurance company with $4B in assets and $1.6B in surplus. An SEC/SOX financial expert, he is the Chairman of the Audit Committee, a member of the Human Capital Committee and is a CPA. He also serves as an independent director for National Association of Corporate Directors, serves on the Program Committee, and is the Chairman for the Arizona advisory board. He also serves as the Advisory Board Chair for OralKleen, a Series A medical device company and also serves as an advisory boards for Hammoq, a AI, machine-learning startup and Gainey Business Bancorp.

He is a former Chief Executive Officer of AAA where he led the creation of a $10B, 22-state holding company, later consolidating seven Western states resulting in one of the largest AAA's in the world with 5.5 million members, $850M in assets, and $3.5B gross revenues.

Tully's diverse experience includes executive leadership roles at two Fortune 100 Digital Equipment Corporation and Fairchild as well as roles as a startup CEO for an EXIM Bank financial service firm, Export Risk Management, and a CFO/President role PJH Brands, a high-end manufacturer of motorcycle lubricants. His experience spans managing large, complex businesses as well as working in innovative, entrepreneurial environments.

Tully currently serves as a CEO mentor for both YPO as well as the Arizona Department of Commerce. He is the managing partner of Horizon Strategic Advisors, a management-consulting firm and is a CPA and a graduate of the Harvard Business School. He received his Bachelor of Science and MBA degrees in Finance from Arizona State University. He resides in Scottsdale with his wife and two daughters (both ASU graduates!)

Dave Yorita spent his 40-year career in high tech sales and 24 years in sales leadership roles. His experience ranges from selling solutions in areas, such as, business operations and customer engagement excellence that drove critical business outcomes with Enterprise Content Management, Business Process Management, CRM, and AI/Analytics for leading software companies. He is known for creating software business solutions for vertical industries, such as financial services, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing (high tech, discrete and process) within functional operational departments for Fortune 1000 companies. His overall management and sales experience has been with publicly traded companies including FileNet, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Kofax, Pegasystems, and OpenText.

Dave’s leadership roles required him to work across internal functional groups (finance, development, support, marketing, legal and operations) to meet the desired outcomes for his client and company. Dave’s management style is one of a servant leader. This allows for team collaboration with effective results.

Dave holds an MBA from Arizona State University and a bachelor's in Business Administration, Marketing from California State University, Long Beach. He previously served as a Chapter Advisor for Alpha Kappa Psi (Professional Business Fraternity), Iota Xi chapter at Arizona State University, where he emphasized the importance and development of soft skills for the membership. He is an avid sports fan and leverages teamwork in his professional and personal life. He and his wife have a goal to attend a Major League Baseball game at every ballpark.

Jack has been a senior executive for multiple Fortune 500 firms, most notably at Standard & Poor’s, where he led Standard & Poor’s investor services division, comprised of a portfolio of several diverse, global business units. Under Jack’s leadership, the division expanded rapidly through innovation, acquisitions, and business development. He is a well-known thought leader on financial markets and corporate governance, with numerous writing and speaking credits.

In addition to his corporate career, Jack has been an accomplished leader of multiple entrepreneurial firms. He has been CEO of a number of successful companies, including Audit Integrity, GMI Ratings and Incentive Lab, all of which were acquired by market leaders. Jack has particular expertise in the areas of data analytics, financial services, and corporate governance.

Over the past several years, Jack has been teaching undergraduate and graduate students at the Arizona State University (ASU) W.P. Carey School of Business. He is a well-respected and innovative instructor of courses in strategy, leadership, and consulting. Jack also serves as a mentor to MBA students and a faculty advisor to the MBA Consulting Club.

Jack holds a bachelor's in marketing from Indiana University and an MBA from Rutgers University. He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, playing golf, traveling, running, hiking, biking and scuba diving.