COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwired - August 18, 2016) - Huntington Bancshares Incorporated today announced that the Board of Directors has elected four new members in support of the company's pending integration of the recently completed FirstMerit Corporation acquisition and continuing growth.
The four incoming members, who formerly served as FirstMerit directors, bring recognized experience and expertise to the Huntington board. They are:
- Lizabeth (Beth) Ardisana, owner and CEO of technical and communications services firm ASG Renaissance.
- Robert (Bob) S. Cubbin, president and CEO of Meadowbrook Insurance Group.
- Gina D. France, founder, president and CEO of strategy and transaction advisory firm France Strategic Partners.
- J. Michael (Mike) Hochschwender, president and CEO of The Smithers Group technology-based consortium of companies.
"Each incoming board member brings unique strength and talent at an important moment in time for the company," said Stephen D. Steinour, chairman, president and CEO of Huntington. "As we govern an institution of increasing scale, their extensive knowledge of FirstMerit, combined with their individual experiences and insights will be a significant resource to the board and management."
"I extend Huntington's trademark Welcome to our new board members," said David L. Porteous, lead director. "I am confident that our expanded board will continue to serve Huntington stakeholders well."
Lizabeth (Beth) Ardisana
In addition to her role as CEO and principal owner of Dearborn, Michigan-headquartered ASG Renaissance, Ardisana chairs the board of United Way for Southeastern Michigan and is a board member of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Focus: HOPE. She is a trustee for the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Skillman Foundation and Kettering University, and a Michigan Economic Development Corporation executive committee member. Ardisana previously worked as an executive with Ford Motor Company. She resides in Orchard Lake, Michigan.
Robert (Bob) S. Cubbin
Prior to his role as president and CEO of Southfield, Michigan-headquartered Meadowbrook Insurance Group, where he also serves as a member of the board of directors, Cubbin served as chief operating officer and general counsel for the company and its subsidiaries. He led Meadowbrook's initial public offering resulting in its listing on the New York Stock Exchange as well as a secondary public offering. Cubbin joined Meadowbrook after practicing law at the Detroit offices of Plunkett & Cooney. A licensed attorney in the state of Michigan, Cubbin is also a member of the board of directors of Kelly Services, Inc. He resides in Bloomfield, Michigan.
Gina D. France
Before founding Medina, Ohio-headquartered France Strategic Partners, France was a partner with Ernst & Young LLP and directed the firm's Center for Strategic Transactions in Cleveland. In this capacity, she advised CEOs on a broad spectrum of strategic alternatives and financial transactions. Prior to her work with Ernst & Young, France was a senior vice president with Lehman Brothers in New York and San Francisco, and also served as the international cash manager of Marathon Oil Company. Her board memberships include CBIZ and Cedar Fair LP; she is a trustee of DanceCleveland and a member of the Business Advisory Council for Baldwin Wallace College. France principally resides in Medina.
J. Michael (Mike) Hochschwender
As president and CEO of Akron, Ohio-headquartered The Smithers Group, a private group of companies that provides technology-based services to global clientele in a broad range of industries, Hochschwender has been responsible for five acquisitions and two start-ups, all funded by operations and driving technology diversification, geographical expansion and rapid business growth. Today, Smithers serves a global client base from thirteen facilities spread across North America, Europe and Asia. Hochschwender resides in Akron.
About Huntington Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is an approximately $100 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with a network of nearly 1,000 branches and nearly 2,000 ATMs across eight Midwestern states. Founded in 1866, The Huntington National Bank and its affiliates provide consumer, small business, commercial, treasury management, wealth management, brokerage, trust, and insurance services. Huntington also provides auto dealer, equipment finance, national settlement and capital market services that extend beyond its core states. Visit huntington.com for more information.
Media contact: Brent Wilder brent.wilder@huntington.com 614.480.5875 Investor Relations contact: Mark Muth mark.muth@huntington.com 614.480.4720
