HONOREE
Phillip J. Ahn
CFO and COO
B. Riley Financial Inc.
Phillip (Phil) Ahn began his tenure with B. Riley Financial in 2010 as senior vice president of strategy and corporate development of its Great American Group affiliate. He was appointed CFO and COO in 2013. B. Riley merged with Great American Group to become a publicly traded company in 2014. Since then, Ahn has played a pivotal role in a series of transformational transactions that have meaningfully enhanced the B. Riley Financial platform.
Acquisitions completed since 2015 include but are not limited to Friedman, Billings, and Ramsey (2017); Wunderlich Securities (2017); GlassRatner (2018); National Holdings (2021) and FocalPoint Securities (2022), in addition to principal investment companies, United Online (2016) and magicJack (2020).
What was once a 200-person boutique brokerage and specialty finance firm serving the Southern California market is today a 2,000-person strong, diversified financial services platform operating in over 75 corporate facilities and serving thousands of stakeholders across the U.S. and internationally.
When B. Riley went public in 2014, the company consisted of two cyclical subsidiaries, including B. Riley Securities, which Ahn helped expand through acquisitions. Since that time, B. Riley has added to its collection of operating companies by purchasing four telecom and communication assets, two wealth management businesses, a forensic accounting litigation support restructuring business, a portfolio of retail brand licenses, a loan receivables portfolio and several smaller complementary assets.
All these purchases were opportunistic and share the common characteristic of being cash flow generative and mostly uncorrelated assets, which was by design. In addition, Ahn helped oversee how the company used its cash and investments of over $2 billion to create an investment portfolio that consists of public and private debt, equity securities, and businesses with deep conviction in capital appreciation and medium-to-long-term investment horizons.
Ahn’s role has proved critical in driving the company’s record financial performance during his nearly decadelong tenure as CFO of B. Riley.
PUBLIC COMPANY: LARGE FINALISTS
Michael Lee Henry
EVP and CFO
Tilly’s, Inc.
Michael L. Henry is the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Tilly’s, Inc., a teen and young adult apparel retailer based in Irvine with 241 stores across 33 states and fiscal 2021 revenues of $776 million. During his tenure, which began in May 2015, Tilly’s has delivered consistent improvement in sales productivity and operating income amidst perhaps the most challenging and transformational period for the retail industry.
When the pandemic shut down all of the company’s stores in mid-March 2020, Henry immediately launched into crisis management mode to help ensure the company’s survival. By 2021, aided by pent-up consumer demand exiting 2020 pandemic restrictions and the impact of federal stimulus payments, along with solid execution by the company’s store, distribution and corporate teams, Tilly’s produced record sales and earnings for each quarter of 2021, resulting in its most profitable year ever.
Evan D. Masyr
EVP and CFO
Salem Media Group, Inc.
Evan Masyr has been with Salem Media Group, Inc. for more than 22 years, serving as the chief financial officer since July 2007.
Over that period, he has been actively involved with transitioning the company from a pure play radio operator to a multimedia corporation with approximately 30% of its revenue now coming from digital sources.
During his time at Salem, Masyr has been involved with raising $1.8 billion in capital ($1.1 billion raised as CFO). He manages a team of approximately 50 professionals, encompassing accounts payable, payroll, staff accounting, SEC reporting, investor relations, finance, treasury, risk management, internal audit and radio traffic. Over the years, he has instituted many operational efficiencies and cost savings initiatives, such as reducing the monthly closing process by 16 days, completing various tax reorganizations, instituting a corporate purchasing card program and significantly improving the company’s cash management system.
Jesse Timmermans
Chief Financial Officer
Revolve Group, Inc.
Currently, Jesse Timmermans occupies the position of chief financial officer of Revolve Group, Inc. He is also a member of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Revolve is a next-generation fashion retailer targeting Millennial and Generation Z consumers. As a trusted premium lifestyle brand and a go-to online source for discovery and inspiration, the retailer delivers an engaging customer experience from a vast, yet curated offering totaling over 70,000 apparel, footwear, accessories and beauty styles. Under Timmerman’s fiscal stewardship, Revolve offers a dynamic platform that connects a deeply engaged community of millions of consumers, thousands of global fashion influencers and more than 1,000 emerging, established and owned brands. Through nearly 20 years of continued investment in technology, data analytics, and innovative marketing and merchandising strategies, the company has built a powerful platform and brand for the 21st century.
