Mr. Carl Icahn has been our principal beneficial shareholder and has served as chairman of the board and as a director since 1994. Mr. Carl Icahn has served as chairman of the board and a director of Starfire Holding Corporation, a privately-held holding company, and chairman of the board and a director of various subsidiaries of Starfire, since 1984. Since August 2007, through his position as chief executive officer of Icahn Capital LP, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises L.P. (IELP), and certain related entities, Mr. Carl Icahn's principal occupation is managing private investment funds, including Icahn Partners LP, Icahn Partners Master Fund LP, Icahn Partners Master Fund II LP and Icahn Partners Master Fund III LP. From November 2004 through August 2007, Mr. Carl Icahn conducted this occupation through his entities CCI Onshore Corp. and CCI Offshore Corp. Since November 1990, Mr. Carl Icahn has been chairman of the board of Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc. (IEGP), the general partner of IELP. IELP is a diversified holding company engaged in a variety of businesses, including investment management, automotive, metals, real estate, home fashion, railcar and food/packaging. Mr. Carl Icahn has served as chairman of the board and as a director of Tropicana Entertainment Inc. (Tropicana), a casino and resort owner and operator, since March 2010. From September 2000 to February 2007, Mr. Carl Icahn served as the chairman of the board of GB Holdings, Inc. (GB Holdings), which owned an interest in Atlantic Coast Holdings, Inc., the owner and operator of The Sands Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, until November 2006. From October 1998 through May 2004, Mr. Carl Icahn was the president and a director of Stratosphere Corporation, the owner and operator of the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. From September 2006 to November 2008, Mr. Carl Icahn was a director of ImClone Systems Incorporated (ImClone), a biopharmaceutical company, and from October 2006 to November 2008, he was the chairman of the board of ImClone. Mr. Carl Icahn has been chairman of the board and a director of XO Holdings, Inc., a telecommunications services provider, since February 2006, and of its predecessor from January 2003 to February 2006. Mr. Carl Icahn has served as a director of Cadus Corporation, a company engaged in the ownership and licensing of yeast-based drug discovery technologies, since July 1993. Mr. Carl Icahn was a director of Blockbuster Inc., a provider of in-home movie rental and game entertainment, from May 2005 to January 2010. In October 2005, Mr. Carl Icahn became a director of WestPoint International, Inc. (WestPoint), a manufacturer of bed and bath home fashion products. Mr. Carl Icahn was a director of WCI Communities, Inc. (WCI), a homebuilding company, from August 2007 to September 2009 and served as chairman of the board of WCI from September 2007 to September 2009. In December 2007, Mr. Carl Icahn became a director of Federal-Mogul Corporation (Federal-Mogul), a supplier of automotive products, and since January 2008 has been the chairman of the board of Federal-Mogul. Mr. Carl Icahn was a director of Motricity, Inc. (Motricity), a company that provides mobile content services and solutions, from April 2008 to January 2010. Mr. Carl Icahn was a director of Yahoo! Inc., a company that provides Internet services to users, advertisers, publishers and developers worldwide, from August 2008 to October 2009. Mr. Carl Icahn received his B.A. from Princeton University.
James J. Unger Vice Chairman of the Board
Mr. Unger served as our president and chief executive officer from March 1995 to April 2009 and has served on our board of directors since March 1995. Effective April 1, 2009, Mr. Unger resigned as our president and chief executive officer and was appointed vice chairman of the board. Mr. Unger also served us as a consultant from April 2009 through March 2010. Prior to joining us, he served ACF Industries, Inc. (now known as ACF Industries, LLC, which we refer to as ACF) as its president from 1988 to 1995, as its senior vice president and chief financial officer from 1984 to 1988 and on its board of directors from August 1993 to March 2005. After he joined us in 1995, Mr. Unger continued to serve as the vice chairman of ACF until March 2005. Since 2004, Mr. Unger has served as a director of American Railcar Leasing LLC (which we refer to as ARL). ACF and ARL are controlled by Mr. Carl Icahn. Since June 2003, Mr. Unger has served as president of Ohio Castings Company, LLC (which we refer to as Ohio Castings), the joint venture in which we have a one-third interest. Since July 2007, Mr. Unger has served on the executive committee of Axis, LLC, the axle manufacturing joint venture in which we have a 41.8% interest, and, since January 2008, has served as a director of Axis Operating Company, LLC, which is wholly owned by Axis, LLC and is the operating entity for the joint venture. Since 2008, Mr. Unger served on the board of directors of Amtek Railcar Industries Private Limited (which we refer to as Amtek Railcar), the Indian joint venture in which we have a 50% interest. Also, Mr. Unger served on the board of directors of Guaranty Financial Group and Guaranty Bank from August 2008 to August 2009. Mr. Unger was on the board of directors of Aspen Resources Group, an oil and gas exploration company from May 2002 until April 2007. Mr. Unger participates in several industry organizations, including as an executive committee member for the Railway Supply Institute, Inc. (RSI). He also is a board member of the American Railway Car Institute, a member of the project review committee for the RSI-AAR Railroad Tank Car Safety Research Test Project, a steering committee member of RSI on tank railcars, and a member of the National Freight and Transportation Association. Mr. Unger served as a member of the board of directors of Ranken Technical College from 1990 to 2002. Mr. Unger received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Missouri, Columbia and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Harold First Director
Mr. First has served on our board of directors and as a member of our audit committee since January 2007. Mr. First has been an independent financial consultant since January 1993. Mr. First is currently a director of WestPoint. Since November 2007, Mr. First has been a director of Lexington Realty Trust, a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) traded real estate investment trust that merged with Newkirk Realty Trust, Inc. (Newkirk), another NYSE traded real estate investment trust on December 31, 2006. From April 2001 to March 2006, Mr. First served on the board of directors of GB Holdings. From January 2006 through December 2006, Mr. First was a director of Newkirk. Mr. First was a director of PANACO Inc., an oil and gas drilling firm, from September 1997 to December 2003. Mr. First is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a B.S. from Brooklyn College.
Mr. Pontious has served on our board of directors and as a member of our audit committee since January 2006. Since May 2005, Mr. Pontious has been a railroad industry consultant in the areas of business development, acquisition and investment for various clients focused on the railroad industry, including Wabtec Corporation (Wabtec), a public company that supplies air brakes and other equipment for locomotives, freight cars and passenger transit vehicles. Mr. Pontious served Wabtec as vice president of special projects for business development from January 2003 through April 2005 and as vice president of sales and marketing from April 1990 to January 2003. Mr. Pontious also served as vice president of sales and marketing at New York Air Brake Company, a unit of General Signal Corporation, from 1977 to 1990 and was a trustee/director of the Watertown Savings Bank from 1979 to 1990. Prior to this, Mr. Pontious served the Pullman-Standard division of Pullman, Inc., a freight and passenger railcar manufacturer, from 1961 to 1977 in various management positions in the areas of sales, marketing and operations. Mr. Pontious has served as a director of the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver and as chairman of the Passenger Transportation Committee of the Railway Progress Institute in Washington DC. Mr. Pontious holds a B.B.A. from the University of Minnesota.
Mr. Laisure has served on our board of directors and as a member of our audit committee since January 2006. Since June 2007, Mr. Laisure has served as chief executive officer of Fluid Routing Solutions (FRS), an automotive supplier that designs and manufactures fluid and fuel handling systems, which was formerly known as Mark IV Industries. FRS filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 in February 2009 and emerged from Chapter 11 in March 2009. Mr. Laisure served from December 2006 through July 2007 as president of Delco Remy, Inc., a manufacturer of starters, alternators and rotating electrics for the automotive, commercial vehicle and off-highway markets. Since May 2005, Mr. Laisure has been consulting as an independent contractor for the automotive and industrial manufacturing space. Prior to this, he spent 32 years in various corporate accounting, sales, engineering and operational positions with Dana Corporation (Dana), a publicly held corporation that designs, manufactures and supplies vehicle components and technology, and its predecessors. Mr. Laisure served as president of Dana's Automotive Systems Group from March 2004 to May 2005. From December 2001 to February 2004, Mr. Laisure served as president of Dana's engine and fluid management group and, from December 1999 to November 2001, he served as president of Dana's fluid management group. In addition, he served on the board of directors of various Dana Corporation joint ventures, including joint ventures in Germany, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey. Mr. Laisure served as director of finance of P.T. Spicer Indonesia, a manufacturer of axles and driveshafts, from 1982 to 1984. Also, he served as accountant, internal auditor and controller at Perfect Circle, a manufacturer of automotive engine components, from 1973 to 1981. Also, Mr. Laisure has been a director of Federal-Mogul since February 2008. Mr. Laisure received a B.A. in Accounting from Ball State University and an M.B.A. from Miami (Ohio) University, and has completed the Harvard University Advanced Management Program.
Mr. Brett Icahn has served on our board of directors since January 2007 and as a member of our compensation committee since January 2008. Since April 2010, Mr. Brett Icahn has been a Portfolio Manager of the Sargon Portfolio at Icahn Capital, the general manager of which is Mr. Carl Icahn, and where he was an investment analyst from 2002 until April 2010. Since January 2010, Mr. Brett Icahn has served on the board of directors of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC. Mr. Brett Icahn is also on the board of directors of Motricity, a position he has held since January 2010. In addition, Mr. Brett Icahn is the Vice President of Modal LLC, a company wholly owned and controlled by Mr. Carl Icahn. Mr. Brett Icahn is the son of Mr. Carl Icahn. Mr. Brett Icahn received a B.A. from Princeton University.
Hunter C. Gary Director
Mr. Gary has served on our board of directors since January 2008. Since 2003, Mr. Gary has served as the chief operating officer of Icahn Sourcing LLC, an entity owned by Mr. Carl Icahn, where he is responsible for monitoring and managing cost efficiency opportunities for businesses in which Mr. Carl Icahn has an interest, and has been employed by Icahn Associates Corp., an affiliate of IELP, since June 2003. Since 2007, Mr. Gary has also served as a director of WestPoint and Motricity. Since March 2010, Mr. Gary has served as a director of Tropicana. Mr. Gary is married to Mr. Carl Icahn's wife's daughter. Mr. Gary received his B.A. with senior honors from Georgetown University as well as a certificate of executive development from Columbia Graduate School of Business.
Samuel Merksamer Director
636-940.6000 Elected 2011
Mr. Merksamer has served as an investment analyst at Icahn Capital LP, a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises L.P., since May 2008. Mr. Merksamer is responsible for identifying, analyzing and monitoring investment opportunities and portfolio companies for Icahn Capital. Mr. Merksamer serves as a director of Dynegy Inc, Viskase Companies, Inc., PSC Metals Inc. and Federal-Mogul Corporation. Viskase Companies, PSC Metals and Federal-Mogul are each, directly or indirectly, controlled by Carl C. Icahn. From 2003 until 2008, Mr. Merksamer was an analyst at Airlie Opportunity Capital Management, a hedge fund management company, where he focused on high yield and distressed investments.
Sung Cho Director
Mr. Cho has served as Senior Vice President and a Portfolio Company Associate at Icahn Associates Corp. and Icahn Enterprises L.P. (IELP) since October 2006. Mr. Cho served as Director of Finance for Atari, Inc., a publisher of video game software from October 2004 to September 2006. Mr. Cho served as Director of Corporate Development and Director of Product Development at Talk America, a telecommunications provider to small business and residential customers, from 1999 to 2002. Mr. Cho served as an investment banker at Salomon Smith Barney in New York and Tokyo. Mr. Cho is a director of Take-Two Interactive Software, an interactive entertainment software company; PSC Metals Inc., a metal recycling company; Viskase Companies, Inc., a meat casing company; WestPoint International Inc, a home textiles manufacturer; and was formerly a director of PSC LLC, an industrial services company. With respect to each company mentioned above where Mr. Cho serves or has served as a director, Mr. Carl Icahn, the Company's principal beneficial shareholder (through IELP) and the chairman of the Company's Board of Directors, directly or indirectly, either (i) controls such company or (ii) has an interest in such company through the ownership of securities. Mr. Cho received an M.B.A. from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business and a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University.