Enterprise Financial Services Corp (EFSC) announced today significant changes as four directors will not seek re-election during the upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The directors are Robert E. Guest Jr., James M. Havel, Daniel A. Rodriguez, and Eloise E. Schmitz, who will all conclude their terms at the meeting.
Chairperson of the Board Mike DeCola expressed gratitude for the contributions of these directors, stating, “The directors who will be concluding their time with our Board as of the Company’s upcoming Annual Meeting have provided years of valuable service to the Company, and we are grateful for all of their contributions to our growth and success.”
Robert E. Guest Jr., who has served since 2002, has been instrumental during his tenure, particularly as Chair of the Risk Committee since 2019. His leadership was key as the company transitioned past the $10 billion asset milestone. James M. Havel, on the board since 2014, provided his extensive financial experience to the Audit and Risk committees. Daniel A. Rodriguez, board member since 2022, has also contributed valuable operational and technology insights. Eloise E. Schmitz joined the board in 2017 and applied her financial services expertise across multiple committees.
Despite the departure of such pivotal figures, DeCola reassured stakeholders, saying the Board remains committed to progressive, long-term corporate governance strategies to benefit the Company and its stockholders. “We wish them all the very best in their future endeavors,” DeCola noted.
Meanwhile, across the pond, The Blockchain Group, Europe's first Bitcoin treasury company, convened for its Extraordinary General Meeting on February 21, 2025, aimed at enhancing its capital-raising capacity by over €300 million. All resolutions presented to shareholders were overwhelmingly approved, with more than 95% of the voting rights present supporting the proposals.
Jean-Philippe Casadepax-Soulet, CEO of The Blockchain Group, expressed appreciation to shareholders for their trust, emphasizing the importance of the approved financial delegations. These new powers will enable the company to issue shares or securities, with or without maintaining preferential subscription rights, through public offerings or for select beneficiaries.
Reflecting on the meeting's outcomes, the CEO said, “I would like to thank our shareholders for the trust they have placed in us through the approval of these new financial delegations, which will enable us to accelerate our Bitcoin treasury strategy, whilst continuing to develop our operational activities.”
The Blockchain Group is publicly traded on the Euronext Growth Paris and has subsidiaries specializing in Data Intelligence, AI, and decentralized technology consulting, underpinning its ambitions within the rapidly-evolving financial services space.
Investors and market observers will be closely watching both the future governance structure at EFSC and The Blockchain Group's strategy following this significant capital increase.