Findell Capital Management Spotlights Why Ginny Lee Should Not be Appointed Oportun's Next Lead Independent Director

Rhea-AI Summary

Findell Capital Partners criticizes Oportun Financial Corporation's (NASDAQ: OPRT) board leadership, particularly focusing on Ginny Lee's potential appointment as lead independent director. The activist investor condemns the board's decision to remove Scott Parker, a director who helped achieve a +190% TSR during his tenure. Findell highlights concerns about legacy board members' qualifications, noting their lack of lending experience and poor performance oversight, with TSR declines ranging from -58% to -75%. The firm specifically questions Ms. Lee's competence, citing her limited understanding of lending operations and previous professional connection to CEO Raul Vazquez at Intuit. Findell urges shareholders to vote for their nominee Warren Wilcox and against Vazquez at the 2025 Annual Meeting, while advocating for Parker's reinstatement.

Positive

• Scott Parker's tenure led to +190% TSR and improved operating metrics
• Findell's active involvement in corporate governance oversight
• Implementation of director resignation policy for accountability

Negative

• Legacy directors oversaw significant value destruction with TSR declines of -58% to -75%
• Board members, including potential lead director Ginny Lee, lack lending industry experience
• Potential conflict of interest due to Ms. Lee's prior work relationship with CEO Vazquez
• Removal of highly qualified director Scott Parker despite strong performance
• Sandra Smith and Jo Anne Barefoot's poor voting record in previous elections

Insights

Corporate Governance Analyst

Activist investor Findell Capital opposes Ginny Lee as lead director, highlighting board governance issues impacting OPRT's performance.

This press release represents a significant escalation in the proxy battle between activist investor Findell Capital and Oportun Financial's board. Findell is directly targeting Ginny Lee, current head of the Nominating Committee and potential next lead independent director, while advocating for the return of Scott Parker, who they credit with driving Oportun's recent 190% total shareholder return (TSR).

The activist's criticism centers on two key governance issues: First, the removal of Scott Parker, whom they describe as the "most qualified member with the most lending experience"; second, the continued presence of long-serving directors who have presided over significant value destruction – including -75% TSR under Louis Miramontes (board member since 2014) and -74% TSR under both Lee and Jo Anne Barefoot.

Particularly notable is Findell's claim that Lee would have lost her director position last year if not for Findell's own votes as part of a compromise agreement. They also highlight potential independence concerns regarding Lee's previous professional relationship with CEO Raul Vazquez at Intuit.

This proxy contest reflects a fundamental disagreement about board composition and qualifications in the specialty finance sector, where industry expertise is critical. Findell emphasizes that current legacy directors lack lending experience – a significant concern for a consumer lending company. The press release signals to shareholders that the upcoming annual meeting vote on directors Warren Wilcox (Findell nominee) and Raul Vazquez could determine whether Oportun maintains its recent performance improvement or reverts to previous underperformance.

Points Out Lead Role of Ms. Lee in Removal of Highly Qualified and Independent Director Scott Parker and Holds Rest of Legacy Board Responsible

Notes Ms. Lee and the Rest of the Legacy Directors Have Overseen Massive Value Destruction and Lack Lending Experience, Making Them Underqualified to Serve as Lead Independent Director

Urges the Board to Reappoint Mr. Parker, Who Brought Necessary Expertise and Highly Relevant Expertise as a Former Public Company CFO and Consumer Lending Executive

NEW YORK, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Findell Capital Partners, LP (together with its affiliates, "Findell," "we" or "us") recently filed its definitive proxy statement and yesterday sent a letter to its fellow stockholders of Oportun Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: OPRT) ("Oportun") regarding the upcoming director election at Oportun's 2025 annual meeting of stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") that can be found here. Following that letter, we wanted to take a moment to further call out the behavior of the legacy members of the Board of Directors (the "Board") of Oportun who are not on the ballot, specifically Ginny Lee, the head of the Nominating, Governance and Social Responsibility Committee (the "Nom/Gov Committee") of the Board. As Chair of the Nom/Gov Committee, we believe Ms. Lee is the most likely candidate for lead independent director following the Annual Meeting, and it is important stockholders understand what is at stake should she be given that role.

Ms. Lee, in her role as Chair of the Nom/Gov Committee and apparently in concert with her fellow legacy Board members, orchestrated the removal of the most qualified member of the Board with the most lending experience, Scott Parker.

As we outlined in our letter, since arriving on the Board a year ago, Mr. Parker drove a remarkable turnaround in performance of Oportun that is readily apparent across all operating metrics and in turn drove a TSR of +190%.

That Ms. Lee and the Board, dominated as it is by its legacy directors, removed him from consideration demonstrates to us a cynical disregard for stockholders and provides strong impetus for stockholders to vote against Raul Vazquez, in our view the ringleader of the legacy directors who collectively appear interested only in entrenching themselves and ignoring the best interests of Oportun. 

What should scare investors is the prospect of Ms. Lee or any of the legacy directors becoming lead independent director following the departure of R. Neil Williams, the current lead independent director.

We believe these legacy directors are unqualified to serve on this board, let alone serve as lead independent director.

Louis Miramontes has been on the board since 2014 and has overseen a -75% TSR. He is a retired accountant with no lending experience.

Sandra Smith and Jo Anne Barefoot have been on the Board since 2022 and overseen a TSR of -58% and -74% respectively. Ms. Barefoot received more "Withhold" votes than "For" votes in 2023 and would have been removed from the Board had Oportun operated in accordance with basic principles of good governance, including the director resignation policy that it has in place today. Neither has lending experience.

But it is Ms. Lee, as the head of the Nom/Gov Committee, who we believe is the most likely candidate for lead director. She has been on the Board since 2022 and has overseen a TSR of -74%. In fact, she would have lost her director position last year absent a compromise with Findell – it was only our votes, guaranteed due to the agreement with Oportun that brought Mr. Parker onto the Board in the first place, that prevented her from receiving more "Withhold" votes than "For" votes and triggering the director resignation policy.

We have spoken to Ms. Lee several times and have been shocked at how little she appeared to understand about the core lending business and how completely out of depth she seemed to us in her role as a director. She has no lending experience, and she has a prior professional relationship with Mr. Vazquez, having worked at Intuit during his tenure there, that raises serious questions about her ability to oversee his behavior, important for any member of this Board and crucial in a potential lead director.

We urge the Board to bring back Mr. Parker and commit to not having appointing another legacy director as its new lead independent director. We urge fellow stockholders to do the same, and to make their voices heard by voting on the WHITE proxy card for Findell's nominee Warren Wilcox and against Mr. Vazquez at the 2025 Annual Meeting.

Contact:

Findell Capital Management, LLC

88 Pine Street, 22nd Fl.

New York, NY 10005

info@findell.us

OR

Saratoga Proxy Consulting LLC

John Ferguson

info@saratogaproxy.com

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SOURCE Findell Capital Management, LLC

FAQ

What is Findell Capital's main criticism of Oportun's board (OPRT)?

Findell criticizes the board for removing Scott Parker, who achieved +190% TSR, and opposes Ginny Lee's potential appointment as lead director due to her lack of lending experience and poor oversight resulting in -74% TSR.

Why does Findell oppose Ginny Lee as OPRT's lead independent director?

Findell opposes Lee due to her lack of lending experience, poor understanding of core business operations, -74% TSR oversight, and previous professional relationship with CEO Raul Vazquez at Intuit.

What is the voting recommendation from Findell for OPRT's 2025 Annual Meeting?

Findell recommends shareholders vote for their nominee Warren Wilcox and against CEO Raul Vazquez using the WHITE proxy card.

What was Scott Parker's impact on Oportun (OPRT) during his tenure?

During Parker's one-year tenure, he drove a significant turnaround in performance across all operating metrics, resulting in a +190% Total Shareholder Return (TSR).

How has OPRT's stock performed under the legacy board members?

Under legacy board members, OPRT's stock has performed poorly, with TSR declines ranging from -58% to -75%, with Louis Miramontes overseeing a -75% decline since 2014.