James Gold Email and Phone Number

Board and Corporate Advisor ￨ Company and Non-Profit Board Member ￨ Mentor to growth companies and entrepreneurs ￨ Engaged across the broad spectrum of hearing health ￨Jim Gold brings 40+ years of finance executive and board experience. His range of impact includes public and private companies and non-profit organizations, including many of the largest global food and consumer products companies.Joining Lazard when it had <300 employees, Jim co-founded the international food and consumer practice. Responsible for cultivating client relationships with MNC’s such as Danone, PepsiCo, Campbell, Hershey, Wrigley, Kraft, and Heinz, Jim and his team grew Lazard’s consumer practice into one of the most highly respected in the banking community. As an investment banker, Jim’s focus is on providing strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, financing, capital raising, spinoffs and recapitalizations. Jim’s deep corporate board experience stretches 25+ years. Casino S.A. asked Jim to join the board of 51% owned publicly traded affiliate Smart & Final in 1993, a position that he held until just prior to Smart & Final’s 2007 sale. During his tenure, he was a member of the compensation committee, an observer to the Audit Committee and formulated the company’s long-term strategy and shareholder value creation. Because of his expansive knowledge and relationships in the natural and organic food space developed from client relationships such as Stonyfield Farm and White Wave, he joined the board of Hain Celestial in 1998, staying for six years. During that period, he was a member of the Compensation Committee and served as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Subsequently, Jim has held director positions at Happy Baby, Applegate Farms, Gold Standard Baking, and the Lola Granola Company where he served as Chairman. In 2013, Jim joined Southern Star Shipping, a family office, as a senior advisor. He created and oversaw a growth-focused global corporate development activity focusing on Southern Star’s principal food and agri-business holdings in Nigeria and Greece, Flour Mills of Nigeria and Elbisco. For the past six years, Jim served as a senior advisor at Sawaya Partners working with a team of dedicated professionals helping to grow a food-focused advisory practice.As a hearing-impaired person, Jim dedicates time to working with hearing health non-profits, including the CHC, where he has been a board member for 20+ years. He is considered one of the most tenacious advocates for advancements in tinnitus care.