Board of Directors
Board Leadership
Mario Zambrano was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. He studied at the Technische Universitat Munchen and graduated as an Aerospace Engineer from The University of Texas at Austin.
Mario is the CEO of a family of businesses. At CMIT Solutions of Austin, he and his team provide Complete Managed IT Services for small and medium businesses. Sunuts LLC is a pecan-based snack company that distributes snacks to major chains in Mexico and the US under the brand Yomms. With Zutixe, Mario consults international businesses in the Energy and Aerospace industries.
Mario serves as a board member at The University of Texas at Austin International Board of Advisors, at Cardigan Mountain School, an all-boys boarding middle school in Cannan, NH. He is also on the board at Zemog, a trucking company in Mexico, and Pecari, a real estate developer in Monterrey, Mexico.
Mario is a passionate pilot and cyclist. In 2005 he rode for Texas 4000 for Cancer on his bicycle from Austin to Anchorage. He flies a 1946 Boeing Stearman as a hobby.
Mario is married to Maria, and together they raise two children in Austin, Texas.
Cate also leads Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) reinforcing NI’s commitment to cultivating a diverse team of bright, open-minded people and a culture of respect for all. Together with the company, she is on a mission to create an authentic, inclusive, and kind community where everyone can be themselves and do their best work. Prior to her role as CPO, Cate served in HR leadership roles in EMEIA, APAC, and the Americas. Before joining NI, Cate was head of HR for BAE Systems—Military Air and Information Sector (2005–2013) and head of HR for MVC, a subsidiary of Woolworths Group (2002−2005).
She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in strategic HR and an advanced diploma in coaching from Oxford. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, and a former UK regional government ambassador for Engage for Success. Cate also serves as a board member of the Boys and Girls Club Austin Area, Chairing the Operations & Safety Committee.
Outside of work, Cate enjoys spending time with her family, hitting the hiking trails, and discovering all the fun and “weird” things to do in Austin.
Thomas Aylor has served as the Chief Financial Officer of ProjectManager.com since October 2019. Prior to this role, Thomas was the VP of Finance (2012 – 2017) and CFO (2017-2019) of RetailMeNot. As the head of the RetailMeNot global finance organization, he managed the financial accounting and international finance teams. Thomas has a wealth of experience in strategic financial transactions, corporate governance, and operational finance and administration activities. During his 12-year tenure at Ernst & Young, he served clients ranging from growth-stage technology companies, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations. Thomas received his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Texas State University.
He also currently serves as a Board Member and Secretary of the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas.
Whitney Charles is a native Texan, mother of three, philanthropist, and the University of Texas Alumni with a passion for community service and social justice. She strives to empower children facing socioeconomic challenges through the Jamaal Charles Family Foundation. By partnering with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, Whitney aims to make Austin a more equitable place for local marginalized communities.
As founder and CEO of Virtus Real Estate Capital, Terrell Gates is ultimately responsible for all strategic decisions. Mr. Gates is a third-generation commercial real estate investor and developer, who began his career in the student housing industry in 1992. Since then, Mr. Gates has held numerous principal-level positions in real estate, law, and finance, including private equity, portfolio management, investment banking, and lending. Before founding Virtus, Mr. Gates was Director of the GGS Private Banking group at Merrill Lynch. Since establishing Virtus in 2003, Mr. Gates has been ultimately responsible for the execution of the Virtus investment strategy, which has totaled over $5.1 billion in property acquisitions.
An active philanthropist, Mr. Gates invests his time, treasure, and talents in organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Club, Zoe Empowers, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, UMCOR, and Central Texas Food Bank, to name a few. Mr. Gates holds B.A.s in Economics and Spanish from The University of Texas at Austin, before earning a law degree from Southern Methodist University Law School. He is a licensed attorney.
Andrew “Andy” Brock leads the J.P. Morgan Private Bank offices in Central Texas. He and his team work with Central Texas’s most successful individuals, families, endowments, and nonprofits, helping them define and achieve their financial, business, and personal goals.
Andy has spent much of his career managing wealth for leading international families. With more than 15 years of financial services experience, he offers a deep well of knowledge to address the complex personal and business challenges that his clients often face. He helps his clients identify what they want their money to do for their lives, families, and communities – and then create a wealth plan that seeks to achieve that. Additionally, Andy can draw upon the best of J.P. Morgan’s global offerings and apply them locally, aiming to deliver effective long-term strategies tailored to the specific needs of each client. As the head of the Private Bank in Central Texas, he also builds, guides, and manages the talented team bringing strategies to all clients.
Andy joined J.P. Morgan in 2012 and first served in the London office, where he was responsible for defining and implementing the Private Bank’s UK business strategy. Previously, he had launched Bernstein Global Wealth Management’s London client practice. He began his career at State Street Research & Management in Boston.
Andy credits his New England upbringing and liberal arts education for his ability to listen actively and think critically. He grew up in New Hampshire and earned a B.A. in Economics and Rhetoric from Bates College in Maine. A passionate advocate for empowering young people through education and entrepreneurship, Andy was a trustee of the Wandle Learning Trust while living in London. Andy is the Co-Chair of the J.P. Morgan Chase Market Leadership Team for Austin and an active member of the Central Texas Angel Network. Along with his wife and two children, he joined the Austin community in 2019.
As an Austin native, Sam Zabaneh has had the honor of watching the city develop into a technology hub, where new businesses are being created every day. He advises these companies throughout their entire lifecycle, from idea to public company, as well as the institutions that finance them. His practice focuses on a broad range of corporate issues, including general corporate matters, various capital raising and liquidity event transactions, mergers and acquisitions, along public company representation and securities offerings.
“My clients value the personal touch, as I understand that we aren’t working on their business, we are working on their passion, their purpose, their legacy. My recent clients have included Aceable, BigCommerce, Lion Street, LiveOak Venture Partners, Newgistics, Next Coast Ventures, RVshare, RetailMeNot, Silverton Partners, SourceDay, Tritium Partners, and Xomi.”
When he is not working with high-growth companies and investors, he spends his free time with his wife, following their three children in their various sports and activities, as well as the occasional fly fishing, wake surfing, or ski trip.
Board Leadership
Mario Zambrano
Board Chair
CMIT Solutions
Cate Prescott
Immediate Past Board Chair
NI
Thomas Aylor
Treasurer
ExpertVoice
Board Secretary
Community Leader
Terrell Gates
Resource Development Committee Chair
Virtus Real Estate Capital
Andy Brock
Operations & Safety Committee Chair
JPMorgan Chase & CO.
Sam Zabaneh
Governance & Nominating Committee Chair
Latham & Watkins LLP
Board Members
Jeanette Bledsoe
Community Leader
Walter Bledsoe
Community Leader
Dr. James A. Broaddus
The Broaddus Companies
Lynn Hamilton Butler
Husch Blackwell
George Casey
Community Leader
Jamaal Charles
Community Leader
C. Jeff Cook
Capital Group
Raj Doshi
Blucora Inc.
Andee Hartig
Jackson Walker LLP
Stacey Heller
American Campus Communities
William A. Heine
Ex-Officio
Don Hobson
Visa
Sean Kelly
Fortitude Advisors
Mark Lobosco
LinkedIn
Matt Martin
Community Leader
Cale McDowell
Jackson Walker LLP
Sean Mills
PlainsCapital Bank
Doug Opalka
JLL Capital Markets
Christine Payne
Ex-Officio
Lauryn Robison
Community Leader
Dwight Steward
EmployStats
William Talbot
American Campus Communities
Gavin Turner
Mainsail Partners
Michael Volpe
Retired SVP for EZCorp
Jamie Wolfe
E&Y
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