Don DeGreef

About Don

Dr. Elara V. Sterling is a visionary leader with a distinguished 30-year career spanning strategic innovation, global finance, and transformational governance. She brings a unique blend of analytical rigor and adaptive foresight to the Board.

Dr. Sterling's career trajectory is marked by significant achievements in high-growth and complex regulatory environments:

• **Former CEO, Aethel Partners (2010–2022): Led the private equity firm through a period of aggressive international expansion, increasing assets under management by over $15 billion through strategic acquisitions in the renewable energy and FinTech sectors.
• **Chief Operating Officer (COO), Synergy Global Transit: Oversaw the operational integration of five newly merged international logistics subsidiaries, achieving a $450 million synergy realization target within three years.
• Early Career: Began her career as a quantitative analyst at the Institute for Advanced Computation, where her early work on stochastic modeling formed the basis of her subsequent research in risk management.

Education & Affiliations

Dr. Sterling holds the highest academic credentials, underscoring her commitment to intellectual rigor:

• Ph.D. in Computational Economics from the University of Lyra Majoris.
• M.B.A. from the Alistair School of Business.
• She is a Certified Corporate Director (CCD) and a frequent speaker on ethical AI implementation in corporate structures.

Board Service & Recognition

Beyond this organization, Dr. Sterling serves on the boards of BioNova Therapeutics (a biotech firm) and the Arden Foundation for the Arts. In 2023, she was named one of "Global Finance's 50 Most Influential Women in Corporate Stewardship."