Our Leadership
Sammons is governed by an elected board. The Board is comprised of leadership from across the Enterprise
and a group of Independent Directors who are not otherwise affiliated with Sammons. In addition to the Board,
Key Officers provide guidance and support.
Darron Ash
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Committee
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Committee member for Sammons Enterprises, Inc., Darron Ash has been with Sammons since 2006. Darron joined the company with 17 years of experience in the public accounting, private equity, consumer products manufacturing, and professional services industries.
He served as Chief Financial Officer for Sammons Enterprises, Inc. for nine years prior to accepting the role of President and Chief Executive Officer for Briggs International, Inc., the company's equipment business.
Darron has been a member of the Executive Committee and the Board since 2015.
Esfand dinshaw
President
Executive Committee
Esfand Dinshaw is President of Sammons Enterprises, Inc., and Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and President of Sammons Financial Group, Inc. He has been a member of the Executive Committee and on the Board since 2012 and joined the company in 1999.
Esfand has more than 37 years of experience in the insurance industry with four different companies. Esfand is on the Board of the American Council of Life Insurers and is a past Chairman of the Board for LL Global (LIMRA & LOMA), both insurance industry-related organizations.
thomas corcoran
Chairman of the Board
Independent Director
Tom Corcoran serves as an Independent Director and Chairman of Sammons Enterprises, Inc. He joined the Sammons Board in 2010, with impressive entrepreneurial accomplishments and hospitality experience.
Tom was a founder of FelCor Lodging Trust in 1991, a publicly-traded real estate investment trust focused exclusively on hotels. In addition to his role with Sammons, Tom is the Chairman and CEO of TCOR Hotel Partners, LLC. TCOR owns three hotels in Dallas, Texas, Tampa, Florida and Baltimore, Maryland and seeks to acquire additional premium select service hotels.
Tom’s other board appointments include the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and Dallas County Community College District Foundation. He is Past Chairman of AH&LA and Past Chairman of the IHG Owners Association.
james clark
Independent Director
James "Rod" Clark is an Independent Director serving on the Sammons Enterprises, Inc. Board of Directors since 2010. Rod retired in 2009, after 35 years in the oilfield services business. Prior to retirement, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Baker Hughes Incorporated, and was responsible for 30,000 employees operating in more than 90 countries.
Before Baker Hughes, Rod was President of Sperry-Sun, a Halliburton company, from 1996 to 1999. He serves on the Board of Directors of Ensco plc and on the Board of Trustees of Dallas Theological Seminary.
george fisk
George Fisk dedicated 40 years of his career to the finance industry and remains active in the banking and financial services industries. He currently serves as Vice Chairman and Independent Director for LegacyTexas Financial Group, and as Independent Director of Independent Bankers Financial Corp, in addition to his role as Independent Director for Sammons Enterprises.
He has been a Trustee member for Jesuit College Preparatory School and has served as an Independent Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
Throughout his professional career, George served as a leader for several accounting and banking organizations, including KPMG, RSM McGladrey, LegacyTexas Group, as well as his own accounting firm.
Independent Director
pam doeppe
Chief Financial Officer
Key Officer
Pam Doeppe has been with Sammons since 1993. As Chief Financial Officer, Pam supports the Board in the areas of strategic planning, capital allocation, financial performance, treasury, tax, and financial reporting.
She is a graduate of Texas Wesleyan and a Certified
Public Accountant. Prior to joining Sammons in 1993,
Pam spent nine years at Coopers & Lybrand, now PriceWaterhouseCoopers, advising corporate and high net worth individual clients.
cheryl gosch
General Counsel and Secretary
Key Officer
As General Counsel, Cheryl Gosch supports the Sammons Executive Committee and Independent Directors in the execution of their duties. She is responsible for governance issues and has the responsibility to provide legal advice to Sammons business units.
Cheryl joined Sammons' legal department in 1989. During her tenure with the company, she has advised Sammons' business units in a variety of matters including acquisitions and divestitures, real estate transactions and employee benefit law, including matters related to the Sammons' ESOP.
Cheryl's experience includes a specialty in tax law. Prior to joining Sammons, she was a partner and tax attorney with a private law firm in Dallas.