Management Team
Board of Directors
Ophir Sternberg
Ophir Sternberg, our founding director, Chairman, President, and CEO, brings over 30 years of real estate industry experience, including office, industrial, retail, hospitality, ultra-luxury residential condominiums, and land acquisitions. He is the Founder and CEO of Miami-based Lionheart Capital LLC, a diversified investment firm focused on high-growth companies. Sternberg's career began with developing properties in New York City's emerging neighborhoods, earning a reputation for identifying undervalued assets and achieving above-average returns. Under his leadership, Lionheart Capital has executed prominent real estate transactions, including The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Miami Beach and Singer Island, Palm Beach with total sell-outs exceeding $550 million. In 2017, he founded Out of the Box Ventures, LLC, to acquire and reposition distressed retail properties across the United States, currently controlling over 5 million square feet. As Chairman of Nasdaq-listed OPES Acquisition Corp., Sternberg led the merger with BurgerFi International LLC, forming BurgerFi International Inc. He also led the acquisition of Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings. Additionally, Sternberg spearheaded Lionheart Acquisition Corporation II's business combination with MSP Recovery, rebranded as LifeWallet, and Lionheart III Corp's merger with Security Matters Limited. Beyond business, Sternberg is dedicated to education, founding The Lionheart Classical Academy, a chartered public school in New Hampshire, demonstrating his commitment to philanthropy and community impact.
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Ophir Sternberg
Paul Rapisarda, our Chief Financial Officer also serves as CFO at Lionheart Capital LLC and previously at Lionheart II and Lionheart III. He is a seasoned public company executive and investment banking professional with over 30 years of experience in public and private sectors. Before joining Lionheart Capital in June 2019, Rapisarda was CFO at Etrion Corp. (TSX), a solar energy development company under The Lundin Group, managing all finance functions including financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and investor relations. Prior to Etrion, Rapisarda served as Executive Vice President of Commercial Development at Atlantic Power Corporation, a dual-listed company in the independent power and infrastructure sectors. He played a key role in the $1.8 billion merger with Capital Power Income LP and managed over $1.2 billion in equity investments. His career also includes over 20 years in investment banking and private equity with firms like Compass Advisers LLP, Schroders, Merrill Lynch, and BT Securities. Additionally, he has served on boards of several emerging growth companies in the energy, technology, and infrastructure sectors.
Paul Rapisarda
Faquiry Diaz Cala, Chief Operating Officer, also serves as COO for Lionheart Capital and its affiliates, overseeing Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Strategy. He was COO at Lionheart III and Lionheart II. Since 2013, Diaz Cala has been President and Director of The Ivy Companies Inc., and since 2022, a Director at PataFoods, Inc., a plant-based baby food company. Diaz Cala was an early investor and executive committee member of fintech company Yellowpepper Holding Corporation, contributing to its operations and eventual acquisition by Visa in 2020. He also invested in and operated Southam Freeze Dry SPA, a leading freeze-dry company in Chile, until its sale to Van Drunen Farms. Diaz Cala began his career at First Union National Bank and then held senior executive positions at Republic National Bank of New York under Edmond Safra until its sale to HSBC. Over the past 30 years, he has served as an investor, executive, and board member for various public and private companies globally. He has also been involved with non-profit organizations and educational institutions such as The Wharton School and Florida International University.
Faquiry Diaz Cala
Roger Meltzer
Roger Meltzer, Esq., will join our board of directors upon the commencement of Nasdaq trading. Mr. Meltzer is a distinguished global leader with extensive legal experience. At DLA Piper LLP, he served in various roles including Global Co-Chairman, Chairman Emeritus, and Co-Chairman of the U.S. Executive Committee. Prior to DLA Piper, he was a partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, holding significant roles. Mr. Meltzer is on the Advisory Board of Harvard Law School's Center on the Legal Profession and the Board of Trustees at New York University Law School. He has served on several corporate boards, including Lionheart II Corp, Lionheart III Corp, and MSP Recovery, Inc. He is currently a director at various companies, including Haymaker Acquisition Corp. 4, Ubicquia LLC, Aearo Holding LLC, Empatan PLC (SMX), AID Holdings II (Enlivant), Klein Hersh, Cyxtera Technologies, Inc., Lexington Law, Elixir, Heubach Group, Careismatic Brands Inc., and Audacy Inc. Mr. Meltzer holds a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law and an A.B. from Harvard College. His qualifications as a director are underscored by his experience in representing corporate clients on complex, cross-border matters and his exemplary leadership.
Thomas Hawkins
Thomas Hawkins, serves on our Board of Directors. He will join our board upon the commencement of our Nasdaq trading, bringing a wealth of experience from various senior roles. He was a Management Consultant for MEDNAX, Inc. and previously served as its General Counsel and Board Secretary. Before this, Hawkins was a Partner at New River Capital Partners, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at AutoNation, Inc., Executive Vice President at Viacom, Inc., and Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary at Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation. Currently, Hawkins serves on the board of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan and continued as a director of SMX following its merger with Lionheart III. Since May 2022, he has been a director and chairman of the audit committee of MSP Recovery, now LifeWallet. Hawkins received his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University and an A.B. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. His extensive executive and legal experience, alongside his board service, make him well-qualified as a director.
Gila Cohen
Gila Cohen, appointed as a director upon the commencement of Nasdaq trading, is a Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Vanbarton Group. She oversees the firm’s equity and credit investing platforms. Prior to this, she was Managing Director and Head of Global Institutional Partnerships at Monroe Capital. Ms. Cohen also served as Chief Investment Strategy Officer at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (USA), where she advised on strategic alternatives investments and contributed to ESG and DEI initiatives. Throughout her career, Ms. Cohen has built multiple businesses and executed diverse transactions in real estate, private credit, and private equity. She has held senior investment banking roles at J.P. Morgan, UBS Investment Bank, and Credit Suisse First Boston. She earned her B.A. in Art History with a concentration in Mathematics from Columbia University. Her extensive investment and advisory experience qualifies her to serve as a director.
Antony Sheriff
Antony Sheriff, an expert in automotive technology, mobility, and luxury industries, will join our board of directors upon Nasdaq trading commencement. Mr. Sheriff was Chairman and CEO at Princess Yachts Ltd in Plymouth, England. He previously founded McLaren Automotive in Woking, England, serving as CEO, and worked at Fiat Auto in Turin, Italy, where he was Director of Product Development. His career began at McKinsey & Company in New York as a consultant. Mr. Sheriff has served as a board director or advisor for numerous private and public companies in the US and Europe. He is currently Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bugatti-Rimac in Croatia and Rimac Group, Independent Director at Pininfarina S.p.A., and Board Advisor to Automobili Pininfarina. Previously, he was Senior Independent Director at Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings and Rivian Automotive Inc. Mr. Sheriff holds an M.S. in Management from MIT Sloan School of Management and a B.S. in Engineering and Economics from Swarthmore College. His extensive experience as a CEO and independent director qualifies him to serve on our board.
