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Lawrence W. Leighton

Independent Director

Mr. Leighton is an experienced investment banker with a strong background in international finance and mergers and acquisitions. He has represented many major international companies throughout his career, including Pernod Ricard SA (ENXTPA:RI), and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ). From 2009 to 2018, Mr. Leighton was a Board Director of China XD Plastics Company Limited (NASDAQ:CXDC), a major producer of specialty plastics in Harbin, China. He joined Bentley in 1997 as a Managing Director. Starting in 1989 he was President and Chief Executive Officer of UI USA, the US subsidiary of Union d’Ètudes et d’Investissements, the merchant banking arm of Credit Agricôle SA (ENXTPA:ACA), the largest bank in France. Mr. Leighton joined Chase Investment Bank in 1982 as a Managing Director, where focused on cross-border mergers. Previously, he was a Limited Partner at Bear, Sterns & Co., also focusing on international mergers and acquisitions. Starting in 1974, he was with Norton Simon as the Director of Strategic Planning/Mergers & Acquisitions, where he was responsible for several significant acquisitions for that company, including Avis Rent-A-Car. Before Norton Simon, Mr. Leighton was with Clark, Dodge & Co. where he became Co-Head of the Corporate Finance Department. He began his extensive investment banking career at Kuhn, Loeb & Co. Mr. Leighton is on the Board of Trustees of the Gillen Brewer School and is a Director Emeritus of the Waterford Institute and the Princeton Club of New York. He received his B.S.E. degree from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Mr. Leighton became Senior Advisor in 2017. Due to his strong experience in investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, and international finance, we believe Mr. Leighton is well-qualified to serve as a Director.

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