Our Board

Gerard Ryan

Appointed: January 2012

Role: Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer 

Gerard is an inspirational leader and an effective and objective implementer of strategy with over 30 years’ multi-country experience in consumer financial services. At IPF, Gerard is responsible for Group strategy, operational management, leadership of the executive and senior leadership team, in addition to ensuring good relations with employees, customer representatives, customers, regulators and investors. He provides acute market insight which provides a real advantage in driving the implementation of the strategy, and identifying and pursuing growth opportunities.

Gary Thompson

Appointed: April 2012

Role: Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer; Chair of the Disclosure Committee

Gary is a strong financial leader with over 20 years’ financial experience spent in both the accounting and corporate sectors. At IPF, Gary is responsible for financial performance and reporting,  Group funding and debt investor relations,  internal audit and taxation, the executive relationship with the external auditor, leadership of the Group finance team and other corporate functions. Gary provides ownership of the Group’s financial model, supports the Board, the CEO and executive management in driving optimum financial performance and has diversified the funding base. 

Michelle Hemerley

Appointed: August 2026 

Role: Shareholder appointed Non-executive Director 

With over 37 years of experience as a regulator, banker, and consultant, Michelle brings a rare breadth of institutional perspective to compliance leadership across complex financial institutions. Michelle is currently the Managing Director of Compliance at BasePoint Capital LLC, leading the compliance and Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering functions, drawing on her background as a regulator to build and maintain programs that meet the highest institutional standards. Michelle holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from the University of Denver.

Eric Torgerson

Appointed: August 2026

Role: Shareholder appointed Non-executive Director 

With over 20 years of experience in the specialty finance sector, Eric’s career spans credit underwriting, portfolio risk oversight, and asset monitoring across consumer, commercial, and structured finance. Eric is currently Managing Director of Credit at BasePoint Capital LLC leading the firm’s credit function — overseeing underwriting standards, portfolio risk assessment, and investment decision-making across the firm’s specialty finance portfolio. Eric holds a B.S. in Economics and Spanish from The University of Utah and a M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina.

Michael Petronio

Appointed: August 2026

Role: Chair and Shareholder appointed Non-executive Director 

Michael has over 25 years of experience in structuring, negotiating, and documenting complex financial transactions and is currently Managing Director of Transaction Management at BasePoint Capital LLC. He oversees the deal origination process at BasePoint, drawing on deep expertise across warehouse credit facilities, asset-backed securitizations, and M&A transactions in the specialty finance sector. Michael holds a B.A. in Political Science from Georgetown University and a J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center.