Financial Women of San Francisco Board of Directors (501c6)
The Financial Women of San Francisco is governed by a Board of Directors that consists of the Executive Board along with Committee Chair Persons.
Please click on the board member's photo to read her biography.
Executive Board
Susan English Mazzetti
FWSF President
As one of the co-founders of Quorum Private Wealth, Sue brings a decade of wealth management experience at Merrill Lynch and a decade of public accounting experience at Ernst & Young to her team and clients. Sue serves as a client relationship manager focused on developing financial strategies and advice for individuals, their families, and their businesses. She has a particular passion for working with women, to empower them with financial literacy. She works closely with her clients’ full team of advisors, including attorneys and accountants, to provide a coordinated approach to wealth management, including wealth transfer, tax minimization and estate planning.
She holds a BS in Accounting from Boston College and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University.
Mona Ahmadi
Vice President (2025 President-Elect)
Mona Ahmadi is a finance professional with 10 years of experience in financial planning and analysis. She became involved with FWSF after receiving one of the 2014 FWSF scholarships while pursuing her MBA at the University of San Francisco. Mona also serves as a board member at Project ARTogether, using art as an element to bring awareness to the refugee community of the Bay Area.
Denise Rigli
Immediate Past President
Denise Rigli is director in the PwC risk assurance practice in San Francisco with over 18 years of experience. Within PwC's risk assurance practice she focuses on working with financial services, fintech and technology companies to enhance their governance, risk and compliance activities. Experience covers business transformation, IT, financial reporting and operational risks, with a unique view of how these areas intersect. She has focused on assisting clients examine new perspectives, focus on identifying the most critical risk, mitigation of risk through controls that are right for their organization and ensuring that identified weaknesses are remediated timely. She has leveraged her years in the external audit practice to bring a financial statement/financial reporting perspective to both the IT and the operational side of the business for a holistic approach to risk mitigation. She is effective at building and sustaining effective and trusted relationships with senior management and is seen as a trusted business advisor.
Kim Scala
Secretary
Kim Scala is an attorney with an MBA who represents privately held companies, individuals, and investors in real estate, financing, and business transactions. She serves as strategic general counsel to emerging growth and middle-market companies, as well as pro-bono counsel to Rockwood Leadership Institute. An entrepreneur with previous start-up experience, Kim left a large firm, where she was a partner, to start her own law firm, Scala Law, in 2014.
Kim was the Industry Impact Award Honorable Mention winner at the three-chapter Commercial Real Estate Women’s 2016 ELEVATE event. In 2014, she was honored as one of the “Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business” by the San Francisco Business Times and has been on the “Forever Influential Honor Roll” since 2015.
Kim has served on the FWSF board since 2015 and is currently president of the board of CREW East Bay since 2014. She is also on the Advisory Board of Alliance for Girls, which champions the leaders and voices that support young women and girls. Kim spearheaded the Archer Norris “Women in Business Roundtable” series, a moderated quarterly program featuring C-level business leaders.
Kim is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University. She received an MBA (Beta Gamma Sigma honors) from UCLA and a JD from UC Davis, where she received Order of the Coif, Law Review, and Phi Kappa Phi honors. Following law school, Kim clerked for the Honorable Justice Joseph R. Grodin of the California Supreme Court.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimscala
Ashley Crawford
Treasurer
At Inheritance Funding Company, Inc., the industry leader for cash advances during the probate process, I love turning financial data into business insight. As the Controller, I actively work to leverage our accounting data to inform business strategy in addition to ensuring the smooth operation of our financial functions.
As a CPA, before my current position, I worked in public accounting for five years at RINA Accountants & Advisors. My focus was primarily on partnership and individual taxation.
My first love is reading. I share that passion at FWSF through faciliating the FWSF Book Club.
Kim Pugh
VP Marketing & Communications
Kim Pugh is founder and principal of YurPath Solutions and has over 30 years’ experience in financial services and other industry groups. YurPath Solutions is a boutique consulting practice that guides clients in enhancing customer and employee experience, creating product solutions, improving processes, and developing post-merger strategies that mitigate customer impact and increase revenue.
Prior to launching YurPath Solutions, Kim held several positions at Wells Fargo Bank. As a senior vice president, Kim frequently built and managed groups from the ground up and delivered results in areas ranging from customer experience & research, business development, and corporate relationship management to digital channels, process re-engineering, and merger integration. While at Mellon Bank (BNY Mellon), she had roles in funds positioning and financial analysis, managed various Operations groups, and as a manager of product design, led cross-functional teams to develop new or improved products and systems.
Kim earned her MBA and her BA in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to serving on the board of Financial Women of San Francisco, Kim has had a number of other professional affiliations, including being a member of the Association for Corporate Growth, San Francisco (ACG SF) board of directors and serving as the 2018 President.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimpugh/
Mimi Mengis
VP Programs
Mimi Mengis has over 30 years of experience in the financial industry and is a proven leader in challenging market and credit environments in achieving critical management/shareholder objectives and forging respectful relationships with external stakeholders. Most recently Mimi led transformation management, liquidity risk/debt capital markets and capital stress testing functions as Managing Director at Mitsubishi Financial Group Americas (MUFG Americas). Prior to MUFG Americas, Mimi provided Treasury consulting at Promontory Financial Group and held senior Treasury roles at Washington Mutual and Providian Financial (liquidity risk, securitization and debt capital markets/investor relations). Mimi began her career at Union Bank of Switzerland (formerly known as Swiss Bank Corporation) as a securitization banker serving clients in the U.S. and Europe.
Mimi earned her MBA in finance at Cornell University and her BA in Russian language and literature at Wellesley College.
Denise Field
VP Membership
Denise is an attorney and Shareholder of the San Francisco office of Buchalter. She is a Co-Chair of the Firm’s Equipment Leasing Industry Group.
Denise represents financial institutions, including banks, equipment lessors, commercial lenders, fintech companies, and mortgage lenders in commercial, business, and bankruptcy litigation and matters. She also represents a wide variety of businesses, including manufacturers, transportation companies, and technology companies.
Denise has extensive experience handling matters including contract, creditors’ rights, fraud claims, business torts, fraudulent transfers and disputes relating to secured and unsecured lending. Her practice also includes defending financial institutions in complex litigation, consumer class action and litigation involving fraud claims, federal consumer credit laws, unfair business practices and other commercial matters.
She also provides preventative advice and creative optionsto successfully resolve business disputes. Denise also has extensive experience resolving disputes through alternative dispute resolution procedures, including mediation.
Shay Phillips
VP Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB)
Shay Phillips, regulatory compliance consultant, and seasoned banking officer with over 20 years’ experience in financial services and business operations specializing in regulatory compliance of private equity firms and commercial real estate lending institutions. Experienced in BSA/AML operational risk and data management that includes performing periodic examination reviews of processes, monitoring and investigations of alerts generated through suspicious transactions and extensive due diligence management on medium and high-risk clients.
Prior to dedicating her experience in independent consulting, Shay served as a consultant with Wells Fargo, and served as an Assistant Vice President for MUFG Union Bank, N.A. In her roles with both Wells Fargo, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., Shay was able to successfully blend the ability to interpret complex and ever-evolving global and division-wide policies and best practices and she continues to advance in the field of regulatory compliance through independent consulting and staying abreast on the latest regulatory and due diligence practices in banking products, services and acquisitions.
Shay holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Saint Mary’s College; as well as certifications in Project and Financial Management from Cornell University; and Risk Management from Stanford University. Currently serving on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of Financial Women of San Francisco; member of the American Heart Association and previously held positions on the board of directors of the Girls Scout of the USA and liaison to Vison 20/20 of the city of Fairfield, CA.
Shay enjoys family-time, cooking, gardening, hiking, traveling; has an overwhelming enjoyment of all sports and will forever find admiration and love in performing arts and music.
Committee Chairs
Tamarra L. Brown
Marketing & Communications Chair
Tamarra L. Brown, MBA, CPA, is Administrative Services Director for Alameda County Public Health Department, Health Care Services Agency. There she leads all aspects of Finance and Administration for the Department.
Prior to that, Tamarra served in the Office of the Agency Director, where her responsibilities included the Single Audit process, internal control assessment, leadership in budget development and implementation and supervision of Finance staff across multiple programs.
A licensed CPA, Tamarra served as an audit professional in public accounting for three years. Her portfolio included banking, non-profit and financial services clients.
Tamarra holds an MBA from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business where she was a Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management Fellow, a merit-based, full tuition, academic award. She is a lifelong learner and teacher who is passionate about financial literacy and education as a means to empower women.
A FWSF member since 2013, Tamarra was an East Bay Programs committee member and served as the 2022 VP of Scholarship and Mentoring. She has also served as a Scholarship Committee Team Lead for Stanford and concurrently for Santa Clara University.
Outside of work, Tamarra enjoys faith, family, fitness, and cooking.
Fatema Udaipurwala
Programs Co-Chair
Wealth Advisor, New York Life Insurance Company
Financial Advisor at Eagle Strategies, LLC: specializing in retirement, estate, distribution planning, insurance protection, business planning -- helping families and business owners.
Tabitha Florence Shikuku
Programs Co-Chair
Tabitha Florence Shikuku, a Certified Public Accountant, brings expertise in sustainable financing, international development, and project management. With a global perspective cultivated through her work with the private-public sector, governments, international organizations, and academia, she leads projects and conducts research aimed at analyzing and providing practical solutions to foster policy development.
In addition to her professional career, Tabitha is a dedicated volunteer who promotes women in finance, economic development, and clean energy sectors. Her areas of expertise encompass finance sustainability, climate and environmental affairs, donor relations, policy development, resource mobilization, and the implementation of corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Tabitha holds a BBM in Finance and Banking from Moi University, Kenya, an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Holy Names University in California, and has pursued additional studies in Social Innovation at the University of San Diego and Global Diplomacy for Energy Transition in Africa at the University for Foreigners Perugia in Italy. Currently, she is completing her MPA with a concentration in Policy Analysis from Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis.
Tabitha is leveraging public and private finance to reduce poverty and support local economic development.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabitha-florence-shikuku-cpa-8a745444/
Ayesha Boulware
Programs Co-Chair
AVP - Account Manager, FlexTrade Systems
Senior Financial Technology professional
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayesha-rasheed-boulware-2a8b104/
Maureen Young
Speaker Engagement Chair
Maureen A. Young is senior regulatory counsel and senior vice president at Bank of the West. She advises the bank on a wide range of financial services regulatory, compliance, examination, and corporate governance matters, as well as regulatory strategy and policy issues. Prior to joining Bank of the West in 2016, Maureen was managing director and associate general counsel at MUFG Union Bank, supporting key regulatory and implementation projects and serving as the lead lawyer on numerous initiatives. Before joining MUFG Union Bank in 2012, Maureen was a partner at a large international law firm, where she was a member of the Financial Institutions Corporate and Regulatory group and the Commercial Technology group. She was also co-chair and co-founder of the firm’s Privacy and Security group. Prior to joining the firm in 2003, she was assistant general counsel at Bank of America in the Legal Department’s Regulatory and Corporate Services group. Maureen is a recent past chair of the Banking Law Committee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section.
Maureen holds a JD from University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and a PhD and Master’s degree from University of California, Berkeley, Jurisprudence, and Social Policy Program. She is certified as a Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
Minako Steel
Membership Co-Chair
Minako Steel is a senior tax manager at Moss Adams, LLP. She is a tax professional with over 15 years of public accounting experience and handles all tax services, including tax compliance and tax planning. She provides services in a multitude of industries such as life sciences, technology, manufacturing, and retail. She focuses on C-corporation issues and serves pre-IPO and public companies including privately held middle-market companies.
She likes teaching/coaching young professionals and playing tennis during weekends.
Heather Kerr
Membership Co-Chair
Finance Strategy Geek
My areas of expertise:
-All things P&L: annual budget planning, quarterly forecast development, monthly business reviews, weekly KPIs
-All things revenue: ROI and sensitivity analysis, dashboard development, margin analysis
-All things reporting: strong processes, consolidated and refined business analysis and reviews that provide strategic insight
-All things teamwork: collaborative relationships, the more cross-functional the better
Angela Van
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Chair
Regional Vice President, Equitable
I am presently the Regional Vice President for Equitable Group Retirement for the Tax-Exempt Market. My territory is CA, HI and AK. I am passionate about the retirement business and building strong relationships with key stakeholders. I have 15 years of experience in the financial services industry with a focus in retirement planning. I’m a multifaceted team player who thrives in cross-functional work environments with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Holds Series 6,63, Life and Health Insurance licenses.