HOUSTON, July 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Carriage
Services, Inc. (NYSE: CSV) (“Carriage” or the “Company”)
announced today that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has elected
Julie Sanders as an independent member of the Board, effective
immediately. Ms. Sanders, 55, will serve as a member of the Corporate
Governance, Audit and Compensation Committees. She currently
serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Audit Executive at Dell
Technologies, one of the world’s leading technology companies. Ms.
Sanders’ career at Dell spans 21 years where she has held various
finance, accounting, and audit leadership positions before becoming
the Chief Audit Executive in 2021. In this role she is responsible for
leading the global audit organization and the company’s enterprise risk management program.
Julie began her career at KPMG and previously served in two Chief Financial Officer roles.
“We are excited to welcome Julie to the Carriage Board,” said Carriage’s Executive Chairman,
Mel Payne. “Julie’s more than twenty years with Dell, where she has held a variety of leadership
roles, will provide us with great insight and expertise as we continue to identify opportunities
for growth and execute on our Ten-Year Vision, which we discussed in this year’s shareholder
letter.”
“I look forward to joining the Carriage Board to support the Company’s growth and help
create value for shareholders. My experience is well aligned with the Company’s vision and
transformation journey, and I look forward to learning more about Carriage’s high performance
culture and customer service,” said Ms. Sanders.
“Julie’s diverse experience, which includes leadership roles related to technical accounting,
financial planning and analysis, M&A, scaling companies and long-term strategic planning, will
serve Carriage and our shareholders well. Specifically, her experience with Environmental,
Social and Governance efforts at Dell will be valuable in helping drive our focus on those areas
moving forward. Julie’s addition to the Board further supports our commitment to enhancing the
Company’s focus on governance this year,” said Carriage CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board,
Carlos Quezada. Ms. Sanders earned her B.B.A. in Accounting from Baylor University and is a
certified public accountant.
Archives: News
HOUSTON, July 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE: CSV)
(“Carriage” or the “Company”) announced today that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has
elected Somer Webb as an independent director, eff ective immediately. Ms. Webb, 44, will serve
as the Chair of the Board’s Compensation Committee and as a member of the Board’s Audit
and Corporate Governance Committees. Following the appointment of Ms. Webb, the Board will
comprise seven directors, fi ve of whom are independent.
“The addition of Somer Webb to Carriage’s Board of Directors is consistent with our commitment
to listen to feedback from our shareholders and take steps to enhance our corporate
governance,” said Carriage’s Executive Chairman Mel Payne. “Somer’s prior experience with
a number of well-respected public companies in the consumer services space will be highly
benefi cial for our Board and management team as we continue to focus on driving shareholder
value.”
Ms. Webb has extensive experience in fi nancial planning and analysis, M&A, and driving organic
growth through business intelligence insights. She currently serves as the Chief Financial Offi cer
of Solo Brands, a public company focused on outdoor and lifestyle products for consumers.
Ms. Webb previously served as the Chief Financial Offi cer of Worldwide Express, a technology
driven third-party logistics company. She also has extensive executive experience at public
companies including DaVita Inc., PepsiCo, Southwest Airlines, and Amazon. Ms. Webb earned
a B.B.A. in Management Information Systems from Baylor University and an MBA from the
University of Texas at Arlington.
“I’m looking forward to joining the Board and learning more about Carriage’s unique culture and
operating model and helping to identify additional ways to create value for shareholders,” said
Ms. Webb. “My experience and skillset are well aligned with the Company’s vision for the future.”
Chairman of the Board and most recently served as
President and Chief Operating Offi cer. The Company’s founder and current CEO, Mel Payne,
will now serve as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, also eff ective immediately.
Executive Leadership Announcements
Mel Payne, Executive Chairman of the Board, stated, “When I created the Company’s Strategic
Vision and Principles Group in June 2021, a team consisting of four executive leaders including
myself, we noted it was the fi rst step in our CEO succession planning. The past two years have
been a thoughtful, deliberate and intense period of learning, leading and preparation to ensure
the seamless transition we announce today. I could not be more excited and confi dent in Carlos
and his ability to thrive in the CEO role, as he has continued to take on additional responsibilities
and lead transformational growth throughout the Company since he fi rst joined Carriage in 2020.
The Board has also recognized his talent and achievements, which culminated in appointing.
Carlos as President in 2022, and ultimately electing him to
serve on the Board as Vice Chairman earlier this year. Carlos is
a thoughtful and strategic leader who, I am confi dent, will lead
Carriage to achieve our Bold Ten-Year Vision, as laid out in this
year’s Shareholder Letter.”
Carlos Quezada, CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board, said,
“I am honored and deeply humbled to assume the CEO role at
Carriage. As I step into this position, I am acutely aware of the
signifi cance of the transition, as Mel has served as the sole CEO
of the Company since its founding more than 32 years ago. I
commit to our employees and shareholders that I will lead with the
utmost dedication, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to
our culture and Mission and Vision of Being the Best.”
The Board also announced that Steve Metzger, previously
Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Offi cer and
General Counsel, has been appointed to serve as President,
eff ective immediately. Mr. Payne stated, “Steve joined Carriage in
2018 and is a gifted leader who has driven signifi cant growth and
improvement in a variety of areas over the years. In addition to
leading our Legal, HR and Risk Management Teams, Steve also
leads our Corporate Development eff orts, which has resulted
in the addition of several premier businesses to the Carriage
portfolio. Steve is involved with just about every aspect of the
Company and brings great experience and judgment to his role
as President.”
Mr. Payne added, “As those of you who have followed Carriage for any amount of time
know, this Company is my passion. I could not be prouder of our people, the noble nature
of what we do, and the way we take care of our families. I will continue to lead our Board as
Executive Chairman and provide guidance and mentorship to Carlos, Steve and our CFO, Kian
Granmayeh, as they work together to execute our Bold Ten-Year Vision and continue generating
value for our shareholders. As we often say at Carriage, “The Best is Yet to Come!”
Board Refreshment and Governance Updates
On June 21, 2023, the Board appointed Chad Fargason to serve as a Director and as Chair
of the Corporate Governance Committee of the Board. Currently Senior Portfolio Manager for
Vaughan Nelson Investment Management, an investment manager with approximately $15
billion under management, Mr. Fargason brings to the Board deep capital allocation expertise
and a track record of building businesses through strategic growth initiatives. Mr. Fargason
has been with Vaughan Nelson for more than ten years. Prior to that, he spent ten years with
the global investment fi rm KKR & Co. Inc. Mr. Fargason holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Rice
University and both a Masters and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Duke University.
Donald D. Patteson, Jr., Lead Independent Director, stated, “Chad’s proven track record over his
20-year career with both KKR and Vaughan Nelson provide Carriage and its shareholders with
a unique combination of valuable skills and insight, specifi cally as it relates to capital allocation,
strategic growth, and investor assessment and valuation. We are fortunate to have someone of
Chad’s caliber join our Board and we look forward to his contributions.”
Mr. Quezada added, “We are excited to welcome Chad to the Board as we continue to focus our
eff orts on building a best-in-class Board of Directors. Chad’s experience adds skills to our Board
that will be invaluable as we continue to execute our plans to pay down our debt and drive our
growth strategy. Mr. Fargason stated, “I am honored to be invited to join the Carriage Board and
look forward to supporting a company with such a rich history, unique culture, and that is poised
for sustainable growth.”
Mr. Fargason’s appointment follows the resignation of the Company’s prior Corporate
Governance Committee Chair, Dr. Achille Messac, as a Director of the Company.
Mr. Quezada concluded, “We continue to listen to shareholders’ feedback and evaluate
opportunities to enhance governance. To that end, as mentioned in the Company’s Annual
Shareholder Letter and in its fi rst quarter earnings call, the Board is committed to adding gender
diversity to the Board this year and has partnered with a nationally recognized fi rm to guide the
search process. The Board is actively meeting with prospective director candidates that meet
these criteria and intends to share more news on this priority during the third quarter.”
In addition, in connection with the Company’s focus on governance and responsiveness to
shareholder feedback, Carriage has amended its bylaws to provide for mandatory resignations
for any director who fails to receive majority support from shareholders in an uncontested
election.
Carriage Services, Inc. (“Carriage” or “Carriage Services”) is pleased to announce that it has
acquired substantially all the assets of Greenlawn Funeral Homes, Cemeteries and Cremations
and Wood Family Funeral Service (collectively “Greenlawn”), consisting of three funeral homes,
two cemeteries, and a cremation focused business, located in the Bakersfield, California market.
Jim La Mar, President and Chief Executive Officer for Greenlawn stated, “Having worked for
Greenlawn since 1990, it is truly more than a business, it is my identity. As the face of our company,
I could never envision placing Greenlawn’s future and wellbeing in anyone’s hands other than my
own. Knowing we needed to create a succession plan so that our community and staff could be
well taken care of, I didn’t know where to turn. A referral from a dear friend in the industry put me
in touch with Carriage. Today, as we are closing on this transaction, I can truly say it was the best
move we could have made. Carriage’s business model is in perfect alignment with my beliefs
regarding how a business should conduct itself within this profession.
Carriage has been extremely professional and helpful throughout this process in helping us get
across the finish line in a timely manner, with as little stress as possible. I’d strongly recommend
Carriage as part of any Company’s succession plan.” Steve Metzger, Executive Vice President and Chief
Administrative Officer for Carriage Services stated, “Greenlawn is a special business with an important
legacy and deep ties within the Bakersfield community. We are honored that Jim La Mar, Tom Bell, and
the Greenlawn Board selected Carriage to carry the Greenlawn tradition forward. We look forward to
supporting the Greenlawn team and building upon the strong foundation already in place.
The addition of Greenlawn, which serves thousands of families each year and is the preeminent
funeral home and cemetery business in Bakersfield, with a nearly 40% market share, aligns well
with our focus on partnering with the highest quality independent funeral and cemetery businesses
in large and growing markets.”
ABOUT CARRIAGE SERVICES
Carriage Services is a leading provider of funeral and cemetery services and merchandise in the
United States. Carriage operates 170 funeral homes in 26 states and 30 cemeteries in 11 states.
For more information, please contact us at [email protected].
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
Certain statements made herein or elsewhere by, or on behalf of, Carriage (the “Company”) that
are not historical facts are intended to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. These statements are based on assumptions that the Company believes are
reasonable; however, many important factors, as discussed under “Forward-Looking Statements
and Cautionary Statements” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2022, could cause the Company’s results in the future to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements made herein and in any other documents or oral presentations made
by, or on behalf of, the Company. The Company assumes no obligation to update or publicly
release any revisions to forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking
statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company. A copy of the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K, the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other information about the
Company and news releases, are available at http://www.carriageservices.com.
Carriage Services, Inc. (“Carriage” “Carriage Services” or the “Company”),
today announced the appointment of Kian Granmayeh as Executive Vice
President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, effective March 13,
2023. Prior to joining Carriage, Mr. Granmayeh served as Executive Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer for Tellurian, Inc., a publicly traded
company in the liquefied natural gas sector. He also served in various
investor relations and finance related roles at Apache Corporation,
as well as having served as a Vice President at Lazard Freres & Co.
Mr. Granmayeh graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in
Neuroscience & Behavior and earned his M.B.A. from Rice University.
In connection with the appointment of Mr. Granmayeh, Mel Payne, Chairman and CEO of Carriage,
issued the following statement:
“I am excited to announce the addition of Kian Granmayeh to the Carriage Team to serve as
our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Kian has an impressive background,
ranging from investment banking to prior public company CFO experience. However, what has
impressed me most as I have gotten to know Kian, is his intellectual capacity, thoughtful and
strategic approach, inquisitive nature, and his desire to be a part of a dynamic and collaborative
leadership team that has been purposefully built to drive future growth through a unique, peopledriven
culture, in alignment with our Third Guiding Principle, “Belief In The Power Of People
Through Individual Initiative And Teamwork.”
Kian will serve as the fourth member, and final piece, of our Strategic Vision and Principles Group
(“SVPG”), joining Carlos Quezada, Steve Metzger and me. One of the highest and best uses of
my time will continue to be mentoring, coaching, growing, and developing these three key leaderswho, together, represent my succession plan for the future executive leadership of our Company.”
Kian Granmayeh commented, “I am delighted to join Carriage and a high performing management
team at an exciting time to continue driving
performance and growth.
I look forward to contributing to the success of Carriage and delivering value for the Company and its stakeholders.” Mel Payne continued, “Following a successful left knee replacement surgery on January 16th,
I had a stroke on February 4th. Since then, I have been working hard and making excellent
progress towards returning soon to the office to be with my world class SVPG Team and the
Senior Leadership of Carriage. In the meantime, I continue to collaborate closely with Carlos,
Steve, and now Kian, to ensure we execute our High Performance and Credit Profile Restoration
Plan commitments as we continue to position Carriage for long-term sustainable growth. This is
an exciting time for Carriage and with the addition of Kian, our future has never been brighter and
certainly the “Best Is Yet To Come.”
Cautionary Statement on Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the
safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These certain forward-looking statements made herein or elsewhere by, or
on behalf of, the Company are based on assumptions that we believe are reasonable; however,
many important factors, as identified and discussed under “Cautionary Note” and “Risk Factors”
in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other
public filings and press releases, could cause the Company’s results or expectations in the future
to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein and in any other documents
or oral presentations made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Investors are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We
undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date
they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the
extent required by law. A copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company’s
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other information about the Company and news releases,
are available at http://www.carriageservices.com
About Carriage Services
Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV) is a leading provider of funeral and cemetery services and
merchandise in the United States. Carriage operates 170 funeral homes in 26 states and 30
cemeteries in 11 states.
For more information, please contact [email protected]
Houston, TX, March 1, 2023 – Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE:CSV)
(“Carriage or “Carriage Services”), a leading provider of funeral and cemetery services, is pleased to announce a new
partnership with Funeral 365, to provide Carriage with a cloud-based management solution specifically designed for the
funeral industry.
The solution, built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, will be integrated into the operations of every Carriage
business and provide a sustainable and proven ERP solution with over 3 million users. With a proven track record of being
a secure and reliable cloud solution, it will be designed to streamline all aspects of Carriage’s operations including Funeral
Home and Cemetery related functions.
“Our partnership with Funeral 365, is the driving force behind our Digital Transformation. Powered by Microsoft’s
Dynamics Cloud Platform, Carriage Services will gain a competitive advantage within our industry for the foreseeable
future.” said Rob Franch, Chief Information Officer of Carriage Services. “
The features and benefits of the management solution include a user-friendly interface, real-time information accessible
on multi-devices, integrated finance and operations modules, automated processes, reduced errors, avoided double
entry, higher efficiency for all resources, and robust planning features allowing proactivity.
“We are very excited about our recent partnership,” says Benoit Gagnon, CEO of Funeral 365. “We developed a funeral-
tailored and secure cloud solution for innovative companies like Carriage to centralize and streamline their business
processes.”
This partnership will bring best practices to the funeral industry and provide Carriage with the ability to improve the
experience for families that their businesses serve.
About Carriage Services
Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV) is a leading provider of funeral and cemetery services and merchandise in the United States.
Carriage operates 173 funeral homes in 26 states and 32 cemeteries in 11 states.
About Funeral 365
Funeral 365 is a cloud-based management solution, powered by Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central designed to
achieve optimal accessibility and maximum security. A solution built to help simplify and streamline day-to-day business
operations, improve efficiency levels, achieve growth objectives, and deliver the ultimate customer experience. Funeral
365 is with you, every step of the way.
Contact Information:
Carriage Services
Alfred White
Director of Marketing
Tel: (713) 332-8400
Email: [email protected]
Funeral 365
Tel: 1 (833) 606-2365
Email: [email protected]
Carriage Services Announces the Acquisition of Heritage Funeral and Cremation Services and Forest Lawn East Cemetery
HOUSTON, October 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE: CSV)
(“Carriage” or “Carriage Services”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired substantially all the assets of Heritage Funeral and Cremation Services and Forest Lawn East Cemetery (“Heritage”), a business consisting of three stand-alone funeral homes, a cemetery, and a cremation focused business, located in the Charlotte, North Carolina market.
“When we started considering our options for a succession plan, we knew exactly the type of company we had in mind. We wanted a company that would respect us and what our team had built and would allow us the flexibility to continue operating as we always had to achieve our goals and serve our families. We were able to find all that and more with Carriage and the transition has been seamless thanks to their approach in blending us into their operation. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for all of us,” stated Harris High and Carolyn Williams, former owners of Heritage Funeral and Cremation Services and Forest Lawn East Cemetery for the last 25 and 51 years respectively.
“As we have gotten to know Harris and Carolyn, we have had the good fortune to learn more about their passion for Heritage, Forest Lawn East, their community and their team. We are committed to protecting and building upon that passion and the legacy that they, along with Carolyn’s father, have built over the years.
The addition of Heritage, as a leader serving more than 1,200 families a year in one of the fastest growing markets in the country, aligns well with our focus on partnering with the best remaining independent funeral and cemetery businesses in high growth strategic markets. We are honored that Harris and Carolyn have selected Carriage and we look forward to supporting the Heritage team in the years to come,” stated Steve Metzger, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Carriage Services.
About Carriage Services
Carriage Services is a leading provider of funeral and cemetery services and merchandise in the United States. Carriage operates 173 funeral homes in 26 states and 32 cemeteries in 11 states. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].