Freda Lam Zietlow is a global finance executive and board director with more than 25 years of experience in asset and wealth management, capital markets, banking, and real estate. Recognized as an Audit Committee Financial Expert with extensive business experience, she brings governance depth across audit, risk management, compliance, and digital transformation to regulated and growing enterprises. Freda is known for her strategic vision, international perspective, and ability to drive growth and innovation.

Freda has spent over a decade as an independent director for corporations and nonprofits, providing strong oversight and fostering robust risk management — often for organizations with cross-border operations. She is Audit Committee Chair at Bank of the Orient , a commercial bank with presence in California, Texas, and China, prior Asset & Liability Committee Chair, and has served on the Technology, Risk & Compliance, and Loan Committees. Freda played a key role in guiding the bank from post-crisis recovery to strong profitability, doubling assets above $1 billion through recapitalization, leadership transitions, technology upgrades, and strategic changes.

Freda currently advises Daylight Advisors , supporting their mission to certify 30,000 philanthropic financial advisors by 2030. She also serves on the board of Myriad USA , a grantmaking facilitator in nearly 90 countries, and has held prior board positions with Give2Asia and the Piedmont Scouting Council .

Freda’s executive career includes most recently as Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager for Fiduciary Trust International , a $40 billion AUM Franklin Templeton wealth management company, where she led investment and portfolio management for California and other Western states. Freda also drove significant business growth in the region, rising revenues by 50% in two years by expanding markets, launching digital initiatives, and leveraging Franklin’s global network. Freda previously founded Peridot Capital Partners , advising on cross-border investments and financial planning, and headed portfolio management at Bingham Osborn & Scarborough . She began her career at JPMorgan in New York and Hong Kong as an investment banker and research analyst, and in real estate at the Fremont Group , where she sourced and structured over $1 billion in investments and raised $750 million in funds.

Freda holds an MBA in Finance from Wharton , an MS in Real Estate from Columbia , and a BA in Architecture with high honors from UC Berkeley , along with an AI Governance certificate from Stanford Law . She is a CFA charterholder and NACD certified director, fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. She has been recognized as an Agenda Future 50 Director (Financial Times, 2025), Women to Watch for Boards (50/50 Women on Boards, 2025), and one of Silicon Valley’s Most Influential Women (Silicon Valley Business Journal, 2024).