Freda

Zietlow

Managing Director

Bank of the Orient

San Francisco,

California

2025 Cohort

Industry

Financial Services

Area of Expertise

Finance

Immediately Qualified to Serve

Audit

Previous Board Experience

Nonprofit, Private

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 Qualified 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.

For over a decade, Freda has served as an independent director on corporate and nonprofit boards. As Audit Committee Chair at Bank of the Orient, a commercial bank with operations in the U.S. and China, she oversees financial reporting, internal controls, and complex asset valuations. Freda played a pivotal role in guiding the bank through post-crisis recapitalization, CEO successions, and strategic pivots, helping the institution double its assets and regain regulatory standing. She also serves as Vice Chair and Audit Committee Chair at Myriad USA, a global grant-making facilitator operating in over 100 countries, and currently advises Daylight Advisors, a philanthropic education and certification company.

Freda’s executive career is distinguished by her extensive investment and capital market experience. As Managing Director/Sr. Portfolio Manager at Fiduciary Trust International (a $40B Franklin Templeton wealth management and trust company), she led key client relationships and portfolio management for the Western United States, overseeing the selection of public, private, sustainable, and alternative managers. Previously, at the Fremont Group (Bechtel Family Office), she sourced and structured over $1B in private real estate equity and debt investments. Freda began her career at JPMorgan in New York and Hong Kong as an M&A investment banker and fixed-income analyst, covering energy and commodities.

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. She has completed advanced programs in AI Governance (Stanford) and DeCentralized Finance (Duke). Freda is a CFA Charterholder, an NACD-certified director, and is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Freda has been recognized as a “Director to Watch” (Private Company Director, 2026), a Financial Times “Agenda Future 50 Director” (2025), a “50 Women to Watch for Boards” (50/50 Women on Boards, 2025), and one of the “Most Influential Women in Silicon Valley” (2024).

Code of Conduct: Governing Data & Emerging Tech

Boards are no longer observers of emerging technology; they are stewards of how it’s governed. This panel goes beyond awareness to examine how directors can structure oversight, define accountability, and measure governance effectiveness in AI, data use, and digital innovation. Panelists will share practical strategies for building governance systems that ensure transparency, ethical decision-making, and responsible innovation at scale.

Speakers include: Sita Lowman, Nithya Das, Suresh Sharma, Byron Loflin

Your First Board Meeting: A Director’s Playbook

Designed for aspiring and newly appointed directors, this session offers practical guidance on how to step confidently into your first boardroom. Learn what to expect in early meetings, how to contribute with purpose, and how to quickly build credibility and trust among seasoned peers. Gain insight into board dynamics, unspoken protocols, and the critical questions new directors should be ready to ask and answer.

Tactics that Work: Case Studies in Navigating Shareholder Activism

In this tactical, director-focused session, participants will engage in case-based exercises to dissect real campaigns and pressure scenarios. From activist letters to proxy fights, explore how boards can craft strategic responses that reinforce governance integrity, protect corporate reputation, and align with long-term priorities. Walk away with actionable tactics and frameworks to strengthen board preparedness in the face of growing investor scrutiny.

Inside the Boardroom: Resilience Planning in Action

This interactive session places directors inside the boardroom during moments of disruption. Through tabletop exercises and real-world scenarios, participants will explore how boards can apply structured frameworks to assess geopolitical risk, anticipate threats, and make decisive decisions under pressure. Designed as a classroom-style session, this breakout provides practical tools to strengthen oversight and build a proactive board response strategy in an increasingly uncertain world.

Reputation & Response: How Boards Navigate Shareholder Activism

As shareholder activism intensifies, boards face mounting pressure to defend strategy, protect corporate reputation, and engage stakeholders with clarity. This panel brings together seasoned directors to explore how boards can respond effectively while maintaining credibility, board alignment, and stakeholder trust. Hear real-world insights on navigating activism in today’s high-stakes, high-visibility environment.

Speakers include: Gaby Sulzberger, David Cahoy, Rachael Coffey, Eduardo Gallego

Navigating Global Markets: Trade, Tariffs, and Supply Chain Strategy

As global disruptions reshape business models, this panel will explore how boards can navigate the practical complexities of trade, tariffs, and supply chain shifts across regions. Panelists will share how directors are guiding companies through regulatory changes, sourcing challenges, and new market risks, while seizing opportunities for growth and operational agility.

Speakers include: Titi Cole, Mia Mends

Strengthening Oversight: Risk Management and Board Resilience

This keynote will equip directors to think globally about risk through the lens of geopolitical foresight, cross-border tensions, and long-term instability. Learn how boards can strengthen oversight and guide enterprise-wide resilience by anticipating disruption and embedding a proactive risk culture in a changing world.

Speakers include: Rodger Baker