CHARLOTTE, N.C. -

Ally Financial is diversifying the industry backgrounds of its board members.

Ally announced that Brian Sharples and Trynka Shineman have been appointed to its board of directors, effective last Friday. The company highlighted the two executives have deep experience with global digital companies and will bring well-established expertise in technology and innovation to Ally’s board.

Sharples is co-founder and chairman of Twyla, a privately held company that provides a new way to discover and buy art.  Before co-founding Twyla, he was co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of HomeAway, a global online marketplace for the vacation rental industry.

Shineman is chief executive officer of Vistaprint, a company that provides printing and digital marketing services for more than 17 million micro businesses globally. Vistaprint is a subsidiary of Cimpress N.V., where Shineman sits on the management board.

“As we look to further enhance Ally’s position as a leading digital financial services company, adding directors who have deep knowledge and expertise growing digital companies is extremely valuable,” said Jeffrey Brown, chief executive officer at Ally. “I am pleased to welcome Brian and Trynka to the Ally board of directors and look forward to their perspectives and contributions.”

Before co-founding Twyla and HomeAway, Sharples served as president and chief executive officer of IntelliQuest Information Group Inc., a supplier of marketing data and research to technology companies.  He began his career as a consultant at Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, and has engaged in a number of entrepreneurial and investment activities since that time.

Sharples currently serves on the board of directors for GoDaddy, Twyla, Fexy Media and RVshare.

Prior to being named CEO of Vistaprint, Shineman served in a number of roles at the company, including chief customer officer, executive vice president for global marketing and president. She serves on the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC), a leading regional technology association that drives growth and innovation by connecting tech leaders, investors, academics and policymakers.

“Ally is committed to building and sustaining an engaged Board of Directors with a diverse array of backgrounds and skills that will continue to support management in creating long-term value for our shareholders,” said Fritz Hobbs, chairman of the board of Ally. “We are delighted to welcome Brian and Trynka.”