Mr. E. Philip Saunders became an Independent Director of Royal Oak in June 2014 and also serves as a member of the Royal Oak Audit Committee.  Phil is the founder of a number of notable companies, including Genesee Regional Bank, Truck Stops of America, Griffith Energy, Travel Centers of America and Sugar Creek Corporation.  In addition, Phil is an owner of Countryside ALFC, a commercial real estate company.  Other significant ownership interests include Valley Fuels, Sugar Creek Farms, Western New York Energy, CEA Fresh Farms and American Rock Salt.

Phil currently serves as Chairman of Genesee Regional Bank and Valley Fuels as well as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Paul Smith’s College.  Phil additionally serves on the Board of Directors of the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, American Rock Salt, CEA Fresh Farms, Lewis Tree, CurAegis Technologies, Western New York Energy, and the Young Entrepreneurs Academy.  Phil was formerly the Executive Vice President and Director of Ryder Systems, Owner/CEO of Econo-Car International, and Owner/CEO of Richardson Foods Corporation.

In addition to his current board service, Phil previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, Fleet Bank, Genesee Valley Trust Company, Hahn Automotive, Excellus of New York, Ryder Systems, National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO), Rochester General Hospital, and Roswell Park.

Phil is a recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Commercial Science from Paul Smith’s College.  He is the recipient of Camp Good Days and Special Times 1998 Teddi Award and RIT's 2005 Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award and 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award.  Phil also received the Rochester Business Journal Icon award in 2018.   He is a member of the Livonia Central School Athletic Hall of Fame and the National Association of Travel Centers Hall of Fame. Phil is a past inductee of the Rochester Business Hall of Fame.