Board Member, Alkermes, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Atlanta Life Insurance Company
Emily Peterson Alva, age 46, is an experienced public and private company board member and an accomplished finance and corporate strategy executive. A former investment banker and Lazard M&A Partner, Ms. Alva serves on the board of directors of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NYSE: AMRX), and the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. Ms. Alva’s corporate board committee experience includes the Amneal Audit Committee as well as the Atlanta Life Audit Committee, and also includes the Amneal Technology & Operational Compliance Committee, a risk committee of the Board, and the Atlanta Life Investment Committee.As a corporate board member, Ms. Alva’s brings broad financial acumen together with unique expertise navigating complex strategic, financial, transactional and governance matters with boards of public and private companies alike. In addition, as a board member, Ms. Alva brings insights into a variety of matters including corporate strategy and business development, capital structure, corporate finance and M&A broadly defined.
Today Ms. Alva is active as a strategy advisor to founders and leadership teams of growth companies and has focused on private company advisory work since 2013. Ms. Alva is also a private investor and frequent speaker on topics related to M&A and Corporate Finance, Audit, Corporate Governance, and ESG.
Ms. Alva has than two decades of notable corporate board experience leading transactions and strategic evaluations for Boards and leadership teams of Fortune 500 companies and growth companies alike.Ms. Alva has demonstrated expertise in leading boards through strategic evaluations and a collaborative board decision process informed by regulatory and governance obligations, the perspective of key shareholders and other stakeholders and the many operating, financial, and social constraints that impact feasibility. In all aspects of her work, Ms. Alva is an ethical and high impact strategic thinker with a reliance on a proven analytical framework for complex decisions. Ms. Alva brings a unique breadth of sector knowledge and experience developed over decades of rigorous evaluation of businesses with differentiated industry expertise in healthcare, consumer, manufacturing and industrials, technology, and financial services. Ms. Alva’s professional experience includes almost twenty years as an Investment Banker at Lazard (NYSE: LAZ).Over many years as a visible and trusted Lazard banker and corporate board advisor, Emily built a notable track record leading complex strategic evaluations and M&A transactions for major global corporations representing, in aggregate, hundreds of billions of dollars in transaction value. During her Lazard tenure, Ms. Alva led corporate boards and leadership teams on initiatives affecting corporate strategy including business development and financial planning, as well as corporate transformations including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, capital structure evaluations and other significant partnership and restructuring transactions. While at Lazard, Ms. Alva held leadership roles both with clients and internally and advised some of Lazard’s most important clients over many years. Notably, Ms. Alva was one of the youngest professionals promoted to the role of Partner at Lazard, and one of the first woman to be promoted to the level of Managing Director.Ms. Alva has passed banking industry licensing examinations including FINRA Series 24 and Series 7 and qualifies as an SEC Audit Committee Financial Expert.Before embarking on aWall Street career, Ms. Alva worked in various operating roles at a Cambridge, MA based private growth company focused on engineering-based solutions to improve industrial waste processing and remediation. Ms. Alva is a Corporate Board Partner with the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence and a founding member of a Nasdaq Governance and Leadership Roundtable. Ms. Alva was selected for the NextGen Board Leaders, the EY Audit Committee Leaders, and Extraordinary Women on Boards.Ms. Alva is a member of PathNorth and was previously selected for the Council on Foreign Relations(CFR), GlobalCorporate Leaders Program, and was previously a CFRTerm Member.
Ms. Alva is a Board Member of the Mission Society of New York City with Audit Committee and Investment Committee responsibilities.Ms. Alva is also a faculty member and part of the founding leadership team managing the Herndon Directors Institute, an innovative corporate governance initiative focused on the meaningful and sustainable inclusion of accomplished business leaders from under-represented communities in corporate board rooms.
Senior Director, Technology and Digital Audit – Global Internal Audit, McDonald’s
Nathan Anderson is Senior Director of Technology & Digital Audit at McDonald’s Corporation, and is responsible for executing technology, digital, security, and privacy audits, as well as leading data analytics activities. Nathan has over 20 years of experience in audit, risk, security, and analytics, and has worked at organizations including Sears Holdings, Crowe, Accenture, Centive, Arthur Andersen, and Hewlett Packard.
Digital Transformation Risk Oversight
Director Internal Audit, Allstate
Vicky Cheng is a Director in Internal Audit at Allstate Corporation. Vicky has over 20 years of experience and was a Managing Director in Crowe LLP’s Consulting Life Sciences practice focused on Business and Technology Risk, Project Manager at Walgreens, and Management Consultant at PwC and IBM. Vicky graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s in Accountancy. Vicky is a CPA licensed in Illinois and a CISA. She is a member of AICPA, ICPAS, IIA, and ISACA; and Vice President of the ISACA Chicago Chapter. Vicky serves as a board of directors for the Union League Club of Chicago and is a trustee of the Union League Boys and Girls Club.
Chief Sustainability Officer and Group General Counsel, The Traveler’s Companies
Yafit Cohn is Chief Sustainability Officer and Group General Counsel at Travelers, where she is focused on developing the company’s ESG engagement and communications strategies, as well as executing on broader, strategic company initiatives. Yafit helps guide the company through the evolving ESG landscape and has spearheaded the company’s production of its first (and subsequent) comprehensive sustainability reports, including reports aligned with the SASB standards and TCFD framework. Yafit chairs Travelers’ ESG Committee and serves on the company’s Disclosure Committee. She recently completed her three-year term as the first Chair of the Society for Corporate Governance’s Sustainability Practices Committee and sits on the Society’s board.
Before joining Travelers, Yafit was Counsel at Simpson Thacher, where she advised public companies, corporate management and boards on a variety of issues pertaining to securities law and corporate governance. Prior to that, Yafit spent nine years as a litigator. Yafit has been a prolific writer and speaker on disclosure and governance matters, as well as a frequent commenter in the press.
Yafit has a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar, and a Bachelor of Art degree in Political Science, summa cum laude, from Columbia College.
Global Head of Asset Stewardship, Voting & Engagement, State Street Global Advisors (SSGA)
Benjamin Colton is the Global Head of Asset Stewardship, Voting & Engagement at State Street Global Advisors (SSGA). He and his team are responsible for developing and implementing SSGA’s global proxy voting policies and guidelines across all investment strategies, and managing SSGA’s proxy voting activities and issuer engagement on ESG issues.
Prior to his current role, he was based out of Tokyo, Japan serving as the Head of Asia-Pacific leading SSGA’s Asset Stewardship efforts across the region.
Prior to joining SSGA in 2018, he worked at Norges Bank Investment Management for a total of eight years based in Oslo, Norway and later in New York City.
He earned Master’s degrees from both the London School of Economics & Political Science and the University of Nevada, Reno.
Board Member, Edgewell Personal Care; COO, Onriva; Former SVP of Digital at Marriott International
George Corbin has been leading innovation and business transformation of large, disrupted companies for over two decades. He has served as Board Director, Chief Digital Officer, and top Digital executive for some of the world’s most iconic brands through some of their most challenging transitions.
George has served for four years as Board Director at Edgewell Personal Care, where he sits on the Cyber Security Task Force, and the Audit, Finance, and Compensation Committees.
He is currently the COO of Onriva, an AI-powered travel marketplace, and is a Venture Partner at NextGen Venture Partners.
George previously led Marriott International’s global digital transformation. He grew digital revenue to nearly $14 billion – over 30% of company sales – while creating one of the world’s largest ecommerce businesses at the time.
As a Chief Digital Officer at Mars Inc., he launched global digital platforms for business leaders to grow their reach and revenue in consumer goods markets worldwide.
George’s work has been featured in Forbes, USA Today, The New York Times, the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program, MIT Sloan Management Review, Walter Isaacson’s Trailblazers, and others. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Davis.
Board Member, Masonite, Lear, Berry Global and Five Point
The Founder and Managing Director of Current Capital, Jon leads the firm’s private equity investing and management services efforts focused primarily on middle market and smaller industrial and services companies. In late 2013, Current Capital exited its private equity investment in Stackpole International, a manufacturer of automotive pumps and powdered metal components acquired from Tompkins plc in conjunction with The Sterling Group in 2011, with a sale that generated a very significant return for investors. In addition, Jon helps to provide management services, which include sitting on Boards of Directors and providing related consulting services for other investors and financial institutions; providing Chief Restructuring Officer services; and offering advice and expert witness services in complex corporate litigation. Management services clients have included Anchorage, Bloomberg Media, Centerbridge, Goldman Sachs, G.E. Equity, GSO/Blackstone, Monarch, Oaktree, Vulcan Materials and Wells Fargo.
Jon is an active member on the Boards of Directors of major, global companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange including: Masonite Inc., a designer and manufacturer of interior and exterior doors; Lear Corporation, a supplier of automotive seating and electrical distribution systems; Chemtura Corporation, a specialty chemicals company; and Berry Plastics Group, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of plastic consumer packaging and engineered materials. He is a former Director of Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., a corrugated packaging producer, from when it emerged from bankruptcy in 2010 onto the NYSE until it was sold to Rock-Tenn Corp. for over $5 billion in 2011.
His private company board memberships are Contech Engineered Solutions, a civil site solutions company controlled by various investment funds; TI Automotive, a global supplier of fluid storage, carrying and delivery technology owned by various investment funds; and Tompkins Inc., a supply chain solutions company owned by management and GSO, the credit hedge fund owned by Blackstone Group. He is a former Director of Stackpole International, mentioned above.
Retired Chairman & CEO, Rohm and Haas; Former Board Member, Hewlett Packard, DuPont, Arconic/Howmet, Delphi/Aptiv, Tyco, Airgas, Avantor
Raj Gupta was born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, India. As a 22-year-old in Spring 1968, he came to the United States with only $8 in his pocket to do graduate studies in Operations Research/Computer Science at Cornell. He built a 39-year career at the global Fortune 500 specialty materials company Rohm and Haas, where he retired as Chairman and CEO in April 2009.
Over his career, he has served as a director at 15 public companies across a wide range of industries, including Hewlett Packard, DuPont, Arconic/Howmet, Delphi/Aptiv, Airgas, Tyco, and Avantor. He also held long-term Board Chair positions at Delphi/Aptiv (7years) and Avantor (12 years), both Fortune 500 companies. In addition, he has served on the boards of six private companies, including Vanguard Group, IRI, StrozFriedberg, and Aceto. Raj received a BTech(Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from IITBombay in 1967, followed by anMS in Operations Research/Computer Science from Cornell in 1969 and anMBA in Finance in 1971 from Drexel University.
After retiring from Rohm and Haas Company, Raj and his wife Kamla established their family’s Ujala Foundation (which means “light” in Hindi), focusing on education and healthcare, equally directed to India and the U.S. Since its inception, the Ujala Foundation has contributed towards an endowed professorship at Hopkins, initial funding for the Drexel UniversityGupta Governance Institute, fellowships at Drexel’s Business School and Cornell University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, and other causes, including Raj’s alma mater IITBombay, and severalcivic and cultural organizations in India, such as Pratham and AIF,and the United States, such as the Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia Art Museum, and the Franklin Institute. To date, the Johns Hopkins Gupta-Klinsky India Institute represents the Ujala Foundation’s single largest commitment.
Raj and Kamla split their time between suburban Philadelphia, PA, and Bonita Springs, FL. They are parents to two daughters and grandparents to three boys. Raj documented his personal and professional journey in a book titled Eight Dollars and a Dream: My American Journey, written in collaboration with Syd Havely and published in 2016.
Author, The Leading Indicators and Inside Money; Former Head of Global
Zachary Karabell is the founder of the Progress Network at New America, president of River Twice Capital, and an author and columnist. Previously, he was Head of Global Strategies at Envestnet, a publicly traded financial services firm where he worked with the board and senior management on corporate strategy and with the investment committee on overall investment approaches for the firm. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, Chief Economist, and Head of Marketing at Fred Alger Management, a New York-based investment firm. He was also President of Fred Alger & Company, a broker-dealer and Portfolio Manager of the China-U.S. Growth Fund. At Alger, he oversaw the creation, launch and marketing of several funds, led strategy for strategic acquisitions, and represented the firm at public forums and in the media. In addition, he founded and ran the River Twice Fund from 2011-2013, an alternative investment fund which used sustainable business as its primary investment theme.
Educated at Columbia, Oxford and Harvard, where he received his Ph.D., Karabell has taught at several leading universities, including Harvard and Dartmouth, and has written widely on economics, investing, history and international relations. His most recent book, The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World, was published by Simon & Schuster in February 2014. His most recent book, Inside Money: Brown Brothers Harriman and the American Way of Power was published by Penguin Press in May 2021. His next book is a global history of corn. He is the author of eleven previous books, including The Last Campaign: How Harry Truman Won the 1948 Election (which won the Chicago Tribune Heartland Award for best non-fiction book of the year in 2000); Superfusion: How China and America Became One Economy and Why the World’s Prosperity Depends On It (Simon & Schuster, 2009); and Sustainable Excellence: The Future of Business in the 21st Century, co-authored with Aron Cramer (Rodale 2010). He sits on the board of New America and PEN America and in 2003, the World Economic Forum designated him a “Global Leader for Tomorrow.” He is a Senior Advisor for BSR, a membership organization that works with global corporations on issues of sustainability.
As a commentator, Karabell is a regular columnist for Time and Contributing Editor for Politico, and the host of the podcast “What Could Go Right?” Previously he wrote “The Edgy Optimist” column for Slate, Reuters, and The Atlantic. He is a LinkedIn Influencer, and an occasional commentator on CNBC, Fox Business and MSNBC, and was a Contributing Editor for Wired and The Daily Beast. He also contributes to such publications as The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, The Atlantic, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Financial Times, and Foreign Affairs.
Retired Lead Director, Marriott International; Chair of the Board, The Boeing Company
Larry Kellner is president of Emerald Creek Group, a private equity firm based in Austin, Texas.
From December 2004 through December 2009, Kellner was the chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Airlines. Kellner joined the airline in 1995 as chief financial officer. In May 2001, he was elected president of the airline and to the Board of Directors, and in March 2003, he was named president and chief operating officer.
Prior to joining Continental, Kellner was executive vice president and chief financial officer of American Savings Bank, owned by The Robert M. Bass Group. Prior to that, he was executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Koll Company, a private real estate investment and construction firm.
Kellner graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of South Carolina, where he served as Student Body President. In addition, the University of South Carolina presented him with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998.
Kellner serves as Chair of the Board for The Boeing Company. He previously served on the Board of Marriott International, Inc. from 2002 to 2022 and served as Marriott’s Lead Director from 2013 to 2022.
He is active in several community and civic organizations.
Global Head of ESG & Sustainability, Elanco Animal Health
Ben Kruse is the newly appointed global head of ESG & sustainability at Elanco Animal Health – with primary responsibility for the company’s approach to sustainability, Elanco’s Healthy Purpose™, as well as oversight of ESG issues management. Driven by Elanco’s vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life, the Healthy Purpose initiative focuses on four interconnected areas of impact: Healthier Animals, Healthier People, a Healthier Planet and a Healthier Enterprise. Prior to joining Elanco, Ben spent more than 20 years in senior roles at AT&T – most recently leading the company’s global ESG reporting practice and helping develop ESG strategy as well as operational implementation of ESG-related initiatives. At AT&T, Ben expanded the company’s disclosures to align with 7 of the leading ESG reporting standards frameworks, led the company’s ESG materiality assessments and had responsibility for ESG disclosures in the corporate proxy. He also represented AT&T on the Value Reporting Foundation Sector Advisory Group for the telecommunication services industry.
Chairman of the Board, Callaway Golf; Lead Director, Visa; Former Chairman & CEO, Stanley Black & Decker Inc.
Mr. Lundgren, 70, was appointed to the Callaway Golf’s Board of Directors in March 2009 and was appointed Chairman in May 2020. Mr. Lundgren is also currently a member of the Board of Directors of VISA, Inc., where he severs as lead independent director. Prior to 2017 he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., the successor entity following the merger of The Stanley Works and Black and Decker in March 2010. Prior to the merger, Mr. Lundgren served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Stanley Works, a worldwide supplier of consumer products, industrial tools and security solutions for professional, industrial and consumer use. Prior to joining The Stanley Works in 2004, Mr. Lundgren served as President – European Consumer Products, of Georgia Pacific Corporation and also held various positions in finance, manufacturing, corporate development and strategic planning with Georgia Pacific and its predecessor companies, namely James River Corporation from 1995 – 1997 and Fort James Corporation from 1997 – 2000. Mr. Lundgren began his business career in brand management at the Gillette Corporation. Mr. Lundgren is a graduate of Dartmouth College and received his MBA from Stanford University.
Board Member, Tractor Supply Company and PF Chang’s
Edna Morris has over 40 years of executive and Board leadership experience in the food and beverage industry as well as 6 years in manufacturing (Cummins Engine Company).
Edna serves as a Senior Advisor to the restaurant practice of Solomon Partners, an investment advisory firm. Additionally, she is an advisor to Topsail Steamers and Byte Kitchens Limited. For the past decade, she was Managing Director of Axum Capital Partners, a private equity firm. She led the restaurant practice for the firm, which completed the acquisition of Wild Wing Café, and Backyard Burgers. Additionally, Edna is chief executive officer, founder and partner in Range Restaurant Group, with 2 CityRange restaurants in upstate South Carolina.
Since 2004, Edna has served as a Director of Tractor Supply Company (TSCO), where she chairs the Compensation Committee and is a member of the Governance Committee. In May, 2022, Edna joined the Board of PF Chang’s. Previously, Edna served on the Board of Einstein Noah Restaurant Group (BAGL), serving on the Compensation Committee and chairing the Nominating and Governance Committee until the close of a successful sale of the company in November, 2014. Previously, Edna served on the Boards of Cosi, Inc. She has served on private Boards, including Wild Wing Café, Backyard Burgers and Black Box Intelligence, a leading insights and knowledge provider of restaurant industry HR, financial performance and consumer sentiments. She served as a Trustee for the Culinary Institute of America. Edna is a member of NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) and WCD (Women’s Corporate Directors), where she chairs the Steering Committee for Compensation and Human Capital Committee Peer Exchange. In 2018, she was named one of the Most Influential Corporate Directors by WomenInc.
Edna has led various organizations, including Red Lobster, James Beard Foundation, Quincy’s Family Steakhouse. The first 15 years of Edna’s career were devoted to Human Resources and Corporate Communications.
She is a frequent speaker at industry and Board events. Edna is active in industry, charitable and civic endeavors and was the Founding President of Women’s Foodservice Forum. She is an active mentor to many. Her leadership and contributions to the industry have been recognized with various honors including a MUFSO Golden Chain award, Elliot Mentor Award and Women’s Foodservice Forum’s Trail Blazer award.
Lead Director, Bank of America; Board Member, Ecolab and Textron
Mr. Nowell is a highly experienced board member, with extensive financial expertise and understanding of various regulatory environments through his service on the boards of several multinational corporations. With his more than 30 years of operational and financial management experience in the consumer products industry, including his service as the Senior Vice President and Treasurer of a multi-national food and beverage company, Mr. Nowell brings to his boards strong leadership skills and extensive knowledge in the areas of strategy development and execution, corporate finance, credit and treasury, financial analysis and reporting, accounting and controls, capital markets, acquisition/ divestiture negotiations,
international business ventures, strategic planning and risk management.
Mr. Nowell currently serves on the boards of directors of Bank of America Corporation as Lead Independent Director, Ecolab Inc. as a member of the Audit Committee and the Finance Committee, Textron Inc. as a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and
Governance Committee. He also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council at The Ohio State University Fisher
College of Business. Previously, he served on the boards of American Electric Power Company, Inc., British
American Tobacco p.l.c., HD Supply Holdings, Inc., and Reynolds American as Lead Director Professional highlights. Mr. Nowell served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer of PepsiCo, Inc., a leading global food, snack, and beverage company, from 2001 to May 2009, and as Chief Financial Officer of The Pepsi Bottling Group and Controller of Pepsi. He was Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development at RJR Nabisco, Inc. from 1998 to 1999.
Prior to that, he held various senior financial roles at the Pillsbury division of Diageo plc, including Chief Financial Officer of its Pillsbury North America, Pillsbury Foodservice, and Häagen-Dazs divisions, and also served as Controller and Vice President of Internal Audit of the Pillsbury Company.
Chief Sustainability Officer, MetLife
Jon Richter is the Chief Sustainability Officer at MetLife where he leads efforts to ensure that MetLife’s sustainability initiatives advance the company’s business objectives.
As the lead of MetLife’s Global Sustainability function, Jon established the foundation for MetLife’s sustainability strategy and oversees reporting efforts, including development of MetLife’s award-winning corporate responsibility report. Under Jon’s leadership, MetLife obtained its first ever listing on the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good index. MetLife also obtained its first-ever “100 Best Corporate Citizens” listing by Corporate Responsibility Magazine and the new reporting strategy developed by his group drove increases in MetLife’s Bloomberg ESG ranking to 2nd in the industry – up from 10th.
Jon has 20 years of experience working at Fortune 45 companies across the financial services, pharmaceutical and consumer products sectors. He has both a depth and breadth of expertise in sustainability/CSR, communications, corporate reputation and market analytics. Jon is a well-regarded strategist, adept at helping companies maximize sustainability/CSR efforts and enhance brand and reputation to gain a competitive business advantage. Prior to MetLife Jon was Senior Director of Corporate Reputation at Pfizer, the industry’s #1 pharmaceutical company. Between 2004 and 2012, Jon held several roles in corporate communications and market analytics culminating in the management of the Corporate Reputation Team and ensuring a data-driven approach to reputation/brand strategy. Before Pfizer, Jon worked at Altria Group, then the parent company of Kraft Foods, Miller Brewing and Philip Morris. At Altria, Jon was a member of the Strategy & Social Responsibility Function, leading the Public Opinion Research Group in the helping the company and its subsidiaries assume leadership roles on challenging industry issues such as youth smoking prevention, childhood obesity, underage drinking and drunk driving. He also supported development and launch of the company’s new corporate identity. Prior to his work at Fortune 40 companies, Jon worked at market research firms, within PR agencies and for a non-profit organization.
Head of Investment Stewardship, Americas, BlackRock
John Roe is the head of BlackRock Investment Stewardship (BIS) in the Americas. The team engages companies and others in the investment stewardship ecosystem to promote the governance and business practices aligned with long-term value creation by the companies in which BlackRock invests on behalf of clients. The BIS Americas team is responsible for engaging with and voting proxies at more than 4,500 companies across North America, Central America, and South America.
Previously, John was a Partner and co-leader of the ESG practice at the corporate communications firm Joele Frank. In this role he advised boards of directors and senior executives on ESG matters including board composition, diversity & inclusion, executive compensation, ESG disclosure and reporting, and shareholder engagement. He has additionally led the Analytics and Corporate Advisory teams at Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a proxy advisory firm, and served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of an investment advisor. John served on the White House staff supporting the development of the Office of Homeland Security in 2001-2002, was a consultant with McKinsey & Company, and served as an officer in the United States Coast Guard.
John is also a licensed pilot, a shade tree mechanic, and a recovering electrical engineer.
Retired Chairman, President and CEO, Verisk Analytics; Board Member, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)
Forbes recognized Stephenson as one of America’s Most Innovative Leaders and as one of the Top 25 Most Innovative Leaders Worldwide.
During his tenure as CEO 2013-2021, Verisk became a part of the S&P 500 Index, has been named to both the S&P Global 500 ESG and the FTSE4Good Index Series, and for three consecutive years Forbes ranked Verisk among the world’s most innovative companies. During this period the company’s revenues doubled, market cap quadrupled, and countries served tripled. Under his leadership, Verisk has repeatedly been recognized as an employer of choice, named a Great Place to Work™ for six consecutive years, one of America’s Most Just Companies™, and one of America’s Best Managed Companies™.
Former Chairman, Dunkin’ Brands (2013-2020); Former CEO, Dunkin’ Brands(2009-2018); Board Member, Advance Auto Parts and Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Mr. Travis served as the Executive Chairman of the Board for Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc., a quick-service restaurant franchisor from July 2018 to January 2019 when he transitioned to Chairman until December 2020. Previously he served as Chief Executive Officer at Dunkin’ Brands from January 2009 to July 2018 and assumed the additional responsibility of Chairman of the Board in May 2013. Mr. Travis has also served in executive leadership roles at various companies within the retail and restaurant industries including Burgert King, Blockbuster and Papa John’s wher he served as CEO . He has served as a director of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., a global multi-brand specialty retailer, since January 2019 and Advance Auto Parts, an auto parts distributor since 2018. He formerly served as a director of Office Depot, Inc., an office supply company from March 2012 to May 2020.
He is now Chairman of Servpro and Fooda & Brightloom , which are private companies as well as majority owner and Chairman of Leyton Orient Football Club in London.
Winning the Race for Talent: The Board’s Role in Human Capital Management
Board Chair, EW Scripps; Board Member, Weyerhaeuser and Xcel Energy
A 26-year career in the Investment Management business allowed Kim Williams to develop important skills which included strong analytical abilities, significant financial and strategic awareness, leadership and communication capabilities, which are always reflected in a professional and proactive attitude. This extensive business and analytical experience has translated into an active participant in the boardroom. As a corporate board member, Ms. Williams has been required to address important issues including challenging business conditions, changing business models, corporate restructuring, asset divestitures, management succession, activist shareholders and proxy battles.
Kim Williams is currently a director of Xcel Energy, EW Scripps, and Weyerhaeuser Company. At Xcel, Ms. Williams serves on the Governance, Compensation and Nominating Committee and Chairs the Finance Committee. At E.W.Scripps, she serves as Chair of the Board, Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee. At Weyerhaeuser, she serves as a member of the Audit Committee and the Governance and Nominating Committee.
Previously, Ms. Williams worked at Wellington Management Company LLP., Boston, from 1985
until her retirement in 2005 and was elected partner in 1995. She developed her career in investment management as a fundamental industry equity analyst, but prior to her retirement, she worked with the Director of Research in the management of 45 Global Industry Analysts who comprised the Global Research Department. Before joining Wellington Management Company LLP, she held leadership positions at Loomis, Sayles & Co., Inc., Boston, and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Pension Fund, London.
Ms. Williams holds a Master of Science degree in economics from the University of London and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and French from Kingston Polytechnic, London.
Ms. Williams is a life trustee of Concord Academy, a member of the Women’s Health Advisory Council at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and is a member of the board of Oxfam America.
Ms.Williams is a member of the Boston chapter of WomenCorporate Directors and the Women Energy Directors Network. She is a member of the CFA Institute and holds the designation; Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals (U.K.)
Ms Williams, is married with 3 adult children and lives with her husband, Trevor Miller in Newbury, Massachusetts
Board Member, Mobiquity Technologies; Former CHRO, Covanta
Mike has been a world-class Human Resources professional for his entire 30+ year career. He is currently Executive Vice President, Head of the HR & Diversity Practice at Seiden Krieger Associates in New York City. He offers his clients executive search capabilities in recruiting Chief Human Resources Officers and their direct reports including Talent Management/Acquisition, Diversity & Inclusion, Leadership Development/ Organization Development, Training & Development, Total Rewards/ Compensation/ Benefits/Payroll, and Human Resources Information Systems.
A former senior C-suite executive with global experience reporting to and advising the CEO, Mike is adept at assessing talent skilled in business process improvement, technology utilization, and cultural transformation.
Mike’s prior career is one of progressively impactful HR leadership roles in consumer-packaged goods and renewable energy companies such as the Altria family of companies (Kraft and Philip Morris) and Covanta where he was Senior Vice President & Chief HR Officer from 2009 to 2018. His experience as a member of the executive leadership team provided a sound understanding of corporate governance while leading the HR function as the company grew through acquisition and service expansion.
Mike has a BS in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University where he played Division 1 football and an MBA from Columbia University, where he was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. Mike serves as an Independent Director and Chair of the Compensation Committee for Mobiquity Technologies (NASDAQ: MOBQ). He also serves as Chair-HR/Legal committee and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County, member of the Board of Trustees and President of the Advisory Council for Lunch Break and a member of The Executive Leadership Council, a membership organization committed to increasing diversity in C-suites and corporate boards. He has been included in Savoy magazine’s list of the Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America for 3 years and Black Enterprise’s list of 100 Most Powerful Executives for 2 years. He is also a lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in addition to being active with the NJ/NY chapters of the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Partner, Meridian Compensation Partners
Jared has nearly 20 years of experience in executive compensation consulting. Prior to joining Meridian, Jared was with Mercer for eight years as a Consultant and Principal within the executive compensation practice. He has experience consulting in a broad range of executive compensation matters that include executive and director compensation benchmarking, compensation strategies and pay philosophies, long-term incentive plan design, short-term incentive plan design, executive supplemental benefits, severance benefits, and change-in-control benefits. Jared has a proven capacity to help solve executive compensation issues and manage complex projects.
Jared currently works with publicly traded and privately held companies across a wide range of industries including: advertising, automotive, banks and financial services, hotels and resorts, distribution, manufacturing, payment processing, REITs, restaurants, retail and steel.
In 2018, Jared was a featured speaker at both the Equilar Summit and Corporate Board Member conference. He is a frequent speaker at NASPP and WorldatWork regional chapter meetings (including in summer 2020 as past of an advanced director workshop for NACD). He is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society as well as the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and WorldatWork. He is also a Certified Executive Compensation Professional as designated by WorldatWork.
Jared holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the Olin School of Business, Washington University, a M.B.A. in Finance and Human Resource Management from the Olin School of Business, Washington University and M.S.F. in Finance from the University of Michigan.
Principal, PwC’s Governance Insights Center
Paul DeNicola is a Principal at PwC’s Governance Insights Center where he works to extend the firm’s thought leadership in the area of corporate governance. A frequent speaker at forums for directors and governance professionals, Paul also advises boards and executive teams on emerging governance issues. He has twice been named to Directorship Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in U.S. corporate governance. Paul was also honored as a recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance.
Paul is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business where he teaches courses in corporate governance and professional responsibility. Paul also serves on the board of The Society for Corporate Governance and on the Markets Advisory Council of the Council of Institutional Investors.
Prior to joining PwC, Paul was Director of The Conference Board Governance Center, where he oversaw educational and research initiatives in corporate governance, enterprise risk management and business ethics. Paul earned his BA and MA degrees in interdisciplinary studies from New York University and completed a PhD in philosophy and communications at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee Switzerland.
Trust Partner and ESG Reporting and Assurance Leader, PwC
Sara is PwC’s ESG Reporting and Assurance Leader and a partner in the Digital, Assurance and Transparency practice. With a background advising on the adoption of new corporate reporting standards, she has completed two tours in the PwC National Quality Organization and has 30+ years experience assisting a wide range of companies solve complex corporate reporting issues.
Since 2012, Sara has served as a Board Member on the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy, and served as President from 2017-2018. Licensed CPA in New Jersey and New York. Helping clients reliably and transparently communicate sustainability and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics to meet the new reality of stakeholder expectations. She has deep expertise advising companies on emerging trends and new standards in corporate reporting, including SASB, TCFD, GRI and UN SDGs. Sara is the engagement leader on sustainability reporting engagements covering a wide range of sustainability topics and metrics, with an emphasis on helping clients develop processes and controls to produce investment grade sustainability/ESG disclosures.
Recent clients include a Fortune 50 global healthcare company, Fortune 50 global insurance company, Fortune 50 US telecommunications company; ESG assurance clients include: JPM, Verisk, Cognizant, Etsy, TJX, Estee Lauder, Tiffany, J&J, VF Corp.
Managing Director in PwC’s Governance Insights Center; Former Head of Americas Asset Stewardship at State Street Global Advisors
Matt DiGuiseppeis a Managing Director in PwC’s Governance Insights Center, which strives to strengthen the connection between directors, executive teams, and investors by helping them navigate the evolving governance landscape.
With over 15 years of corporate governance and ESG experience, he was most recently the Vice President of Research and ESG with Diligent Corporation where he led their ESG Center of Excellence and oversaw a global research team focused on ESG topics. Prior, as Head of Americas Asset Stewardship at State Street Global Advisors, Matt and his colleagues were responsible for developing and implementing SSGA’s global proxy voting policies and guidelines across all investment strategies and managing SSGA’s proxy voting activities and issuer engagement on material ESG issues. He was also a member of the internal Proxy Review Committee. He held a similar position on the Nuveen (fkaTIAA) Stewardship & Corporate Governance Team.
Matt has participated in numerous industry groups and speaks frequently on corporate governance and ESG matters. He was the founding chairperson of the Investor Stewardship Group (ISG), which advanced a set of corporate governance and stewardship principles for the US market that are backed by over 70 members with assets under management in excess of US $32 trillion.
Chief Executive Officer, AlixPartners
Simon Freakley is the chief executive officer of AlixPartners. He is based in New York and, with his team, provides transformative leadership to businesses and stakeholders, responding quickly and decisively to their most complex and critical challenges.
Simon became CEO of AlixPartners in 2015. In his more than 30 years of experience, Simon has combined his skills in business turnaround, strategic consulting, and stakeholder management in the development of performance improvement and accelerated transformation projects for many large and high-profile businesses. Before joining AlixPartners, Simon was CEO of Zolfo Cooper Europe from 2008 to 2015. Prior to this, he was CEO of Kroll Inc., a corporate investigations and risk consulting firm based in New York.
Long involved in philanthropic causes, Simon is the chairman of the American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as chairman of Grange Park Opera and London Music Masters.
Partner, Cybersecurity, McKinsey & Company
Justin Greis is a partner in the firm’s Chicago office. He is a leader of McKinsey Digital and the Risk & Resilience Practices, with a focus on cybersecurity, cloud, technology strategy, and digital transformation. Justin designs, builds, and activates secure and trusted digital transformations to help organizations accelerate their mission and protect their purpose. Justin brings a wealth of experience across a wide variety of industries.
Prior to joining McKinsey, he served as the global and the Americas cybersecurity transformation leader for EY, where he helped clients assess, improve, and operate world-class cybersecurity programs. Justin was also a consultant for Protiviti in France and before that led the technology organization of the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, a not-for-profit consulting group. Justin began his career as an entrepreneur, founding BrainOrbit, a digital consulting company that designed, built, and implemented dynamic websites, collaboration portals, and interactive digital solutions.
In addition to his work with McKinsey, Justin serves as a professor at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, where he teaches IT governance, risk, and controls in the MSIS and MBA programs. He has won numerous awards for his real-world curriculum and innovative teaching methods.
Strong believers in the power of education, Justin and his wife created a scholarship focused on providing higher education opportunities to students. He is a frequent speaker at industry forums such as ISACA, Information Security Forum (ISF), the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and various other executive and board councils. He is a published thought leader on the topics of technology strategy, cybersecurity, IT risk management, and digital transformation.
Justin holds a bachelor of Science and a master of business administration in accounting and information systems from the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, and holds the following professional certifications: CDPSE, CGEIT, CIPP/US, CISA, CISM, CISSP, CRISC, GIAC/GSEC, ITIL, PMP, and TOGAF.
11:10 – Noon ET
Cybersecurity and the Board of Directors
Partner and Senior Vice President, Woodruff Sawyer; Board Member, Realty Income Corp.
Priya Cherian Huskins is a recognized expert in D&O liability risk and its mitigation. In addition to consulting on D&O insurance matters, she counsels clients on corporate governance, including ways to reduce their exposure to shareholder lawsuits and regulatory investigations. Priya is a frequent speaker on D&O issues and a regular guest lecturer at Stanford’s Directors’ College. She has appeared on CNBC and been quoted in publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Inc. Magazine. She is also the author of the D&O Notebook, a blog that analyzes and summarizes issues as they arise in the areas of D&O liability, insurance and corporate governance.
Priya serves on the board of directors of Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O) as well as on the advisory board for the Stanford University Rock Center for Corporate Governance. Priya also serves on the board of Woodruff Sawyer.
Prior to joining Woodruff Sawyer, Priya practiced corporate and securities law at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Priya has worked with both public and private technology companies through all stages of their development. Priya was awarded her juris doctorate with honors from the Law School at the University of Chicago. She earned her undergraduate degree with high honors from Harvard University. Priya is a member of the California Bar.
8:00 – 8:50 AM ET
How Liable Are You?
Senior Director of Board Engagement and Governance Counsel, Nasdaq
Kaley is the Director of Board Engagement at Nasdaq. Prior to Nasdaq’s acquisition of Center of Board Excellence (CBE) in October 2019, Kaley was CBE’s Vice President, Client Services, Business Development & Legal from September 2015 through 2019. In her current role, and under her role at CBE, Kaley advises boards and CEOs on corporate governance matters, board and director effectiveness, CEO and leadership evaluation and performance, board and management alignment, and compliance and risk matters. She works with public, private, and nonprofit organizations in a wide range of industries globally. Prior to joining CBE, Kaley served as General Counsel of Clarolux LLC. Before beginning an in-house practice, she practiced law in New York City with a focus in real estate, banking law, and litigation. Prior to attending law school, Kaley served as Program Director of Jefferson County Teen Court.
Kaley is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Northside Charter High School in Brooklyn, NY, serves on the patient advisory board for a privately held pharmaceutical company, and serves as on the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Patient Safety Committee and Patient & Family Advisory Council. She served as Co-Chair of the CLE Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association Corporate Counsel Section from 2015 through 2017. Kaley founded and served on the Board of Directors of YP Civitan of Greensboro from 2013 through 2016. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in Political Science from Samford University and a Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law. Kaley is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.
3:40 – 4:30 PM ET
Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of Boards
Senior Advisor, McKinsey & Company; Advisory Board Member, Splunk, Crowdstrike, InQuest and TruStar
Brian Kelly is Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Company and a seasoned executive equally capable and comfortable in the Board Room or the Operations Center. He has strong national and international experience both with the public and private sector. He has been trusted to lead some of the US Government’s most sensitive intelligence programs. He is a highly effective business executive and CEO leading organizations to innovate and achieve profitable growth.
Brian was selected to lead the Giuliani Advanced Security Center in NYC. He is a strong Corporate Security Executive with proven capability and industry certifications in Information Security, Physical Security and Investigations/Forensics. He is highly sought out by both private industry and the US Government to share perspectives and solve challenges. He is a frequent speaker at International/national conferences and industry commentator from news programs such as Sky News, CNBC and CNN.
Brian serves as an Advisory Board member to Splunk, Crowdstrike, InQuest, and TruStar. He is also a Board Member of UTSA School of Engineering and UT Health Sciences.
11:10 AM – Noon ET
Cybersecurity and the Board of Directors
Partner and Co-Chair, Shareholder & Corporate Defense Practice, Sidley
Kai H. E. Liekefett is a partner in New York and co-chairs Sidley’s Shareholder Activism and Corporate Defense practice. He has 20 years of experience in corporate law in New York, London, Germany, Hong Kong and Tokyo. He spends 100% of his time on activism campaigns, proxy fights and hostile takeovers. In the last five years, Kai has been involved in over 80 proxy contests, more than any other defense attorney in the world, and 25% of all U.S. proxy fights that went all the way. Under Kai’s leadership, Sidley rose to the top of the activism defense league tables, including the No. 1 ranking by Bloomberg, FactSet, Thomson Reuters (Refinitiv), and Activist Insight for 2020, 2021 and the 2022 H1..
Kai has been named “2019 Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer for Sidley’s groundbreaking Wynn Resorts proxy contest. He has been recognized by Chambers USA every year from 2017 to 2022 as one of the leading lawyers for “Takeover Defense,” lauding him as “terrific lawyer” who is “equally adept in front of a board as well as opposite an activist,” and “great at getting things done and obtaining great results.” In 2020, Kai was elected as a fellow of The American College of Governance Counsel, the honorary association of lawyers widely-recognized for their achievements in the field of governance.
Kai sits on the board of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and is a member of the Law360 Mergers & Acquisitions Editorial Board. He speaks regularly about shareholder activism on panels and at universities around the world, including Harvard University and the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Kai is frequently interviewed and quoted as a thought leader by the national and international media, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, Financial Times, USA Today, Forbes, Law360, and The Deal.
Kai holds a Ph.D., magna cum laude, from Freiburg Law University; an Executive MBA, summa cum laude, from Münster Business School; and an LL.M., James Kent Scholar, from Columbia Law School. He was in the top 0.1% nationwide in his First Legal State Exam (J.D. equivalent) and in the top 1.5% nationwide in his Second Legal State Exam in Germany.
11:10 AM – Noon ET
What to Do When (or Before) an Activist Knocks
Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
Pamela Marcogliese focuses on capital markets transactions and corporate governance matters. She has deep experience providing issuers and underwriters with advice on the full range of debt and equity offerings, including initial public offerings, direct listings and SPAC transactions; shelf registrations and takedowns; convertible offerings; block trades; private placements; stock repurchase programs; exchange offers; MTN programs; derivatives; tender offers; open market purchases; consent solicitations and liability management matters.
She regularly advises boards of directors and management on a variety of corporate governance topics, including crisis preparedness, mitigation and response; succession planning; dual class and multi-class share structures; board composition, refreshment, succession and director independence; stakeholder governance and public benefit corporation (PBC) matters; fiduciary duties and conflicts; stakeholder engagement and activism defense; shareholder proposals and proxy season trends; environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues; and cybersecurity matters. In addition to her practice, she regularly lectures and writes on corporate governance, cybersecurity and blockchain topics.
1:45 – 2:30 PM ET
Looking Ahead: How Boards Should Be Preparing for Proxy Season 2023, Now
Managing Diector, Semler Brossy
Kathryn Neel has more than 10 years of experience advising Board compensation committees and senior management teams on executive and non-employee director pay in both public and privately-held companies. Kathryn’s focus is on providing her clients with balanced advice that will lead to compensation design that supports the company’s mission and strategic vision and appropriately aligns pay and performance outcomes. Prior to joining the firm, Kathryn was a Principal at Frederic W. Cook & Co. and was a certified public accountant (CPA) with Ernst & Young LLP.
Kathryn has worked across multiple industries including food and beverage, retail, apparel, financial services and pharmaceuticals and has served Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller public and private firms with a particular interest in advising family-owned/controlled companies.
11:10 AM – Noon ET
Reevaluating Pay in the War for Talent
Head of Board Engagement for the Americas and Asia Pacific Region, Nasdaq
Phil is the Head of Board Engagement for the Americas and Asia Pacific Region at Nasdaq. Prior to Nasdaq’s acquisition of the Center for Board Excellence (CBE), Phil was a founding investor and advisor to CBE and was the President and a member of the Board of Directors. Phil advises the board of directors and senior management at public, private, and not for profit entities. Phil’s clients are primarily in North America, APAC, and EMEA.
His blend of experience working at public companies and startups provides a unique perspective to advise clients on compliance and governance matters. Phil leverages this experience to help organizations address board composition and effectiveness, strategic alignment between the board and senior management, and other governance and compliance related matters.
Prior to joining CBE full-time, Phil held several senior leadership positions at both public and private companies, including Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary roles. Throughout his career, Phil has been sought out to advise his respective boards and management teams around legal, compliance, and governance matters. Immediately prior to joining CBE, Phil was Executive Vice President for Operations & Corporate Development, and Chief Legal Officer at Xevo, Inc. (purchased by Lear Corporation; NYSE: LEA), where Phil spent a significant amount of his time in Japan, Chief Operating Officer at Garagiste, Inc., and General Counsel, Vice President of Legal at BSQUARE Corporation (NASDAQ: BSQR). He also held both legal and business roles at Getty Images, Inc. during its season as a publicly traded Company (NYSE: GYI), and was an attorney at Graham & James, LLP and Riddell Williams, PS, in Seattle, WA.
Phil obtained his J.D. from the University of Virginia and his B.A. from the University of Washington. He is a member of the Washington State bar.
3:40 – 4:30 PM ET
Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of Boards
Partner, Shearman & Sterling
Clare O’Brien regularly advises major US and international clients on their public and private mergers and acquisition transactions, including public company restructurings, joint ventures and large public transactions. She also provides counsel on corporate law questions, including corporate governance matters.
Ms. O’Brien has been consistently acknowledged as a leading M&A lawyer and has received numerous accolades including “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer, Top U.S.A. Women Dealmaker by the Global M&A Network 2021 as well as being named one of The Deal’s Top Women in Dealmaking 2021 and 2022 Lists for her work in Mergers & Acquisitions.
Prior to joining Shearman & Sterling, Ms. O’Brien worked with the law firm of Brady & Tarpey, P.C., where her practice included cross-border corporate transactions, litigation and domestic relations. She began her legal career at the Irish law firm of Eugene F. Collins & Son.
2:40 – 3:30 PM ET
Would Your M&A Transaction Withstand a Shareholder Challenge?
Regional Leader, EY Center for Board Matters
In her role as regional leader for CBM, Cigdem brings insights on emerging issues and governance trends to boards and CEOs. She draws from a range of research and ongoing discussions to synthesize and share critical matters and leading practices for board oversight in areas including ESG, cyber risk, enterprise resilience, human capital and enterprise risk management. Her focus is helping directors get past the ‘what’ and focus on the ‘so what.’ Cigdem also provides support for new directors with onboarding and is a sought-after thought partner for c-suite executives who are enhancing their communication with the board.
Cigdem has been a trusted advisor to directors, boards and c-suite executives for twenty years. Her combination of governance, strategy and finance expertise, along with her experience of delivering insights in boardroom settings, enable her to drive productive, actionable discussions for key decision makers. Prior to joining EY, Cigdem managed and delivered an education program serving F500 audit chairs across multiple cities in the US while at Tapestry Networks. She was responsible for identifying key issues, structuring and facilitating sessions, and managing delivery teams. She also worked with global audit chairs and CFOs on an initiative focused on defining the challenges inherent in
the evolving role of today’s CFO. Cigdem’s past experiences include overseeing syndicated research and content delivery for global programs serving hundreds of finance and strategy executives during her decade of tenure at CEB (now Gartner). Subject areas covered included: ERM, dynamic strategic planning, finance structure and IT, and management reporting. She continued her work with c-suite oversight of transformational projects while at SAP Value Engineering. Cigdem has also experienced the challenges of the start-up world, serving as CFO for a risk-management software company where she shaped the business plan, led strategic planning, and delivered investor presentations.
10:00 – 10:45 AM ET
CEO Perspectives: How Do Boards Really Add Value?
Leader, Executive Services, DDI
Dr. Paese co-leads DDI’s Executive Services business, where his team focuses on business leadership at the highest levels. He helps organizations anticipate and prepare for the future by gathering data, surfacing new insights, and guiding executives through experiences that stretch their thinking and leadership into challenges that will likely surprise them down the road.
With over 25 years of experience working with executives through all types of business challenges, Dr. Paese brings countless stories of real-life success and failure, and mountains of comparative data and research to help executives, CEOs, and senior teams carve their own best pathways to success. Having seen so many great leaders in action (and a few not-so-great ones), Dr. Paese brings humility, integrative listening, and deep respect for the unique nature of each person, culture, and business context. He thinks and operates quickly, with a pragmatic, but thoughtful, style.
As a coach, Dr. Paese wastes little time getting to the heart of what matters. Having assessed, coached, and learned from thousands of executives, he has witnessed countless leadership approaches applied to a myriad of leadership challenges. No two have been alike, and no simple formula is sufficient to prescribe solutions. As a psychologist and business leader, Dr. Paese balances deep knowledge of what drives individual behavior with no-nonsense business savvy. His coaching approach zeroes in on the actions that will make things better as quickly as possible, for the leaders, and the people and businesses they lead.
An avid fly fisherman, cyclist, aspiring barista, and closet drummer, Dr. Paese lives in St. Louis with his wife, Ellen, and children, Rachel and Louis.
Dr. Paese has coached CEOs and executives in all major industry sectors, and in over 20 countries. He supports active coaching relationships with some, maintains periodic contact with many, and hopes to learn from those he has not yet met.
1:00 – 1:45 PM ET
The Critical Mindsets of Board Directors in Managing Succession
Americas Leader, EY Center for Board Matters
In this time of accelerated change, having effective governance and oversight processes in place is paramount. As the leader of the Americas EY Center for Board Matters, Kris Pederson directs the firm’s engagement with boards, committees, and directors to help them address an increasingly complex and global environment.
Under Kris’ leadership, the EY Center for Board Matters delivers hundreds of bespoke insight and education sessions for companies and their boards; facilitates networks for directors, audit committee chairs and corporate secretaries; and provides insights through dozens of governance publications and webcasts.
With her vast corporate and boardroom experience, Kris brings immense value to boards as they continue to focus on a broad range of priorities and new topics, including environmental, social and governance strategy, innovation, transformation, talent and board governance policy.
Kris has deep experience in management consulting, auditing and financial analysis, as well as significant board of director experience with corporate, private, association and not-for-profit boards. During her tenure at EY, she has focused on the board agenda, including the board’s role in strategy definition, disruptive innovation, board performance, organizational culture, and long-term value. Prior to leading the EY Center for Board Matters, Kris served as the EY Americas Consulting Corporate Governance Leader. Before that, she led the EY Americas Strategy and Customer consulting practices and is one of the founders of the EY Purpose-Led Transformation organization. Prior to joining EY, Kris spent 12 years at IBM as Vice President, running various strategic transformation practices, and she also served as a strategy partner at Price Waterhouse.
Kris is an NACD certified director and was named among the 2022 National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship 100™, she is also NACD CO programs chair. Her previous board roles include: Corporate Director and Audit Committee Member of Great Western Bank; Advisory Director of Microplas, a subsidiary of Nypro; and Board Member of Windward Reports. Kris is also active in association boards, including the Harvard Business School Women’s Advisory Board where she chairs the Emerita Board, and previously was the Vice Chair of the ASME (Association of Mechanical Engineers) Industry Board in officer roles for more than 10 years, including a member of the Nomination/Governance committee, helping to oversee a $100m budget.
Kris is a featured conference speaker in areas such as board effectiveness, long-term value, purpose, corporate transformation, employee engagement, value realization and diversity. She was awarded Consulting Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and, before that, was honored as a Top 25 Consultant by the magazine in 2007.
Kris received an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BA in Psychology and Business Administration from UCLA. She enjoys skiing, swimming, running and golfing in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado with her family. She is also an avid flutist and plays together with her daughter. Her purpose is to help companies and especially diverse professionals succeed by paving the way, and building a more balanced working world, especially at the board level.
10:00 – 10:45 AM ET
CEO Perspectives: How Do Boards Add Value?
National Managing Partner – Corporate Governance, Communications and Emerging Issue, BDO
Amy has spent over 16 years with BDO as part of the National Assurance practice office. She founded and directs BDO’s Center for Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting, designed for financial executives and those charged with governance of both public and private companies. She is responsible for the development and presentation of a significant volume of BDO’s continuing professional education (CPE)-worthy webinar, on-demand and podcast programs and thought leadership pieces on a variety of matters related to corporate governance, including cybersecurity, fraud, succession planning, and audit quality. Amy further develops certain of our firm’s board of director forums as well as participates in external events for corporate directors.
She also participates in the development and implementation of BDO’s national strategies and initiatives that support industry, business, technical, and client service goals. She is responsible for publication and issuance of BDO’s annual voluntary Audit Quality Reports and tools and templates supporting communications with our client Audit Committees.
Amy currently serves as BDO’s Policy Lead to and participates on the Center for Audit Quality’s (CAQ) Advisory Committee and has assisted in CAQ initiatives, including audit
committee communications and audit quality indicators. She has participated in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)’s EDMAX forum for accounting firm learning specialists to share knowledge/ practices on learning methods.
She fully supports BDO initiatives aimed at flexibility, development, and career progression, and serves on the BDO’s Women’s Inclusion initiative and the Virtual Parenting Network as well as BDO’s focus on the audit of the future.
Amy has a combined 11 years of prior Big Four firm public accounting experience serving manufacturing and high technology companies as well as private companies, primarily in the wholesale distribution and biotechnology markets. Such experience included assisting clients with public debt offerings and acquisition transactions.
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM ET
Looking Ahead: How Boards Should Be Preparing for Proxy Season 2023, Now
Executive Director, Diligent Institute
Dottie Schindlinger is Diligent Corporation’s GRC Technology Evangelist and promotes the intersection of governance, risk management, compliance and technology as a recognized expert in the field. Diligent is the leading provider of secure corporate governance and collaboration solutions designed to promote improved performance for boards and senior executives. In her role, Dottie provides thought leadership on related topics through digital and print publications, conference presentations, and workshops for board members and executives globally.
Dottie was a founding team member of BoardEffect, a board management software platform launched in 2007 focused on serving the needs of healthcare, higher education, and nonprofit boards. Prior to helping found BoardEffect, Dottie spent 15 years working in governance-related roles, including as a board liaison, board member, senior executive, consultant and trainer of private, public, and nonprofit boards. Dottie’s efforts helped BoardEffect expand from a four-person tech start-up to become an industry leader in the board portal space — serving over 1,700 organizations and more than 120,000 board members and senior executives.
Dottie’s career has included roles as various as program development with the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Director of Training & Education for the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University, and Associate Faculty of La Salle’s Communication Department, teaching Public Speaking to incoming first-year students. Dottie currently serves on the board of the Alice Paul Institute. She received BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and holds certificates in Management and Board Leadership from The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University.
9:20 – 10:00 AM ET
Winning the Race for Talent: The Board’s Role in Human Capital Management
Director of Corporate Governance Services, DFIN
Ron Schneider is the Director, Corporate Governance Services for Donnelley Financial Solutions, DFIN. He is responsible for providing thought leadership on emerging corporate governance, proxy, sustainability and other disclosure issues. Over the past four decades, Ron has advised senior management, the C-suite and boards of public companies of all sizes, industries and stages of growth facing investor activism, as well as challenging and sensitive proxy solicitations involving corporate governance, compensation and control issues.
During his career, he has managed more than 1,600 proxy solicitations, 200 tender or exchange offers and 30 proxy contests, with his proxy fight clients succeeding in over 70% of such situations.
Ron’s prior experience includes three years at AST Phoenix Advisors and nine years at BNY Mellon, providing thought leadership on regulatory changes and emerging best practices, and advising clients on proxy, governance and activism issues. Earlier in his career, Ron held increasingly senior positions at major proxy solicitation firms Morrow & Company, D.F. King and Georgeson & Company, where he served on its first Board of Directors. Ron earned a B.A. in Economics from Princeton University.
2:40 – 3:30 PM ET
What’s Material? How to Improve Your ESG Narrative
Managing Director, FW Cook
Lou Taormina’s career as an executive compensation consultant spans more than two decades, exclusively at FW Cook where he has risen to the level of Managing Director. Lou works directly with corporate board of directors and senior management providing executive compensation consulting services, particularly as it relates to the design and ongoing administration of compensation programs.
During his career at FW Cook, Lou has worked with a broad collection of clients in a variety of industries, as well as start-up organizations. His legal background is of added value on matters relating to employment agreements, severance and change in control arrangements, SEC reporting and disclosure requirements, and equity incentive plan design and disclosure. A representative list of clients familiar with Lou’s services include Albertsons Companies, Ally Financial, Brunswick, Campbell Soup, Envista Holdings, Evertec, Freeport-McMoRan, Louisiana Pacific, MSC Industrial Direct, NextEra Energy, Resideo Technologies, SAIC, Squarespace, Take-Two Interactive Software, and YETI.
Lou has also authored numerous research reports and articles on compensation-related topics and is a frequent speaker at compensation forums throughout the country. In addition, Lou serves as a Trustee of the Florida State University Foundation, whose members are committed to building successful partnerships with the university and its many generous supporters. References are available upon request.
8:00 AM – 8:50 AM ET
Equity Compensation Planning for 2023 Amid Market Volatility
Executive Director, The Conference Board ESG Center
Paul Washington is a recognized leader with a distinguished career in the ESG space. Before joining The Conference Board ESG Center, he served as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Time Warner Inc. He also served as Chief of Staff for the company’s Chairman and CEO, after holding positions of Assistant General Counsel and Litigation Counsel. Prior to Time Warner, Washington practiced law at the firm of Sidley & Austin and served as Vice President and Corporate Secretary of The Dime Savings Bank of New York.
Washington brings an in-depth understanding of The Conference Board and its offerings. A long-time active member of the organization, from 2013-2014 he chaired its Advisory Board on Corporate/Investor Engagement.
His career also includes extensive work in public service. He served as a law clerk for former Supreme Court Associate Justices William Brennan and David Souter, and for Circuit Court Judge David Tatel. In addition, he was the principal staffer on tax matters for former Congressman Stanley Lundine and, later, his principal speechwriter, when Lundine served as New York’s Lieutenant Governor.
Washington has served on the boards of numerous cultural, civic, and professional non-profit organizations, including the Legal Aid Society and American Folk Art Museum. He also is the former Chairman of the Society for Corporate Governance.
Washington graduated from Yale College and Fordham University School of Law; he is a Resident Fellow at the latter, where he has taught corporate governance for over a decade.
1:45 AM – 2:30 PM ET
Looking Ahead: How Boards Should Be Preparing for Proxy Season 2023, Now
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