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We invite executives seeking their first public company board to gain advice from veteran directors, followed by 1-on-1 discussions.
The peer-driven format of these sessions encourages active dialogue among participants in a private, off-the-record setting. No PowerPoint presentations! Each group will be facilitated by subject matter experts, but participants drive the conversation to share challenges, solutions and actionable takeaways to improve your board committee’s effectiveness in the year ahead.
Select from the following concurrent session based on your board role and interests:
For qualified executives not yet on a board, participate in the concurrent
Prospective Directors Board Resume Workshop
You’re up against 22,500 other qualified board candidates. So, it’s important that your communication documents (Resume, Bio, Cover Letter, LinkedIn Profile), look every bit as good as you are. This session will take you through the simple points to make this happen and review the essential elements of leveraging LinkedIn. You’ll have the opportunity to finetune your cover letter and board bio and share it with other participants for feedback. Led by Tate Pursell, veteran directly currently serving on the boards of Support Systems Association and Air+ Inc.
From enhancing product offerings and expanding product functionality to monetizing data and improving customer service, your company’s functional leaders have the ability to implement breakthrough techniques to solve age-old business Our experts will empower you to help your organization move quickly to take advantage of the opportunities.
At the same time, certain guardrails need to be put in place to minimize the risks of bias, hallucinations, data poisoning, privacy concerns and internal control weaknesses. Our panel will also arm you with the questions you need to challenge management and help your organization chart a course for effective AI governance and risk oversight—and avoid an AI crisis.
Featured Speaker:
Tariq Shaukat; Board Member, Public Storage and Gap Inc.; Co-CEO, Sonar
Florin Rotar, Chief AI Officer, Avanade
Action on climate change is no longer just a matter of altruism. With business models at potential risk of financial exposures and disruption, boards—public and private companies alike—play an important role in helping address the physical and economic transition risks driven by climate change. This session will evaluate the major forces of change to explore the board’s role in realizing commercial opportunities from climate change, as well as how boards should adapt to meet the new challenges climate change presents.
Featured Speaker:
Sam Holroyd, Board Member, Chord Energy and Amerant Bank
Korab Zuka, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Purpose Communications and ESG, Bristol Myers Squibb
Join fellow attendees for cocktails to end the day. And don’t miss the chance to take home a bit of Texas at our Leather Stamping station!
Start your day with peer-to-peer discussions with subject matter experts on the board topics keeping you up at night.
As Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court and Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, Leo E. Strine Jr. issued many influential corporate law decisions and is also one of the most cited scholarly writers on corporate governance and the role of corporations in society. In this exclusive fireside chat, Mr. Strine will share his thoughts on how boards of directors can better navigate today’s turbulent cross-currents and encourage not only their corporations’ sustainable profitability, but also their reputations as good corporate citizens who respect all their stakeholders and the diversity of belief that is essential to a free society.
Featured Speaker:
Together, participants will work through a series of real-world examples that capture different dilemmas faced by directors. Cases will include recent incidents at Boeing, Tesla, Open AI, Disney and WeWork looking at different scenarios such as business risk, board risk, board composition, CEO replacement and director independence. The session is designed to highlight board composition, structure and processes in response to “crisis” and in early identification to avoid “crisis. Learn how to establish clear rules of engagement to ensure a high-functioning board.
Featured Speaker:
Amy Rojik, Leader, U.S. Center for Corporate Governance, BDO
Nina Vaca, Chairman and CEO, Pinnacle Group; Board Member, Austin Industries, Cinemark and Comerica Bank
While M&A stalled in 2023 with high interest rates, many boards are revisiting the prospect of strategic acquisitions. The best-prepared buyers and sellers will resume dealmaking faster when the logjam breaks in terms of price expectations. How can your board prepare for potential green shoots?
What are the red flags you should not ignore during the due diligence process, and what questions should you be asking specifically related to culture and cyber security? From preemptive due diligence and checks to post-deal human capital and technology considerations, learn how to create competitive advantage by executing deals with stronger board processes.
Featured Speaker:
Myrna Soto, Board Member, CMS Energy, Spirit Airlines , TriNet and Popular Inc.
Leadership is tough—and the CEO needs support. Helping to improve your CEO’s performance can’t help but have positive outcomes across the organization. Priorities are easier to reconcile. The CEO’s direct reports begin to execute more efficiently. There is increased trust—which means less board micro-managing required. We’ll explore scenarios where many CEOs, especially new ones, struggle so your board can help your CEO avoid common pitfalls.
Featured Speaker:
Karel Czanderna, Former CEO, Flex; Board Member, Cibo Vita and Soteria Flexibles
Matt Paese, Senior Vice President, Leadership Insights, DDI
Boards have been grappling with heightened price pressures amid diminishing demand, compelling board members, as custodians of their companies, to hold a lens towards fostering growth, regardless of prevailing market conditions. Our final session will deliver tactical guidance for board members to effectively influence growth within their organization hitting on 3 core themes:
This engaging session will include hands-on frameworks and colorful case examples. End the event on a high note and leave with concrete insights to reinforce your growth strategy for 2024 and beyond.
Featured Speaker:
Adam Echter, Partner, Simon-Kucher
Attendees will break down the key ideas and action items – leave with a to-do list of questions for your management team and discussion points for your next board meeting.
