Peer Group

WCD Private Company & Family Business

Exclusively designed for WCD members serving on family business or private company boards.

Presented With

Trusted Peer Support

Connecting Private Company & Family Board members worldwide

More than ever, a trusted peer group is essential to propelling your board forward.

As a member of WCD’s Private Company & Family Business Peer Group engage in member-led, virtual peer exchanges, focusing on small group breakouts for open and candid discussions on the most pressing challenges facing boards today.

Meetings are conducted under Chatham House Rule format.

If you’re not a member, please complete an application.

How to join

To access this group you must apply through the WCD portal. Please ensure that you meet the following criteria:

You are a woman corporate director
You are a member of WCD
You currently serve on the board of a private company or family business

Apply For Peer Group

Vital Thought Leadership

Gain actionable insights to address topical issues

Our preeminent community of women directors come together from around the world to delve into issues facing board committees, challenges, trends and opportunities.

Steering Committee

Bola Adesola

Chairman, Ecobank Nigeria

Bola Adesola is a highly accomplished professional in the banking and financial services industry with over 34 years experience. She currently serving as the Chairman of Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund and Board Member of The Currency Exchange Fund (TCX) Netherlands. Bola’s last role was Senior Vice Chairman, Africa for Standard Chartered Bank, and Chairman of the Bank in Mauritius. She co-founded Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) and served as Vice-Chairman of the United Nations Global Compact. She’s also involved in sustainability and development organizations, currently part of the Leadership Council of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) and the Governing Council of Nigeria University of Technology and Management.

Olga Botero

Co-Founder and Chair Seccuri Inc

Founder and CEO of C&S Customers and Strategy, a boutique technology and cybersecurity consulting firm for leading companies in Latin America, co-founder and Chair of Seccuri Inc., and has been a Senior Advisor to the Boston Consulting Group. She is the co-Chair of WCD Colombian Chapter and a fellow of the NACD Board Leadership Program. Her experience as member and advisor to + 18 Boards of public and private companies spans since 2003. Today, she serves as director and advisor to the Boards of Evertec Inc (NYSE:EVTC), Altipal S.A.S., Grupo Coppel in Mexico, and Grupo de Empresas Familia Montoya in Colombia and Panamá. Her experience, expertise in cybersecurity and technology, and knowledge of Emerging markets differentiates her.

Marina Brogi, Chair

Professor

Full Professor of Banking and Capital Markets, Sapienza University Rome. From 2008 in boards of listed and privately held companies in Italy and Europe. Served on 5 of the 40 largest cap companies which make up the FTSE-MIB index. Currently board member in Generali Assicurazioni (Italy, c. 30 bn $ in market cap), MFE NV (Netherlands, c. 3 bn $ in market cap).

Carolyn Campbell

Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder

Carolyn Campbell is a Managing Partner and Founder of Emerging Capital Partners (ECP). Ms. Campbell provides management oversight of the firm’s operations and investments. Ms. Campbell is also a member of ECP’s Executive Committee and of the Funds’ investment committees. Experienced C-suite executive and board leader with over 25 years of experience managing, restructuring and scaling tech-enabled financial services, energy & infrastructure, technology & logistics and FMCG fast casual dining businesses globally. She is passionate about helping companies thrive through organic growth and global expansion.

Katherine Downs

Independent Consultant/Director

Katherine Downs is a private equity professional with more than 25 years of experience investing in Latin American companies and private equity funds, first as a Managing Director at EMP Global’s Latin American Infrastructure Fund, then at the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, and since 2020 independently. She began her career at Prudential Insurance of America making direct loans and equity investments in US companies and funds. She has sat on nine boards of private and family companies in Latin America, helping develop ESG, strategic, and financial plans and professionalizing management. Katherine has a BA from Wesleyan University, a JD from Boston University, and an MBA from Yale University, as well as the CFA designation and various directorship certifications. Read More

Melany Eli

Managing Director, Strategy, Marketing and Communications, KPMG Private Enterprise, KPMG International

As the Managing Director of KPMG Private Enterprise, Melany Eli has over 18 years of experience developing and executing global business and marketing strategies for the private sector at KPMG International. Melany drives alignment and activation of both the business strategy and marketing initiatives. Her core competencies include strategy development through to execution, brand strategy, digital marketing, and global content creation. She has a passion for connecting people and ideas, engaging leadership, and fostering international collaboration. Melany has also earned two STEP Advanced Certificates in Advising the Family Business and Family Business Governance, which demonstrate her expertise and commitment to supporting family-owned businesses. Melany’s mission is to help private enterprises grow, innovate, and succeed in a dynamic and competitive market.

Laura Grondin

Owner and CEO, V Industries

Laura Grondin is Owner, Chairman & CEO of V Industries, Inc., a privately-held industrial products company, with two subsidiaries, Bingham & Taylor and Hartford Technologies. The company supplies a diverse range of products primarily to the water, gas and automotive markets; the company operates manufacturing and distribution facilities primarily in the US.

With a long history of industry and community service, today, she is an active participant in Vistage, an international organization of CEOs and a Trustee of Bay Path University.

Ms. Grondin earned her B.A. from Yale University in 1985 and began her career with V Industries in 1986.

Margaret Hanson-Muse

COO, US-ASEAN Business Council Director IFAM, Trustee PADF

Margaret “Maggie” Hanson-Muse is the Chief Operating Officer for the US-ASEAN Business Council. She oversees the Council’s strategic planning, IT, human resources, budgeting, membership, and communications operations and is President of the US-ASEAN Business Council Institute, a 501(c)3 organization. She was a senior diplomat with the U.S. Department of Commerce whose assignments included oversight of U.S. commercial interests in the ten country ASEAN Region based in Singapore, India, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, and Mexico. She is a Trustee of the Pan American Development Foundation and serves on the Finance and Audit Committee and a Director for the International Folk Art Market serving on the Strategic Planning Committee. Maggie was also an Assistant Professor at the National Defense University.

Andrea Muller

Non Executive Director

Andrea is a skilled CEO and financial services executive with diverse global experience (US, Europe, Asia) in asset management, investment banking, credit rating and securities law at large multinational firms including Principal Financial Group, Fitch Ratings, UBS and Shearman & Sterling. She currently serves as a director for investment firm Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co.(“GMO”), chairs the audit committee and serves on the compensation committee. At Burford Capital Limited (NYSE/LSE) she served as director and on the audit and nominating and governance committees. Andrea is a member of the Digital Director’s network and completed a masterclass on Governing Systematic Cyber Risk. She received a JD from Georgetown Law Center, a BS from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a Masters in European Union studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. Read More

Ana Muñoz

Non Executive Director

Ana Muñoz, Paris 1958, is an economist who developed her executive career in the financial markets with Merrill Lynch. She worked for this company for 17 years in 4 different countries: UK, US, Switzerland and Spain.

Later she was the director of a Spanish Family Office, and from there she started to serve on Corporate Boards as a Non-executive Director.

She has served, and serves, on boards of listed companies (Natra, Tubos Reunidos), and also in Family owned companies.

She has headed Audit Committees and Nomination and Remuneration Committees.

Ana has been Chair of the Spanish Chapter of “Women Corporate Directors” and also serves in the board of “International Womens Forum”, in Washington.

Ana is an angel investor and a mentor in her free time.