WCD Europe Institute

June 15-16, 2026

There is limited space remaining for this event. If you are interested in attending, please email programming@wcdglobal.org to reserve your spot. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

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WHAT TO EXPECT

Agenda Overview

This year's theme, From Resilience to Reinvention: How Boards Can Redefine Value in Europe, will cover geopolitics, technology and digital transformation, investor expectations, sustainability, and how reinvention will be Europe's competitive edge, examined through a board-level strategic lens.

The 2026 Europe Institute is open to all WCD members. Non-members are permitted to attend, subject to approval. 

What To Do

Detailed Agenda

6:00-8:00 PM

8:00-8:45 AM

8:45-8:50 AM

8:50-9:00 AM

9:00-9:45 AM

9:45-10:45 AM

10:45-11:15 AM

11:15-12:15 PM

12:30-2:00 PM

2:00-3:00 PM

3:00-4:00 PM

4:00-4:20 PM

4:20-5:20 PM

5:20-6:00 PM

6:00-6:05 PM

6:05-8:15 PM

Speakers

Noemie Bauer

Chief Sustainability Officer, Pernod Ricard, Member of ESG Advisory Board, Kao Corporation

Admitted to the New York Bar, Noémie Bauer holds degrees in Business Law & Management from University Paris II Panthéon-Assas and Business & Environmental Law from UCLA School of Law.

She joined Pernod Ricard in 2011 in New York, covering Legal, Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Affairs for the Americas region, and transitioned fully to Sustainability in 2016, driving global initiatives from the Global Headquarters in Paris.

Appointed Chief Sustainability Officer in 2024, she leads the Group’s Sustainability & Responsibility “Good Times from a Good Place” roadmap across 75 countries, steering climate action, regenerative agriculture, circularity, and social impact.

Recognized as a leading voice in sustainability, she was named France’s Most Committed Public Figure by Ekopo (2022) and ranked among Europe’s Top 20 Chief Sustainability Officers by Futur/io at Davos (2024).

Since 2025, Noemie serves on the ESG Advisory Board of Kao Corporation in Japan, challenging and advising on sustainability practices of one of the leaders in chemical and cosmetics industry.

Lauren Davies

Partner, Project Finance, Vinson & Elkins

Lauren advises on the development and financing of projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors, acting for clients on complex projects in emerging markets and across the globe. In particular Laurenhas extensive experience in project finance, advising project companies, sponsors, host governments and lenders in connection with the development and financing of projects in the oil and gas,petrochemical, mining and metals, LNG, port and infrastructure sectors.

Mathilde Delhoume-Debreu

Brand Equity Advisor, LVMH General Management and former Global Brand Officer, LVMH

Mathilde Delhoume-Debreu serves as the Brand Equity Advisor to LVMH General Management.

She transitioned into this role in January 2026, following nine years as LVMH Global Brand Officer — a position she pioneered and established, creating a comprehensive center of brand-building expertise for the LVMH Group.

Prior to LVMH, Mathilde led the Global Brand Equity & Integrated Communications Department for Procter & Gamble. She was selected as one of fifteen Harley Procter Marketers, a title recognizing individuals who exemplify the highest standards of marketing within P&G.

In all her roles, Mathilde’s mission aligns with her passion: empowering each Maison to craft iconic brands, driving both business growth and elevated desirability.
A respected industry voice, Mathilde has served on numerous boards of Marketing associations (ANA, UDM, Effies) and prominent creativity juries, notably as President for the Cannes Lions Luxury jury in June 2025. She is consistently ranked by Forbes among the most influential Chief Brand Officers worldwide.

Mathilde is a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris (ENSCP) and of the ESSEC Business School.

Caroline Bruno-Diaz

Audit Partner and Member of the Audit Executive Committee (CoDir), KPMG France

Partner at KPMG France and member of the Audit Executive Committee (Codir), Caroline Bruno Diaz serves as statutory auditor for major groups in France and internationally, supporting them on financial and extra-financial reporting matters in complex global environments. She works closely with CFOs, audit committees and boards on key governance and oversight topics. 

She also contributes to the development of the firm’s large accounts, strengthening long-term strategic relationships with key market players and delivering high-quality, value-added audit engagements.

As a member of the Audit Executive Committee, she actively contributes to shaping the firm’s audit strategy, with a strong focus on growth, innovation, governance excellence and client service.

Alexandra Dimitrijevic

Managing Director, Global Head of Research & Development, S&P Global Ratings; Board Member, Bruegel

Alexandra is a senior executive at S&P Global with over 30 years of experience in finance and a deep understanding of global credit markets.

As Global Head of Research and Development at S&P Global Ratings, Alexandra oversees the flagship Credit Conditions Committee, a global platform that monitors macroeconomic, credit, and market trends, informing the deliberations of 1700 ratings analysts. She also drives product and market development initiatives, particularly in sustainable finance, private markets, and emerging markets. Notably, she led the acquisition and integration of Cicero Shades of Green, solidifying S&P Global Ratings’ position as a leader in Second Party Opinions on green bonds.

Alexandra also serves as co-Chair of the S&P Global Look Forward Council, spearheading research on transformative market trends, focusing on capital markets, geoeconomics, AI, digital transformation, energy, sustainability, and climate. The Council brings together leading experts from across S&P Global to deliver essential intelligence and help markets navigate uncertainty.

Throughout her tenure at S&P, Alexandra has held various leadership roles, including Head of Corporate Ratings in EMEA and Methodology Officer for Sovereign Ratings, gaining extensive expertise across asset classes.

Additionally, she serves on the Board and Risk & Audit Committee at Bruegel, a prominent Brussels-based economic policy think tank, and is a member of the Bretton Woods Committee.

Erin Dwyer

CEO, Women Corporate Directors

Erin Dwyer is the Chief Executive Officer of Women Corporate Directors (WCD), the largest and most influential global community of women serving on corporate boards. In this capacity, she leads global initiatives and programming aimed at empowering WCD’s 2,600 members to deliver visionary board leadership.

Ms. Dwyer’s distinguished career blends corporate governance, policy, finance, and strategic stakeholder engagement expertise. She previously held senior roles at Tapestry Networks, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), and the Center for Audit Quality, where she convened and facilitated discussions about critical issues in governance, risk, strategy, and leadership with key capital markets’ participants. Ms. Dwyer also spent eight years as a sell-side analyst on Prudential Financial’s equity research team and served as a senior vice president of client development at Cooley LLP, an Am Law 100 law firm.

Ms. Dwyer earned her B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She resides in St. Augustine, Florida.

Thomas Friang

Executive Director, ESSEC Institute for Geopolitics & Business

Thomas Friang is the Executive Director of the ESSEC Institute for Geopolitics & Business, fostering research, graduate, and executive education programs at ESSEC Business School exploring how companies can anticipate and adapt to geopolitical disruptions in the post-globalization era.

Before joining ESSEC Business School, he served as Advisor to the French Minister for Development and International Partnerships, contributing to France’s international cooperation agenda.

Thomas is also the Founder of the Open Diplomacy Institute, a non-partisan think tank dedicated to developing policy and leadership solutions to the polycrisis that hinders progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He launched and chaired the Y20 Summit in 2011 and the Y7 Summit in 2019, creating global youth engagement platforms, embedded in the G20 and G7 diplomatic processes.

His leadership in multilateral diplomacy and sustainable development has been recognized internationally: he was awarded with the Engagement Medal of the French Republic (2021), appointed Laureate of the Giverny Award for Leadership in Sustainability (2022), named as an SDG Goalkeeper by the Gates Foundation (2023) and as an Aspen Young Leader (2024).

Julia Haake

Chief Revenue Officer, EthiFinance

Julia Haake is Chief Revenue Officer at EthiFinance, a European rating, data, and research group dedicated to sustainable finance and sustainable development. A trained economist with a PhD in Environmental Economics from Versailles University (France), she leads the group’s sales, business development, client success, and marketing and communications functions. She previously headed EthiFinance’s ESG Ratings business unit.

With more than 15 years of experience in ESG ratings and sustainable finance, Julia has held senior client-facing, market strategy, and product development roles at leading institutions, including Moody’s ESG Solutions, ISS Stoxx, and Oekom Research.

Her career in sustainability spans over three decades. She began as a researcher at the German Wuppertal Institute and at Versailles University, before moving into consulting with O2 France, advising corporates on environmental strategy and sustainable product design. She later contributed to the development and rollout of Groupe La Poste’s CSR strategy and went on to lead WWF France’s corporate relations and partnerships, overseeing sustainability collaborations and corporate fundraising.

Julia holds several advisory and governance roles. She is Chair of EASRA (European Association of Sustainability Rating Agencies), a board member of the French Sustainable Investment Forum (FIR), and served on the German government’s Sustainable Finance Advisory Council (2022–2025). She was also a member of the French market regulator AMF’s Sustainable Finance Commission (2019–2022).

Julia is also the author of the book L’Entreprise Légère (Delachaux et Niestlé, 2010), which explores how companies can create more value with fewer resources by transitioning to a more sustainable, service-oriented and resource-efficient economic model.

Isabelle Mateos y Lago

Group Chief Economist, BNP Paribas, Board Director, Bruegel

Isabelle Mateos y Lago is Group Chief Economist at BNP Paribas. She has over 25 years’ experience in international economics, finance and public policy. Isabelle began her career in France at the Inspection Générale des Finances before joining the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where she held key positions in the Asia, Europe and Strategy departments, as well as at the Executive Board and as advisor to IMF Management. In 2015, she joined BlackRock where she stayed until 2024 serving in different roles notably Chief Macro Investment Strategist at the BlackRock Investment Institute, Global Head of the Official Institutions Group, and Chief Markets Strategist in the Financial and Strategic Investors Group, alongside serving as a member of the firm’s Geopolitical Risk Steering Committee.

Isabelle is a member of the Board of the Euro 50 think tank, and associate fellow of the Center For Economic Policy Research (CEPR), both leading European economic think tanks. She earned degrees
from Sciences Po Paris and Cambridge University (Economics) and is an alumna of École Nationale d’Administration (ENA).

Dominique Shelton Leipzig

CEO, Global Data Innovation, Board Member, Harris & Associates, Co-founder and Co-CEO, NxtWork, Board Member, Center for Democracy and Technology, Board Member, Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence

Dominique Shelton Leipzig’s strategic approach goes beyond conventional methods, embracing innovation and adaptability to provide enterprise-level guidance for leaders. Dominique founded the Global Data Innovation Teams at two successful international law firms where she provided strategic guidance to companies with a cumulative market capitalization of over $3 trillion. Dominique has trained and coached over 50,000 professionals on AI, privacy, and cybersecurity, including Fortune 100 executives, board members and leaders at major companies and universities, and, at the request of the California Supreme Court, trained all California judges on data privacy. With a focus on long-term growth, Global Data Innovation is your compass to keep your business ahead of the curve in today’s ever-evolving AI landscape.

Antonin de Margerie

Managing Partner - Co-Head Capital, Eurazeo; Board Member, Aroma-Zone, Sevetys, Questel, Elemica, Scaled Agile, and Worldstrides

Antonin de Margerie is Managing Partner – Co-Head Capital. He joined Eurazeo as Portfolio Performance Managing Director.

Prior to joining, Antonin was Managing Director at Oaktree Capital Management based in London working for 5 years within its European Private Equity and Debt funds focusing on portfolio companies management and transformation (PegasusLife, Solvtrans, Kley, Zodiac Milpro, IT Kontrakt.). His background includes several CEO / Board positions (Vallourec, Terreal, Mérieux NutriSciences) in France and in the US. He started his carrer as a consultant at BCG.

Antonin holds an MBA from Insead and a MS from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées;

Thiébaut Meyer

Director, Office of the CISO at Google Cloud

Thiébaut Meyer serves as Director, Office of the CISO at Google Cloud. Before joining Google, Thiébaut worked for several public institutions in France, including the national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI), the French National Assembly, and the French Presidency, where he served as the CISO and DPO. He has been a visiting lecturer at several institutions and has contributed as an expert to European Commission programs. Thiébaut holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering.

Angeles Garcia-Poveda

Chair of the Board, Legrand; Board Director, Bridgepoint; Board Director, Puig

Angeles is a Non-Executive Director of Bridgepoint’s Group Board.

She is an international executive with extensive experience in governance. She is currently Chairperson of the Board of Legrand SA, the CAC 40 global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures, where she has been lead independent director and chaired the Nominations, Governance and Remuneration committees. She sits on the Board of Directors of IFA (French Directors Institute) and Puig. She also spent 14 years with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she worked as a consultant in Madrid and Paris.

Caroline Ruellan

Independent Board Member and Member of the French Regulator AMF

Joanna Swiatkowska

Secretary General, European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO), Member of the Scientific Council, NASK

Dr. Joanna Świątkowska is the Secretary General of the European Cybersecurity Organisation (ECSO). She also serves on the Research Council at NASK, the Polish National Research Institute, and served on ENISA’s Advisory Group (2025–2026). She additionally holds an honorary role as the godmother of the regimental colours of the Regional Computing Centre Kraków, a unit of the Polish Cyberspace Defence Forces.
Joanna’s career spans leadership, strategic, and academic roles across cybersecurity and public policy. Most recently, she served as a Director in the Supply Chain Cyber and Information Security team at UBS (2020–2022). She is the originator, co-founder, and former Programme Director of the European Cybersecurity Forum – CYBERSEC (2014–2019). For a decade, she was a Senior Cybersecurity Expert at the Kościuszko Institute (2009–2019).

Her academic background includes a position as Assistant Professor at AGH University of Science and Technology (2018–2020).
A recognised cybersecurity expert and international speaker, Joanna has led numerous national and international initiatives at the intersection of technology, security, and public policy. Notably, she was a member of the Advisory Group for Cybersecurity of the Republic of Poland at the National Security Bureau of the President of Poland (2016–2017).

Her achievements have earned her multiple distinctions, including a nomination by Forbes Women Polska for Woman of the Year 2025, recognition among 100 Eastern Europe’s Emerging Technology Stars by the Financial Times and New Europe 100 (2017), and inclusion in the Top 20 Women in Cybersecurity by the Women in Tech Summit (2019). In 2016, she participated in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) on Cybersecurity and Government Interoperability.

Marianne Thiery

Former Chief Compliance Officer

Marianne studied politics and International Affairs at Paris University before graduated from the Ecole Nationale d’ Administration.

She joined the French Treasury during the first ten years of her career, serving in major roles as Head of the Financial Markets Unit and Head of Foreign Trade with African and Middle Eastern Countries, building her expertise in crisis management (financial crisis and geopolitical crisis).

She served as Economic Advisor to the French Prime Minister in 2016-2017 before joining BNP PARIBAS in New York.

She was Group Head of International Sanctions Compliance (2017-2023), in charge of the remediations with the U.S. authorities while running the operational department in a context of growing geopolitical complexity.

In 2023- 2025, she is appointed Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance for BNP PARIBAS Americas leading Compliance but also Regulatory Affairs, Legal and Corporate Governance.

She was Board Director at BNP PARIBAS IHC U.S and BNP PARIBAS US Broker Dealer.

She also served as representative of the Minister of Economy at the French Financial Markets authority (sanctions committee and of the Board Committee).

Ersilia Vaudo

Special Advisor on Future Talents, European Space Agency; President and Co-Founder of Il Cielo Itinerante

Ersilia Vaudo is an astrophysicist with a three-decade career at the European Space Agency (ESA), where she is Special Advisor on Future Talents. A physics graduate of Sapienza University of Rome, she began in cosmology with research on CMB anisotropy experiments and was awarded the Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship. She later earned an Executive Certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School (2020).

From 2002–2006 she served as Deputy Head of ESA’s Washington, DC office, liaising with NASA, and sat on the Women in Aerospace US Board. In 2020 she joined Italy’s national “Women for a New Renaissance” task force, contributing proposals on Research, STEM and skills, and was appointed by the Minister for Equal Opportunities as an expert member of the technical-scientific committee of the national Observatory on gender-equality policies. At European level, President Emmanuel Macron named her co-chair for Talent & Diversity within Scale-Up Europe, helping deliver the June 2021 recommendations to strengthen Europe’s tech and talent ecosystem—from deep-tech scale-ups to inclusive skills pipelines.

Her public work bridges science, culture, and design. She curated the XXIII Triennale di Milano (2022–23), Unknown Unknowns; co-curated “A Satellite Symphonie” for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025; and co-designed “Lune d’acqua” (Artemide, 2025), winner of the Rethinking the Future award. She is the author of The Story of Astrophysics in Five Revolutions (Einaudi, 2023; translated into English, Spanish, French, and Arabic) and Perché studiare fisica (non) è complesso (Mondadori Scuola, 2024).

Honors include Commendatore of the Order of the Star of Italy (2022), Tecnovisionarie – Special Europe Award (2020), EWMD “She Made a Difference” (2023), and the Carla Fendi STEM Award (2024). She has been listed among InspiringFifty Italy 2021, Fortune Italy 50 Most Powerful Women 2022, Forbes 100 Italy 2024, Unstoppable Women Italy(since 2022), and StartHer’s “20 Femmes à suivre” in French Tech.

Vaudo is President and co-founder of Il Cielo Itinerante, which brings telescopes and STEM camps to underserved communities—winner of the Financial Times WE Award 2023. A frequent TEDx speaker and essayist, she champions science as a driver of inclusion, opportunity, and future-ready talent.

Isabelle Xoual

Managing Director, Lazard

Isabelle Xoual has had a career spanning nearly four decades in strategic consulting and investment banking, with deep expertise across M&A, restructuring, IPO advisory, corporate preparedness, and defense against activist investors.

She is a Managing Director at Lazard, the global financial advisory and asset management firm (NYSE: LAZ), where she has served since 1998. She currently co-leads Industrials coverage for Europe and advises major international clients and private equity sponsors on complex cross-border transactions. Over the course of her career at Lazard, she has played a central role in more than 100 M&A transactions with an aggregate value in excess of €100 billion, spanning industries including FMCG, capital goods, retail, healthcare, and natural resources. She has been increasingly involved on corporate preparedness mandates, engaging with companies and Boards.

She also serves on Lazard’s Financial Advisory Operating Committee in France. Beyond her advisory work, Isabelle has led significant internal transformations at Lazard, including monitoring all HR matters between 2009 and 2017, and building out Lazard’s private equity franchise across Europe between 2005 and 2015. Prior to Lazard, Isabelle spent seven years at Rothschild in Paris, where she rose to Vice President leading M&A transactions. She began her career in strategy consulting at Oliver Wyman in London.

Isabelle has served on the boards of ANF Immobilier, a French-listed real estate investment company (2011–2018), where she chaired the Nomination and Compensation Committee, and Lazard Frères Banque (2009–2016). She has been a

member of Kearney’s Board of Directors since July 2023. Isabelle actively supports the Rising Talent initiative of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, which identifies and mentors young female leaders globally. Isabelle holds an MBA from ESSEC Business School in Paris.

Linda Valero

Senior Manager, Cyber & Privacy, KPMG

Nathalie Wright

Board Member; Amundi; Keolis; Quadient, Former Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief IT & Digital Officer, Rexel

Nathalie Wright is a seasoned senior executive and board member with more than 35 years of experience, including over 30 years in executive leadership roles across global technology, telecom, and services industries. She brings a strong track record in driving large-scale business transformation, digital innovation, and sustainable growth in complex international environments.

She has held senior leadership positions at leading global companies including Rexel, Microsoft, IBM, AT&T, and Verizon. As Chief Digital Officer and Executive Board Member at Rexel Group, she led global IT, digital, data, and cybersecurity teams, driving the development and deployment of digital platforms and AI solutions across multiple geographies. She later served as Chief Sustainability Officer, defining and executing the Group’s sustainability strategy, leveraging digital and data capabilities to accelerate carbon reduction and launching initiatives to address energy poverty.

Earlier in her career, she was General Manager for the Nordics region at Rexel, overseeing €1 billion in revenue across Sweden, Norway, and Finland. At Microsoft France, as General Manager for Large Enterprises and Strategic Alliances and Executive Board Member, she managed a $1 billion business and led the transition of major French corporations to cloud-based models, delivering double-digit growth and transforming customer engagement. She also held executive leadership roles at IBM France, where she led the transformation of the software business, and at AT&T, where she managed multi-regional operations across Europe and the Middle East.

She began her career at Digital Equipment and held successive leadership roles at Newbridge Networks, Verizon (WorldCom/MCI), and Easynet, building extensive expertise across sales, marketing, operations, and general management.

In parallel to her executive career, Nathalie serves as an Independent Board Member for several listed companies, including Keolis, Quadient, and Amundi. She actively contributes to strategic, risk, sustainability, innovation, and cybersecurity  discussions at board level, bringing deep expertise in digital transformation, data governance, and ESG.

She is also a board member of Women in Leadership (WIL), a non-profit organization promoting gender diversity and leadership inclusion.

She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Paris Assas University, an MBA from Paris Sorbonne, and completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD. She is Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour.

Fluent in French and English, she is recognized for her strategic vision, leadership in transformation, and ability to bridge technology, governance, and sustainable performance.

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND

An Opportunity to

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    Make meaningful connections with other women corporate directors and business leaders from around the world

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    Get leading-edge insights and learn from governance experts and visionaries

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    Increase your influence and impact as a board director

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    Ignite innovation in your boardroom

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    Champion WCD and our global community of women

Location

Meet us in the heart of Paris

La Défense, Paris

Europe Regional Institute - Website

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Options

Hotels are located near the event location. Please see one of the recommended hotels listed below. Please note, registrants must book their hotel accommodations and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

hilton-la-defense-septembre-2023-2

Hiton Paris, La Defense

2 place de la Defense CNIT - BP 210, Paris, 92053, France

 

  • Twelve-minute walk to KPMG
  • Eight-minute drive to KPMG
Screenshot 2026-01-27 at 8.57.13 AM

Hôtel Mercure Paris La Defense

18 - 30 rue Baudin, 92400 COURBEVOIE, France

 

  • Eight-minute walk to KPMG
  • Two-minute drive to KPMG
Screenshot 2026-01-27 at 9.02.41 AM

Pullman Paris, la Defense

La Defense, Courbevoie FR, 11 Av. de l'Arche, 92400 Paris, France

 

  • Twelve-minute walk to KPMG
  • Three-minute drive to KPMG
Screenshot 2026-01-27 at 9.08.28 AM

Citadines, La Defense

Les Saisons, 1-8 Bd de Neuilly, 92400 Courbevoie, France

 

  • Ten-minute walk to KPMG
  • Nine-minute drive to KPMG
Screenshot 2026-01-27 at 9.13.55 AM

Renaissance Paris, La Defense

60 Cr Valmy, 92800 Puteaux, France

 

  • Seventeen-minute walk to KPMG
  • Seven-minute drive to KPMG

FAQS

Additional information on the Europe Institute

QUESTIONS?

Contact Us

For help with registration or more information, please complete this form or contact programming@wcdglobal.org

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