WCD Global Institute & Visionary Awards

September 29–October 1, 2024
Orlando, Florida

THIS YEAR'S THEME

Igniting Board Leadership & Value

The Global Institute is a two-day conference on September 30–October 1 that covers an expansive discussion on corporate governance issues with global corporate leaders who will provide thought leadership and best practices on today’s most pressing issues for boards and executive leadership teams.

WCD's Visionary Awards will also take place on the evening of September 30th. Join the celebration as we recognize companies and individuals committed to excellence in corporate governance and financial performance, and committed to diversity, and inclusion.

Keynote Speakers

Carol Tomé

CEO, UPS; Boards: Verizon Communications, Metro Atlanta Chamber, Grady Health System

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Rana Foroohar

Global Economic Analyst, CNN

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Rana Foroohar is a global economic analyst at CNN. Sought after for her astute analysis, Foroohar speaks to the changes occurring in business, politics, economics, and foreign affairs. Her weekly column is a real-time commentary on emerging markets, the effects of globalization, and the disruption of big tech. She also pens the FT’s Swamp Notes alongside Ed Luce, discussing the intersection of money and power in US politics.

Laurie Ann Goldman

President & CEO, Tupperware; Boards: Cole Haan, Tupperware, European Wax Center, 101 Studios, Apollo Aligned Alternatives

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Laurie Ann is the CEO of Tupperware. Founder of LA Ventures, former CEO of both Avon and Spanx, she also serves on the Board of several companies.

Judy Smith

Founder & CEO, Smith & Company; Crisis Management Expert & Inspiration for the Hit TV Show Scandal

LinkedIn

Judy A. Smith is the founder and CEO of Smith & Company, a strategic advisory firm considered to be one of the top crisis firms in the world, that has offices in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York and London. For more than 25 years, Ms. Smith has counseled presidents and world leaders through global crises, advised Fortune 50 CEOs through complex challenges, and helped manage the reputations of some of the world’s highest-profile individuals. As a result of her wide ranging and ground-breaking career, Ms. Smith inspired the hit TV series, Scandal and served as Co- Executive Producer of the project. Ms. Smith’s advice and counsel has been valuable to corporate boardrooms and she currently serves on the boards for Save the Children, Global Citizen and Ariel Investments.

Paul Knopp

Chair and CEO of KPMG LLP

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Paul Knopp is Chair and Chief Executive Officer at KPMG LLP – one of the world’s leading professional services firms, providing innovative business solutions and audit, tax, and advisory services to many of the world’s largest organizations. Paul leads more than 36,000 partners and professionals across the United States.

He has received accolades including Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People, the National Association of Corporate Directors’ 100 most influential leaders in the boardroom, and Glassdoor’s list of Top CEOs. Paul is Chair of the Governing Board for the Center for Audit Quality, and a board member of Catalyst, Partnership for New York City and Project Healthy Minds.

Speakers

Courtney Adante

President, Security Risk Advisory, Teneo

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Courtney focuses on supporting clients with issues of resilience and business continuity in the face of crisis. With over two decades of experience in financial services and consulting, she has helped clients manage continuity of operations through a range of crises, whether related to financial markets, man-made or natural disasters. At Teneo, Courtney is the President of Teneo Security Risk Advisory, and in addition to managing all aspects of the division, she supports Fortune 500 clients with design and delivery of enterprise security strategy programs, focused on cybersecurity risk management, crisis preparedness and response and cyber crisis communications. Prior to joining Teneo, Courtney worked for Accenture in the capital markets practice. Before joining Accenture, Courtney worked for various trading exchanges and brokerage firms in the US and Europe.

Lerzan Aksoy

Dean and George N. Jean Ph.D., Chair Professor of Marketing, Fordham Gabelli School of Business

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Lerzan Aksoy is dean, George N. Jean Ph.D. chair, and professor of marketing at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

Aksoy is the 2022 recipient of the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) Christopher Lovelock Career Contributions to the Services Discipline Award. She is author of The New York Times bestseller The Wallet Allocation Rule, and author/editor of four other books on customer loyalty. Her research has been published in top-tier journals in marketing and service research and has received numerous prestigious awards. She currently serves as president of the Academic Council of the American Marketing Association.

Aksoy is a Fulbright scholar. She received a Ph.D. in marketing from the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, an M.B.A. from George Mason
University, and a B.S. in Business Administration from Hacettepe University (Ankara, Turkey).

Mónica Flores Barragán

President, ManpowerGroup Latin America

Cheemin Bo-Linn

Former CEO and F500 GM/ VP, Board of Director

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Cheemin Bo-Linn scales rapid growth as CEO, CMO, CRO at multiple firms and as VP at IBM. Her 8 prior public boards and multiple private boards, leverages her transformation, tech (software, AI, analytics, IoT) and audit chair expertise. Her service includes Board Chair, Lead Director, Chair of every major committee and Sustainability, Cyber/Risk at small to mid/large cap. In 2024 she was named “Top 100 Asian Directors” then Financial Times’ “Top 100 Diverse Directors” and NACD’s “Top 50” Directors. She is inducted to US Presidential’s “Hall of Fame for Women in Tech” and Visiting Professor, EMBA/MBA at Columbia U, London School of Business, and HKU. She’s a distinguished speaker at United Nations, British Chamber of Commerce, and global forums.
Her Doctorate Degree is in Information Systems and Organizational Change from the University of Houston.

Jenny Bofinger-Schuster

Board Member, ISSB; Former SVP, Sustainability & Operational Excellence, Siemens; WCD Germany

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Full-Time Member, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)

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Jenny Bofinger-Schuster has been a full-time member of the ISSB since December 1, 2022. Before joining ISSB, she held several senior management roles at Siemens, including Global Head for Sustainability and Operational Excellence, and Member of the Supervisory Board of Siemens Mobility. Passionate about integrating sustainability into corporate decision-making, she began her career in strategy consulting, working for Siemens Management Consulting and Horváth Management Consulting. She holds a Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Augsburg and an MBA from the University of Dayton, Ohio.

Irene Britt

CEO, ICB Enterprises; Boards: IDEXX Laboratories, Victoria's Secret & Co., First Watch Restaurant Group, Partake Foods; WCD Tampa

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Irene Chang Britt is an experienced board and committee chair on public and private boards across varied industries. She currently serves on the boards of Victoria’s Secret (Comp Chair), IDEXX (Comp Chair), First Watch (N&CG Chair), Amica Senior Lifestyles (Board Chair), MikMak, Partake, JustBoardrooms and Peloton Capital Management (Advisory Board). Irene is a retired Fortune 500 C-Suite executive, with over 30 years of experience driving transformational growth. Her most recent executive role was CEO, Pepperidge Farm Inc and SVP Global Baking and Snacking at Campbell Soup Co.

Kim Casiano

Boards: Ford Motor Company, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

Kimberly Casiano is the first Latina woman to serve on a top five “Fortune 100” corporate board.

She is a director of Ford Motor Company, Mutual of America Financial Group, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, and a former director of Mead Johnson Nutrition Company. Outside of the corporate world, Kim serves on the Board of Advisors of Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida; the global Alumni Board of Harvard Business School; is a founder of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA); and is former Chapter Chair of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Puerto Rico. She has been recognized by many prominent organizations as one of the most powerful Latinos in America. A graduate of Princeton and Harvard Business School, Kim is the married mother of three children.

Courtney della Cava

Sr. Managing Director & Global Head of Portfolio Talent & Organization, Blackstone; Boards: Renaissance Learning, Mphasis

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Courtney della Cava serves as a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone where she is the Global Head of Portfolio Talent & Organization. She leads a team that accelerates, creates and safeguards value by improving leadership teams and organizational effectiveness across the Blackstone portfolio.

Before joining Blackstone in 2021, Courtney served as a Partner at Bain & Company, where she spent more than 20 years advising corporate and private equity clients.  In addition, she was a Managing Director at Russell Reynolds and held multiple operating roles in Europe and the US.

Courtney earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton, and graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Economics. She currently serves on the boards of Mphasis and Renaissance Learning.

Erica Dhawan

CEO, Cotential and bestselling author of Digital Body Language

LinkedIn

When CEOs want to drive a digital transformation, create exponential growth and innovate through disruption, they call Erica Dhawan. Erica Dhawan is an accomplished business advisor of publicly traded companies, helping organizations run massive programs of change to create increasing value for customers and clients, deliver sustainable results and ensure future global competitiveness. With an expertise that spans executive leadership, operations, P&L, post-merger integrations and human resources, she brings unique expertise that have helped her clients ranging from Deloitte, SAP and Elevance Health meet the needs of a diverse marketplace of the future, including millennials and Gen Z, women and multicultural customers

Deborah Ellinger

Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group; WCD Tampa

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Deborah Ellinger is a Senior Advisor for Boston Consulting Group. She is a former CEO and seasoned public company board director specializing in consumer-facing businesses. She led four private equity-backed companies (Ideal Image MedSpas, The Princeton Review, Restoration Hardware, and Wellness Petfood), achieving three to ten times returns by rebranding, adding services and content, expanding locations, entering new distribution channels, and updating technology. Earlier in her career she was a banker, an executive at Staples and CVS Pharmacy, and a partner at Boston Consulting Group.

Palmina Fava

Partner, Vinson & Elkins

LinkedIn

Palmina M. Fava is a partner in the New York office of Vinson & Elkins, the Co-Head of the firm’s global White Collar Defense and Government Investigations practice group, a leader of the firm’s Cyber Security and Data Privacy practice group, and a member of the firm’s Technology and Latin America Task Forces. Palmina specializes in corporate and government investigations, compliance program design and implementation, and litigation. Palmina has been recognized by Chambers in its Global, USA, and NY rankings as a leading lawyer in investigations, Lawdragon as one of 500 Leading Litigators in America, Latinvex as one of Latin America’s Top 100 Female Lawyers, Ethisphere in its annual list of Attorneys Who Matter, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal, Global Investigations Review, NY Super Lawyers, Fordham University School of Law as a Distinguished Alumnae, and Trademark Publishing as a Woman of Distinction.

Renata Feltrin

Executive Director at CI&T

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Renata Mello Feltrin is the mother of Mariana and Carolina, and an executive director at CI&T with over 20 years of experience in the technology market. She has built an executive career focused on innovation strategies and digital transformation, working in various sectors such as finance, retail, consumer goods, entertainment, industry, and healthcare. She has had the privilege of working with many of the largest brands and companies in Brazil and globally. Curious, non-conformist, passionate about technology, and a builder of futures.

Paul Gruenwald

Global Chief Economist, S&P Global Ratings

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Dr. Paul Gruenwald is the Chief Economist at S&P Global Ratings, leading the economic forecasting and research effort and serving as the primary spokesperson on macro-economic matters for the company.

Before joining S&P Global, Paul spent five years ANZ bank as the Asia-Pacific Chief Economist, where he was responsible for helping set and direct the economic research agenda as well as building the bank’s profile in the region.

Prior to that, Paul worked at the International Monetary Fund for nearly 16 years where he led the team producing their Asia-Pacific regional outlook, represented the Fund in Hong Kong SAR and Korea, was the Deputy Chief of the China division, and worked extensively on sovereign debt restructurings.

Marie-Laurence Guy

Head, IFC Nominee Directorship Center

Marie-Laurence Guy has over 25 years of private sector development experience including 20 years with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – were she held various positions, including in the field and across corporate and operational departments. She currently Heads IFC’s Nominee Directorship Center, a thought leadership hub providing guidance to equity teams and supporting IFC nominated board directors in adding value consistent with IFC’s development mandate. She has extensive expertise in corporate governance, leadership development, human resources, program management and business administration. Prior to joining IFC, she worked in the French Ministry of Economy and for the OECD. She has authored publications on Building Director Training Organizations, Developing Corporate Governance Codes of Best Practice, and Resolving Corporate Governance Disputes.

Gwenne Henricks

Director, Polaris, Decision Sciences International; Retired Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Product Development & Global Technology, Caterpillar; WCD Tampa

Gwenne is past Vice President, Product Development & Global Technology, and Chief Technology Officer of Caterpillar Inc., a world leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Prior to that, she served as Vice President, Industrial Engines Division, and as Vice President of Caterpillar’s Electronics and Connected Worksite Division.  She joined Caterpillar in 1981 in an engineering role and held numerous engineering, product management and executive roles.

Gwenne currently serves as a Board member of Polaris Industries, on the Audit and Technology and Innovation Committees, of Decision Sciences International Corporation and on the Bradley University Business and Engineering Advisory Committee.

Sophia Hudson

Capital Markets Partner at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP

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Sophia Hudson is a corporate partner at Kirkland, where she counsels clients on governance, securities law compliance and a wide variety of capital markets transactions. Her corporate clients include AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Ferguson, Fox Corporation, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Tupperware and United Airlines; and her private equity clients include Bain Capital, including Bain Capital Life Sciences, Clayton Dubilier & Rice, Hellman & Friedman, Patient Square and TPG. She has represented all of the major investment banks.

Cheryl Jones

President & CEO, Girls Incorporated of St. Louis; WCD St. Louis

Cheryl Jones is the President & CEO of Girls Incorporated of St. Louis. The mission Girls Inc. is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold by providing educational, recreational, and cultural programs to girls in a safe environment to enable them to raise their aspirations and realize their potential. Girls Incorporated of St. Louis serves girls ages 5 to 18. The organization currently serves over 8000+ girls annually.

 

Cheryl has served on a corporate board for Reliance Bank 2013-2019. Cheryl served on Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), Compliance and Audit Committees. She currently serves on the Simmons Bank Advisory Committee. Cheryl currently serves on the Goldfarb Nursing Board 2020-currently. Cheryl currently serves on the Sports Commission Board 2021-currently.

Jannice Koors

Senior Managing Director, Pearl Meyer

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Jan Koors is a senior managing director with Pearl Meyer and head of consulting services. In this role, Jan is focused on leveraging the firm’s consulting capabilities and enhancing relationships with our national marketing partners. She is a member of the leadership team which guides the firm’s strategy.

Jan has over 30 years’ experience in executive compensation and governance and has consulted to companies of all sizes/ industries. She advises company boards and management on all aspects of strategic human capital decision-making. Jan helps companies deconstruct their long-term value creation objectives into tailored HR strategies that go beyond simple competitive parity.

Jan has been quoted in various publications and has spoken at numerous seminars on executive and director compensation issues.

Kyoko Takahashi Lin

Partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

LinkedIn

Kyoko advises boards, compensation committees, companies and individual executives on executive, director and employee compensation, including executive employment agreements, deferred compensation, severance plans and other compensatory arrangements. Her practice includes a particular emphasis on issues arising in mergers and acquisitions transactions, initial public offerings, and new and joint ventures, as well as for financial institutions.

Kyoko also advises on the sensitive aspects of senior executive transitions and succession planning, building upon her extensive experience with corporate governance, public company disclosure and tax laws. She is a thought leader in executive compensation and related topics, and is a member of the Thomson Reuters Practical Law’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Advisory Board.

Laurence Loyer

Board Director Consorcio Financiero - Chile

LinkedIn

Laurence Loyer graduated from McGill University in Canada with a bachelor’s degree in commerce and an MBA.
Her career started in New York, in M&A with Banque Nationale de Paris. Later in Paris, she advanced to CFO at Sara Lee Corporation. Currently Laurence is an independent board director in Financial Services and pharmaceutical companies across Latin America, including Consorcio Financiero in Chile, Grupo Supervielle in Argentina, Biosidus in Uruguay and Vitalis in Colombia and Mexico.
She is a specialist in International Business, Corporate Governance, and a financial expert.
Laurence is also deeply committed to empowering women in business. She served on the board of Association Marianne and on the executive committee of the G20 Women Business Leaders Task Force.

Barbara Mair

Partner, Smart Force Mexico; Director, Laureate Education, Banco del Bajio; WCD Mexico

Barbara Mair has been a partner at Smart Force Mexico since 2019 and previously served as CEO of Universidades Aliat from 2012 to 2015, after joining as COO in 2011. Earlier, she was a partner at Medida y Compas S.C. from 2003 to 2010 and was general manager at HP (2002-2003) and Compaq (1995-2002). Her career began at Unisys (1984-1993). Mair has been on various boards since 2001, including Laureate Education, Banco del Bajío and other private and not-for-profit companies. She holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a Master of Technology in Education from the University of British Columbia.

Nichelle Maynard-Elliott

Founder & CEO, Dunamis Transaction Advisors; Independent Director, Xerox, Lucid Group, AIC Fund III; WCD New York

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Nichelle Maynard-Elliott is an accomplished dealmaker and advisor to boards and senior management with 25+ years of extensive financial and legal experience in M&A, business development and strategic alliances. Maynard-Elliott is the former Head of M&A, Americas and Asia Pacific for Praxair, Inc. (now Linde plc), where she evaluated and negotiated global acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and other business combinations.
Maynard-Elliott is an independent director of Xerox Holdings Corporation (Compensation Committee Chair), and Lucid Group, Inc., and trustee of The Advisors’ Inner Circle Fund III (Governance Committee Chair). She is a former director and Audit Committee Chair of Element Solutions Inc.
Maynard-Elliott holds a B.A. in Economics from Brown University and a JD from Columbia University School of Law.

Estelle Metayer

Boards: Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Audemars Piguet, Martur Fompak, Nortera; WCD Quebec

LinkedIn

Estelle Metayer is a seasoned advisor, adjunct professor at McGill, and board member deeply involved in strategic decision-making and corporate governance across various sectors globally. With a focus on mitigating strategic blindspots, she advises CEOs and boards on enhancing competitive intelligence and strategic processes, particularly during times of significant business transformation and aggressive growth. Notable roles include serving as Chair of the Board for Nortera (agro-food, Canada/US), on the advisory boards of Family Offices in Canada and Switzerland, and holding independent board positions in prominent global companies like Bombardier Recreational Products (TSX:$DOO and NASDAQ:$DOOO), Martur (automotive in Turkey) and Audemars Piguet (luxury watch making in Switzerland).

Eunice Nyala

Founder & CEO, Etiquette Xllent Company Executive Coach | Board Director, KCB Bank Kenya & Kenya Reinsurance Corp. Chair, Kenya Association of Women Business Owners | WCD Kenya Board Member

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Accomplished business professional, experienced board member & chair.

Former commercial banker with over 25 years financial services and leadership experience at Barclays Bank Kenya & London, UK and Barclaycard International. CEO Etiquette Xllent Company Ltd, Executive Coach Strathmore University Business School. Previously, Business Advisor Goldman Sachs Women program at United States International University (USIU) Africa. Non-Executive Director;- KCB Bank Kenya; KCB Investment Bank; Kenya Reinsurance Corporation Ltd Plc; Kenya Re Cote D’Ivoire; Chairperson Kenya Association of Women Business Owners; WCD Kenya; Previously CIMERWA Plc, Rwanda and The Foschini Group Plc South Africa.

Master of Science (MSc) Marketing, University of Glamorgan UK; Post graduate diploma Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) UK; Diploma Executive Coaching Practitioner AoEC, UK; Chartered Institute of Bankers.

Maria Gabriela Pittis

Head of SAM, Takeda Pharmaceutical; WCD Argentina

LinkedIn

Takeda LatAm President (excl. Brazil)
Gaby has more than 35 years of experience on rare genetic diseases and orphan drugs business around Europe and Latin America. With a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Buenos Aires, her expertise spans research & development, company & business integration, strategic planning, geographic expansion, alliance management, patient support programs and KOLs engagement.
Prior to her current role at Takeda, Gaby held the position of Head of LatAm region at Shire, since January 2018. Prior to that, Gaby spent 10 years in general management, medical science and medical affairs positions.
Her outstanding leadership qualities focused on driving change as well as her striving transformational mentoring, keeps inspiring and motivating other women to reach their full potential.

Sharon Podstupka

Principal, Pearl Meyer

Sharon is a trusted advisor to boards and executive management teams in the areas of executive and broad-based employee compensation communication and change management. With over 25 years of consulting experience, she is one of the original pioneers of executive compensation disclosure best practices and has proven success in creating effective strategies and delivering content in challenging business environments and under intense scrutiny from investors and proxy advisory firms. Sharon has extensive experience in a broad range of industries, including financial services, manufacturing, oil and energy, retail, biopharma/biotech, and healthcare.

Lianne Richardson

Principal, Pearl Meyer

With over 20 years of experience, Lianne specializes in providing compensation consulting services to public and privately held clients, including compensation market benchmarking, proxy analysis, incentive plan design, executive compensation strategy and philosophy development, and non-employee director compensation. She has worked with clients in the manufacturing, energy/utility, aerospace/defense, hospitality, insurance, banking, medical device, and healthcare sectors.

Jakob Rusinek

Associate Operations Officer, IFC

LinkedIn

Jakob, a Polish and German national, joined the Nominee Directorship Center 3 years ago and now serves as an Associate Operations Officer. His main duties include sourcing & onboarding for board positions and coordinating ongoing education for IFC Nominee Directors. Prior to joining IFC, Jakob worked for 9 years at the World Bank in following departments: Human Resources (HR), Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), Social Protection & Jobs Global Practice, Energy Global Practice, Poverty Global Practice, and Development Economics (DEC).

Jakob holds an MA in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, a Bachelor of Business Administration & Economics from San Diego State University and Europa University Viadrina (Germany).

Lisa Shall

Managing Director, Pearl Meyer

Lisa has deep expertise in leadership assessment and coaching, organizational design, CEO and executive succession, executive team development, change management, and talent management processes. She has experience transforming talent and implementing organizational effectiveness initiatives across a wide range of companies and industries. Her clients have included both public and privately held companies in the retail, financial services, healthcare, nonprofit, and consumer products sectors.

Myrna Soto

Founder & CEO, Apogee Executive Advisors; Boards: TriNet, Popular, Spirit Airlines, Consumers Energy

LinkedIn

Myrna has over 30 years of experience in information technology/cybersecurity. Myrna is the Founder and CEO of Apogee Executive Advisors. An advisory firm specializing in CyberSecurity, Technology Risk, Enterprise Risk Management, Technology integrations, Board Service and Governance
Myrna serves on several publicly traded company boards including CMS Energy, Spirit Airlines, TriNet and Popular Inc. She is recognized as a Governance and Board Leadership Fellow by NACD. She also serves on four private company boards Vectra.ai, Huntress, HeadSpace Health and Delinea. She also serves as a Sr. Investment Advisor for TPG Capital.

She most recently served as the Chief Strategy and Trust Officer for Forcepoint. She also served as COO of a managed security service provider (MSSP) as well an Investment Partner at ForgePoint Capital. Her previous roles include serving as Corporate SVP & Global CISO for Comcast Corp, CISO MGM Resorts and other senior leadership positions with American Express, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Kemper Insurance.

John Stecher

Chief Technology Officer, Blackstone

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John Stecher is the Chief Technology Officer of Blackstone. Mr. Stecher is responsible for all aspects of technology across Blackstone and advises the firm’s investment teams as well as acts as a resource to portfolio companies on technology-related matters.

Ruth Sun

IBM Global Managing Director - Strategic Partnerships

LinkedIn

Ruth Sun is a seasoned technology and business leader with 25 years global experience leading the P&Ls of multiple businesses from startup to Fortune 50. She has worked with thousands of global enterprises to strategically increase their corporate value, identify and manage risks, and communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders on topics of technology innovation and business development. Ruth has led all functions of business operations including strategy, corporate development, offering management, sales & marketing, engineering and service delivery with experience in multiple industries including healthcare, manufacturing, government and financial services. She currently lives in the New York City Metro Area.

Ruth is former CEO and Board Director of Tempest, a Healthcare SaaS business, acquired by Monument. She also served as Independent Director of Radius8, acquired by Fiserv (NASDAQ:FISV), and Board Director of Sun Medical, merged with Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

Kathleen Tamayo

Partner, Board & CEO Practice, Spencer Stuart

LinkedIn

Kathleen Tamayo is a member of the Board & CEO Practice, and she leads recruitment and advisory engagements across all industry sectors, bringing specific expertise in the industrial and consumer markets. A recipient of Spencer Stuart’s prestigious Lou Rieger Quality Award for her outstanding client service, Kathleen has also helped amplify the firm’s commitment to DE&I by supporting partnerships committed to elevating underrepresented groups in the boardroom.  An avid supporter of the arts, she serves on the board of the Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project.  Kathleen earned her BA from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame and her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Gabriela Terminielli

Former Director, BYMA Bolsas y Mercados Argentinos; President of Compañía Argentina de Comercio; Co-Founder and former Co-Chair, WCD Argentina

LinkedIn

Gabriela Terminielli is co-founder and former co-chair of the WCD Argentina. From 2018 to 2023 she served as an Independent Director at Bolsas y Mercados, Argentine Stock Market. where she chaired the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee. She also served on the Advisory Board of the Silver Economy Forum in the area of gender and age diversity.

Since 1993, she has been President and CEO of Companía Argentina de Comercio, a company dedicated to business consulting. She was Vice President of Vital Voices Argentina and is a technical advisor to UN Women Argentina. Gabriela has an MBA from the Universidad Católica Argentina and her undergraduate degree is in Psychology.

Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to promoting women to board positions and roles of influence. She remains a strong advocate for gender equality.

Rebecca Thornton

Head of Director Advisory Services, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

LinkedIn

A seasoned and respected governance expert, Rebecca has spent nearly 25 years advising CEOs, boards of directors and aspiring directors on best practices for director recruitment, board design/composition, shareholder engagement, and CEO search and CEO succession planning. Over the course of her career, Rebecca has advised over 2,000 companies across a wide range of industries and special situations, including IPOs, spins, activism defense and companies exiting bankruptcy. She has also worked with private equity firms, families and founders looking to evolve their governance models.

Rebecca currently serves as Head of Director Advisory Services (“DAS”) at J.P. Morgan, based in New York. DAS was formed in 2016 as a center of excellence to advise and support corporate clients with their evolving board needs.

Sophie Vandebroek

Founder & CEO, Strategic Vision Ventures; Boards: IDEXX Laboratories, Wolters Kluwer NV, Revvity, Inari Agriculture; WCD Boston

LinkedIn

Dr. Sophie Vandebroek is a seasoned executive with extensive C-level experience at IBM, Xerox, and UTC and has served on public company boards since 2000.

Sophie has been in the technology industry for over three decades and is founder and owner of Strategic Visions Ventures, an innovation consulting firm. Previously Sophie was MIT’s Inaugural Visiting Scholar at the School of Engineering. Until 2019, she was vice president of emerging technology partnerships at IBM and served as chief operating officer of IBM Research. Previously Sophie was Corporate Officer at Xerox serving as Chief Technology Officer and President of the Xerox Innovation Group from 2006 until 2016.

Sophie has extensive experience as a corporate director and currently serves as a member of the Board for IDEXX Laboratories, Wolters Kluwer NV, Revvity, and Inari Agriculture, a Flagship Company.

Silvina Vatnick

Managing Partner, Global Outcomes LLC.; Independent Board Member, Grupo Bancolombia; Financial Stability Adviser at US Treasury-Office of Technical Assistance; WCD Argentina

Managing Partner at Global Outcomes, a Strategic Advisory firm based in Washington DC and Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a Financial Stability Adviser to the United States Treasury Department, Office of Technical Assistance. She is also an Independent Board Member of Bancolombia Financial Group. She participates in a number of international fora on global issues with a particular focus on the emerging economies’ perspective, including OECD and G20. She is a Faculty Member of the Competent Boards. She has been the President and Co-founder of the Center for Financial Stability. She served as Senior Advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank of Argentina during the 2002 financial crisis and to the Vice-Minister of Economy. She was a Board Member of Caja de Valores, Argentina’s Custodian and Central Depository, and Hidroeléctrica Piedra del Águila. She has been a Principal Economist at the World Bank.

Carla Vernón

Chief Executive Officer and Board Director, The Honest Company

As one of the first Afro-Latine CEOs of a U.S. publicly traded company and transformational business leader, Carla’s role as CEO reflects the diversity of Honest’s consumers and the game-changing role that the Honest brand plays across its categories. She is poised to take Honest into its next chapter, with boundary-breaking innovation rooted in the company’s legacy as a pioneer in the clean and conscious category.

Previously, Carla was the Vice President of Consumables Categories at Amazon.com where she led double-digit topline growth in Amazon’s $200 billion online store. She also served as a Corporate Officer and Division President at General Mills, guiding the company to become the industry leader in regenerative agriculture and organic farming.

James White

President & Chief Executive Officer, Kiverdi; Boards: The Honest Company, Cava Group, Greenlight, Affirm Holdings, Simply Good Foods Co.; Former President and CEO, Jamba Juice

James D. White is a seasoned business leader with 30 years of industry knowledge, primarily within the consumer-packaged goods and retail sectors. Mr. White served for eight years, from 2008 to 2016, as the Chair, President and CEO of Jamba Inc. During his tenure Mr. White led the successful turnaround and transformation of the company from a made-to-order smoothie shop to a global, healthy active lifestyle brand. Prior to Jamba Inc., from 2005 to 2008, Mr. White was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Safeway, Inc., a leading U.S. supermarket chain. Additionally, Mr. White currently serves on the boards of Affirm Holdings inc.CAVA, Simply Good Foods and Schnucks Supermarkets.

Janet Wong

Director, Lucid Motors, Enviva, Lumentum, TWFG, Inc; WCD Houston

LinkedIn

Janet S. Wong is an accomplished business executive. She is an independent board director with strong governance experience, recognition as a qualified Financial Expert, and a frequent speaker and thought leader on board governance, leadership and risk management. She serves on the boards of Lucid (Nasdaq: LCID); Enviva (NYSE: EVA); and Lumentum (Nasdaq: LITE). In June 2024, Directors & Boards magazine named her as a Director to Watch. In May 2023, BoardProspects named her to its list of the Top 30 Asian American Board Directors in the U.S. In April 2022, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) named her to its 2022 Directorship 100™, an annual honor recognizing leading directors and governance professionals.

She served as a senior partner with KPMG, a global professional services organization, where she was based in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices providing her industry experience in technology, services and consumer products.

Janet is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a NACD Certified® Director.

Phyllis Yale

Advisory Partner, Bain & Company; Boards: Bristol Myers Squibb, DaVita, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Aledade; WCD Boston

LinkedIn

Phyllis Yale currently serves on the boards of Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts,  DaVita Healthcare (NYSE: DVA), and Aledade, Inc.  Previously she chaired the boards of Kindred Healthcare, Inc (NYSE: KND) and Blue Cross, and served on 4 other boards.

Phyllis Yale is an Advisory Partner in Bain & Company’s Boston office.  Ms. Yale was a leader in building Bain’s health care practice and continues to work with health care payers and with providers across the continuum of care, and frequently advises the world’s leading private equity firms on their investments in the health care sector

What To Do

Institute Agenda

12:00 pm onward

3:00 - 5:00 pm

5:00 - 6:30 pm

7:00 - 8:00 am

8:00 - 8:05 am

8:05 - 8:50 am

Fireside Chat

8:50 - 9:35 am

Panel

9:35 - 10:15 am

Panel

10:15 - 11:00 am

Fireside Chat

11:00 - 11:20 am

11:20 am - 12:05 pm

Panel

12:05 - 1:05 pm

1:05 - 1:50 pm

Fireside Chat

1:50 - 2:35 pm

Panel

2:35 - 2:55 pm

2:55 - 3:40 pm

Panel

3:40 - 4:50 pm

Peer Exchange

5:30 - 9:00 pm

7:45 - 8:50 am

8:15 - 8:20 am

8:20 - 8:50 am

Breakfast Session

With Pearl Meyer

8:50 - 9:15 am

Keynote

9:15 - 10:00 am

Keynote

10:00 - 10:20 am

10:20 - 11:05 am

Fireside Chat

11:05 am - 12:15 pm

Peer Exchange

12:15 - 1:15 pm

1:15 - 2:00 pm

Fireside Chat

2:00 - 2:45 pm

Panel

2:45 - 3:45 pm

Panel

3:45 - 4:15 pm

4:15 - 5:00 pm

WCD Visionary Awards Honorees

Moncler Group

Visionary Award for Leadership and Governance of a Public Company

With its brands Moncler and Stone Island, the latter acquired in March 2021, Moncler Group represents the expression of a new concept of luxury. True to its philosophy “Beyond Fashion, Beyond Luxury”, the Group strategy is centered on experience, a strong sense of purpose and belonging to a community while taking inspiration from the worlds of art, culture, music, and sports. Alongside supporting the individual brands by sharing corporate services and knowledge, Moncler Group aims to maintain its brands’ strong independent identities based on authenticity, constant quest for uniqueness, and formidable ties with their consumer’s communities. Operating in all key international markets, the Group distributes its brands’ collections in more than 70 countries through directly operated physical and digital stores as well as selected multi-brand doors, department stores and e-tailers.

Sabin Group

Visionary Award for Leadership and Governance of a Private Company

A reference in health, highlighted in people management and female leadership, dedicated to the best sustainable practices and active in communities, the Sabin Group was born in Brasília (DF), as result of the courage and determination of two entrepreneurs, Janete Vaz and Sandra Soares Costa, in 1984. Today it has 7,000 employees united by the purpose of inspiring people to care for people. The group is also present in 14 states and the Federal District offering health services with excellence, innovation and socio-environmental responsibility to the 78 cities in which it is present and serves more than 7 million customers in 352 units distributed from north to south of the country.

The Sabin Group’s health ecosystem integrates a business portfolio that includes clinical analysis, imaging diagnostics, pathological anatomy, genomics, immunization and executive check-up. In addition, it also includes primary care services contributing to the health management of population groups through programs and lines of coordinated care, by Amparo Saúde, and an integrated health services platform – Rita Saúde – a digital solution that has several partners such as pharmacies, doctors and other professionals, promoting access to healthcare with quality and efficiency.

Wendy Kei

Visionary Award for Strategic Leadership

Ms. Wendy Kei currently serves as Board Chair for both Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) and NFI Group Inc. (TSX: NFI). She is also the Chair of the Audit Committee for Centerra Gold Inc.

Wendy is an accomplished finance executive with more than 25 years of senior business experience across multiple industries. For most of her career, she has worked in the mining industry and brings a strong focus on board leadership, corporate governance, financial expertise, corporate strategy, ESG, risk management, and significant expertise in executing complex mergers and acquisitions. She has chaired publicly traded Audit Committees, Human Resources & Corporate Governance Committees, and Special Committees. Wendy previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Dominion Diamond Corporation.

Wendy is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA, FCA), a Fellow from the Institute of Corporate Directors (F.ICD), holds an ESG Designation (GCB.D) from Competent Boards and holds a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo. Wendy was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2020 and was selected as a Diversity 50 2016 Candidate by the Canadian Board Diversity Council.

She is a relationship-builder who gets to know those around her. This empathetic touch, coupled with her extensive business experience, has made Wendy a sought-after leader and role-model.

Amalgamated Bank

Visionary Award for ESG Leadership

Amalgamated Bank, the wholly owned banking subsidiary of Amalgamated Financial Corp.(Nasdaq: AMAL), is a mission-driven, full-service commercial bank and chartered trust company with branches in New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Boston. Founded by immigrant clothing workers in 1923, Amalgamated Bank was established with a simple, bold mission: to make the financial system open and accessible to all.

For over a century, Amalgamated Bank has been America’s Socially Responsible Bank, using the power of banking to create impact and support thousands of people, organizations, causes, and businesses of all kinds. We strive to make the world more equitable and sustainable by helping those who do good do better. Nonprofits, labor unions, advocacy groups, socially responsible businesses, and others sharing a vision of positive change have all found a home in our
community.

As the country’s largest B Corp® bank and a proud member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, Amalgamated Bank is committed to maintaining the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency

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

TICKETS

Your ticket covers both attendance and accommodation at KPMG Lakehouse

This year, your ticket includes access to the WCD Global Institute and Visionary Awards as well as a 2-night/3-day accommodation—all happening at KPMG Lakehouse in Orlando, Florida.

WCD & BoardNext Member

$2100 USD

Access to the WCD Global Institute
Monday, September 30 & Tuesday, October 1, 2024

2-night & 3-day accommodation
Sunday, September 29 & Monday, September 30, 2024

  • Single-occupancy room in KPMG Lakehouse
  • Enjoy gourmet dining, activities, state-of-the-art meeting areas and networking space
  • Includes travel to and from the Orlando international Airport (MCO) to Lakehouse

WCD Visionary Awards Dinner
Monday, September 30, 2024

Non-Member

$2350 USD

Access to the WCD Global Institute
Monday, September 30 & Tuesday, October 1, 2024

2-night & 3-day accommodation
Sunday, September 29 & Monday, September 30, 2024

  • Single-occupancy room in KPMG Lakehouse
  • Enjoy gourmet dining, activities, state-of-the-art meeting areas and networking space
  • Includes travel to and from the Orlando international Airport (MCO) to Lakehouse

WCD Visionary Awards Dinner
Monday, September 30, 2024

Location

A state-of-the-art learning and innovation center in Orlando

KPMG Lakehouse
9301 Lake Nona Blvd
Orlando FL 32827

An interior shot of a ground floor and second floor with tables and chairs and coloured lights

ACCOMODATION

Stay at the KPMG Lakehouse

This year, WCD is pleased to host the Global Institute at KPMG Lakehouse in Orlando, Florida. It is a purpose-built, state-of-the-art learning and innovation center.

2-night & 3-day accommodation is included with the registration fee.

Guests (e.g. family members) may not accompany registrants to share sleeping rooms at Lakehouse. Only registered attendees are permitted.

Brass coffee table holding a tray surrounded by 4 lounge chairs on a speckled rug with leather benches and a large window overlooking palm trees in the background

Lakehouse

9301 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando

This learning environment provides a comfortable and convenient experience with single occupancy guest rooms, various social venues, a blend of indoor and outdoor recreational and fitness spaces, and dynamic learning and meeting facilities for conference activities, all located in one place.

FAQS

Everything you need to know about this year's Global Institute

Please reach out to our staff at admin@wcdglobal.org with any additional questions.

QUESTIONS?

Contact Us

For help with registration or more information, please complete this form and we will respond within two business days.

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