Celebrating 25 Years of Impact

WCD Global Institute & Visionary Awards

October 5–7, 2025
Chicago, IL

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THIS YEAR'S THEME

25 Years of Impact: Empowering Global Boards for a New Era

The Global Institute is Women Corporate Directors' annual flagship conference. This event dives deeply into critical issues facing today’s corporate board directors. The two-and-a-half-day agenda includes an array of insightful keynote speeches, engaging panel discussions, thought-provoking peer exchanges, group activities, and networking opportunities.

This year’s theme, 25 Years of Impact: Empowering Global Boards for a New Era, promises to deliver timely best practices and insights for today’s board leaders while also celebrating the milestone 25th anniversary of Women Corporate Directors.

WCD's Visionary Awards will take place on the evening of October 6. The celebration recognizes companies and individuals committed to excellence in corporate governance and a strong financial performance.

Keynote Speakers

Debra Cafaro

Chairman & CEO, Ventas

Debra A. Cafaro is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Ventas, Inc., an S&P 500 company and leading real estate investment trust operating at the intersection of healthcare and real estate. Ventas owns approximately 1,400 properties, serving a large and growing aging population.

A recognized industry leader, Cafaro set and oversaw the execution of a long-term strategy that drove Ventas’s market capitalization to $29 billion, from $200 million since her leadership began in 1999. The Company’s compound annual total shareholder return (TSR) has exceeded 18 percent since the beginning of 2000.

Cafaro has been twice named one of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women (Forbes Magazine); a Top 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World for six consecutive years (Harvard Business Review); and the top female executive in the commercial real estate industry (National Real Estate Investor).

Diane Swonk

Chief Economist at KPMG LLP

Diane Swonk began her career with money-center bank First Chicago. She climbed from entry-level to Director of Research and Chief Economist at Bank One, the merged bank. She spent more than a decade as Senior Managing Director and Chief Economist at the financial services firm, Mesirow Financial. Before joining KPMG, Diane had her own economics consulting firm and worked at Grant Thornton. Diane now heads up the growing economics team at KPMG to serve partners and clients, and to engage with the media to help showcase the firm’s achievements.
She has served as an advisor to the National Economic Council (NEC) on a nonpartisan basis. She regularly briefs the regional Federal Reserve banks and the Board of Governors in Washington, DC.

Speakers

Jannice Koors

Sr. Managing Director, Pearl Meyer

LinkedIn

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 more than 30 years’ experience in executive compensation and governance and has consulted to companies of all sizes and industries. She advises company boards and management teams 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—designing programs that consider a company’s specific business strategy, management talent, and corporate culture.

Sharon Podstupka

Managing Director, Pearl Meyer

LinkedIn

Sharon Podstupka is a managing director at Pearl Meyer. She 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.

Lex Suvanto

CEO, Edelman Smithfield

LinkedIn

Lex serves as CEO of Edelman Smithfield, a strategic & financial communications boutique within Edelman, the world’s largest communications firm. Lex brings two decades of experience counseling Boards and C-Suites during high-pressure situations, with a focus on formulating compelling messaging to win support from investors, employees, customers and other key stakeholders.

He has extensive experience with Board-level reputation matters, having helped hundreds of companies with complicated transactions, shareholder activism defense situations, CEO transitions, independent board investigations, and major corporate crises.

Lex is a frequent author and speaker on corporate governance, trust, stakeholder engagement and investor relations.

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE

The WCD Visionary Awards Ceremony

The Global Institute also hosts the WCD Visionary Awards, an evening dedicated to recognizing, celebrating and highlighting international companies and individuals who display a strong commitment to exceptional corporate governance in the boardroom. Each year, WCD honors these companies and individuals as they actively bring our mission to life. Former honorees include Moncler, LIXIL, Hallmark Cards, Inc., and many more.

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

Save by Registering Today

Your ticket includes attendance at the WCD Global Institute and Visionary Awards. Flights and hotel accommodation are not included and must be booked separately.

All registrations for this event are non-refundable. Exceptions may be made for extreme medical circumstances, subject to review. If a refund is approved, it will be processed using the original payment method within 120 calendar days of the transaction date.

WCD & BoardNext Member

EARLY BIRD RATE UNTIL MAY 15

$1895 USD

Welcome Reception
Sunday, October 5, 2025

Access to the WCD Global Institute
Monday, October 6 & Tuesday, October 7, 2025

WCD Visionary Awards Dinner
Monday, October 6, 2025

Non-Member

RATE UNTIL JULY 31

$2495 USD

Welcome Reception
Sunday, October 5, 2025

Access to the WCD Global Institute
Monday, October 6 & Tuesday, October 7, 2025

WCD Visionary Awards Dinner
Monday, October 6, 2025

Location

Meet us in the heart of Chicago

The Drake
140 E Walton Pl
Chicago, IL 60611

The drake hotel image-website v2

ACCOMMODATION

Stay at The Drake

This year, WCD is pleased to host the Global Institute at The Drake. Rooms for accommodation are available on a first-come first-serve basis. It is the attendee's responsibility to book accommodation.

The drake

The Drake

140 E Walton Pl, Chicago, IL 60611

No other Chicago hotel has inspired more legendary acclaim on par with The Drake. This timeless property affords guests easy access to the city's most exclusive shopping, nightlife and dining.

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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