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

Susan Angele

Senior Advisor and Managing Director, KPMG’s Board Leadership Center

Susan, a Senior Advisor and Managing Director at KPMG’s Board Leadership Center, is a leading voice in board governance, and is a frequent writer and speaker on board oversight of topics including strategy, innovation, technology, risk, board composition, climate change, leadership, and culture. Susan has extensive experience enabling sustainable global growth and protecting long-term value of some of the world’s most famous and best-loved brands as a lawyer and former Fortune 500 executive in the branded consumer products industry leading a portfolio including legal matters, ethics and compliance, crisis management, global security, and board governance at Nabisco, Kraft, and Hershey.

She is a member of the New York chapter of WCD and has led WCD Global Thought Leadership Commissions on topics including visionary boards, board diversity, and board decision-making.

Pam Boneham

City of Hope, Board; Ventas; CBREIM

LinkedIn

Pam is a highly engaged Board Member and Advisor who brings finance and investment expertise, pragmatic decision-making, and a strategic perspective to the boardroom. She serves on the Board of Directors for the City of Hope, a world class independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer. She also sits on their Investment Committee and Finance Committee. Pam is an Independent Member of CBRE Investment Management’s Americas Investment Committee, and a Senior Strategic Advisor to Ventas Investment Management. Recently retired from Barings as Managing Director and Head of Capital Strategies, she provides a current understanding of market trends along with a collaborative approach, and valued relationships within institutional investment management. Pam is Directorship Certified by National Association of Corporate Directors.

John Dick

Founder and CEO, CivicScience

LinkedIn

John Dick is the Founder and CEO of CivicScience, a consumer analytics and advertising platform serving the largest brands and media companies in the world. He’s the host of the podcast, The Dumbest Guy in the Room and author of What We’re Seeing, the weekly newsletter read by a who’s-who of business and tech leaders. John is a contributor to AdAge and Forbes and has appeared on Good Morning America, Yahoo! Finance, and NewsNation, and as a speaker at numerous business and media conferences.

Keith D. Dorsey

Board Member; Executive Advisor; International Keynote Speaker; Founder, Boardroom Journey

David Fisher

Associate Director, Audit Technology, KPMG US

David is an Associate Director in KPMG Audit Technology and is responsible for several key audit artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. David drives AI product design, development, and implementation, with an emphasis on responsible AI. David also leads AI service offering working groups and frequently educates leadership and client in the AI space.

Prior to his current role, David served as the lead Senior Associate for several large engagement teams and was responsible for audit technology and continuous improvement initiatives in the Washington DC metro area.

Henrietta Fore

CEO, Holsman International

LinkedIn

Henrietta H. Fore served as global Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) from 2018 to 2022. Prior to UNICEF, she served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Holsman International, a manufacturing and investment company. In 2022, Ms. Fore joined Imperative Care as a Director, Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) as Board Member, EQT Future as Mission Board Member and the Center for Strategic and International Studies ((CSIS) as Board Trustee. In 2023, Ms. Fore joined the Boards of Kent Global Leadership Program on Conflict Resolution, Concordia Leadership Council, GESDA – Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator. In 2024, Ms. Fore joined the MIT Solve Advisory Board and Direct Relief Board of Directors.

Cathy Gonzales

Managing Partner, Internal Audit & Enterprise Risk, KPMG; Director, WCD Foundation

LinkedIn

Cathy Gonzales is the Managing Partner for KPMG’s San Diego office and is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the local market, developing C-suite and Board relationships, leading and inspiring over 375+ professionals, delivering exceptional client care and driving the core values of the firm. She also serves as a global lead partner on two priority accounts focused on understanding the client’s business, building and expanding relationships and bringing solutions to support long-term value for clients.

Cathy also has over 30 years of experience providing Advisory services to companies across multiple industries with recurring exposure to Boards and Audit Committees. She is a market and thought leader in supporting clients with Internal Audit, Risk Management, IPO/SOX assistance services.

John Greene

Board Member, CRISPR Therapeutics

John T. Greene is a board member at CRISPR Therapeutics and former EVP & CFO of Discover Financial Services, where he helped lead a transformative merger with Capital One and delivered over 350% TSR in five years. His 30+ year career spans finance leadership roles at Bioverativ, Willis Group, HSBC, GE, and Ernst & Young. He holds board positions with World Business Chicago and the American Cancer Society, and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago. Greene earned his bachelor’s in accounting from SUNY and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Joseph P Gyengo

Principal, Advisory, and U.S. Enterprise Risk Management Solution Leader, KPMG US

Joey is a Principal in KPMG’s Consulting practice with over 20 years of global experience. Based in Atlanta, he is the US Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Third Party Risk Management (TPRM) leader and has a deep background in enterprise risk and resilience, governance, risk, and compliance (GRC), internal audit, and internal controls. Joey advises boards and senior leadership in risk strategy, risk governance, and risk management. He supports clients with their opportunities to collaborate effectively with strategy, delivering risk transformation capabilities, data-driven insights and monitoring, and integrated risk management. When not working, Joey enjoys spending time with his family and walking his daughter to elementary school. He is an avid supporter of Atlanta United, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, the Atlanta Opera, and the Auburn University School of Nursing.

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.

Sonita Lontoh

Board member, Sunrun, TrueBlue; Advisor, Sway Ventures

LinkedIn

Sonita Lontoh is an independent board director with deep expertise in AI, technology innovation, and sustainability. She serves on the boards of Sunrun, TrueBlue, and advises Sway Ventures, a Silicon Valley VC firm. Her three-decade career spans leadership roles at Fortune 100 companies like HP, Siemens, PG&E, and Silicon Valley startups. Sonita has led initiatives that delivered positive impact across business, consumers, and society. She has been recognized by the White House, U.S. State Department, Directors & Boards, SF Business Times, and inducted into both the Asian American and Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fames. She also serves on the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission on board culture and the WEF/NACD climate council, and holds NACD Directorship, Cyber, and Climate certifications.

Edna Morris

Chair, Tractor Supply Company

Edna Morris has over 40 years of executive and Board leadership experience in food, beverage and retail as well as 6 years in manufacturing (Cummins Engine Company).
Edna was named Chair of Tractor Supply Company (TSCO) in 2023. Since 2004, she has served as a Director of TSCO, where she chaired the Compensation and Human Capital Management Committee (2006-2023) and served as a member of the Governance Committee. She joined the Board of Full Course (privately held) in 2024. Edna is currently an advisor to early-stage Topsail Steamers, Luther’s Lemonade and Byte Kitchens Limited. Edna is a member of NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) and WCD (Women’s Corporate Directors), where she chairs the Steering Committee for Compensation and Human Capital Committee Peer Exchange.

Bea Perez

EVP & Global Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer, The Coca-Cola Company

LinkedIn

A seasoned executive with more than 30 years’ experience at Coca-Cola, Beatriz (Bea) Perez leads a globally networked organization, which spearheads the company’s sustainability strategies, communications, and public relations, as well as the company’s retail, licensing, and attractions portfolio, including the company’s archives. Perez has held senior-level roles in branding, marketing, and operations.

Perez is chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation and serves on the board of trustees of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Georgia Historical Society. Bea is a public director for Primerica and W.W. Grainger, Inc.

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.

Lianne Richardson

Principal, Pearl Meyer

Lianne Richardson a principal at Pearl Meyer, joined the firm in 2002. With over 15 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.
Prior to joining Pearl Meyer, Lianne was a consultant with Arthur Andersen, where she was a member of both the compensation strategy and equity incentives and the retirement, actuarial, and benefits practice groups.
She holds a BA in psychology with a specialization in business administration and a minor in education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Susan Sandlund

Managing Director, Pearl Meyer Leadership Advisory

LinkedIn

Dr. Susan Sandlund is a Managing Director and Practice Leader of the Leadership Advisory group at Pearl Meyer, focused on leadership and organization effectiveness. For over 30 years, Dr. Sandlund has worked with Boards, CEOs, and all other levels of management on CEO Succession, board assessment, senior team effectiveness, coaching and development of leaders and planned organizational changes. Susan has been a director with both Bon Secours Health System, serving as Compensation Chair and with Peckham Industries as Compensation Chair and Lead Director. She currently is a member of the Bon Secours Mercy Health Ministries Board.

Lisa Shall

Managing Director, Pearl Meyer

LinkedIn

Lisa Shall is a Managing Director with Pearl Meyer, with deep expertise in leadership development, organizational design, CEO succession planning, and change management. Prior to joining Pearl Meyer, Lisa was an Associate Partner with The River Group.

In addition, Lisa 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.

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.

Tim Walsh

Chair and CEO, KPMG U.S.

Timothy J. Walsh is Chair and Chief Executive Officer-elect at KPMG LLP. He currently serves as national managing partner, Audit operations, responsible for driving operational excellence and innovation in the firm’s U.S. Audit practice and will transition into his new role effective July 1, 2025.

Tim is recognized as a visionary leader with a unique ability to get things done. He believes in setting clear goals and expectations for himself and his teams and fostering a culture of trust and collaboration through his words and actions. Tim has deep experience working with some of the firm’s most complex Audit clients and surrounds himself with leaders who are experts in their area. Tim maintains a sharp focus on innovation, disrupting current thinking and processes while maintaining the highest standards of quality and excellence.

What To Do

Institute Agenda

TBD

TBD

5:00 - 7:00 pm CT

7:00 - 7:45 am CT

7:45 - 8:00 am CT

8:00 - 8:15 am CT

8:15 - 9:00 am CT

Fireside Chat

9:00 - 9:45 am CT

Keynote

9:45 - 10:15 am CT

10:15 - 10:30 am CT

10:30 - 11:15 am CT

Fireside Chat

11:15 am - 12:25 pm CT

Peer Exchange

Presented by WCD & Pearl Meyer

12:25 - 1:40 pm CT

Keynote

1:00 - 4:00pm CT

Workshop

Presented by KPMG Board Leadership Center and KPMG Board Fit

1:40 - 2:25 pm CT

Fireside Chat

2:25 - 2:55 pm CT

Panel

2:55 - 3:25 pm CT

3:25 - 4:10 pm CT

Panel

4:10 - 4:55 pm CT

Fireside Chat

4:55 - 5:00 pm CT

5:45 - 8:30 pm CT

7:00 - 7:45 am CT

7:15 - 7:45 am CT

Breakfast Session

Presented by Pearl Meyer

7:45 - 8:15 am CT

8:15 - 9:00 am CT

9:00 - 9:40 am CT

9:40 - 10:05 am CT

10:05 - 10:30 am CT

10:30 - 11:15 am CT

Panel

11:15 - 12:30 pm CT

Peer Exchange

Presented by KPMG

11:15 - 12:30 pm CT

Peer Exchange

12:30 - 1:30 pm CT

1:30 - 2:30 pm CT

Interactive Session/Demo

Presented by KPMG

2:35 - 3:10 pm CT

Fireside Chat

3:10 pm CT

3:15 - 3:45 pm CT

Breakout

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

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 Members

$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

$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

 

Boardroom Bound Session

Varies

Boardroom Bound
Monday, October 6th 1-4 PM CT

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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