NACD Brings Together 24 Governance Leaders for 2023 Blue Ribbon Commission to Issue Guidance on Dynamics and Culture within the Boardroom

Former United Airlines Chair and CEO Oscar Munoz and Longtime Public Company Director and Diversity Advocate Mary Winston to Cochair Commission

WASHINGTON, DC (April 17, 2023) The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 23,000 board members, today announced its 2023 NACD Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) initiative which will closely examine changing boardroom dynamics and the health of board culture that could affect the quality of board governance and ultimately long-term business performance.

Over the next six months, an experienced collective of directors, investors, subject-matter experts, and leading governance professionals will work together to understand shifting board dynamics and make recommendations to strengthen board culture. The 2023 NACD Blue Ribbon Commission will be spearheaded by distinguished cochairs Oscar Munoz (director, Archer Aviation, CBRE, Salesforce, TelevisaUnivision) and Mary Winston (director, Acuity Brands, Chipotle, NACD, Northrop Grumman, TD Bank Group).

“Since assuming my first board position two decades ago, I’ve witnessed, firsthand, how corporate boards and trusteeships have attained greater rigor and stronger decision-making as a result of an ever-greater diversity of perspectives, broader skill sets, and better representation among directors,” said cochair Oscar Munoz. “With that greater diversity can arise the potential for misunderstanding and conflict between directors with different points of view and communications styles. That’s why it is so urgent and vital that NACD focus its attention on developing clear, actionable concepts regarding board dynamics that will be immediately useful to directors, CEOs, and chairpersons.”

“Today, with so many new and deeply connected challenges that companies need to confront. It is more important than ever to build a board culture that facilitates constructive interactions between board members and management,” said cochair Mary Winston. “For boards striving to be more accountable, agile, and long-term oriented, getting their own culture right and preserving the proper balance between governance and management will be key. The commission will focus on identifying practical recommendations and tools to help directors and the governance community.”

The 2023 commissioners constitute a roster of distinguished corporate leaders and subject-matter experts. The NACD 2023 Blue Ribbon Commission currently includes the following members:

Cochairs:

• Oscar Munoz, Former CEO and Chair of United Airlines

Boards:  Archer Aviation, CBRE, Salesforce, TelevisaUnivision

• Mary Winston, President and Founder, WinsCo Enterprises

Boards: Acuity Brands, Chipotle, NACD, Northrop Grumman, TD Bank Group

Commissioners:  

• Claudia Allen, KPMG
• Gaurdie Banister, Founder and CEO, Different Points of View

Boards: Dow Inc., Enbridge, Russell Reynolds Associates (Chair)

• Olu Beck, Founder and CEO, The Beck Group NJ

Boards: Denny’s Inc., Freshpet Inc., Hostess Inc., Saputo Inc.

• Paula Cholmondeley, NACD.DC™, CEO, The Sorrel Group

Boards: The Bank of the Ozarks, Lexeo Therapeutics, Terex Corp.

• James Cole Jr., NACD.DC, Chair and CEO, The Jasco Group LLC

Boards: American International Group Inc., Suited Inc., Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow, Jumpstart for Young Children, the NACD New York Chapter, National Student Legal Defense Network, Native Son

• Stephanie Creary, Assistant Professor of Management, Faculty Fellow of the Coalition for Equity & Opportunity, University of Pennsylvania

• Ralph de la Vega, Founder and Chair, De La Vega Group; Former Vice-Chair, AT&T Inc.

Boards: Amdocs Corp., American Express Co., Junior Achievement Worldwide, New York Life Insurance Co.

• Samuel Di Piazza Jr., CEO (Ret.) PwC

Boards: Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., ProAssurance Corp., Regions Financial Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (Chair) 

• Nicholas Donofrio, Founder, NMD Consulting LLC

Boards: HYPR (Lead Director), NACD, Peace Tech Lab (Chair), Quantexa (Chair), Security Score Card, Sproxil (Chair), TCIG.TECH (Chair)

• Rob Galford, Managing Partner, Center for Leading Organizations

Boards: Forrester Research Inc., Sakonnet Point Club

• Lori George Billingsley, Fortune 500 Director

Boards: Pioneer Natural Resources, Shake Shack

• Peter Gleason, President and CEO, NACD

• Holly J. Gregory, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

• Heather Hiles, CEO and Managing Partner, Imminent Equity

Boards: Black Girls CODE (Chair), Luminary Media, Udemy

• Jarvis Hollingsworth, Irradiant Partners LP – Vice Chair

Boards: Core Scientific Inc. (Lead Director), Memorial Hermann Health System, the NACD Texas TriCities Chapter, Teacher Retirement System of Texas (Chair), Vital Energy Inc.

• David Jackson, Partner, Mercer

Boards: Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Alumni Assoc., Friends of the University of Sussex, Occidental College Board of Governors, Ocean Park Assoc.

• Cynthia Jamison, Former Chief Financial Officer

Boards: Darden Restaurants Inc., BigLots Inc., Tractor Supply Co., Office Depot Inc.

• Jannice Koors, Senior Managing Director, Pearl Meyer

• Sonita Lontoh, NACD.DC, Former Fortune 100 Technology Executive, HP Inc.

Boards: Sunrun Inc., TrueBlue Inc.

• Kirthiga Reddy, Cofounder and CEO, Virtualness

Boards: Athena Tech II, Pear Therapeutics

• Jane Sadowsky, NACD.DC, Senior Advisor, Moelis

Boards: Nexa Resources, Scientific Games, Yamana Gold Inc.

• Laurie Yoler, General Partner, Playground Global

Boards: Bose, Church & Dwight, Lacuna, Leaf Logistics, the NACD Northern California Chapter, Saltbox

The titles and affiliations of commissioners in this list are selective and do not include all directorships. Commissioners participate as a service to the governance community and not as representatives of any organization.

“The 2017 NACD Blue Ribbon Commission initiative studied the culture of organizations, which turned out to be one of our most oft-quoted reports, underscoring how central corporate culture is to long-term performance and business success,” said NACD president and CEO Peter Gleason. “Now we turn the focus inward to examine director dynamics and decision-making to fully leverage the growing diversity within boardrooms across America.”

The commission’s report is scheduled for release in September 2023.

About NACD
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) is the premier membership organization for board directors who want to expand their knowledge, grow their network, and maximize their potential.

As the unmatched authority in corporate governance, NACD sets the standards of excellence through its research and community-driven director education, programming, and publications. Directors trust NACD to arm them with the relevant insights to make high-quality decisions on the most pressing and strategic issues facing their businesses today.

NACD also prepares leaders to meet tomorrow's biggest challenges. The NACD Directorship Certification® is the leading director credential in the United States. It sets a new standard for director education, positions directors to meet boardroom challenges, and includes an ongoing education requirement that prepares directors for what is next.

With an ever-expanding community of more than 23,000 members and a nationwide chapter network, our impact is both local and global. NACD members are driven by a common purpose: to be trusted catalysts of economic opportunity and positive change—in business and in the communities we serve. To learn more about NACD, visit nacdonline.org.

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