June 2023 President's Letter

Dear NACD members,

Our chapter had a terrific first half of 2023, and it is my pleasure to share with you a recap of our year so far and our planning for the second half of the year.

In January 2023, our NACD NY board voted to confirm a number of strategic goals, all designed to support our intent of delivering programming and networking to support our members in transforming their boards and getting future ready.

We developed these goals from both a rigorous analysis of member feedback as well as through detailed discussions with our chapter board, leveraging the incredible wealth of domain and governance experience they bring.

I am proud to share an update on our delivery of these goals, and trust that you have already seen the results of our enhanced focus.

Programming:

NACD NY focuses on delivering programming and networking that supports directors to be future-ready.  Our themes so far this year have illustrated on that focus, including:

• Positioning Boards for the Future

• Navigating ESG Crossroads—Rethinking how to make ESG Sustainable

• Welcome to the Universal Proxy Era:  Implications and Recommendations

• Inflation, Recession, Soft Landing or Hard, is your board prepared?

• Conversations and Cocktails with Leo E. Strine Jr.

From September to December 2023, we will bring you programs on such topics as forthcoming SEC regulations, the state of disruptive technology, and the Blue Ribbon Commission Report:  Board Effectiveness, Culture & Board Dynamics.  We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events.

Additionally, we have added more interactivity and networking time to all of our events; and we continue to curate our speakers to provide a strong balance of subject matter experts and directors so you receive both the most cutting-edge knowledge as well as the perspective on implications for governance from experienced directors.  Finally, we will continue to provide a mix of in-person and virtual programming.

As a result of these enhancements, I am proud to share that participation in NACD NY events increased 40% year over year since May 2022.

Membership:

NACD NY is the largest chapter in the NACD network, and we are delighted to have welcomed 67 new members so far in 2023, including several full board members.  Our LinkedIn followers have also grown from 600 to over 800 members since January.  We encourage everyone to follow our chapter on LinkedIn as we actively share updates from across our membership and our sponsors.  There is a lot happening!

Sponsors:

Our sponsors make possible NACD NY’s programming and networking opportunities, and also provide our members with access to world-class thought leadership and invitation-only peer to peer events.  So far in 2023, our sponsors have produced peer to peer events on a number of topics:

• Accenture: When cybersecurity meets geopolitics

• Broadridge: How data and analytics can support the Board in their ESG oversight role

• Farient: How far would you go? Mastering talent retention strategies

• Houlihan Lokey & Sidley Austin: Is your capital structure optimal? Learn the warning signs of impending liquidity and importance of liability management

• UBS: Unlocking the value of ESG integration in M&A

We are also delighted to welcome StoneTurn to our sponsor family.

NY Board Ecosystem:

NACD NY actively collaborates with a number of NY-based governance organizations including the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors, Extraordinary Women on Boards, Latino Corporate Directors Association, The Executive Leadership Council, Ascend Pinnacle, the CFA Society of New York and Columbia University Business School.  In addition to sharing invitations to our events, NACD NY also collaborates on programming with our partners, including the CFA Society of New York’s March program “Getting on Your First For-Profit Board”, specifically for New York NACD Accelerate members; and Columbia University’s Inaugural “Think Bigger” summit in May.

NACD NY board:

I am also proud to share news from our own NACD NY board:

• We are delighted to welcome Jane Sadowsky and Betty DeVita to our board

• Our board colleague Sharda Cherwoo was elected to the board of Carlyle in April

• Our executive director Jenna Ayala earned her MBA this year, all the while delivering NACD NY’s ambitious agenda

Congratulations to all!

Onward:

As a global financial capital, New York City provides NACD New York Chapter members with access to everything they need to succeed in today's business environment. From world-class talent and infrastructure to a diverse and dynamic business community, the city offers a wealth of resources and opportunities for directors and companies alike.

Whether seeking to enhance their knowledge and skills, build meaningful relationships, or tap into the resources and connections they need to succeed, members of the NACD New York Chapter have access to the best speakers and content, backed by NACD education and certification, and a network of peers that provides meaningful connections and insights, the NACD New York Chapter is the premier resource for directors seeking to transform their boards and get future ready.

Help Us Serve You

As always, we welcome your thoughts on and suggestions for our chapter.  Please share your thoughts by responding to this email or contacting our team via our Jenna Ayala, our Executive Director.

We also encourage you to keep your NACD profile up-to-date through under the My Account section at nacdonline.org, as this information is used to curate invitations to peer to peer events.

On behalf of the NACD NY board—have a wonderful summer!  We look forward to seeing you in September.

Best,

Ryan McManus

NACD NY President