NACD PSW | UCLA Corporate Directors Symposium

The NACD PSW Chapter and UCLA Anderson Executive Education hosted the 17th annual Corporate Directors Symposium on Friday, November 15 from 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles, CA.

2024 Theme: “The Catalyst Board: Building Thriving Organizations”

View 2024 Recap Video

Schedule
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM:  Check-In
7:30 AM - 9:15 AM:   Hot Topic Sessions & Breakfast
9:15 AM - 3:30 PM:   Keynote, Main Sessions & Lunch
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM:  Cocktail Networking Reception



Keynote: Building It To Last: A Futurist Outlook
Jim Hackett, Keynote Speaker
Karen Bogart, Moderator

Our Keynote Speaker James (Jim) P. Hackett left a lasting impact on the industries he has served, from revolutionizing office furniture design as CEO of Steelcase to steering the historic Ford Motor Company as its CEO into the future of smart and electric vehicles. He shared his perspectives on companies which have not moved quickly or effectively enough into the future and those which have and why. He also shared how he has taken risks and led companies both as CEO and in the boardroom through significant transformations into future states and provided us with key takeaways to practice in the boardroom.   

Mr. Hackett currently serves as Board Director of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (since 2021) and La-Z-Boy, Incorporated (since 2021), along with several non-profit organizations.   

Karen Bogart, President of the NACD PSW Chapter, moderated this session. She currently serves as Board Director of Mohawk Industries (since 2011) and of Michelman, Inc. (since 2015) and of Fielding Graduate University. Ms. Bogart is President of Smith Bogart Consulting, LLC. 

Session #1: Fostering Talent & Culture
Deborah Martin & Christobel Selecky, Speakers
Kate Duchene, Moderator

This session explored strategic and tactical needs and opportunities to develop talent and a culture that advances organizational capability, agility, resilience, and goal achievement, now and into the future. It considered the responsibilities of company leadership and the board in defining strategic needs, alternatives, and shaping key investments.

Kate Duchene, CEO and Director, RGP, moderated this discussion with Deborah Martin, Vice President, People and Culture, Sempra Energy, and Christobel Selecky, Former CEO and now Director, Teleperformance (TEP.PA), ImmunityBio (IBRX), Satellite Healthcare, and Griswold Home Care. 

Session #2: Building Long Term Value & Brand Equity
Richard Davis, Speaker
Susan Mallory, Moderator

Known as one of the most effective banking CEOs in US history, Richard K. Davis led US Bank through the Great Recession and developed its brand in the banking industry for reliability, exceptional service and outstanding financial stability. During this session, Mr. Davis, former Executive Chair and CEO of US Bancorp, parent company of U.S. Bank and former President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation shared with us his wisdom, lessons learned and valuable examples both leading companies and in the boardroom on building long term value and differentiated sustainable brand equity.   

Mr. Davis currently serves on the board of directors of Mastercard International (since 2018), Dow Inc. (since 2015, including appointment as Lead Director in 2021), Wells Fargo & Company (since 2022), and the Mayo Clinic. 

This session was moderated by Susan H. Mallory, former banker and financial services executive who held several executive roles with Northern Trust Corporation and serves on the Board of Directors of two subsidiary boards of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Fire & Casualty and Life Insurance Companies (since 2021), as well as two private company advisory boards (since 2021), and several non-profit boards, including the NACD Pacific Southwest Chapter.

Session #3: Being Digital To Win
Cheryl Ainoa & Das Dasgupta, Speakers
Dominique Hanssens, Moderator

Being Digital in this day and age is almost a given. However, both the speed of digital innovations and the power that they bring are stunning, to the point where their clamor may be deafening the very audience who should be tuning in. 

During this session, Dr Dominique “Mike” Hanssens, Distinguished Research Professor of Marketing, UCLA Anderson School of Management, moderated this panel of two practicing luminaries in leading-edge consumer product companies: Dr. Das Dasgupta, Chief Data and AI Officer of Starbucks; and Cheryl Ainoa, EVP and CTO, Sam’s Club of Walmart Inc.   

Framing his questions in the context of “The Age of AI”, Dr Hanssens explored our expert panel’s opinions on the role that people, processes and technologies have to play together, to yield optimal business results so that businesses are investing “in IT to win it”. Our panel shared practical stories from their vast experiences.  

Session #4: Contrarian Perspectives: Challenging Your Business Model
Mellody Hobson, Speaker
Antonio Bernardo, Moderator

During this capstone session, Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments, Lead Independent Director of Starbucks and a director of JPMorgan Chase, shared her thoughts on the benefits of contrarian perspectives in the boardroom and throughout the organization. This fireside chat was moderated by Antonio Bernardo, Dean of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Ms. Hobson elaborated on when a board needs to be transformative in its thinking about the future and have the courage to disrupt the “go along to get along” attitudes that too often mire board deliberations. Occasionally, it is necessary to challenge other directors in a lively discussion of the short-term and long-term consequences of future company strategy. Given the increasingly complex board agendas for many companies, this was a timely discussion, and this session tied together the topics of Sessions 1, 2 and 3, and helped to define “The Catalyst Board”. 

Speakers

Cheryl Ainoa

Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Sam’s Club

Cheryl Ainoa serves as executive vice president and chief technology officer for Sam’s Club. In this role, Cheryl heads a team of skilled technologists that are focused on delivering seamless and advanced technology solutions that enhance the overall experience for Sam’s Club members and associates...

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Antonio Bernardo

Dean, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Dean Antonio Bernardo is the 9th dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he also holds the John E. Anderson Chair in Management. He became dean on July 1, 2019. Dean Bernardo joined the Anderson faculty in 1994 as a professor of management in the school’s finance area, and he has a long history as an active and engaged member of Anderson’s faculty and administration...

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Karen Bogart

Director, Mohawk Industries, Michelman; President, NACD PSW Chapter

Dr. Karen Smith Bogart is the President of Smith Bogart Consulting. She has extensive experience in profit and loss management, marketing, innovation, manufacturing, change management, and human resources. She formerly was a Senior Vice President of Eastman Kodak Company and managed global consumer, health, and commercial businesses. She also was the Chairman and President of Greater Asia, located in Shanghai, China, responsible for Kodak’s businesses and operations across Asia...

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Das Dasgupta

Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Starbucks

Dr. Das Dasgupta is the Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Starbucks. He has held leadership roles at Amazon, McKinsey, Viacom, EY, and Saatchi, a journey that rounded him well across diverse functions, including Customer Experience, Operational Excellence, Marketing, Advertising, and Product Innovation. He has over 25 years of experience leading...

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Richard Davis

Former Executive Chairman & CEO, U.S. Bancorp; Former President & CEO, Make-A-Wish America

Davis joined Make-A-Wish America in January 2019, where he served as the President & CEO until November 2022. Previously, he served as the executive chairman and CEO of U.S. Bancorp, a financial service holding company with more than $460 billion in total assets and businesses across the United States, Canada and Europe...

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Kate Duchene

Chief Executive Officer, RGP

Kate Duchene is a C-suite executive with 21 years of leadership experience at RGP (NASDAQ: RGP), a global project consulting firm helping clients match the right professional talent needed to tackle operational and transformational initiatives...

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Jim Hackett

Former President & CEO, Ford Motor Company

Jim Hackett is a distinguished American businessman renowned for his transformative leadership roles at Ford Motor Company and Steelcase Inc. He began his association with Ford in 2013 when he joined the company’s Board of Directors. By 2016, he had become Chairman of Ford Smart Mobility LLC, a subsidiary focused on...

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Dominique Hanssens

Distinguished Research Professor of Marketing, UCLA Anderson

Dominique Hanssens is a Distinguished Research Professor of Marketing at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management. He has served as the school’s faculty chair, associate dean, and marketing area chair. From 2005 to 2007 he served as executive director of the Marketing Science Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts...

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Mellody Hobson

Co-CEO & President, Ariel Investments

As Co-CEO, Mellody is responsible for management, strategic planning and growth for all areas of Ariel outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as chairman of the board of trustees of Ariel Investment Trust—the company’s publicly traded mutual funds. Prior to being named Co-CEO...

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Deborah Martin

Vice President, People and Culture and Chief Diversity Officer, Sempra

Deborah Martin is the vice president of people and culture and chief diversity officer for Sempra. In this role, Martin is responsible for employee acquisition, development and retention at Sempra corporate center. She leads enterprise-wide functions including benefits, ethics and...

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Susan Mallory, NACD.DC

Director, State Farm Fire and Casualty and Life Insurance Company Boards, Scherzer International Advisory Board, NCAD PSW Chapter and other non-profit organizations

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Susan H. Mallory draws from a range of experiences and expertise acquired over her career as a senior banking, wealth management and financial services executive at respected publicly traded financial institutions, as a commercial banker and advisor to companies and as a Board Director of Fortune 500 and private companies and non profit organizations...

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Christobel Selecky

Director, Teleperformance, ImmunityBio, Griswold Home Care, Satellite Healthcare

Christobel Selecky is a seasoned board member and former CEO with more than two decades of governance experience in global and US-based publicly traded, venture-backed, private equity, private, and not-for-profit companies. She currently serves on the boards of directors of Teleperformance (TEP.PA), a publicly traded leader in...

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