Day 1 | July 15 Speakers
Christina Bieniek
Christina Bieniek
Christina serves as a US Chief Transformation Officer at Deloitte, helping the organization and its clients meet the pace of change and drive large-scale business transformations that deliver faster and better business outcomes. In this role, she brings together the practice’s dynamic teams and capabilities to find new points of collaboration, drive growth, and deliver outsized value to clients. Christina works across offerings and industries as well as innovation, commercial, and alliance teams with a focus on future-focused transformation, simplification, and clock speed.
Christina is a principal in Deloitte Consulting LLP and serves as a strategic advisor to many of Deloitte’s largest clients, helping them achieve top-line growth, improved margins, and overall operational efficiencies. Formerly, Christina served as a US Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Deloitte, collaborating across business functions, industries, and offerings to advance our clients’ organizations. Prior to that, Christina served as a US Chief Commercial Officer, in which she led the creation of a profitable go-to-market strategy and oversaw Sales, Marketing, and Ecosystems & Alliances functions for areas of the business. Christina also previously led Deloitte’s US Retail and Consumer Products sector and drove business transformation based on more than 20 years of deep retail industry knowledge, innovation, and practical implementation.
Christina has been recognized by Consulting Magazine as one of its Top 25 Consultants for her excellence in driving value, setting the agenda for business transformation, and reengineering end-to-end value chains.
PASSION + PEOPLE
See Agenda2:45 pm - 3:30 pm
Peter McGuinness
Peter McGuinness
Peter McGuinness is the President and CEO of Impossible Foods, a tech-enabled food company that makes delicious meat from plants, with a fraction of the environmental impact compared to animal meat. Peter joined Impossible in April 2022 to lead its next phase of global growth and help shape the food habits of people around the world.
Peter brings more than 30 years of consumer expertise to the position, most recently as President and Chief Operating Officer of Chobani, where he scaled operations, expanded the business into new categories including oat milk, and helped build the company into an iconic brand. In his nine years at Chobani, he also served as Chief Marketing and Brand Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, where he created a demand department and led all global marketing, corporate communication, advertising, innovation and sales efforts for the brand.
Prior to Chobani, Peter served as President and CEO of advertising agencies DDB Chicago and Gotham, where he succeeded in transforming and restoring the agencies following periods of decline. Prior to that, he held various roles at IPG marketing company Momentum Worldwide, including serving as its Regional President of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Global Director of Consumer Activation, with operations in 45 offices spanning 25 countries. Prior to Momentum, he served as an EVP and Worldwide Account Director of McCann Erickson worldwide.
ADAPT + INNOVATE
See Agenda4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Dr. Simone Ahuja
Dr. Simone Ahuja
Dr. Simone Bhan Ahuja is the founder of Blood Orange, a global innovation and strategy firm headquartered in Minneapolis, USA. She is co-author of the international bestseller, Jugaad Innovation, called “the most comprehensive book yet on the subject” on frugal innovation by the Economist, Her most recent book, Disrupt-It-Yourself (HarperCollins Leadership, 2019), with a foreword by Stanley Black & Decker CEO Jim Loree, examines how large, established organizations can act more like fast and frugal startups. This practical innovation playbook makes clear how and why leaders must support the passionate and purpose-driven “intrapreneurs” inside their organizations in order drive innovation and a path to sustainable growth.
Simone has served as an advisor to MIT’s Practical Impact Alliance and Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. Simone provides innovation and strategy advisory and consulting services to organizations including 3M, UnitedHealth Group, Procter & Gamble, Target Corp, Stanley Black & Decker, and the World Economic Forum. She is a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review online, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and a practitioner of improvisational comedy.
VISION + VELOCITY
See Agenda2:10 pm - 2:45 pm
REFLECT + CONNECT #1: Innovation Lounge
See Agenda-
Lisa Baird
Lisa Baird
Lisa Baird is a proven leader across private and non-profit sectors where she has been instrumental in building some of the world’s most iconic brands and sports properties. Her diverse marketing, communications and sales expertise spans sports, media, technology, healthcare, consumer and automotive. She has a demonstrated track record of revenue and profit growth. Lisa currently serves on the board of Cantaloupe (NASDAQ: CTLP), a leading provider of technology for self-serve commerce. Her previous board service includes Fox Racing (acquired by Vista Outdoor), GK Elite, the International Hall of Fame of Tennis, and the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Most recently, Lisa was the Commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the world’s leading professional women’s soccer league. During her tenure, she signed groundbreaking media and corporate sponsorships, led the industry as the first pro sports league to return to play in North America in 2020 and expanded the league into three new markets. Prior to joining the NWSL, she was the Chief Marketing Officer at New York Public Radio and served in the same capacity for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee for over a decade. Lisa created and launched the Team USA brand, widely recognized as one of the most valuable brands in sports. Until 2008, she was SVP of marketing and consumer products for the National Football League (NFL). Prior to joining the NFL, Baird gained over twenty years of marketing experience in global organizations managing the world’s most well-known brands. She was the SVP of Worldwide Marketing Communications at IBM. She spent five years at General Motors and six years in the health care industry in positions of increasing responsibility at Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Warner Lambert. She began her career at Procter & Gamble where she spent six years in brand management. In 2021, she was awarded the McElroy Award from the P&G Alumni Association for her achievements in consumer marketing.
Lisa is a graduate of Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University, holds an MBA from the Smeal Business School and is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award.
VISION + NEXTUP
See Agenda4:30 pm - 4:45 pm
PURPOSE + PLATFORM
See Agenda3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
ADAPT + INNOVATE
See Agenda4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Karen Jones
Karen Jones
Karen leads Learning and Development work at NextUp. Her team manages the design and delivery of the leadership development programs and assessment processes for Partner organizations. Karen has worked within the Organization and Leadership Development disciplines for more than 20 years. She has led at the executive level within the corporate sector for Fortune 50 companies. Her experience provides a keen ability to design and deliver optimal solutions for Members and Corporate Partners alike. Karen has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Grambling State University and a Master of Arts in Organization Leadership from Gonzaga University.
LEADERSHIP + GROWTH
See Agenda3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
BOLD + VOICE
See Agenda10:30 am - 11:15 am
Becca Kerr
Becca Kerr
Becca Kerr is the CEO of the North America Nutrition Group for The Coca-Cola Company, leading the fairlife business and the juice business, which includes the brands Simply, Minute Maid and Honest Kids. In this role, she is responsible for developing the strategy and setting the vision that inspires the fairlife and juice teams in pursuit of long and short-term performance wins, always putting the consumer at the center.
Prior to joining TCCC, Becca spent five years at Nike, where her last role was the VP/GM of the North America Women’s Business. At Nike, she also served as the executive sponsor of the company’s Disability Network. Prior to joining Nike, Becca spent 15 years at PepsiCo in a variety of sales and marketing roles. Her last position at PepsiCo was the SVP/GM of the juice business.
Born and raised in Silver Spring, MD, Becca is a proud graduate of the University of Maryland. She and her husband, Tim, live in Chicago with their two sons. Becca serves on the board of the USO.
LEADERSHIP + GROWTH
See Agenda3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
Lorraine “Lo” Stomski
Lorraine “Lo” Stomski
Lorraine “Lo” Stomski is the Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Officer for Walmart. Lorraine has over 25 years of experience in talent strategy. She joined Walmart 7 years ago and is responsible for end-to-end talent, including acquisition, selection, onboarding, performance management, learning, leadership, talent planning and succession for the Enterprise – 2.1 million associates.
Prior to joining Walmart, she was the Global Practice Leader for Assessment and Leadership at Aon Hewitt. In that role, she worked with large employers in the Fortune 500. Lorraine’s experience includes the development of global high potential programs, talent strategy, executive assessment and succession planning.
Lorraine received her Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Stevens Institute of Technology. She is a member of the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology and (SIOP) and the American Psychological Association (APA). She was recently awarded the distinction of Fellow for her outstanding contributions in the field. She is one of the authors in the books Strategy Driven Talent Management: A Leadership Imperative (2010), Advancing Executive Coaching: Setting the Course for Successful Leadership Coaching (2011), Advancing Human Resource Project Management (2014), The Handbook of Strategic 360 Feedback (2019) and Learning Agility (2021).
Lorraine has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company, The New York Times, HR Executive, BBC, Fox News and Women 2.0. In 2024, she was listed on Forbes Future of Work 50 for the work she and the team have done on driving skills-based hiring. She also serves on the NRF Foundation Board.
PASSION + PEOPLE
See Agenda2:45 pm - 3:30 pm
Day 2 | July 16 Speakers
Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson
Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson
Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson is a global speaker, dragon boating gold medalist, and founder of the Heartwood Leadership Institute, which transforms managers into resilient, dragon-hearted leaders. As an executive coach, she’s empowered thousands of leaders from companies like Amazon, Kellanova, Target, and Mayo Clinic to navigate adversity and change through experiential keynotes and evidence-based programs.
A recipient of the 100 Women to KNOW in America 2023 award, Jacquelyn has authored 14 award-winning books, including Dear Body, Love Me, and her insights have been featured in major publications like The Washington Post and Psychology Today. She co-created and hosts the Healing Words TV show and has contributed to Mayo Clinic’s humanities programs.
Jacquelyn holds degrees from Wellesley and Emerson College, is a psychoanalytic fellow, and actively volunteers with organizations like the Loft Literary Center and Dragon Divas, a dragon boat racing team for breast cancer survivors.
TRUTH + TRUST
See Agenda10:30 am - 11:15 am
Dr. Simone Ahuja
Dr. Simone Ahuja
Dr. Simone Bhan Ahuja is the founder of Blood Orange, a global innovation and strategy firm headquartered in Minneapolis, USA. She is co-author of the international bestseller, Jugaad Innovation, called “the most comprehensive book yet on the subject” on frugal innovation by the Economist, Her most recent book, Disrupt-It-Yourself (HarperCollins Leadership, 2019), with a foreword by Stanley Black & Decker CEO Jim Loree, examines how large, established organizations can act more like fast and frugal startups. This practical innovation playbook makes clear how and why leaders must support the passionate and purpose-driven “intrapreneurs” inside their organizations in order drive innovation and a path to sustainable growth.
Simone has served as an advisor to MIT’s Practical Impact Alliance and Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. Simone provides innovation and strategy advisory and consulting services to organizations including 3M, UnitedHealth Group, Procter & Gamble, Target Corp, Stanley Black & Decker, and the World Economic Forum. She is a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review online, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and a practitioner of improvisational comedy.
VISION + VELOCITY
See Agenda2:10 pm - 2:45 pm
REFLECT + CONNECT #1: Innovation Lounge
See Agenda-
Jim Athey
Jim Athey
Jim Athey is the Chief Executive Officer for L&R Distributor’s Inc.
Before becoming CEO in April 2023, Mr. Athey served as Chief Customer Officer, leading the company’s growth strategy, sales, and profits as well as building new capabilities for L&R Distributors. Prior to L&R, Mr. Athey was the Chief Commercial Officer at Tervis, where he launched multiple new products including the company’s stainless steel water bottle and recycled tumbler. Prior to Tervis he worked 12 years at Kimberly-Clark where he held various roles including Vice President, General Manager Grocery, Agency, and Specialty Channels managing a sales force of 100+ individuals representing $2.9 Billion in annual revenue.
Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark, he spent 3 years at Revlon Corporation as Vice President Drug Channel & Vice President Target Team. He started his career at Eastman Kodak Company where he spent 17 years in various roles including a VPGM role managing several customer teams including Walgreens, Kmart, and Target. He attended Ball State University and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business – Marketing.
NEXTGEN + NOW
See Agenda9:45 am - 10:30 am
REFLECT + CONNECT #8: Leadership Lounge
See Agenda-
Lisa Baird
Lisa Baird
Lisa Baird is a proven leader across private and non-profit sectors where she has been instrumental in building some of the world’s most iconic brands and sports properties. Her diverse marketing, communications and sales expertise spans sports, media, technology, healthcare, consumer and automotive. She has a demonstrated track record of revenue and profit growth. Lisa currently serves on the board of Cantaloupe (NASDAQ: CTLP), a leading provider of technology for self-serve commerce. Her previous board service includes Fox Racing (acquired by Vista Outdoor), GK Elite, the International Hall of Fame of Tennis, and the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Most recently, Lisa was the Commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the world’s leading professional women’s soccer league. During her tenure, she signed groundbreaking media and corporate sponsorships, led the industry as the first pro sports league to return to play in North America in 2020 and expanded the league into three new markets. Prior to joining the NWSL, she was the Chief Marketing Officer at New York Public Radio and served in the same capacity for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee for over a decade. Lisa created and launched the Team USA brand, widely recognized as one of the most valuable brands in sports. Until 2008, she was SVP of marketing and consumer products for the National Football League (NFL). Prior to joining the NFL, Baird gained over twenty years of marketing experience in global organizations managing the world’s most well-known brands. She was the SVP of Worldwide Marketing Communications at IBM. She spent five years at General Motors and six years in the health care industry in positions of increasing responsibility at Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Warner Lambert. She began her career at Procter & Gamble where she spent six years in brand management. In 2021, she was awarded the McElroy Award from the P&G Alumni Association for her achievements in consumer marketing.
Lisa is a graduate of Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University, holds an MBA from the Smeal Business School and is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award.
VISION + NEXTUP
See Agenda4:30 pm - 4:45 pm
PURPOSE + PLATFORM
See Agenda3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
ADAPT + INNOVATE
See Agenda4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Fraser Bullock
Fraser Bullock
PURPOSE + PLATFORM
See Agenda3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
Marina Chernyak
Marina Chernyak
Marina leads the U.S. Grocery, Drug, Fuel and Convenience store verticals at Visa, responsible for partnering with merchants to accelerate innovation and drive growth together. Marina’s journey with Visa began over 20 years ago and since then, she has held senior roles in digital product, marketing, partnership development and sales in both Canada and the U.S. Marina is a thought leader who has served as the face of Visa to most Retail merchants in North America, building relationships and driving mutual business objectives. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Marina is committed to mentorship inside and outside of Visa, and fostering a positive, diverse and inclusive work environment. Marina resides in Toronto with her husband and three children. Marina joined the NextUp Board of Directors in 2025 to help drive the advancement of inclusive workplace cultures and next-gen leadership.
REFLECT + CONNECT #7: Reinvention Lounge
See Agenda-
STRATEGY + SPEED
See Agenda11:15 am - 12:30 pm
Elise Cornille
Elise Cornille
Elise Cornille is Accenture’s Chief Marketing Officer for North America, responsible for directing campaigns to strengthen Accenture’s brand, help grow its business and contribute to communities across North America. She was most recently the global managing senior director of Marketing + Communications for Accenture Technology, responsible for innovative campaigns to help clients create enduring value and growth from technology.
Among the recent campaigns she led include the launch of Accenture’s Cloud First and Generative AI businesses.
Across her 26 years at Accenture, Elise has had Marketing + Communications roles in Public Service, Business Process Outsourcing, Security and North America.
Elise has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and French from Rhodes College, and is based in San Francisco, California.
TRUTH + TRUST
See Agenda10:30 am - 11:15 am
Helen Driskell
Helen Driskell
REFLECT + CONNECT #4: Connection Lounge
See Agenda-
STRATEGY + SPEED
See Agenda11:15 am - 12:30 pm
Casey Ferrell
Casey Ferrell
For more than 12 years, Casey has led content development, thought leadership and product innovation for U.S. MONITOR, Kantar’s flagship syndicated consumer insights and trends platform.
In addition to his senior leadership role, Casey is a favorite presenter, keynote speaker, and panel participant on topics including generations, culture, diversity, social change, and American lifestyle trends.
He also leads custom consulting projects on the strategic application of consumer insights and trends for businesses across categories including CPG, retail, food & beverage, media & entertainment, health & wellbeing, and financial services.
In 2017, Casey launched Canada MONITOR, Kantar’s premier source of Canadian consumer thought leadership. He is a sought-after expert on Canadian consumer insights and marketplace trends.
In addition to his product management role, Casey supports business development, client retention, and growth strategy for MONITOR.
He holds an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lives in North Carolina.
INCLUSION + BUSINESS
See Agenda9:45 am - 10:15 am
REFLECT + CONNECT #6: Inclusion Lounge
See Agenda-
Jasprit Hanger
Jasprit Hanger
TRUTH + TRUST
See Agenda10:30 am - 11:15 am
Dominique Shelton Leipzig
Dominique Shelton Leipzig
Dominique Shelton Leipzig is the CEO of Global Data Innovation, a firm dedicated to equipping CEOs and board members with the tools to navigate AI governance, cybersecurity, and data leadership. With over 30 years of legal experience, she has advised Fortune 500 companies, the White House, the IMF, and global organizations on data risk and opportunity.
RISK + REWARD
See Agenda9:05 am - 9:45 am
REFLECT + CONNECT #2: AI Lounge
See Agenda-
Kaysha Love
Kaysha Love
Kaysha Love, an Olympian and World Champion in bobsled, hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. Her athletic journey began with competitive gymnastics and track and field, where she became Utah’s most decorated track athlete, earning 16 state titles and setting 5 state records. Recruited to bobsled in 2021, Kaysha quickly made her mark, winning her World Cup debut in monobob in 2023. She earned gold at the 2025 World Championships and currently holds multiple track and start records across premier bobsled circuits. Kaysha is deeply rooted in her faith as a devoted Christian and is passionate about community service, youth advocacy, and promoting diversity. A member of the Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Steering Committee; she contributes shaping the future in her sport and in the community. In her free time, she enjoys paddleboarding, water activities, and gymnastics, embracing an active lifestyle on and off the track.
PURPOSE + PLATFORM
See Agenda3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
Diana Marshall
Diana Marshall
Diana Marshall serves as executive vice president and chief experience officer at Sam’s Club. In this role, she is dedicated to creating differentiated, seamlessly connected, world-class experiences that foster deep relationships with members. The experience portfolio includes Membership, Product & Design, Marketing & Personalization, MAP (retail ads business), and Data & Business Insights, all driven by innovation to ensure every member and associate interaction is meaningful and impactful.
Previously, Diana served as the chief growth officer at Sam’s Club where she focused on identifying, developing and growing revenue streams such as membership income, eCommerce, MAP and financial services, while doubling down on convenience as the differentiator for members.
Before joining Sam’s Club, Diana began her career at Walmart 20 years ago as a replenishment trainee in consumables. During her time in replenishment, she partnered with supply chain closely to create new inventory flow methods. She has also led various merchandising teams, which enabled her to develop a deep understanding of omni-merchandising and product development across multiple areas in general merchandise and consumables.
As the executive vice president of the Southwest Business Unit for Walmart U.S. operations, Diana oversaw five regions across 12 states, managing around 750 Supercenters and 225,000 associates. She also had responsibility for the Walmart+ store experience and operations oversight for the Dallas Innovation Hub for end-to-end transformation.
Diana has an extensive background in business and supply chain management, earning her bachelor’s in business administration from Oklahoma State University and her master’s in operations management from the University of Arkansas.
STRATEGY + SPEED
See Agenda11:15 am - 12:30 pm
Jamey Martin
Jamey Martin
A strategic leader with more than 20 years of experience, Jamey has served in multiple senior roles across human resources, change management, team development and talent management. Prior to Suntory Global Spirits, Jamey held roles of increasing responsibility at Mondelēz International, where she served as Senior Director, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, developing and implementing sponsorship programs, leadership development and employee training programs for the global organization. Prior to Mondelēz International, Jamey held HR leadership roles at Anheuser Busch and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
REFLECT + CONNECT #8: Leadership Lounge
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Catherine Raney Norman
Catherine Raney Norman
Catherine Raney Norman is a four-time Olympian in long-track speed skating and serves as Vice President of Development and Athlete Relations for the Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. She chaired the successful bid to bring the Games back to Utah. She competed in Olympics from 1998 through 2010, and was a six-time U.S. all-around champion. Raney Norman has been known as a leading advocate for athletes, serving as vice-chair of the USOPC Athletes’ Advisory Council and now leading the 2034 Athletes’ Commission. She was inducted into the U.S. Speed Skating Hall of Fame in 2018 and still holds three American records.
PURPOSE + PLATFORM
See Agenda3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
Adrienne Pulido
Adrienne Pulido
Adrienne Pulido oversees thought leadership and trends for U.S. diversity markets at Kantar MONITOR. She has been designing and leading marketing research for over 30 years in the US and in Latin America. She has spent half her career as a research specialist and entrepreneur and the other half as a strategist and account planner in the advertising industry.
Adrienne was a partner at an innovative cultural metrics firm and broke ground as the first Research and Account Planning Director of a U.S. Hispanic agency at Publicis, where she later served as COO. She was also Planning Director for D’arcy Américas, covering over 16 Latin American countries under the Publicis umbrella.
Adrienne’s expertise covers the full spectrum of quantitative and qualitative survey design. She excels at developing culture metrics, utilizing cutting-edge tools and techniques, and transforming data into compelling narratives for strategic planning. A proud ambicultural professional fluent in English and Spanish, Adrienne holds an MBA and BBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Adrienne is a member of the Executive Latina Leadership Alliance (Ellas), member of the 2025 IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access) Council Insights Association task force, Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) 2025 Strategic Excellence Awards Jury, the ANA Multicultural Marketing Awards Jury and was featured in the book- Think and Grow Rich – A Latino Choice.
INCLUSION + BUSINESS
See Agenda9:45 am - 10:15 am
REFLECT + CONNECT #6: Inclusion Lounge
See Agenda-
Melody Richard
Melody Richard
A passionate leader who is committed to delivering results, serving customers and driving diversity and inclusion, Melody Richard is the Senior Vice President of Pantry for Walmart US. This includes all shelf stable grocery items including dry grocery, snacks, and beverages. She is honored to work on such an important business that ensures our customers can Save Money and Live Better.
Prior to this role, Melody was the Merchandising VP of Pets for Walmart US. She led a cross-functional team to deliver upon pet parents needs and serve the over 70% of US households with pets. Melody joined Walmart over five years ago leading the Walmart US Baby store business.
Prior to joining Walmart, she held leadership roles at Coca-Cola for 20 years in Operations, U.S. Sales, International Commercial Leadership, and Emerging Brands.
As an industry leader, Melody serves as a National Board Member of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and is the Executive Co-Sponsor for Walmart’s annual Fight Hunger Spark Change Campaign. She is also heavily invested in ensuring that the Pantry Team leads the way in the industry with Walmart regeneration and Made in the USA efforts.
She is a key leader for belonging as the leader of the Walmart Women’s Officer Caucus, a member of the President’s Belonging Council and advisor to the Women’s Resource Group. She represents Walmart as Secretary on the National Board for NextUp.
In the local community, she has led the Peel Mansion Giving Event, NWA Food Bank Jewels of Giving Event, Big Brothers Big Sisters Events, The Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year and Sip and Savor, Sharing and Caring, the Best Friends Pet Resource Center and the American Heart Association. Melody is committed to supporting leaders in the workplace, families in the community and the overall health and wellbeing of associates and customers.
REFLECT + CONNECT #3: Impact Lounge
See Agenda-
STRATEGY + SPEED
See Agenda11:15 am - 12:30 pm
Mike Theilmann
Mike Theilmann
Mike Theilmann was appointed Albertsons Companies EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer in August 2019. A progressive, employee experience-driven leader, Mike has amassed a wealth of experience in human resources over his nearly 30-year career with Diageo, PepsiCo, Yum and JC Penney.
Mike began his career as a pension actuary and moving into human resources with Diageo. Upon joining PepsiCo he worked in the Taco Bell and Pizza Hut divisions in HR roles. In 1997 Yum became a public company providing Mike the opportunity to be involved with a world-class board of directors through an IPO. At Yum he served in senior human resources positions including VP of People Services, VP of Human Resources for its Europe operations and SVP Chief People Officer for the international business. Mike also served as Chief Human Resources and Administration Officer of J.C. Penney from 2005 to 2009 where he partnered with the executive team to accelerate growth through highly-engaged associates with a customer-centric focus. He was promoted to group executive vice president, where he led store operations, supply chain management, human resources and property development. Prior to joining Albertsons Companies Mike was the Global Managing Partner of Heidrick & Struggles’ Human Resources practice.
From 2013 to 2017 Mike led a venture fund focused on seed stage investments in technology-driven companies. He serves on the boards Fountain and Catapult Health and is an advisor to SemperVirens venture fund. Mike has had successful exits from Bypass Mobile (sold to FiServ) and Leapyear (sold to Snowflake). Mike also serves on the boards of the NextUp and the Retail Advisory Board at Wharton Business School.
Mike holds a bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and a master’s in physics from the University of Nebraska.
STRATEGY + SPEED
See Agenda11:15 am - 12:30 pm
Rob Weisberg
Rob Weisberg
Rob Weisberg most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer of Invaluable which he joined in October 2012 and built it into the world’s leading online marketplace for buying fine art, antiques and collectibles.
Prior to Invaluable, Rob was Chief Marketing Officer at Zipcar, where he led brand and media strategy growing the company to 760,000 members and through its successful 2011 IPO. Rob was also Vice President of Multimedia Marketing at Domino’s Pizza, where he led media strategy and the development and launch of Domino’s Online Ordering, which is now responsible for over 55% of system-wide sales.
Prior to joining Domino’s Pizza, Rob rose through the agency account services team ranks at a number of leading Madison Avenue agencies including Grey and Ogilvy, working on world class brands such as: Microsoft, Six Flags, Hotels.com, Nestle, Sunglass Hut, Guinness, Reebok, IBM, American Express, Kraft Foods and others. Weisberg received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and a certificate in business management with a concentration in marketing from the University of Rochester in New York.
TRUTH + TRUST
See Agenda10:30 am - 11:15 am
Day 3 | July 17 Speakers
Kristi Allen, CPA
Kristi Allen, CPA
As Vice President of Finance and Administration, Kristi Allen is responsible for the organization’s financial functions, including accounting, regulatory compliance, budgeting and forecasting, and investments. She also oversees all human resource activities. Her career spans more than 25 years of varied experience in financial accounting and management, team building, and professional development activities.
Prior to NextUp, Kristi was a Senior Finance Manager at Microsoft on the mergers and acquisitions team within corporate accounting located in Redmond, WA. She served as deal lead and legal entity controller of various domestic and international acquisitions and supported the integration activities of LinkedIn, GitHub, and Minecraft. Kristi had the opportunity to travel and support acquisitions located in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as Oxford and London, England. Prior to Microsoft, from 2012 to 2017, she served as Senior Accounting Manager of McKesson Corporation in their shared services accounting department, building, and leading a large domestic and international team which supported over thirty pharmaceutical business units. Kristi has also held senior accounting positions in the technology, healthcare, and real estate industries.
Early in her career, Kristi had the opportunity to work as the Controller of an education- based nonprofit organization founded by 7-11. Supporting non-profit organizations has always been a passion and she continues to volunteer for various non-profit organizations. As an advocate and supporter of equitable work environments, Kristi is excited about NextUp and supporting the mission of advancing all women in the workplace.
Kristi holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Professional Accountancy degree both from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She is also licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Kristi is also a graduate of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) Bright Futures Fellows Program, cohort of 2015, and an avid supporter and member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) for over 25 years.
Kristi now resides in her home state of Texas and enjoys spending time with close family and friends, having fun with her three godchildren, participating in mentoring programs for young girls, traveling, and reading.
NEXTGEN + NOW
See Agenda9:45 am - 10:30 am
Carolyn Altomare
Carolyn Altomare
Carolyn Altomare is Senior Vice President of Digital Media Sales at RRD. She has two decades of digital media experience, including 15 years at RRD. Throughout her career, she has been oriented towards technology and innovation, and has successfully built and grown sales teams to support new markets and offerings. She has held numerous leadership positions including Head of Emerging Tech Solutions, VP Enterprise & Channel Growth, VP National Agency Sales, and Executive Director of Programmatic Solutions.
Before joining RRD, Carolyn worked as an Account Manager at AOL where she partnered closely with Healthcare advertisers and their agencies to activate and manage multi-million dollar media strategies.
She received her Bachelor in Business Administration degree from Fordham University with a concentration in Marketing in 2007. She currently resides in Buffalo, NY with her husband and three young daughters.
CULTURE + CHANGE
See Agenda9:00 am - 9:45 am
Jim Athey
Jim Athey
Jim Athey is the Chief Executive Officer for L&R Distributor’s Inc.
Before becoming CEO in April 2023, Mr. Athey served as Chief Customer Officer, leading the company’s growth strategy, sales, and profits as well as building new capabilities for L&R Distributors. Prior to L&R, Mr. Athey was the Chief Commercial Officer at Tervis, where he launched multiple new products including the company’s stainless steel water bottle and recycled tumbler. Prior to Tervis he worked 12 years at Kimberly-Clark where he held various roles including Vice President, General Manager Grocery, Agency, and Specialty Channels managing a sales force of 100+ individuals representing $2.9 Billion in annual revenue.
Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark, he spent 3 years at Revlon Corporation as Vice President Drug Channel & Vice President Target Team. He started his career at Eastman Kodak Company where he spent 17 years in various roles including a VPGM role managing several customer teams including Walgreens, Kmart, and Target. He attended Ball State University and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business – Marketing.
NEXTGEN + NOW
See Agenda9:45 am - 10:30 am
REFLECT + CONNECT #8: Leadership Lounge
See Agenda-
Maria Carolina Duque Comings
Maria Carolina Duque Comings
Maria Carolina Comings is the Vice President, Business Unit Director for Sweet & Savory Meals & Baking at General Mills, where she oversees a $2.2 billion portfolio of iconic brands including Betty Crocker, Progresso, and Gold Medal – General Mills’ very first brand. In this role, she drives growth and innovation for some of the most beloved names in food.
Prior to this, Maria Carolina led various businesses within General Mills, including Emerging Brands, where she helped integrate new acquisitions and partnered with public-private leaders to advance sustainable agriculture; Kid Cereal, including leading iconic brands such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chex, and Golden Grahams; and the Dinners and Sides portfolio, achieving significant recognition for the turnaround of Hamburger Helper, including two Cannes Lions, two Clio Awards, and features in AdWeek, Fast Company, Forbes, and Billboard.
Maria is passionate about leadership and community engagement, having served as President of the General Mills Hispanic Network, a board member of the General Mills Diversity Marketing Community, and a mentor in the company’s Diversity Mentoring program. She holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from The University of Notre Dame and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management. Maria resides in Minneapolis with her two children, where they enjoy exploring the city’s vibrant cultural and culinary scene
CULTURE + CHANGE
See Agenda9:00 am - 9:45 am
Karen Jones
Karen Jones
Karen leads Learning and Development work at NextUp. Her team manages the design and delivery of the leadership development programs and assessment processes for Partner organizations. Karen has worked within the Organization and Leadership Development disciplines for more than 20 years. She has led at the executive level within the corporate sector for Fortune 50 companies. Her experience provides a keen ability to design and deliver optimal solutions for Members and Corporate Partners alike. Karen has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Grambling State University and a Master of Arts in Organization Leadership from Gonzaga University.
LEADERSHIP + GROWTH
See Agenda3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
BOLD + VOICE
See Agenda10:30 am - 11:15 am
Beth Marrion
Beth Marrion
Beth Marrion is a Senior Managing Director and Client Account Lead for one of Accenture’s largest global clients. She is a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee and Client Account Lead for the Americas. With P&L responsibility for four dimensions of Accenture’s business, including Strategy & Consulting; Song; Technology; and Operations, Beth has nearly 30 years of experience in consulting and transformation. She leads large initiatives to reinvent retail businesses, enhance customer experiences, and improve operational efficiencies. She has expertise in Data & GenAI, Technology, Customer Experience, Marketing, Retail Operations, Global Business Services, Merchandising, Supply Chain and Edge Platforms.
With leadership roles in civic organizations whose missions address the most challenging issues facing the people of Chicago, she serves on the Executive Committee and board of directors for NextUp, a network to advance all women, grow business and eliminate barriers for women in the workplace (https://www.nextupisnow.org/ ). Beth also serves on the board of directors for The Economic Club of Chicago and The Executives’ Club of Chicago.
Beth holds degrees in Economics and French from Duke University.
CULTURE + CHANGE
See Agenda9:00 am - 9:45 am
Ena Williams
Ena Williams
Ena is the Chief Operating Officer for Casey’s (NASDAQ: CASY), a 2900+ convenience retail chain operating in 19 states, where she leads store operations, operations support, real estate, construction & maintenance, asset protection, continuous improvement and IT. Most recently Ena served as Chief Executive Officer of National HME, a provider of technology-enabled medical equipment. Prior to NHME, Ena spent 10 years at 7-Eleven as Senior Vice President and Head of International where she directed global functions, including merchandising, marketing, logistics, human resources and financial analysis in addition to global operations, licensing and expansion. Before 7-Eleven, she spent 17 years at ExxonMobil and Mobil Oil Corporation in operations management, merchandising, corporate treasurers, financial analysis, transportation & supply, and leading the company’s West and Midwest divisions. Ena holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of Virginia.
Ena currently serves on the board of directors for Vestis, Corp. (NYSE: VSTS), a provider of uniforms and workplace supplies in North America, as well as the board of Children International and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Dallas Leadership Committee. She is a Founding Member of the Village Giving Circle, a startup charity focused on advancing people of color in North Texas. Ena is also on the board of advisors for the Robert B. Rowling Center for Business Law & Leadership, SMU Dedman School of Law.
CULTURE + CHANGE
See Agenda9:00 am - 9:45 am
Sarah Wynn-Williams
Sarah Wynn-Williams
Sarah Wynn-Williams is an author, former New Zealand diplomat and international lawyer. She joined Facebook after pitching a job and ultimately became director of global public policy. After leaving the company, she has continued to work on tech policy, including artificial intelligence.
BOLD + VOICE
See Agenda10:30 am - 11:15 am