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The power of influence. The strength of connection.

You're exclusively invited to join Forté 500

You've built a career of influence, shaped industries, and led with vision. Now, take your place among the most elite women in business.

Introducing Forté 500 - an invitation-only network reserved for an exclusive circle of women executives with 20+ years of experience, all on the trajectory to the C-suite. With only 20 hand-selected members per city, Forté 500 is more than a network - it's a prestigious community of business-defining leaders. Designed for high-achieving VPs, Directors, Junior Partners, and senior executives, this is your opportunity to connect, collaborate, and elevate your leadership alongside the most powerful women in business.

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Why Join Forté 500?

Meet the Forté 500

  • Alexis Capra

    Alexis Capra

    Chief People Officer
    Fanatics Collectibles

    Alexis Capra brings over 20 years of global Human Resources experience across diverse industries, including media, entertainment, audio, live events and sports. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership, developing strategies and hiring plans that drive growth in fast-paced, evolving environments.

    Currently, as the Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources at Fanatics Collectibles, Alexis oversees HR strategy in collaboration with business leaders focusing on scaling the organization to relentlessly enhance the fan and collector experience.

    One of Alexis’ most notable strengths is her ability to effectively problem solve complex issues in a collaborative, honest, direct, and kind manner, and aligns talent with business strategy to achieve exceptional outcomes and a positive workplace culture.

    Alexis has successfully led transformative international expansions into new markets, and many mergers and acquisitions, consistently building high-performing and highly engaged diverse and multi-cultural global teams.

    Before joining Fanatics, Alexis held leadership roles in all areas of Human Resources at renowned organizations such as NBCUniversal, Audible (an Amazon Company), Dick Clark Productions, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, TV and film studios, iHeartMedia and BuzzFeed. Her work has spanned key markets around the globe with assignments based in New York, Los Angeles and Europe.

    During her time at NBCUniversal, Alexis led the hiring process for the London and Sochi Olympic Games, managing visas, pay rates, and work guidelines—a role that earned her a Sports Emmy Award.

    As a sought-after and trusted thought leader, Alexis serves on the Board of Directors for the Forté Foundation, inspiring women to reach their full potential in business.
    Term: 2024-2027

  • Roxanne Hori

    Roxanne Hori

    Founder
    Next Act Partners

    Roxanne Hori is an internationally recognized careers professional with 30+ years of experience at the Kellogg School and NYU Stern. She has a proven track record of working with individuals and teams to help them achieve career and personal success. Roxanne is the Founder of Next Act Partners a consulting and coaching business designed to help organizations and individuals reach their goals. She has spoken at numerous conferences, is a former BusinessWeek blogger and recognized as a thought leader in the MBA careers space. Through her work in higher education, she has had exposure to a broad range of industries and career paths.

    Her prior experience leading Talent Acquisition at a major Chicago bank combined with her higher education experience gives her a unique ability to understand the various pieces of the hiring equation. She is a member of the Forté Board and Past Board Chair. She is also a member of the Reaching Out MBA Advisory Council. Roxanne has a BA in African American Studies from Western Illinois University, has been inducted into the NACE Academy of Fellows and an avid Chicago Black Hawks fan. She is a champion for developing the next generation of women and people of color leaders.

     

  • Doug Johnson

    Founder & CEO
    Valor Partners

    Doug is the founder and CEO of Valor Partners, an executive search firm focused on sales and marketing leadership in the software and technology sector. Prior to founding Valor, Doug spent six years with the largest search firm in world, Management Recruiters International (MRI) where he was a five-time Top 10 Account Executive and a two-time National Account Executive of the Year.

    Doug earned his undergrad degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and his Master’s degree in psychology from John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, California.
    Term: 2025-2028

  • Sara O'Reilly

    CEO
    Fortuity Advisors
    MBA, Lancaster University

    With over two decades of domestic and international experience in multiple industries, Sara excels at the ideation and execution of innovative business strategy that delivers positive impact. Previously, Sara served as the first COO in Alvarez & Marsal’s business consulting and transformation practice. She held successive roles at Deloitte Consulting U.K. and U.S., spending the majority of her time in client service working on complex mergers and acquisitions largely within the financial services and utilities industries. While at Deloitte, she also helped lead National Inclusion for Consulting where she was responsible for talent strategy and execution in an organization of 20K+ employees. While at Alvarez & Marsal, Sara helped establish their first Diversity & Inclusion initiative.
    Sara holds her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her MBA from Lancaster University, UK with a specialization in international strategic alliances.

    Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-o-reilly-7a8b9b1/

Meet our founding members: Chicago

  • Tricia Osolin

    Tricia Osolin | Co-Chair

    Founder
    RedMark Group
    University of Chicago (Booth School of Business), 2014

    Tricia Osolin is President and founder of RedMark Group, and is passionate about bringing together the worlds of story and strategy. Her career path from creative design for movies and television in Hollywood to a business MBA at University of Chicago Booth School of Business mirrors her passion for that intersection. Seeing opportunities through the realm of story and design, she’s executed projects for organizations spanning from startups to Fortune 500 companies, including brands such as PepsiCo, Disney and HBO/Time Warner. She’s led companies to awards including “Chicago’s 50 Best Startups”, multiple Key Art Awards and Hollywood Reporter’s Best Campaign.

    Currently residing in Chicago, IL, Tricia is an active member in her community and her church. She teaches a digital honors course on Leadership at Northwest Polytechnic University in Xian, China and is an associate professor at Northern Seminary, in Biblical & Entrepreneurial Thinking. She spends her free time geeking out about the latest tech trends, Cleveland sports, and testing new recipes in the kitchen.

  • Karisa Mashlan Kleuskens

    Karisa Mashlan | Co-Chair

    Associate Director, Corporate Strategy
    Kimberly-Clark
    IE University MBA, 2018

    Karisa is known for shaping global corporate strategy in collaboration with BU and Function leaders, driving large scale transformations aligned to C-level objectives, and delivering key enterprise initiatives with 3-5 year outlook.

  • Kelly Wagner

    Kelly Wagner | Co-Chair

    Principal, Value Creation & Strategy
    Erie Street Growth Partners
    Loyola University Chicago (Quinlan School of Business)

  • Gabrielle Berger Sainati

    Gabrielle Berger Sainati

    Owner & CEO
    Middle Management Holdings LLC
    Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), 2013

  • Lisa Campbell

    Lisa Campbell

    Director, Corporate Goals & Planning
    CME Group
    Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), 2013

    As Director, Corporate Goals & Planning at CME Group, Lisa leads strategic planning for one of the largest and most diversified financial exchanges in the world, working directly with C-level executives and their leadership teams. She serves as a vital bridge, regularly distilling complex concepts into clear, actionable deliverables and reporting for board members, executives and global employees.

    Lisa’s approach as a strategist was shaped by her experience as an auditor, building strong financial and operational acumen from the ground up. She audited 20+ manufacturing facilities across North America for the Sara Lee Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, before trading a hard hat to work in finance in 2007.

    Lisa is also the Treasurer for Women In Listed Derivatives, a 501(c)(6) committed to elevating the role of women in futures and options markets. Lisa holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and is a Level III Candidate in the CFA program.

  • Candance Chow

    Candance Chow

    Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
    NextGroup LLC
    Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), 1997

    Candance Chow is a tech start-up business leader and management consultant turned business owner and community leader in Evanston, IL, a diverse suburb north of Chicago.

    Candance is co-founder and CEO of NextGroup launched in 2019 as a professional talent network and search firm focused on supporting and advancing high-impact, inclusive workplaces. Candance actively works with and engages employers and nonprofit leaders in Chicagoland to form a bridge between them and the talent they need. NextGroup’s talent network has grown to 10,000 diverse professionals, and they have worked with more than 100 organizations to recruit experienced talent to their management and leadership ranks.

    Prior to launching NextGroup, Candance served as an elected, two-term member of the K-8 school board. As president of the Board, she guided the school district through a period of significant financial uncertainty, ultimately helping pass a referendum to support the schools with an overwhelming 80% approval. She then went on to run for the seat of state representative in a highly contested Democratic primary, losing by less than 300 votes. Educational and gender equity are priorities in her service.

    Candance began her multi-act career as an advocate for workplace and educational equity, serving in staff roles for the American Association of University Women and Business and Professional Women/USA in Washington, DC. The highlight of her early advocacy career was working towards the passage of the Family Medical Leave Act in 1993. She left DC to pursue an MBA in Chicago and further hone her management skills. Candace worked for over 15 years, post-MBA, in management consulting and the high-tech start-up space before co-founding NextGroup.

    Candance holds an MBA with distinction from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in strategy and nonprofit management and​ graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Public Communications and International Studies from the American University in Washington, D.C. She has lived in Evanston with her husband and three daughters for more than 20 years.

  • Erin Coffey

    Erin Coffey

    Founder & Principal
    edc Inc.
    New York University (Stern School of Business), 2013

    Erin Coffey is a senior executive operator with 20+ years partnering with CEOs and leadership teams to translate strategy into organizational action.

    Over a decade at Macmillan Publishers, Erin served as the operating partner to U.S. and global CEOs — guiding two leadership transitions, building enterprise decision frameworks, and owning a $24M P&L across communications, operations, and stakeholder engagement. At Walmart, she directed enterprise-wide executive engagement at scale, overseeing a $200M+ portfolio and a 21-person team.

    Through her advisory practice, edc Inc., Erin currently partners with CEOs and senior leadership teams as an embedded strategic operator, supporting organizational transitions, decision framework design, and stakeholder strategy across retail, AI, and nonprofit sectors.

    Erin holds an MBA from NYU Stern and is based in Chicago.

  • Marlo Hines

    Marlo Hines

    On Sabbatical
    Harvard Business School, 2014

    Marlo is a dynamic senior leader with deep expertise in human capital management, organizational development, and go-to-market strategy. She earned her BBA in both Psychology and Management & Human Resources from the University of Wisconsin and began her career in CPG sales management. After completing her MBA at Harvard Business School, she transitioned into strategy consulting. At Boston Consulting Group, she spent six years advising Fortune 500 executives across diverse industries, rising to principal. Most recently, she served as VP, HR business partner for Capital One, leading a large HR team supporting 15K+ employees in the Card division’s domestic operations and international business teams. Marlo is currently wrapping up a sabbatical, having pursued a lifelong passion for writing fiction while volunteering as a board and committee member for two nonprofits. She lives in Chicago with her dog, Ollie, and enjoys playing softball, sailing on Lake Michigan, and reading a good book.

  • Tyeise Huntley Jones

    Tyeise Huntley Jones

    Director, Golub Capital Social Impact Lab
    The University of Chicago – Booth School Of Business
    Cornell University (Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management), 2010

    Tyeise Huntley is the inaugural Director of the Golub Capital Social Impact Lab at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she leads IGNITE—a pioneering leadership program supporting high-impact nonprofit executives serving Chicago’s communities. Under her leadership, IGNITE has grown to serve 68 nonprofit leaders, equipping them with world-class business education, executive coaching, and strategic resources to accelerate their organizations’ impact.

    Tyeise’s career spans brand management at SC Johnson, where she led major product launches and cross-channel campaigns, and transformative work in public education at Chicago Public Schools through the Broad Residency Fellowship, where she oversaw strategic planning and helped launch the GoCPS application system.

    She holds an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, a B.S. in Marketing and International Business from Georgetown University, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the Broad Center now at Yale School of Management.

    A committed community advocate, Tyeise has served on several nonprofit boards and is passionate about leadership development, wellness, and advancing opportunities for women and mothers. She is an avid reader, runner, and believer in prioritizing proper rest and nutrition.

  • Jacqui McNamara Cuffe

    Jacqui McNamara Cuffe

    Strategy Lead for Cloud Architects
    Google
    Indiana University – Bloomington (Kelley School of Business), 2014

    Jacqui is an avid technology enthusiast who enjoys solving problems for clients, championing cloud technologies, and collaborating with others. With over 15+ years of experience in account management and enterprise sales, she understands how crucial it is for large enterprises who are considering a move to the cloud (or even expanding their existing use of cloud technologies) to derive flexibility, cost efficiencies, and value from their technology investments.

    Driving business through strategic investments in technology can be a daunting and overwhelming journey. It can also make a large impact and is so rewarding.

  • Kelli Moles

    Kelli Moles

    Partner
    McKinsey
    Harvard Business School, 2011

    Kelli Moles is a Partner with McKinsey & Company in Chicago, where she has been for 15 years. She specializes in driving large-scale transformations across industries, including work with more than 25 clients in the Chicagoland area. Kelli is also a leader in the People and Organizational Performance practice, advising companies on digital transformation, leadership, people, and change. Prior to McKinsey Kelli worked in investment banking with JPMorgan in New York City. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from Missouri State University.

  • Joan Spiotto Murphy

    Joan Murphy

    Managing Director
    BMO Capital Markets
    University of Chicago (Booth School of Business), 2007

    Joan Murphy is a Managing Director at BMO Capital Markets on the Corporate Banking North American Diversified Group and is Team Lead for Technology based in Chicago. She joined BMO in 2007. Joan provides corporate lending solutions primarily to public company clients in the Technology sector working with IB on client selection. Joan is also responsible for coordinating the cross sell of CB products (primarily TPS, FICC) and working with IB to deliver the full suite of BMO product offerings to our clients. Joan worked across a number of Corporate Banking groups while at BMO including: Food & Consumer, Securitization, secondments in Credit Investment Management (SIVs) and SAMU, CB Trading Products, and US Diversified as a Senior Underwriter and Portfolio Manager. Prior to BMO, Joan worked inSecuritization at ABN AMRO.

    Originally from Chicago, Joan received her BA in Economics from Northwestern University and her MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

  • Prash Pokala

    Principal & Co-Founder
    InsightsHIGH
    INSEAD MBA, 2010

    Prash brings 23 years of experience across strategy consulting and industry roles. As a Principal at InsightsHIGH, she leads the supply chain management and pricing strategy workstreams. With a deep focus on leveraging analytics and software solutions to drive digital transformation, Prash has successfully led initiatives in supply chain, pricing strategy, and digital transformation for major players, including a global silicates manufacturer and a specialty chemicals distributor. Her previous industry roles include global product strategy at Expedia in the UK, and pricing and revenue management at United Airlines in the US. Prash holds an MBA from INSEAD, France.

  • Claire Ruud

    Founder & Principal
    Impact Arts Consulting
    Yale School of Management, 2012

    Claire Ruud is founder and principal of Impact Arts Consulting, focusing on strategic leadership, change-management, and social impact in the arts. She has over two decades of leadership experience in museums, including roles as Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Deputy Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, Founding Director of Cook & Ruud, and Associate Director of Fluent~Collaborative. She holds an MA in Art History from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from The Yale School of Management.

  • Amber Salley

    Amber Salley

    Vice President of Industry Solutions
    GAINSystems
    University of Chicago (Booth School of Business), 2008

    Amber Salley is Vice President of Industry Solutions at GAINS, where she leads product marketing, analyst relations, and competitive strategy for the company’s innovative supply chain planning and network design solutions. A recognized thought leader in the field, she brings over a decade of experience guiding businesses through technology transformation in increasingly complex and dynamic supply chain environments.

    Before joining GAINS in 2023, she spent 12 years at Gartner as a research analyst, where she advised global supply chain leaders on planning technologies, organizational design, and emerging market trends. Her work helped shape industry understanding of modern planning practices, and she continues to influence the conversation through public speaking, executive briefings, and regular contributions to industry publications.

     

  • Tarra Sharp

    Tarra Sharp

    Chief Steward
    Sharp Legacy Endeavors 
    Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), 2013

    With more than a decade of experience, Tarra Sharp thrives at the intersection of operations consulting, strategy, and customer experience. As Chief Steward at Sharp Legacy Endeavors, she leads purpose‑driven efforts to acquire and grow B2B service businesses. Her mission is to honor the legacy of established companies while implementing operational excellence and sustainable growth strategies. Tarra is deeply motivated by the opportunity to foster long‑term success, empower employees, and drive meaningful transformation within the organizations her firm serves. In December 2025, she completed her first business acquisition: a boutique staffing agency specializing in placing creative, marketing, and sales talent at high‑growth companies.

  • Annie Snider

    Annie Snider

    Vice President, Business Operations
    Power Insights
    University of Michigan (Ross School of Business), 2013

    Annie Snider is currently the Vice President of Business Operations at Power Insights, a start-up consulting firm focused on the energy transition, where she oversees learning & development, performance management, recruiting, and knowledge management.

    She is an experienced program manager and people leader with diverse work experiences across tech (SaaS) product delivery at Qualtrics, strategy and private equity consulting across several firms, and nonprofit management focused on literacy and public health. She holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a BA in History from Dartmouth College.

    Annie sits on the Chicago Board of Compass Pro Bono, which matches skilled volunteers with local nonprofits, and volunteers as a mentor with several alumni networks. She enjoys hiking, NFL football, and reading contemporary fiction and social science.

  • Rebecca Zoller Stone

    Rebecca (Becca) Stone

    Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), 2006

    Becca Stone is a seasoned Fintech leader and General Manager with over 20 years of experience in financial services and technology. Most recently, she was Affirm’s VP of Strategic Partnerships, where she managed a commercial team focused on business development, partner management, and growth via Platform Partnerships.

    Before joining Affirm, she served as VP of Strategic Partnerships at SoFi, leading a team that developed and launched innovative partnerships across SoFi’s Lending and Banking products. Becca also spent over a decade with American Express, serving in leadership and GM roles in partnerships, product management, marketing, strategy, and customer experience. Becca began her career as an investment banker with JPMorgan.

    Becca holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a BA in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis.

  • Agnes Syverson

    Agnes Syverson

    Director of Product Marketing
    Walmart
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Gies College of Business), 2019

    Agnes Renee is the Director of Product Marketing at Walmart Data Ventures, where she leads go-to-market strategy for Scintilla, Walmart’s data and insights platform. She drives adoption across enterprise clients by transforming complex analytics into clear, actionable narratives that influence product, sales, and marketing strategy.

    Previously, Agnes held product marketing leadership roles at Meta, overseeing growth initiatives for Facebook and Instagram’s creator ecosystem, and worked in management consulting with Deloitte and Gartner, guiding Fortune 500 organizations through digital and business transformation.

    She holds an MBA from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business and is passionate about elevating women in technology and product leadership through mentorship and strategic storytelling.

     

  • Nykia Wright

    CEO
    National Association of Realtors
    Dartmouth College (Tuck School of Business), 2009

Meet our founding members: Boston

  • Paulita David

    Paulita David | Co-Chair

    Senior Managing Director
    Reddit
    Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), 2007

  • Elizabeth Hanify

    Elizabeth Hanify | Co-Chair

    Senior Vice President, Fixed Income Sales, Trading & Product
    Fidelity Investments
    University of Pennsylvania (The Wharton School), 2005

  • Danika Addy

    Danika Addy

    Senior Vice President, Fidelity Consulting
    Fidelity Investments
    Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), 2007

    Danika is a Senior Vice President at Fidelity Investments and a leader of the Fidelity Consulting practice. Her 20+ years of management consulting experience have focused on the financial services industry where she has led clients across a variety of projects including strategy development, competitive analysis and strategic planning efforts.

    Danika holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and graduated with a BA in Business Administration from Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

  • Allison Braly

    Allison Braly

    Vice President, Clinical Strategy and Operations
    Beacon Biosignals
    Duke University (The Fuqua School of Business), 2012

    Allison Braly has over 20 years of experience driving growth and operational excellence across digital health, diagnostics, and medical technology. She has led high-performing teams at organizations ranging from start-ups to public companies, with a focus on scaling operations, launching new products and services, and integrating strategic acquisitions. Allison holds an MBA from Duke University and a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University.

  • Laura Gram

    Laura Gram

    Senior Vice President
    Bain Capital
    University of Texas at Austin (McCombs School of Business), 2017

    Laura Gram is a Senior Vice President in the Portfolio Group at Bain Capital, where she is a member of the North America Private Equity team. Since joining the firm in 2024, she has focused on enhancing supply chain and operational excellence across portfolio companies.

    Prior to Bain Capital, Laura served as a Senior Director at Alvarez & Marsal, leading supply chain optimization and transformation projects across multiple industries. Her earlier career includes leadership roles at Lennox International, Tivoli Audio, Boston Beer Company, and General Mills.

    Laura holds an MBA from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a BSBA from The Ohio State University.

  • Ellen Hazen for F. L. Putnam Investment Management Company

    Ellen Hazen

    Chief Market Strategist and Portfolio Manager
    F.L.Putnam Investment Management
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan), 1996

    Ellen is responsible for communicating F.L.Putnam’s market and investment strategy and is the lead portfolio manager on two of the firm’s proprietary equity strategies. As chief market strategist, Ellen publishes market and economic analysis and provides investor insights. She is regularly featured on Bloomberg TV, CNBC, MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Finance.

    Ellen has over 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining FLP, she spent 13 years as a sector portfolio manager and senior equity research analyst at MFS Investment Management and served on the Research Management Committee and the Diversity Committee. Ellen previously held positions at Putnam Investments, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley.

    Ellen serves on the investment committee for MetroWest Health Foundation and is a member of The Hestia Fund. She is also involved with Smart Woman Securities (SWS) and is on the Executive Committee of the Boston Economic Club.

  • Nancy Joyce

    Nancy Joyce

    Senior Vice President, Accounts
    Vantage Partners
    Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), 1997

    Nancy Joyce is a purpose driven, senior business development executive and a leading advocate for women in business. Nancy is currently SVP of Global Accounts at Vantage Partners where she assists clients in upskilling their teams to be ready for the 21st century business environment where technology, global operations and matrixed organizations have increased complexity in the business world several fold. Over her 20+ years in sales and marketing leadership Nancy has worked with firms such as GP Strategies, Digitas, Experian, Gilt Groupe, Google (formerly DoubleClick) and Apple.

    Nancy is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. On her good days, Nancy speaks seven languages.

  • Alison Nickerson

    Alison Nickerson

    Business Information Security Officer
    Omnicom
    George Washington University (School of Business), 2012

    Alison Nickerson has 20 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity as a transformational leader. Alison has a proven track record of organizing chaos and driving key results. Currently, Alison is the Global Business Information Security Officer for Omnicom Production and oversees security and risk. Alison was previously the head of Governance, Risk and Compliance at Wayfair, enhancing the enterprise risk management, IT compliance, and data governance. Alison worked for IBM as a delivery executive where she managed global security services teams and led business strategic initiatives. Alison received her MBA at George Washington School of Business and her BA at University of Richmond.

  • Sara Martin

    Sara Martin

    Assistant Vice President
    CVS Health
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan), 2012

    Sara Martin is Assistant Vice President, Marketing at CVS Health where she is responsible for digital marketing channel strategy and execution, personalization and optimization of user-experiences on public marketing assets, and driving adoption of marketing technology across the Aetna organization. She holds over 15 years’ diverse experience spanning strategy, operations, product development and brand management across the payer, provider and consumer health landscape. Sara has spent the majority of her career at CVS Health, with earlier experiences in brand management at Bayer Healthcare and consulting at Kaiser Associates, where she advised Fortune 500 clients on strategy and marketing. Sara holds an MBA from MIT School of Management and a BA in Political Science from Williams College.

  • Katherine O'Malley

    Katherine O'Malley

    Vice President of Corporate Affairs
    Moderna
    Indiana University – Bloomington (Kelley School of Business), 2007

    Kate O’Malley is a creative, thoughtful and strategic communications professional who has spent her career in mission-focused organizations generating business results that advance corporate reputation and empower workforces. Kate currently serves as Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Moderna – leading brand, digital media and enterprise communications, including employee communications, executive visibility, and community engagement programs. During her six-year tenure at Moderna, Kate has guided the company’s enterprise communications through its pandemic response, massive scale up from 500 to more than 5,000 employees globally and the launch of the Moderna Charitable Foundation.

    Before joining Moderna, Kate worked at Accenture for nearly 7 years, most recently serving as Director of Corporate Marketing & Communications. In this role, she led integrated communications aimed at continuously improving the company’s reputation and performance as a responsible business and employer of choice. Her responsibilities included the management of global and U.S. CSR communications initiatives, as well as Accenture’s ESG reporting.

    Prior to her work at Accenture, Kate served in Marketing & Communications roles at the NYU Stern School of Business and Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, where she also earned her MBA in Marketing. Kate holds a BBA in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame.

  • Anna Piralkova

    Anna Piralkova

    Head of Equity Quantitative Research
    Fidelity Investments
    University of Pennsylvania (The Wharton School), 2008

    Anna Piralkova is Head of Equity Quantitative Research in the Quantitative Research & Investments division at Fidelity Investments. Fidelity Investments is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing, and other financial products and services to institutions, financial intermediaries, and individuals.

    In this role, Ms. Piralkova is responsible for a team of quantitative analysts who build quantitative stock selection models, perform risk analysis on portfolios, and assist portfolio managers with portfolio construction. Prior to her current role, she was an analyst on the team for 13 years.

    Before joining Fidelity in 2007, Ms. Piralkova was an investment associate in the Risk and Portfolio Analysis Group at Putnam Investments from 2003 to 2006. She has been in the investments industry since 2003.

    Ms. Piralkova earned her bachelor of arts degree in economics and political science, summa cum laude, from Williams College.

  • Heidi Toland

    Heidi Toland

    Senior Vice President, Head of Capital Markets Strategy
    Fidelity Investments
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan), 2022

    Heidi Toland is a senior financial services executive with deep expertise in capital markets, prime brokerage, and strategic business planning. Since joining Fidelity Investments in 2006, she has held a series of progressively senior roles spanning operations, product development and client relationship management. She currently serves as Head of Strategy & Planning for Fidelity Capital Markets—the trade execution and financing arm of Fidelity—where she leads enterprise strategy and cross-functional initiatives across equity & fixed income trading, securities lending, prime services, and middle office operations.
    She is recognized for her ability to drive innovation, bridge business and technology, and champion inclusive leadership. Heidi holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BA from Fordham University.

MEET OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS: NYC

  • Dory Butler

    Dory Butler

    Senior Vice President of Customer Experience
    Verizon
    New York University (Stern School of Business), 2008

    Dory Butler is the senior vice president of Customer Experience for Verizon. She is responsible for the consumer group’s customer experience strategy, insights, experience management and design. In this role, she leads the development and delivery of high-quality sales and service experiences across all consumer and employee touchpoints.

    Before Verizon, Dory led Omni Customer Experience Product Management for the Walmart US Mobile App and Walmart.com. Prior, she spent 20 years at American Express leading AmericanExpress.com globally in over 25 markets and overseeing product management, marketing and operations for the global web experiences.

    Dory is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has a Masters in Business Administration from the NYU Stern School of Business. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

  • Ellen Correia Golay

    Ellen Correia Golay

    Advisor, U.S. Treasury Markets
    Federal Reserve Bank of New York
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan), 2008

    Ellen Correia Golay is Policy Advisor in the Markets Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Ellen leads cross-agency work related to U.S. Treasury market resilience and provides thought leadership on Treasury market and policy topics for the New York Fed’s Open Market Trading Desk (the Desk). Additionally, Ellen serves as the New York Fed’s senior liaison to the Treasury Markets Practices Group (TMPG).

    Ellen has spent 20 years in the New York Fed’s Markets Group in a variety of positions, including a role overseeing the 2020 large scale purchases of U.S. Treasuries launched in response to the pandemic. In addition, Ellen guided the Desk’s market monitoring and analysis of Treasury markets for 7 years and led the 2017 run-off of the Federal Reserve’s Treasury portfolio. Prior to her Treasury market work, Ellen spent time on the New York Fed’s mortgage and money markets desks. Ellen began her career at the New York Fed in 2003 as a rotational analyst.

  • Kaitlin Devine

    Kaitlin Devine

    Senior Director
    EY-Parthenon
    Cornell University (Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management), 2018

    Kaitlin Devine is a seasoned strategy consultant who has advised life sciences and healthcare clients on growth strategies and transformation agendas during her time at EY-Parthenon. She is an authentic relationship builder, intellectually curious leader, and team player who thrives driving structure around complex situations and navigating stakeholder dynamics. She is passionate about doing work that contributes to improving access and care for patients. Prior to a career-pivot through business school that led her to EY-Parthenon, Kaitlin held several roles in business development and non-profit fundraising. She developed and executed strategic communications plans, led multiple successful business development pursuits, and managed a corps of more than 50 volunteers. She cares deeply about mentoring junior team members and professionals, especially women. Kaitlin has an MBA with distinction from Cornell University and a BBA in marketing and history from the University of Notre Dame.

  • Melissa Ferere

    Melissa Ferere

    Senior Research Lead
    Google Search
    Google
    University of Virginia (Darden School of Business), 2012

    Melissa Ferere is an impact-focused Senior Research Lead at Google, where she drives global product strategy and development through her extensive experience in research, advanced technical product development, and a commitment to exploring alternative perspectives and bold visions. A first-generation, multilingual Haitian American, she leverages her international professional and academic experiences alongside her keen technical and business acumen to bring ambitious ideas to fruition.
    Her career spans Investment Banking to Technology Consulting, launching digital products across several industries internationally while leading large-scale, cross-functional, global teams. Melissa is an alumna of Cornell University (B.Sc), The Darden Graduate School of Business, and holds a Data Analytics certificate from eCornell.

    She balances family life with service-oriented roles: mentoring, University lectures/workshops and leading career workshops for women and minorities at Cornell University.

  • Sylvia Ho

    Sylvia Ho

    Principal, Head of Data & Analytics
    The Weather Company
    Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper School of Business), 2011

    Sylvia has over 15 years of experience in the data, analytics, and AI field, striving for building intelligent solutions that drive the strategy and direction of any business. Sylvia started her career in her hometown Taiwan as a Data Mining consultant, focusing on solutions that managed risks in the financial industry. After pursuing an MBA degree at Carnegie Mellon University, she joined Kearney in New York City as an Analytics Associate, and then The Weather Company where she grew her career from being an individual contributor to a senior leader who manages a global team that covers the entire company’s data and AI needs.

  • Neethi Johnson

    Vice President, Digital Payments
    JPMorgan Chase
    Ohio State University (Fisher College of Business), 2019

    Neethi Johnson currently works as a Vice President in Banking Payments for JPMorgan Chase. Neethi is a double graduate of The Ohio State University, receiving her MBA from the Fisher College of Business. She was named globally as one of the “Best and Brightest MBAs” and served as the commencement speaker for her graduating class. During her MBA, Neethi was elected Vice President of her class and served as a Senator in the Ohio State University Senate. She has been named to Columbus Business First’s ‘40 Under 40’ and Columbus CEO’s ‘Future 50’ lists. She has also been awarded the prestigious OSU “William Oxley Thompson” young alumni award for her career and civic achievement and the Community Impact Alumni Award by the Fisher College of Business. Neethi currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Ohio State University Alumni Association and on the Board of Trustees for the civic education organization, Leadership Ohio.

  • Jeanne Lee

    Jeanne Lee

    Head of Markets Investment Specialists – North America & Latin America
    Citigroup
    University of Chicago (Booth School of Business), 2006

    Jeanne Lee leads the Markets Investment Specialists for North America and Latin America at Citi Wealth. Her team engages directly with clients as well as with Investment Counselors, Private Bankers, and Financial Advisors in Citi Private Bank, Wealth at Work, Citigold, and Citigold Private Client on Capital Markets products and capabilities including cash products, listed options, over-the-counter derivatives, structured investments, and funds across all asset classes (equity, fixed income, rates, FX, and commodities).

    Jeanne brings over two decades of industry experience. She joined Citi in 2006 as Equity Structured Investments Sales and later led the Multi-Asset Structured Investments Sales for Consumer Bank Americas as part of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Prior to that Jeanne was part of the Merrill Lynch Korea Equity Research Team.

    Having lived in 6 countries and traveled to 50+ nations, Jeanne is multi-lingual and is often asked to share her international perspective and professional experiences with students and junior talent in the financial services industry.

    Jeanne holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ewha Womans University (South Korea) and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.

  • Ashley McGuire

    Ashley McGuire

    Chief of Staff, Head of Operating Frameworks
    Discover
    Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper School of Business), 2011

    Ashley McGuire brings over 18 years of experience leading business operations, process improvement, and regulatory transformations across global financial organizations. She currently leads regulatory remediation efforts at Discover, helping to strengthen compliance and operational resilience. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Muhlenberg College and an MBA in Finance from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

  • Keitha Pansy

    Keitha Pansy

    Chief of Staff, Worldwide Commercial Solution Areas CTO
    Microsoft
    University of California – Berkeley (Haas School of Business), 2002

  • Lindsay Schneider

    Lindsay Roberts Schneider

    Managing Director
    Ares Management
    Columbia Business School, 2013

    Ms. Schneider is a Managing Director within Ares Wealth Management Solutions, which oversees Ares’ client management activities in the global wealth channel. Additionally, Ms. Schneider serves on the Ares Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Prior to joining Ares in 2022, Ms. Schneider was an Executive Vice President on the Global Wealth Management Team at PIMCO, where she worked with registered investment advisors, multi-family offices as well as research and discretionary platforms at broker-dealers and banks. Additionally, she focused on business development for all product and vehicle offerings. Previously, Ms. Schneider was an Analyst in the Global Investment Opportunities Group at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Ms. Schneider holds a B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

  • Jessica Weaver

    Jessica Weaver

    Vice President, Consumer Products
    Capgemini Invent
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Gies College of Business), 2014

    Jessica is VP, Consumer Products at Capgemini Invent. With over 10 years of experience in consulting, Jessica has worked with many consumer products companies globally to grow their top-line and bottom-line revenue. Her passion is driving equality for women. That has inspired her to join Emmeline Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on investing in women founders, as a limited partner. She also has an entrepreneurial streak, as a business owner of Sit Still Kids Salon NYC. Jessica resides in New York with her two children. She earned her MBA in her hometown at University of Illinois – Gies College of Business.

Meet our members: Houston

  • Sudha Srinivasan

    Sudha Srinivasan

    Dvision Vice President
    DaVita
    University of Michigan (Ross School of Business), 2021

    Laser focused, strategic leader offering a diverse record of accomplishment in multiple industries. Reputation for building high performing teams that deliver higher gains and optimize organizational capabilities. Sought after improving customer experience, turnaround business growth, reverse decline in revenues and reduction in expenses utilizing operational excellence and lean principles.

    Transitioned from manufacturing to health care services to fulfil her Ture North to serve and make an impact in the community. Turned around the market performance within Austin/DaVita in 18months and promoted to Sr. Director with expanded scope and scale across Texas. Progressively promoted from Director, Senior Director to Divisional Vice President(DVP) of Operations within a span of 3 years.

    As DVP, responsible for the general management and oversight of operations of our dialysis services business 55+ outpatient clinics and 40+ home dialysis programs across Central, South, and East Houston

  • Tara Smarsh Adams

    Tara Smarsh Adams

    Director, Advanced Computer Solutions
    HP, Inc.
    University of Texas at Austin (McCombs School of Business), 2010

    Global Tech Leader

    Product evangelist, management executive and consummate change agent with more than 15 years of experience across diverse functions in the tech industry from product planning to go-to-market. Align sales, marketing, business units and external stakeholders around AI product and solution storytelling focused on customer workflows.

  • Brittanni Hendricks

    Brittanni Hendricks

    Promotion Strategy Coach
    BB Coaching, LLC
    Texas A&M University – Commerce, 2013

    Brittanni Hendricks is a Promotion Strategy Coach and Talent Development professional with over 14 years of experience in investment management, specializing in leadership development, emotional intelligence, and career strategy. She partners with high-performing professionals and emerging leaders to strengthen executive presence, build influence, and position themselves for advancement. Through her Playful Power Method, she helps clients move from being dependable contributors to recognized leaders with clarity, confidence, and strategic communication. Brittanni holds an MBA from Texas A&M University-Commerce and multiple coaching certifications, including International Coach Federation (ICF), and has designed and delivered leadership programs within complex corporate environments. She is a board member of ICF Houston and the founder of BB Coaching, LLC, where she equips leaders to align their performance with visibility and impact.

  • Lana Fountain

    Global Director, Quality & Compliance
    CBRE, Inc.
    University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler Business School, 2015

    Global Quality & Compliance Executive with a track record of establishing and scaling enterprise Quality Management Systems (QMS) across pharmaceutical and medical technology organizations operating in 10+ countries for a Top-10 global pharmaceutical manufacturer.

    Expertise includes global QMS design, regulatory inspection preparedness, risk-based quality governance, digital quality transformation, and cross-functional program leadership supporting complex product launches and regulated technology platforms.

  • Archana Patel

    General Manager SMARTEN Controlls
    SLB
    University of Pennsylvania (The Wharton School), 2024

    I am a general management and strategy leader with 18+ years of experience driving value creation across operations, portfolio expansion, and M&A-enabled strategy within global industrial and digital technology businesses. At SLB, I’ve held P&L responsibility for a $25M business, led strategy and operations for a $12B division, and driven $3.2B in revenue impact across hardware and digital portfolios.

    My work sits at the intersection of strategy, product, and operations—translating investment decisions into executable priorities that improve EBITDA, strengthen portfolio economics, and build scalable operating models. As General Manager of SMARTEN Controls, I lead commercial, engineering, and product teams to scale the business and integrate it into a broader digital platform.

    I lead with clarity, practicality, and deep respect for the people doing the work—aligning long-term strategy with day-to-day execution.

Houston, Texas

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C-Suite Hosted Networking provides direct access to mentorship, leadership insights, and strategic connections.

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A Lifelong Network - by donating $1,000 annually for five years, you secure your place in Forté 500 for life, establishing yourself as a leader in this elite community.

Coming soon: Meet our Seattle Members!

Meet our Members: Global

  • Alison Nickerson

    Alison Nickerson

    Business Information Security Officer
    Omnicom
    George Washington University (School of Business), 2012

    Alison Nickerson has 20 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity as a transformational leader. Alison has a proven track record of organizing chaos and driving key results. Currently, Alison is the Global Business Information Security Officer for Omnicom Production and oversees security and risk. Alison was previously the head of Governance, Risk and Compliance at Wayfair, enhancing the enterprise risk management, IT compliance, and data governance. Alison worked for IBM as a delivery executive where she managed global security services teams and led business strategic initiatives. Alison received her MBA at George Washington School of Business and her BA at University of Richmond.

Global Forté 500

Forté 500 Events

RECENT Events


In-Person Gathering at the home of Ellen Hazen
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025

An upcoming in-person gathering in the west-end will bring together a vibrant community of Boston-area leaders for an evening of connection and conversation. Designed to foster peer relationships and meaningful exchange, the event offers a chance to engage with fellow changemakers in an intimate setting, strengthening local networks and celebrating shared leadership values.

Location Icon West End | Boston


University Club of Chicago
Monday, Nov. 3, 2025
6 – 8 PM CT

An upcoming in-person gathering at the University Club of Chicago will bring together a select group of accomplished leaders from across the city. Set in historic downtown, the event will offer a space for meaningful connection, peer exchange, and community-building among Chicago’s changemakers. Attendees can look forward to engaging conversations and a shared commitment to leadership and impact in the region.

Location Icon The Loop | Chicago


In-Person Gathering with Deborah Brooks
Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
6 – 8 PM ET

Deborah Brooks, CEO and Co-Founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, will be featured in an intimate in-person gathering of accomplished leaders in New York City. Known for her visionary leadership and commitment to advancing Parkinson’s research, Brooks will share insights from her personal and professional journey. The event offers a meaningful opportunity for local changemakers to connect, exchange ideas, and deepen relationships within a vibrant community of peers.

Location Icon Midtown Manhattan | New York City

Virtual Event
Virtual Event

March 31, 2026
Member Meet-Up

Join us for a dynamic, conversation-driven meetup for Forté 500 members. You'll join curated breakout groups where you can exchange insights, compare leadership experiences, and get to know fellow members in a personal, candid setting. It's networking, but in the best way.

Location Icon Online | Virtual

Virtual Event
Virtual Event


April 21, 2026
Executive Coaching

Our Executive Coach in Residence, Cydnee DeToy, will lead a virtual session. Details to be announced.

Location Icon Online | Virtual


In-Person Gathering
May 5, 2026

Nykia Wright, Forté 500 Chicago Member, is hosting an intimate, in-person gathering. Details to be announced.

Location Icon In-Person | Chicago

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