Advisory Board
OnBoard’s Advisory Board, launched in fall 2023, consists of women who currently serve or have served on a for-profit board. Leveraging their expertise, the Advisory Board provides insight on high-level strategy driving women’s ascension to the boardroom.
Becky Blalock is an independent director, global C-suite executive, and architect of transformation strategies that delivered multi-million-dollar productivity and customer loyalty. She is certified in cyber security by the National Association of Corporate Directors and Georgia Tech. She has received national recognition for her digital transformation leadership and brought extensive experience and insights to public (ASPN, HASI), private (SolAmerica Energy, 1910 Legacy Enterprises, HData, Catavolt, Verdecco) and non-profit (Electric Power Research Institute, Atlanta Community Foundation) organizations. Her diverse background across energy, utilities, software, clean tech and venture capital enable her to make profound contributions in the areas of innovation, digital transformation, risk management, cyber security, M&A, ESG, audit and compensation.
As the former Chief Information Officer of Southern Company Becky led more than 2,500 employees in the delivery of technology to one of the world’s largest energy companies. She oversaw business transformation initiatives across multiple companies, increasing shareholder value through the implementation of industry leading initiatives such as smart meters, smart grid, energy trading and one of the largest Oracle implementations in the industry. During her tenure at Southern Company her team was consistently rated one of the Best Places to Work in IT by Computerworld Magazine.
In addition to her work in technology, Becky has served in leadership positions in customer service, accounting and finance, operations, communications and branding and economic development.
Becky has received numerous industry awards for innovation and leadership including top CIO in the Utility Industry by Energy Insights Magazine, one of the top CIO’s in North America by Computerworld and she was given the lifetime achievement award from Women in Technology and the Inspire CIO Leadership group.
She is the author of the best-selling book “DARE” published by Wiley in 2013 and is a frequently sought after speaker on the subjects of innovation in technology, risk taking, cyber security and leadership. She has been a community leader in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia where she has served with numerous community organizations and as the Chair of Leadership Atlanta . She has been named by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the 100 most influential Atlantans.
Becky has an MBA from Mercer University and is a graduate of the PMD program at Harvard University. She received a BBA in business from State University of West Georgia.
EVP & Chief Transformation Officer
Annie Adams is a transformational leader with a proven track record of success driving digital innovation, cultivating a high-performance culture, and leading initiatives that enhance organizational effectiveness. As EVP & Chief Transformation Officer at Norfolk Southern, a leading Fortune 500 transportation company, Adams oversaw a team of over 800 employees spanning Information Technology, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Corporate Communications, Sustainability, and Corporate Giving.
Adams orchestrated the consolidation and relocation of Norfolk Southern’s corporate headquarters to Atlanta, including leading the design and development of a state-of-the-art 750,000-square foot campus acclaimed for its innovative and sustainable design. She led comprehensive digital transformation initiatives, from streamlined customer tools and mobile solutions for 10,000+ field operations employees, to next-generation digital train inspection portals employing machine vision technology and AI to detect defects with unparalleled accuracy.
Under Adams’ leadership, corporate communications transformed into a dynamic, strategic function that significantly enhanced brand visibility and stakeholder engagement. She spearheaded the launch of a new customer-centric corporate website and a mobile communication platform for employees.
Notably, under her leadership, the team was responsible for protecting and rebuilding the company’s reputation under challenging circumstances following a highly publicized and politicized derailment, ensuring strategic and transparent communication with all stakeholders.
Adams championed sustainable business practices and initiatives, including the development of an industry-leading carbon calculator that enables customers to quantify the advantage of shipping by rail. Additionally, she oversaw the creation of a comprehensive climate transition plan.
With a decade of board experience spanning for-profit, non-profit, educational, and public-private partnership sectors, Adams currently serves on the boards of Specialty Building Products, the Woodruff Arts Center, and the Midtown Improvement District in Atlanta, GA.
Adams earned a bachelor’s in Psychology from Davidson College as well as master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Rice University. She also completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Adams has been recognized by Railway Age, International Railway Journal, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle for her influential leadership.
Founder & CEO
Yum is chief executive officer and founder of Atlanta-based Leapfrog Services, a technical services provider managing infrastructure, applications, security, compliance and cyber security to mid-sized companies and organizations throughout the United States. She’s active in the Atlanta community, currently serving as Chair of The Atlanta Federal Reserve Board, Chair of Achieve Atlanta and on the boards of TAG, Spelman College, EARTH University Foundation and the governing board of The Woodruff Arts Center, as well as on The Atlanta Committee for Progress. Past involvement includes Chair of Mary Baldwin College, The Carter Center Board of Councilors and The Georgia Conservancy, President and Chair of Atlanta Rotary Club, board membership for Leadership Atlanta, The Westminster Schools, The Sheperd Center Foundation, Tull Foundation, YPO, CEO, Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and four NYSE-listed companies.
Yum and her husband, Ross, have been married for 50 years, live in Atlanta and have three adult children and two grandchildren.
Board of Directors
L. Scott Askins brings 20+ years of C-suite experience as a senior executive and board member with expertise in scaling disruptive technology companies, driving strategy to lead organic and acquisitive growth, and international expansion. She has executed 50+ strategic deals valued in aggregate at $15B+, including as a key contributor to billion-dollar exits/valuations in the FinTech, Software-as-a-Service, and Healthcare industries. She is a trusted strategic advisor to global and early-and late-stage private and public companies.
Scott is a member of the Board of Directors of CoastalSouth Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE: COSO), a bank holding company, and Coastal States Bank, its community bank subsidiary with ~$2B in assets. She previously served on the Board of the Innovative Lending Platform Association (ILPA), the leading trade organization representing online lending companies serving small businesses. As a member of the senior executive leadership team at Kabbage – a privately-held FinTech company providing small businesses with access to cash flow management solutions – Scott performed a critical role in setting the company’s strategic goals and priorities. She advised the Board on strategic alternatives and negotiated its acquisition by American Express (NYSE: AXP) after co-leading equity and debt capital raises of $1.7B+. This included a $250M equity round from SoftBank Vision Fund and a $900M asset-backed securitization, both representing the largest in the small business online lending segment at that time. Scott navigated complex issues in Kabbage’s transformational pivot during the height of COVID to become the second-largest SBA Paycheck Protection Program lender by application volume, with ~$7B in applications supporting ~300K small businesses (preserving ~945K jobs) and outperforming some of the largest banks.
In more than a decade as a senior executive at Premiere Global Services (NYSE: PGI), a global leader in collaboration software, Scott took PGI full circle: from her first IPO as outside counsel, to leading strategic M&A and debt financings, to playing a critical role in brokering a ~$1B go-private deal. She led shareholder outreach efforts to PGI’s institutional base resulting in the settlement of an activist proxy contest and achievement of 95%+ support following a failed “say-on-pay” vote. Her extensive experience with PGI’s subsidiary-level boards across 25 countries in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC enhanced her international governance and risk oversight expertise.
Scott began her corporate career as an executive at WebMD, the leading provider of health information services, when she was brought in prior to the launch of webmd.com. She led the company’s IPO filing and strategic acquisitions, investments, and alliances valued in aggregate at $12.4B+ and completed in less than 1½ years, including WebMD’s merger with Healtheon (Nasdaq: HLTH), the largest internet transaction at that time.
Scott is a frequent speaker on topics such as corporate finance, governance, compliance, company culture, and inclusion and diversity. She received an Atlanta Business Chronicle “Corporate Counsel Dealmaker” award and was named to the The Legal 500 “GC Powerlist: U.S.”
Scott holds a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law, a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Clemson University. She and her family live in Atlanta,
Georgia.
CEO
Lillie Axelrod is a leading expert in risk and insurance with a proven track record of driving revenue growth and managing large P&Ls. As CEO of MidSouth Consulting (MSC), a division of USI, focused on large complex risks, she delivered 30% growth in top and bottom-line results over the last 5 years. Starting from nothing, Lillie grew the MSC business to be the largest single division at USI, a company with $2.5B in annual revenue. As sole P&L owner at MSC, including hiring, retention, growth, regulatory, and quality control, she drove $250M in insurance premiums, generating $26 million in fee, commission, and miscellaneous revenue which placed MSC among the 100 top insurance brokers in the U.S. Lillie currently serves on the board of K2 Insurance Services, LLC which owns diverse program administrators and underwrites over $1.5 billion in premium annually. She is also a Board Member and Investor in The Ark Project, a company developing advanced Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Machine Learning(ML) technologies and had developed expertise in the AI arena.
As Executive Vice President at Wells Fargo, Lillie grew her team’s real estate business from zero to $80M in premium over 16 years. During that time,she was appointed as leader and liaison between Wells Fargo’s National Real Estate Division and Wells Fargo Insurance to provide thought leadership in identifying and addressing the greatest challenges and generating business opportunities for the enterprise. She has a keen ability to assess risk and create unique solutions in a variety of vertical markets. Further, she has demonstrated an ability to excel within different ownership structures including privately owned (regional, roll-up, Evergreen capital structure), publicly held, PE-owned, and Bank-owned organizations.
Lillie currently serves as Chair of the Piedmont Health Care Foundation, having previously held positions as Vice Chair and Head of the Nominating and Governance Committee.
Lillie is currently on the Advisory Board for OnBoard. She is also a member of C200.
She was awarded the UGA Terry School of Business Alumni of the Year in 2016 and has won numerous sales awards. She is a sought-after speaker on Risk Management, Banking, and Women
in Business.
Previously, Lillie has held Executive Board positions with 3 schools. In addition, she served on the
UGA Board of Visitors (2017/18).
Lillie graduated summa cum laude with a B.B.A. from the University of Georgia with a major in International Business. She has two grown sons, lives in the Atlanta area and enjoys exercise and traveling in her spare time.
Kelly Barrett retired from The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) as Senior Vice President-Home Services at end of 2018. In that role, she ran and oversaw the strategy of the $5 billion Home Services division of The Home Depot, including in-home sales and installation, operations, customer contact centers, as well as contractor sourcing, onboarding and compliance. In addition, Kelly was also responsible for revenue and profitability for four Home Depot subsidiary businesses: HD Interiors, Home Renovations Services, HD Measurement Services and HD Exteriors.
Kelly joined The Home Depot in 2003 as vice president and corporate controller and held roles of increasing responsibility including, vice president of internal audit and corporate compliance. Prior to joining The Home Depot, she served as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) and as an audit manager at Arthur Andersen in Atlanta. Kelly is a Certified Public Accountant.
Kelly’s leadership and expertise extended beyond The Home Depot. She currently serves on the Board of Piedmont Office Realty Trust (NYSE: PDM), a Real Estate Investment Trust, where she is the Chair of the Board. She also serves on the Boards of The Aaron’s Company, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions, Americold Realty Trust, (NYSE: COLD), the world’s largest publicly traded REIT focused on the ownership, operation and development of temperature-controlled warehouses and EVERTEC, (NYSE: EVTC), a leading full-service transaction processing business. In addition, from 2011 to 2016, Kelly served on the Board of State Bank Financial Corporation, the publicly traded holding company for State Bank and Trust Company, one of Georgia’s best-capitalized banks. She holds both the NACD Directorship Certification and the NACD Certificate in Cyber-Risk Oversight.
A firm believer in giving back to the community, Kelly serves on the board of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta where she was formally the Chair of the Board. In 2017, she was recognized by the YMCA with their highest honor, the Bransby Christian Leadership Award and in 2010 was also recognized as a Volunteer of the Year. She has also served on the boards of The Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Partnership Against Domestic Violence and the Atlanta Rotary Club. She is currently serving on the Board of NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) where she served as Program Chair.
As a distinguished alumna, Kelly serves on the Advisory Board of Georgia Tech’s Scheller Business School where she was formally the Chair of the Board. She also serves on the Georgia Tech Board of Trustees where she is chair of the Finance Committee. Kelly graduated from Georgia Tech in 1986 with highest honors and first in her class, earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management. In April 2006, she was inducted into the Georgia Tech College of Management’s Council of Outstanding Young Alumni which recognizes alumni for their career achievements and contributions to Georgia Tech and society. In February 2023, Kelly received the Joseph Mayo Pettit Distinguished Service Award which is the highest honor bestowed to Georgia Tech alumni who have provided outstanding support of Georgia Tech and provided leadership in their chosen professions and local communities.
She and her husband Rick reside in Atlanta, Santa Rosa Beach and Highlands. She is an avid Georgia Tech sports fan and enjoys yoga, cycling and travelling.
CEO
Robin Bienfait was the chief enterprise innovation officer and senior advisor for Samsung, responsible for building strong partnerships with large global customers to deliver enterprise class services. Robin joined Samsung with over 30 years of experience in mobility, security, business development, enterprise sales, wireless network operations and engineering. As a global intrapreneur, Robin launched Samsung Business Services and advised on the B2B investment strategy. Now as CEO for Emnovate, Robin is advising and providing software solutions to emerging businesses. Prior to Samsung, Robin served as chief information officer for BlackBerry,
where she led the enterprise business unit and software development team, end to end product security, tier 3 technical customer service, global network services, corporate security and corporate IT. For the majority of her career, Robin held senior leadership positions across AT&T including Bell Labs, Global Network Services/GNOC, business continuity and disaster recovery, and compliance. As an officer at AT&T, Robin’s last role was leading global network services and chief compliance officer, environment, health and safety.
Robin holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Central Missouri State University and a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a master’s degree in management of technology. A global influencer holding 18 patents, she is the recipient of several awards and was
named as one of the top 100 CIO’s in STEM. Robin currently serves on multiple boards as an independent director, Georgia Tech Applied Research Corp, Ulabs Systems, Empower Retirement, Putnam Investments, GW Lifeco and MUFG. Robin holds a cyber security certification from NACD
Vice President and Corporate Secretary
Myra Coleman Bierria, an executive of a publicly traded company with expertise in the areas of corporate governance and securities law, is a trusted advisor with demonstrated practical and creative solutions for compliance with ever-shifting rules and regulations. She is a proven leader with success managing teams through change, particularly in the post-merger context. Ms. Bierria built her legal and corporate governance expertise over twenty years providing advice and counsel to the boards of directors and executive teams of NYSE listed Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Bierria, a successful entrepreneur and former co-franchisee of Edible Arrangements, used her legal and business experience to operate a store that was continuously top ranked for sales in both Georgia and the nation.
Ms. Bierria is currently Vice President and Corporate Secretary at the Southern Company (NYSE: SO) and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Company Charitable Foundation. Southern is a state and federally regulated leading energy company with electric and natural gas operating subsidiaries. She collaborates directly with the executive team and board of directors to ensure best in class corporate governance practices and manages shareholder services. Previously, she served as vice president and corporate secretary for AGL Resources Inc. (“AGL”) until its acquisition by the Southern Company. At AGL, she established the company’s Sarbanes-Oxley-compliant governance and disclosure programs and counseled senior management and the board of directors on securities law and other corporate and transactional matters. Prior to joining Southern, Ms. Bierria was an associate attorney at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP in New York, where she specialized in securities offerings, venture capital transactions, and mergers and acquisitions.
Ms. Bierria is an independent board member, where she chairs the Sustainability committee and serves on the Audit and Governance committees of Evolution Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: EPM), an independent energy company that owns and invests in oil and natural gas properties. She brings to board service her energy industry, legal, corporate governance, strategic planning, and business experience along with her proven executive leadership skills.
In 2023, Ms. Bierria was elected as a fellow of The American College of Governance Counsel. She is a 2023-2024 fellow of the International Women’s Forum. She served as president of the Society of Governance Professionals, chaired the board of directors of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, and chaired the Development Committee of the board of trustees of the Fernbank Natural History Museum.
She received her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley. She is admitted to the New York Bar.
CEO
Jill Campbell is an insightful and strategic executive with extensive Operations and Human Resources experience obtained during her career with Cox Enterprises where her last role was President and Chief People and Operations Officer. In that role, she led a five-year effort to create “One Employee Experience” across three separate divisions and 50,000 employees who drive over $20B in revenue. This effort included the use of design thinking and the best talent across three divisions to map out over 25 different milestones on the journey from onboarding to leaving the company, to drive a best-in-class employee experience. This project included the creation of a common career framework that leveled skillsets and compensation across all divisions. She brings to board service extensive operations experience and an uncanny insight into what drives high performance behavior across large populations. She currently serves as an independent Director on the Board of Georgia Power.
While Chief Operations Officer of Cox Communications, Jill streamlined the company and made it more competitive by consolidating 18 different cable companies into three regions with a single headquarters function including marketing, HR and accounting. Further she transitioned 18 call centers into 9 with each region having a call center focused on Sales, Customer Service and Billing. Throughout this change she led with transparency and a focus on the human elements required to create a community of employees that was motivated and actively engaged in the business.
In April 2017, Jill was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. In 2015 she was ranked number two in CableFax’s Most Powerful Women in Cable. In 2008 she was honored by Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) as its National Woman of the Year. Throughout her career she has served on multiple non-profit boards including United Way, Boys and Girls Club of America, YMCA and the Woodruff Arts Center. She currently serves on the Women’s International Forum Board and is treasurer of the Art Farm of Serenbe Board.
In 2020 Jill was honored as Alumni of the Year from her alma mater, University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she earned her Bachelors of Arts in Sociology. She went on to receive her Masters in Business Administration from Oklahoma City University. Jill is married with three children and two granddaughters. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, scuba diving and spending time with family and friends.
Sarah Butterfass is the Chief Product Officer of FanDuel Group, an innovative sports-tech entertainment company that is changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams, and leagues. FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, advance-deposit wagering, and television.
Sarah brings more than 20 years of experience spearheading and executing product strategies, leading product organizations, and overseeing new product launches with a focus on customer engagement. She most recently served as Chief Product Officer at Groupon, where she oversaw the company’s global product
organization in developing the future of the Groupon experience for consumers and businesses across all channels.
Before joining Groupon, Sarah was Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Experience at E*Trade. Prior to that, she held a variety of leadership roles at Orbitz. Sarah also serves as an independent director at NETGEAR.
President & CEO
Elizabeth W. Camp is President and Chief Executive Officer of DF Management, Inc., a private investment and commercial real estate management company, a position she has held since 2000. Previously, Ms. Camp served in various capacities, including President and Chief Executive Officer, of Camp Oil Company for 16 years. Before its sale in 2000, Camp Oil developed and operated convenience stores, truck stops and restaurants in nine states. Ms. Camp’s background also includes experience as a tax accountant with a major accounting firm and an attorney in law firms in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Ms. Camp holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a law degree from the University of Georgia, as well as a master’s degree in taxation from Georgetown Law Center. Ms. Camp is a current director or trustee on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Woodruff Arts Foundation, University of Georgia Foundation, the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and the Boy Scouts of America, Atlanta Area Council. Ms. Camp stepped down as Synovus Financial Corp.’s Lead Director and the chairman of its Nominating Governance Committee in 2023. She is an independent member of the board of directors of Genuine Parts Company, a public company engaged in the distribution of automotive replacement parts, industrial replacement parts, office products and electrical/electronic materials, where she serves on its audit committee. Ms. Camp is also an independent director on the board of Intelligent Systems Corp, a public technology company.
EVP & Chief Administrative Officer
Audra is a senior real estate executive who transitioned into tenant representation following a 23-year career in telecommunications including time with BellSouth and Earthlink. She performed in several management roles, including call center management, marketing, product management and national special projects.
Audra has worked in tenant representation with JLL, CBRE and Newmark between Atlanta and Washington DC. She represents law firms, non-profits, corporations and government contractors between Atlanta and Washington DC. Prior to joining T. Dallas Smith & Company, Audra worked with Physician’s Realty Trust, where she was responsible for leasing over three and half million square feet of medical office space throughout the southeast.
Audra is currently the Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer at T. Dallas Smith & Company. She is the firms first female executive in the firm’s history. Audra is committed to diversifying the commercial real estate industry mentoring and coaching young people in the CRE industry. Audra is on the board of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Fort Mac LRA, Midtown Alliance, Council for Quality Growth, Project REAP and the CoreNet Atlanta Chapter. Audra is also a Board Director with SmartPath headquartered in Atlanta. She enjoys golf, reading, travel and spending time with her family.
Teresa M. Finley is the former Chief Marketing & Business Services Officer and member of the Executive Leadership Team for UPS. Teresa’s prior roles included CFO for several business units, and Corporate Controller & Treasurer. Upon retiring from UPS, Teresa joined Boston Consulting Group as a Senior Advisor. Today, she serves as a board of Director for Union Pacific Corporation. She previously served as a Director for TriMas Corporation, Assurance America, and Pilot Freight Services. Teresa is currently a trustee of the Board at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and a board member of The Annie E. Casey Foundation where she chairs the investment committee. She is president of Phoenix Irish Arts of Atlanta, a non-profit organisation that promotes Irish culture through a music and dance school and an annual Irish festival.
Board of Directors
Lori George currently serves as an independent director on the boards of Shake Shack and Coca-Cola Bottling Company, UNITED (CCBCU). She chairs Shake Shack’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and serves on its Compensation Committee. She sits on CCBCU’s Audit Committee. She previously served on the board of Pioneer Natural Resources prior to its acquisition by ExxonMobil in May 2024. She served on its Health, Safety and Environment and Compensation and Leadership Development Committees.
She is the former Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer for The Coca-Cola Company. During her tenure, Coca-Cola set bold public goals, including being 50% led by women and mirroring its markets by 2030, built a more inclusive culture, launched the first-ever global pay equity analysis, and tied executive pay to progress on DEI. She was with the company for 20 years, having spent most of them in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility within public affairs and communications. Prior to leading DEI, she led community and stakeholder relations for its North America operations.
Lori has 40 years of public affairs, global issues communications, shareowner affairs, community giving, stakeholder engagement, social impact, public relations, media relations, and DEI expertise. Prior to Coca-Cola, she led her own public relations consultancy, was a vice president at Porter/Novelli, a top public relations agency, a senior public affairs specialist for the District of Columbia government and served as a faculty member for three colleges and universities.
An internationally recognized, in-demand speaker and advocate for diverse leadership, Lori has served on more than 20 corporate, nonprofit, and government boards, including the NAACP Foundation (current), Arete Executive Women of Influence (current), Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (former chair), United Way of Greater Atlanta, and The Coca-Cola Foundation.
She is a faculty member of the National Association of Corporate Director’s Board Advisory Services, Co-Chair of the Executive Leadership Council’s Advocacy Committee, member of OnBoard’s Advisory Council, International Women’s Forum, Extraordinary Women on Boards, Black Women on Boards, Rotary Club of Atlanta, and Leadership Atlanta.
Among her numerous awards are the Chairman’s Circle Leadership Award from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Order of the Phoenix Award, Georgia PRSA Hall of Fame Inductee, Alumni Award for Distinguished Postgraduate Achievement from Howard University, Atlanta Business League’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence, and the Academy of Women Achievers’ YWCA of Greater Atlanta.
Lori is a graduate of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Director’s Consortium and Harvard Business School’s Executive Leadership Experience Program. She holds a B.A. in Public Relations from Howard University and an M.A. in Public Communications from American University. Based in Atlanta, she is an ordained minister, enthusiastic mentor, and avid traveler.
Chief Human Resources Officer
Chief Human Resources Officer
Board Expertise: Global Human Resources Strategy, Talent & Succession Risk Management
Patrice is a strategic business leader who drives innovative HR solutions that support business success. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated the ability to implement positive outcomes in diverse industries such as: technology and services, aerospace & defense, engineering, commerce, manufacturing, and insurance. Patrice works collaboratively across stakeholder groups including Executive Teams, the Board of Directors and employee groups to build strategies that enable profitability and growth. Patrice brings to board service, strengths in global HR strategy, Talent & Succession Risk Management.
Patrice is highly skilled in all disciplines of HR, however, her strengths in Talent Risk Management, Succession Planning and Compensation strategies are critical for businesses that are working to ensure retention and continuity of talent. In her most recent role as Chief Human Resources Officer at NCR, Patrice provided leadership for over 38,000 global employees. She orchestrated a complete reversal of shareholder Say on Pay and improved shareholder support from 15% approval to 84% in one year – with a more effective mix of long-term incentives, performance metrics, and retention components. She developed and launched a structured process for ensuring awareness and retention of succession candidates, critical roles, and talent gaps. Recent wins also include leadership for the integration of a 2,000-person acquisition, and the implementation of cost reductions strategies that led to $50M margin expansion. Under her guidance, the business also improved decision making by leveraging data and analytics to understand business execution risks.
Community engagement is important to Patrice. She is an advocate for the Westside Future Fund, which focuses on rebuilding a once prosperous area during the Civil Rights Movement. She is also a member of the 2023 American Heart Association: Go Red For Women Circle of Red Event. Patrice currently serves as a member of the INROADS National Board of Directors. Patrice combines critical Human Resources and business skills to help achieve their mission of supporting under-represented talent while closing the wealth gap. Because of her success in driving effective HR Solutions to business challenges, the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recognized Patrice in 2022 for Leading Transformational Culture Change.
Patrice has a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University Kelley School of Business and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University of Chicago. Patrice is a devoted wife and mother of two teenagers. She lives with her family in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kim Greene was named chairman, president and chief executive officer of Georgia Power in 2023. She leads Georgia Power in serving its 2.7 million customers across the state. The company is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s leading energy providers. Greene is a strong voice in the energy sector,
especially on issues related to safety, emerging technologies, innovation and STEM-related education. She is a respected thought leader and advocate for the future of energy – from national energy policy to the overall customer experience.
Prior to her current position, Greene served for five years as chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company Gas. In this role, she ensured the delivery of clean, safe, reliable and affordable natural gas to more than 4.3 million utility customers in Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia, and to over 600,000 retail gas customers served by SouthStar Energy Services in 10 states. In addition, she oversaw the nonutility businesses that deliver value through energy-related products and services, wholesale gas services and gas midstream operations, including
gas pipeline investments and storage and fuels.
From 2014 to 2018, Greene served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Southern Company, where she was responsible for systemwide operations including generation, transmission, engineering & construction services, commercial operations and fuels, system planning, environmental affairs, and research &
development. Additionally, she was responsible for Southern Power, which owns and operates more than 12,000 MW of generating capacity in 15 states, and Southern Wholesale Energy, which markets the retail operating companies’ surplus generating capacity to the wholesale market.
Greene began her career at Southern Company in 1991 as an engineer designing equipment for fossil and nuclear power generation stations. She spent eight years
at Southern Company subsidiary Southern Energy Inc., now NRG, working in finance, structuring, trading and asset management. She later spent four years leading
Southern Company’s investor relations, corporate finance, financial planning, treasury and risk management groups as senior vice president of finance and treasurer.
In 2007, she joined the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which provides electricity for 153 local power companies serving 10 million people in Tennessee and parts of
six surrounding states, as well as directly to 58 large industrial customers and federal installations. She spent five years serving in executive roles at TVA, including
chief financial officer; group president, strategy and external relations; and chief generation officer.
Upon returning to Southern Company in 2013, Greene assumed the role of president and chief executive officer of Southern Company Services, where she was
responsible for the company’s shared services business units, including information technology, human resources, supply chain, marketing services, as well as wireless
telecommunications provider, Southern Linc, and wholesale fiber optic network provider, Southern Telecom.
Greene currently serves on the Board of Directors for Valero Energy Corporation and Metro Atlanta Chamber and on the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Research
Alliance and Morehouse School of Medicine. Previously, she served on the Boards of the American Gas Association and the Electric Power Research Institute, serving
as chairman of both organizations, Gas Technology Institute and Energy Insurance Mutual. Greene is also a member of The Atlanta Rotary Club.
A strong advocate for STEM education, Greene has served on the board of advisors for the University of Tennessee Tickle College of Engineering, the University of
Tennessee Department of Finance, Advisor and Practitioner Scholar for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Master’s Degree in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management and advisor for FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) – a robotics program whose mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders.
Most recently, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Greene as one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs. In 2022, she was awarded EEI’s inaugural Thomas F. Farrell, II
Safety Leadership and Innovation Award by her industry peers for her significant contributions to improving safety in the utility industry. She is a member of the
State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, a recipient of the University of Tennessee’s Distinguished Alumna Award and the University of Tennessee’s Nathan W. Dougherty Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed by the College of Engineering. She was also named POWER-GEN’s 2015 Woman of the Year.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Greene earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering science and mechanics from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree in
biomedical engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s degree in business administration from Samford University in Birmingham,
Alabama. Greene also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Hala Moddelmog is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Woodruff Arts Center. Moddelmog has spent 30 years in president and CEO roles and has served as a corporate director for four NYSE companies and a Carlyle Group private portfolio company board. Her career has been spent almost entirely in Atlanta.
Moddelmog became the Arts Center CEO in September 2020 after serving for six years as the first female President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, where she represented more than 15 Fortune 500 companies in the country’s eighth largest metro. Prior to that role, Moddelmog was President of Atlanta-based Arby’s Restaurant Group, then a division of the Wendy’s Arby’s group, where she dramatically improved the company’s financial performance, tripling net income.
Previously, Moddelmog served as President and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization. Under her leadership, Komen achieved its first 4-Star Charity Navigator rating. From 1995–2004, Moddelmog served as the first female president of an international QSR chain at Church’s Chicken, leading the brand through a complete transformation.
Moddelmog has spent nearly a decade serving in volunteer leadership at the Arts Center. She served on the Woodruff Arts Center Board of Trustees from 2011–2017 and has served on the Woodruff Governing Board since 2017. Concurrently she also served on the Alliance Theatre Board of Directors from 2011–2020 and led the Alliance Theatre Board as co-chair from 2017–2019.
Moddelmog currently serves as a director on the boards of FleetCor Technologies (NYSE:FLT) and Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW). Her service in Atlanta’s nonprofit community currently includes the Board of Trustees of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and on the Executive Committee of Midtown Alliance.
Moddelmog lives in Ansley Park with her husband, Steve. They have two adult children, two sons-in-law, a granddaughter, and a grandson.
Phoebe Wood is CEO and Co-Founder of KirtleyWood, a board advisory firm that works with boards and directors to increase their effectiveness. She is also Principal of CompaniesWood, a firm that specializes in advising and investing in early-stage companies.
Ms. Wood was Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Brown-Forman Corporation before her retirement. She had responsibility for corporate development, controllership, treasury, investor relations, tax, information technology, and internal audit. Prior to that, she spent almost 24 years at Atlantic Richfield Company (now BP) in financial management. She lived in England for five years during her tenure there.
Ms. Wood is member of the Board of Directors of Invesco, Ltd., Leggett & Platt, Inc., and PPL Corporation. She currently chairs a nominating and governance committee and two audit committees. She also previously served on the boards of Pioneer Natural Resources Co., Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. and OshKosh B’Gosh, Inc.
Ms. Wood is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Gheens Foundation and Chairman of the Board of The American Printing House for the Blind, which opens the most inclusive museum, The Dot Experience, this fall. She is a Trustee emerita of Smith College, her alma mater. She has an MBA from UCLA and was named one of 100 Inspirational Alumni of the Anderson School of Management. She is a member of NACD, Extraordinary Women on Boards, International Women’s Forum, Women Corporate Directors and the Committee of 200. She was named to the NACD Directorship 100 for 2018, and to the Junior Achievement Kentuckiana Hall of Fame. She is the co-founder of Women of Color and White Women Against Racism.
She has two daughters and lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, provides a valuable combination of experience at the highest levels of patient care and medical research, as well as organizational management and public health policy. Marrying her transformational leadership acumen and strategic thinking to tackle challenging management issues, she has a track record of redesigning complex organizations’ infrastructures to reflect the needs of evolving strategic environments and position the organization for success through sustainability tactics.
The sixth president of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and the first woman to lead the freestanding medical institution, Montgomery Rice serves as both the president and CEO. A renowned infertility specialist and researcher, she most recently served as dean and executive vice president of MSM, where she has served since 2011.
Prior to joining MSM, Montgomery Rice held faculty positions and leadership roles at various health centers, including academic health centers. Most notably, she was the founding director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College, one of the nation’s first research centers devoted to studying diseases that disproportionately impact women of color.
Dedicated to the creation and advancement of health equity, Montgomery Rice lends her vast experience and talents to programs that enhance pipeline opportunities for academically diverse learners, diversifies the physician and scientific workforce, and fosters equity in health care access and health outcomes. To this end, she holds memberships in various organizations and participates on a number of boards, such as the following: member, National Academy of Medicine, the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Deans, and the Horatio Alger Association and board of directors for The Metro Atlanta Chamber, Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, The Nemours Foundation, UnitedHealth Group, Westside Future Fund, Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, Headspace, Wellpath and CARE.
Montgomery Rice has received numerous accolades and honors. She was named to the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans and received the 2017 Horatio Alger Award. For three consecutive years (2016-2018) Georgia Trend Magazine selected Montgomery Rice as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians. Other honors include the following: The Dean Griffin Community Service Award from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Girls Inc. 2019 Smart Award, The National Medical Association OB/GYN 2019 Legend of the Section Award, The Turknett Leadership Character Award (2018), Visions of Excellence Award, Atlanta Business League (2018), Links Incorporated Co-Founders Award (2018), Trumpet Vanguard Award (2015), The Dorothy I. Height Crystal Stair Award (2014), National Coalition of 100 Black Women – Women of Impact (2014), YWCA – Women of Achievement of Atlanta-(2014) and Nashville(2007), American Medical Women’s Association Elizabeth Blackwell Medal (2011) and Working Mother Media Multicultural Women’s Legacy Award (2011).
A Georgia native, Montgomery Rice holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a medical degree from Harvard Medical School, an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Rush University. All reflect her lifetime commitment to education, service, and the advancement of health equity. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University School of Medicine and her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Hutzel Hospital.
Montgomery Rice is married to her fellow Georgia Institute of Technology alumnus, Melvin Rice Jr., and they have two children: Jayne and Melvin III.
President
Jana leads the Global Payments Solutions group. Jana has a background that includes extensive experience in payments, consumer data, and consumer experience. Additionally, she has experience in sales and marketing that equips her to lead the fast-growing Quisitive Payments Solutions group. She is responsible for strategic payments initiatives, including full commercialization of our cloud-based payments processing and Payments IntelligenceTM platform, PayiQ, along with the ongoing management of BankCard USA, and the build-out of our merchant services group. Jana holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology from Colorado State University and completed Advanced Programs of Disruptive Innovation and Fintech Revolution at Harvard Business School and The Wharton Business School, respectively.
Chief Executive Officer
Alyssa Steele is the Chief Executive Officer of Rugs USA, an eCommerce industry leader in area rugs and home décor. Before joining Rugs USA, she served in multiple leadership positions at HD Supply, including Chief Merchandising Officer, Chief Customer Officer, and Chief Commercial Officer. Alyssa’s background also includes leadership roles with EBAY and The Home Depot.
Alyssa is a board member for Beazer Homes, one of the country’s largest homebuilders. She serves on its audit and finance and development committees.
Alyssa holds two Master’s Degrees. She has an MBA in International Business from the Robinson School of Business at Georgia State University and a Master’s Degree in International Management from IAE France, Écoles Universitaires de Management, Paris. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in French from Presbyterian College.
Bentina Chisolm Terry leads Southern Company’s telecommunications subsidiaries Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, Inc. which focus on providing mission critical LTE wireless and dark-fiber networks and services to electric utilities, businesses and public sector agencies.
Bentina has a track record of delivering transformational solutions that create value. She leverages her extensive legal and regulatory expertise, her relationship orientation and her business knowledge to produce outcomes that benefit both customers and the company.
A versatile and strategic leader, Bentina serves on several boards of directors. She is a board member of Mueller Water Products (NYSE: MWA), where she is part of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and the Environment, Health and Safety Committee. Additionally, she serves on the boards of the International Women’s Forum, Leadership Atlanta, and two wireless industry associations—CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association. She is also Chair of the Foundation Board for North Carolina State University.
Terry came to Southern Linc and Southern Telecom from Georgia Power where she served as senior vice president of Customer Strategy and Solutions. She joined Georgia Power in 2001 and during her career, held roles of increasing responsibility in External Affairs, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Community and Economic Development, Corporate Communication, Sales and Marketing, Customer Service, Compliance and Ethics, Corporate Services and Power Delivery at Gulf Power (now Florida Power & Light), Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear, where she served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.
For several consecutive years, Bentina has been recognized as one of Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Influential Atlantans and one of Atlanta Business League’s 100 Most Influential Women. In 2024, she was named a Woman of Influence by Atlanta Business Chronicle. In 2022 she was honored with the United Negro College Fund’s Billye Suber Aaron award and in 2020 she was named one the the Greater Atlanta YWCA’ Women of Achievement.
Bentina is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the Georgia State Bar, Leadership Atlanta, Leadership North Carolina, Leadership Florida, the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the International Women’s Forum, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and The Links, Incorporated. She is a founding member of Extraordinary Women on Boards (EWOB) organization.
CEO
Carol B. Tomé is the Chief Executive Officer of UPS. She is the 12th CEO in the 116-year history of the company.
Before joining UPS, Carol served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Home Depot, Inc., one of the world’s largest retailers. She joined the company in 1995 as Vice President and Treasurer.
Carol began her career as a commercial lender with United Bank of Denver (now Wells Fargo) and then spent several years as Director of Banking for Johns-Mansville Corporation. Prior to joining The Home Depot, Carol was Vice President and Treasurer of Riverwood International Corporation.
Carol serves as board member for Verizon Communications, Inc., board of councilors for the Carter Center and is a board trustee for Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. She is also a member of The Committee of 200, The Buckhead Coalition, and The Business Council.
A native of Jackson, Wyoming, Carol holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Wyoming and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Denver.
Kathy Waller is the Executive Director for the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP). ACP was founded in 2003 and their mission is to provide leadership on the key issues important to economic growth and inclusion for all citizens in the City of Atlanta.
Waller retired in March 2019 after 32 years with The Coca-Cola Company where she was the Chief Financial Officer and President, Enabling Services. In these roles, Waller led the company’s global finance, technical and shared services organizations, and represented the company to investors, lenders, and rating agencies. Waller also serves as a Board member for Delta Airlines, CGI Group, Cadence Bancorporation and Beyond Meat.
As CFO, she led the M&A, Investor Relations, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Account & Controls, Reporting & Analytics, Real Estate and Risk Management sectors of the business. As President of Enabling Services, Waller had responsibility for other key governance areas specifically Global Technical and Integrated Services. The Integrated Services organization provides global operational support in areas of Financial Services, Associate Services and Supplier Services.
In addition to her c-suite role, Waller was the founding chair of The Coca-Cola Company’s Women’s Leadership Council.
Along with her public board responsibilities, Waller is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Spelman College, The University of Rochester, The Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Achieve Atlanta, The Woodruff Arts Center, The Atlanta History Center and Exco Leadership.
Waller holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a master’s in business administration from the University of Rochester and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Alicia is an innovative, assertive, and high-performing leader known for being approachable and easy to connect with. She excels at combining strategic planning, analytical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills with exceptional finance expertise. Alicia consistently contributes to enhancing bottom-line efficiency, performance, processes, and profit improvements. She thrives in collaborative and team-oriented environments.
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
As IEX Group’s first Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Marija Zivanovic-Smith leads the company’s strategic marketing, brand and communications function to strengthen the brand and incorporate digital tools that drive growth for IEX’s exchange and technology businesses as IEX enters the digital asset space.
A seasoned technology executive whose experience spans from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, Zivanovic-Smith most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer at NCR where she helped transform its 138-year-old brand reputation, built digital and growth marketing strategies, orchestrated the company’s entrance into new markets and business lines, and led the company’s award-winning COVID-19 global pandemic response task force.
Outside of work, Marija is passionate about her community and financial inclusion. She served as a White House appointee to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council as the U.S. business representative, currently serves on the board of directors for Kashat, Egypt’s first nano financial services provider, and is a thought leader with Forbes as an advisory member on the Forbes Communications Council. She received the Serbian Medal of Honor for her positive impact on the Serbian economy, has been named a Gold Stevie Award Female Executive of the Year three times, and has been named a Ragan Top Women in Communications honoree twice.
Marija is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, is fluent in English and Serbian, and proficient in Italian. She resides outside Washington DC with her husband and their two daughters.
Board Member and Visionary CEO
Select Board Experience
Opportunity International – Leading Microfinance organization focused on ending global
poverty by lending $1B and creating 20 million jobs
Fertility Authority – First mover in fertility treatment, sold to Kleiner Perkins
Prime Point Media – Nationwide advertising network sold to Canadian Public Company
Alpha Insulation – Leading building services company sold to NYSE Building services company
Enrev – Innovative battery charging company sold to private investors
CSI Labs – Led restructuring at a national laboratory that specializes in quality comprehensive
cancer diagnostics, sold two years later
The Players Lounge – Board Chair for the first mover in NIL space led by UGA athletes, closed
funding led by Tim Draper, and signed contracts with major universities
Accscient Digital – Outside Board Director working with Private Equity and management
team to diversify and grow the business
ACG– Organization focused on increasing stakeholder value in the middle market companies
Karen Robinson Cope is a visionary, inspirational, and results-oriented leader who works with boards and management teams to deliver extraordinary results.
As evidenced by her successes as a CEO of multiple early-stage, fast-growth companies and numerous boards, she can identify a new market opportunity and then develop a clear strategy to become a market leader quickly. She is a decisive leader who is not afraid to take risks, appropriately utilize strategic partners, and develop sound financial metrics to keep new initiatives on track. She has been recognized numerous times over the last twenty years by multiple organizations for her excellent leadership skills.
In various industries and companies, Karen has joined an existing leadership team or board where she has helped develop a vision, recruited star performers, and worked with the management team to execute a bold strategy that resulted in market leadership and strong financial performance.
She has been incredibly successful at developing new business models and building category-leading companies. She is industry agnostic as her CEO and board experience encompasses companies in a wide range of established and emerging industries. Karen holds a BS in Political Science and Economics from the University of Redlands. She has been recognized numerous times as Entrepreneur of the Year, Women of Influence, Woman of the Year in Georgia, Top 20 Women in Wireless, and many more from organizations including E&Y, Mercer University, Wireless, Catalyst, State of Georgia and Technology Association of Georgia. She is a well-known speaker who inspires audiences with her conversations around entrepreneurship, leadership, restructuring, motivation, and how to bounce back from failure.
In her spare time, Karen and her husband Rick, also a serial entrepreneur, love to travel internationally with a special love for Africa, Asia, and South America. Their daughter, Alex, is completing her final year at Elon University and enjoys traveling as a family.
Member of the Board
Rosalind (Roz) Brewer most recently served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Prior, Ms. Brewer served as Chief Operating Officer and Group President at Starbucks from October 2017 to January 2021. Prior to Starbucks, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sam’s Club, a membership-only retail warehouse club and division of Walmart, Inc., from February 2012 to February 2017. Ms. Brewer previously held several executive leadership positions with Walmart beginning in 2006.
Prior to joining Walmart, she served as Group President of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a global health and hygiene products company, from 2004 to 2006, and held various management positions at Kimberly-Clark beginning in 1984.
She was recently appointed to the United Airlines Board of Directors, and serves as member of the board of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture. Ms. Brewer is also chair emerita at Spelman College, where she performed her undergraduate work and Trustee Emerita of the Westminster Schools in Atlanta.
Ms. Brewer formerly served on the board of directors of Starbucks Coffee Company, Amazon.com, Lockheed Martin Corporation and Molson Coors Brewing Company. She ranked #7 on Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 2022 and was named one of the 25 most influential women by the Financial Times in 2021.
