Alexis M. Herman, Chair & CEO, New Ventures, LLC
Boards: The Coca-Cola Company, Cummins Inc., Entergy Corporation
Herman sits on the boards of The Coca-Cola Company, Cummins Inc., and Entergy Corporation. Prior to New Ventures, she was the first African American ever to lead the United States Department of Labor, when she was sworn in as the 23rd Secretary of Labor in 1997. She was appointed to Cummins board of directors in 2001, and she is now the lead director. Additionally, she sits on the audit committee, compensation committee, and the governance and nominating committee. Her public service experience and leadership led to her appointment at Entergy, where she is chair of corporate governance committee and a member of the personnel committee. At Coca-Cola, she serves on the compensation committee and the public issues and diversity review committee.
Linda A. Hill, Wallace Brett Donham Professor, Harvard Business School
Boards: Eaton Corporation PLC, State Street Corporation
At Eaton Corporation PLC, Hill was tapped for her extensive and diverse background at Harvard Business School. In addition to being the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration, she has chaired numerous HBS executive education programs. At Eaton, she is a member of the compensation and organization committee and a member of the governance committee. At State Street Corporation, she serves on the executive compensation, nominating and corporate governance, and technology committees.
Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments, LLC
Boards: Starbucks Corporation, Estee Lauder Companies
In addition to her role at Ariel Investments where she is responsible for firm-wide management and strategic planning, Hobson is a nationally acclaimed voice on financial literacy and investor education. Her expertise has led to her board appointments at Starbucks Corporation, where she chairs the audit and compliance committee. At Estee Lauder Companies, she sits on the audit committee. In 2015, she was included in Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Michelle J. Hooper, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Directors’ Council
Boards: PPG Industries Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc.
Michelle Hooper sits on the boards of PPG Industries Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc. At PPG, her financial experience has led to her role as chair of the audit committee and as a member of the nominating and governance committee. She was chosen for UnitedHealth’s board because of her strategic management skills, running a company that works with corporate boards to increase their independence, effectiveness, and diversity. There she serves on the audit committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee.
Shirley A. Jackson, Ph.D, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Boards: FedEx Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation, Medtronic PLC, Public Service Enterprise Group
Dr. Shirley Jackson is in high demand for corporate boards. It’s no surprise, given the physicist’s list of accomplishments, including research that led to inventions of solar cells, the touch-tone telephone, and fiber optic cables. She currently sits on four boards– FedEx Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation, Medtronic PLC, and Public Service Enterprise Group. At IBM, she is chair of directors and the corporate governance committee, and she is a member of the executive committee. At Medtronic, she chairs the audit committee and also sits on the nominating and corporate governance committee.
Donna A. James, Managing Director, Lardon & Associates, LLC
Boards: Boston Scientific Corporation, L Brands Inc., Marathon Petroleum
James’ leadership experience spans more than 30 years and landed her on the boards of Boston Scientific Corporation, L Brands Inc., and Marathon Petroleum Corporation. When she was elected to Boston Scientific’s board in 2015, it was because of her significant financial knowledge, her human resources management skills, and her organizational planning skills. Those same skills aid the boards of L Brands, where she is chairman of the audit committee, a member of nominating and governance committee, and a member of the inclusion committee. At Marathon Petroleum, she serves on the audit and compensation committees.