Faculty
Led by Directors, For Directors
Covering Complex Topics from the Perspective of the Boardroom
Our faculty members are uniquely qualified to help boards come to grips with complex governance topics. They are all sitting directors and former C-suite executives who are leading experts in their fields.
Of course, they know governance topics inside and out, having worked with hundreds of boards. As active directors, they understand the nuances of the boardroom and can pinpoint aspects of a topic that unequivocally intersect with the board’s responsibilities. This faculty knowledge and experience keeps directors out of the weeds and focused on the actionable information needed to make sound decisions in the boardroom.
NACD faculty members like these embody the difference between theory and practical boardroom experience:
Paula Cholmondeley
Cholmondeley is a trustee and chair of the audit committee for Nationwide Mutual Funds. She serves on the boards of Terex Corp., Bank of the Ozarks, and Kapstone Paper and Packaging. She is a former director of Dentsply International, Ultralife Inc., and Albany International, and has held key roles with Sappi North America and Owings Corning.
Gerry Czarnecki
Czarnecki is chair and CEO of The Deltennium Group Inc., a consulting firm focused on marketing strategy and governance. He serves on the boards of ECO Building Products, Jack Cooper Enterprises, and RFD & Associates. He has held directorship and C-suite positions in the financial services, insurance, banking, aviation, and retail marketing industries.
The Hon. Cari Dominguez
Dominguez is vice chair and lead independent director of Triple-S Management Corp., trustee and director for the Calvert Funds, corporate director of Manpower Group, and president of the International Women’s Forum. She served as the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair and has held numerous senior human resources positions.
Michele J. Hooper
Hooper serves on the boards of PPG Industries, United Continental Holdings, and UnitedHealth Group. She is the founder of The Directors’ Council, which strives to improve board independence and effectiveness. Earlier in her career, Hooper was a pharmaceutical executive and served on high-profile boards in the health, entertainment, and retail industries.
D’Anne Hurd
Hurd serves on the board of Eileen Fisher Inc. Hurd also chairs the board of Monzite Corp., sits on the audit committee of Pax World Funds and Pax Ellevate Funds, chairs the audit committee of Peckham Industries Inc., and is a director of Camp Dudley. Hurd has served on the boards of public companies in the technology, pharmaceutical, and defense industries.
James Lam
Lam is the president of James Lam & Associates and a director of E*TRADE Financial Corp., where he chairs the risk oversight committee and serves on the audit committee. He is also a director of RiskLens. He previously served as president of ERisk, partner with Oliver Wyman, chief risk officer of Fidelity Investments, and chief risk officer of GE Capital Markets Services.
Mary Beth Vitale
Vitale serves on the boards of CoBiz Financial Inc. and GEHA Inc., where she chairs the governance committee and serves on the risk committee, respectively. Formerly, she was lead director of Eyeris Inc., director of Zynex Inc., chair and CEO of Westwind Media Inc., president and COO of RMI Inc., and president and corporate officer of AT&T Inc.
Jennifer Wolfe
Wolfe is the CEO of Dot Brand 360, a digital consulting agency, and is a co-managing partner of Wolfe—SBMC, an intellectual property law firm. Wolfe has served on the Pub Group Investments board and Generic Names Supporting Organization Council, as well as various technology start-ups. She was president and chair of the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association.
This is just a sample of NACD's faculty, which comprises more than 40 sitting directors and subject-matter experts. Faculty members are matched to programs based on many factors, such as their boardroom experience, industry expertise, and the scope of the customized advisory engagement.