Featured Speakers

Opening General Session Keynote Speaker

Condoleezza Rice
66th Secretary of State of the United States

Condoleezza Rice is a professor of political science at Stanford University and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution. From January 2005 to 2009, she served as the 66th secretary of state of the United States. Before serving as America's chief diplomat, she served as assistant to the president for national security affairs (national security advisor) from January 2001 to 2005.

Rice has served on several local and national boards of foundations and charitable organizations. She currently serves as a member of the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In addition, she is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Tuesday General Session Keynote Speaker

Malcolm Gladwell
Best-Selling Author of Blink, The Tipping Point and Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell has an incomparable gift for interpreting new ideas in the social sciences and making them understandable, practical and valuable to business and general audiences alike. He's become so successful at this that, in 2005, Time Magazine named Malcolm one of its 100 Most Influential People.

Malcolm is a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine and has three New York Times #1 bestsellers, Outliers, The Tipping Point and Blink. His editor describes his work as a new genre of story, an idea-driven narrative that's focused on the everyday and combines research with material that's more personal, social and historical. He now has another bestseller, What the Dog Saw, a compilation of essays from his writings in The New Yorker.

President’s Breakfast for Finance Leaders

Karen Finerman
CNBC’s "Fast Money" Contributor

Karen Finerman has been President of Metropolitan Capital Advisors, Inc. since 1992 when she co-founded the firm. Prior to June 1992, she was the Lead Research Analyst for the Risk Arbitrage department at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation. Karen received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1987 with a concentration in Finance.

Karen is on the board of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and is also a Trustee of the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y. where she serves on their Investment Committee.

Certification Luncheon

Jami Miscik,
Vice Chairman and President, Kissinger Associates

Jami Miscik is Vice Chairman and President of Kissinger Associates. She previously served as global head of sovereign risk at Lehman Brothers from 2005 to 2008. Miscik had a distinguished 20-year career in intelligence, ultimately serving as the Central Intelligence Agency’s Deputy Director for Intelligence from 2002 to 2005. She also served as director for intelligence programs at the National Security Council from 1995 to 1996. Miscik is the recipient of the Director of Central Intelligence’s Director’s Medal, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Defense Intelligence Agency Director’s Medal and has twice received the Intelligence Commendation Medal. She serves on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Ditchley Foundation and the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), and recently co-headed the Obama transition team for the intelligence community. She received a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree from the University of Denver.

Featured Speakers:

Alan S. Blinder, PhD
Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Princeton University
Former Vice Chairman, Federal Reserve

Alan Blinder is a Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University and Co-Director of Princeton’s Center for Economic Policy Studies, which he founded in 1990. He is also Vice Chairman of the Promontory Inter-financial Network. He has served on the Princeton faculty since 1971, taking time off for service in the U.S. government - first as a member of President Clinton’s original Council of Economic Advisers, and then as Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.  He will provide an overview of the state of the U.S. economy, the perspective of Fed policy makers and the likely future interest rate environment, and the impact to date of the new Administration’s policies in addressing the economic crisis.  Discussion of the implications for corporate Treasury operations and the extent to which FDIC insured deposit products can play a role in corporate portfolios.

Daniel Pink
Author, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

In his latest best-selling book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel H. Pink explains that the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today's world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Daniel also serves as a contributing editor on business and technology for the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Wired, where he is a contributing editor. He has provided analysis of business trends on CNN, CNBC, ABC, NPR and other networks in the U.S. and abroad.

Janet M. Garrity, CCM, CFA
Vice President - Financing and Cash Operations, Verizon Communications

Janet has responsibility for implementing domestic and international financing and financial risk management activities for Verizon. In addition she has responsibility for cash operations, which include cash management and banking services, bank reconciliations, escheat filings, and trustee services. Beginning with the post divestiture establishment of the Bell Atlantic Corporation, Janet began her finance career with Verizon in the Trust Investment Group and has experience in Investor Relations, Corporate Finance. Janet has a degree in Economics from Immaculata University and an MBA from Villanova University. She has served on AFP's Board of Directors. In 2007, Janet was recognized by the AFP as part of the AFP Honors Program, which honors professionals who have reached the top of their fields of treasury and corporate finance.

Michelle Bernard
Political Analyst, MSNBC and President and CEO, Independent Women’s Forum
Author,
Women’s Progress: How Women Are Wealthier, Healthier, and More Independent Than Ever Before

After years of struggle, the feminist movement in the United States has made tremendous strides in advancing the causes of women around the world. But rather than stand for niche issues, Michelle Bernard argues that American women need to move beyond “the feminist ethos of victimhood” and recognize that ALL issues are women’s issues. From her recent book, Women’s Progress: How Women Are Wealthier, Healthier and More Independent Than Ever Before, Bernard shows that the paradigm has shifted and that American women have made remarkable progress in today’s society. With astounding successes reached in business, politics and culture, Bernard makes the case that in the United States, the feminist movement needs to move more toward advancing issues that build strong families and communities — even a stronger nation — rather than relying on the feminist mantra of days past.

Carole DeNale
Senior Vice President and Corporate Treasurer, CVS Caremark

Carole DeNale, who is Senior Vice President and Corporate Treasurer, directs and oversees the company's capital structure, financing, investments, risk management, business continuity, environmental and safety, cash management, capital expenditure, balance sheet forecast, and leasing functions. She played the primary role in arranging and securing the financing for the company's acquisitions of the Southern Eckerd stores, the 700 Osco and Sav-on drugstores and Longs Drug Stores, giving CVS/pharmacy immediate market leadership in the fast-growing Florida, Texas, and California markets and boosting its share in key Midwest markets. Additionally, Carole played the primary role in arranging the financing, and structuring CVS Caremark's capital structure as part of the merger of CVS and Caremark. Prior to joining CVS Caremark, she had been with Waban Inc., the parent company for BJ's Wholesale Club for over 8 years.

Erika Hayes James, PhD
Associate Professor, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
Author, Leading Under Pressure: From Surviving to Thriving, Before, During, and After a Crisis

Utilizing the principles of crisis leadership found in her new book "Leading Under Pressure: From Surviving to Thriving, Before, During, and After a Crisis," Dr. James demonstrates the significance of integrity, positive intent, capability, mutual respect, and transparency on the trust building process. And she integrates the topics of sustainable leadership for personal and organizational success, managing relationships at all levels, and harnessing negotiation skills, as they relate to women in leadership positions.

Kristi Hedges
Partner, The Hedges Company

Kristi is an experienced entrepreneur, communications expert, and leadership coach. She has developed a unique methodology adapted specifically to the needs of senior executives to provide transformational tools for motivating and inspiring others. Her leadership programs have been utilized by CEOs and leadership teams in companies spanning the Fortune 500, the U.S. government and privately held businesses. Kristi has been named one of the "50 Women Who Mean Business in Washington, D.C." and as an owner of a top 25 Largest Women-Owned Businesses by the Washington Business Journal. Prior to Element North, Kristi co-founded and ran a leading technology communications firm. Kristi holds a B.A. from Virginia Tech and an M.S. from Purdue University in communications.

Karen Peetz
CEO of Financial Markets & Treasury Services, BNY Mellon

Karen Peetz, Senior Executive Vice President is responsible for the Financial Markets and Treasury Services Sector within BNY Mellon. Prior to this assignment, Karen was the business manager responsible for Global Corporate Trust and she led the integration of the JPMorgan asset swap in 2006. Karen also managed the global payments business. Karen is a member of BNY Mellon's Executive Committee, the organization's most senior management body, which oversees day-to-day operations. She is the chairperson for the company's Women's Initiatives Network (WIN) and also serves on its Diversity Council. Karen is the chairperson of United Way of New York City's Board and an Executive Committee and Board member for the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Karen received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science degree from Johns Hopkins University.