Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Indianapolis of 2024. This year's honorees come from a dynamic city known for its diverse and vibrant economy. Indianapolis is a powerhouse in multiple life sciences fields, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and agriculture, driving innovation and growth. The city also boasts thriving sectors in manufacturing, information technology, sports, and logistics, providing a rich tapestry of opportunities for its workforce. These exceptional women are leading the way, making significant contributions across these varied industries, and shaping the future of Indianapolis.
Among these leaders, we congratulate Stephanie Shelley, the Vice President of Marketing at Core Lab of Roche, a pharmaceuticals and diagnostics company. Shelley brings experience from her previous tenure at Eli Lilly and Company, where she held several leadership roles.,
We also celebrate the career of Karen Mangia, the President and Chief Strategy Officer of The Engineered Innovation Group. A technology leader, Mangia works with businesses to build software products and data science competencies and models, with a focus on corporate strategy.
Finally, we extend our honors to Yolanda Taylor. She is the Head of Medical Writing at Boehringer-Ingelheim, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. Taylor has a demonstrated history of leading large teams within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Indianapolis of 2024.
1). Beth Forman
Partner, Deloitte & Touche
Beth Forman is a Partner at Deloitte & Touche. She has more than 20 years of audit and advisory experience with a focus on the restaurant, retail, and consumer business industries, working with both public and private companies. She serves as the lead client service partner for several large multinational and multilocation engagements. Forman has extensive experience advising clients on finance transformation matters associated with growth, revenue recognition, lease accounting, internal controls, SEC reporting requirements, and complex transactions, such as IPOs, acquisitions, divestitures, and carve-outs.
Forman serves as a regional leader for the deployment of Omnia, Deloitte's global audit platform that brings together people, a flexible methodology, and world-class audit technology to deliver a differentiated audit experience for clients. She serves on the Council of the AICPA, the governing body of the AICPA. She is also the Treasurer and on the Executive Committee for the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, supporting an organization that builds girls of courage, confidence, and character. She was honored as a Women Inspiring Strength and Hope (WISH) Honoree for Make-A-Wish of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana in 2020.
Forman graduated with an undergraduate degree in accounting. She is a member of the AICPA and the Indiana Society of Certified Public Accountants. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.
2). Monique McWilliams
VP, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Head Employee Strategies & Accountability, UnitedHealth Group
Monique McWilliams is the Vice President of DEI and leads employee engagement and analytics for the Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office at UnitedHealth Group. UnitedHealth is a Minnesota-based managed healthcare company that provides health insurance products for individuals and businesses.
In this role, McWilliams is responsible for driving the strategy for employee resource groups, enterprise leadership advisory councils, celebrating connections, and DEI-related forums and events. McWilliams also leads the affirmative action compliance program and the strategy for DEI assessments and analytics that drive the advancement of DEI and leadership accountability, among many other core responsibilities. She also has extensive experience in product liability litigation both in private practice and at Lilly.
McWilliams joined UnitedHealth Group in 2021, and prior to that, she worked at Eli Lilly and Company for over 23 years and held numerous roles in the legal department, including as lead counsel on the CHRO’s leadership team while leading a human capital law and immigration team. During that time, she also served as lead counsel advising on global pay equity, affirmative action compliance, ESG reporting, and employee relations, and conducted privileged investigations. She has extensive experience in human capital and DEI strategy and served as chief diversity officer. McWilliams has a BA from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, and a JD from the Indiana University Mauer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana. She has been active as a director and officer on nonprofit boards.
3). Connie Yang
Partner, PwC
Connie Yang is a Partner at PwC. She first joined the company in 2015. At PwC, their purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. They provide audit and assurance, consulting, and tax services.
Yang leads complex, large-scale transformations and connects across strategy, operations, and technology. With more than 20 years of experience, she enjoys collaborating with leaders of healthcare organizations, such as academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, and acute care hospitals, to generate more value, enhance patient and employee experiences, and create healthier communities. Yang helps her clients reimagine how services can be delivered, build differentiating capabilities, and drive transformative change to advance their strategic and financial positions.
Previously, Yang was a healthcare provider in strategy and operations at Deloitte. Earlier in her career, she worked with the Hospital for Special Surgery in special projects. Yang earned an MPA in Health Policy and Management from New York University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.
4). Amanda Witter
Area VP, Salesforce
Amanda Witter serves as Area Vice President at Salesforce, the industry leader in Customer Relationship Management. Her positive and empathetic leadership style, combined with her critical thinking and problem-solving foundation help her inspire her team to uncover possibilities with their customers to transform and grow their businesses. Witter has demonstrated success in customer transformation across multiple segments and verticals, including hi-tech, travel and hospitality, professional services, healthcare, media and entertainment, and communications, as well as helping her teams grow not only in their professional careers but with their personal goals as well.
Before Salesforce, Witter spent 12 years in the pharmaceutical and healthcare technology industry, where she helped companies minimize the risk of their products to their end users. She received a degree in chemical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which had previously been an all-male institution. She was also a member of their first-ever women’s basketball team and the first woman inducted into RHIT’s athletic Hall of Fame. She has been a pioneer in paving the way for opportunities for women in heavily male-dominated fields for the span of her career, including college.
Witter has also served as an Elder at her church, is the Treasurer of her daughter’s soccer club team, and volunteers and mentors other young women through the National Charity League.
5). Misty Hall
Executive Director Operations, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Misty Hall is the Executive Director of Operations of JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America, with operations worldwide. Hall has over 15 years of experience in leading and strategizing various operations functions across multiple domestic and international verticals. She is a certified change management professional and holds FINRA Series 6 and 63 licenses, showcasing her expertise and credibility in the financial industry.
Hall’s core competencies include international and domestic operations, business transformation, strategic planning and analytics, P&L management, sales, product development, and new business initiatives. She is currently advancing the firm's capabilities to facilitate more advanced banking offerings by enabling products with innovative platform technology and building products for well-defined client segments. She is also a passionate diversity and inclusion champion and a relationship builder who excels at coaching teams to exceed their goals and exceed customer expectations.
Before joining JPMorgan Chase & Co., Hall was a director of operations at Clout Financial Services, Inc. Before that, she was a customer experience manager at ubid.com. Earlier in her career, she worked with PNC as a call center operations director. Hall graduated from Purdue University.
6). Tammy Morgan
Branch Chief, Business Operations Division, Border Patrol, Air & Marine, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Tammy Morgan began her professional career 27 years ago. Today, she is the Branch Chief of the Business Operations Division, Border Patrol, & Air and Marine of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the US federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cyber security, and disaster prevention and management.
Morgan started her career as an FDA quality monitor/audit team member and SOP editor at Keller Crescent. From there, she went on to Arby's Restaurant Group, before eventually rising to Department of Homeland Security Management and program analyst at Nortel Government Solutions, her most recent position prior to her current role.
Morgan graduated from Management Concepts with a Master’s degree in Federal Financial Management and from the University of Phoenix with an undergraduate degree in business administration.
7). Dawana Stubbs
Regional VP, Elevance Health
DaWana Stubbs is the Regional Vice President of Elevance Health. Elevance Health, formerly Anthem, Inc., serves people across their entire health journey taking an integrated whole-health approach. Stubbs is a physician executive with over 20 years of medical experience and expertise comprising strategic leadership and governance over multi-state healthcare organizations with sound clinical operations, effective medical education, and quality managed care.
Previously, Stubbs was a vice president of medical services at CareSource. Before that, she was a medical director at the Centene Corporation. Earlier in her career, she worked with IU Medical Group Primary Care as an internal medicine physician.
Stubbs was previously an assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She earned an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and her medical and master’s degrees are from the IU School of Medicine. She is certified as a MillimanCQ Care Guidelines Specialist. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., she has served on the boards of directors for the Marion County Communities Against Rape Initiative, Domestic Violence Network of Greater Indianapolis, Breaking Free Inc., Legacy House, and Indiana Partnership to Prevent Injury and Death.
8). Susan Benson
Medical Director, Women's Service Line, Ascension Indiana
Susan Benson is the Medical Director of the Women's Service Line of Ascension Indiana. Ascension is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit and Catholic health systems, with a mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Benson serves as the director for over 70 providers across central Indiana, encompassing internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, breast surgery, plastic surgery, and general surgery. Her responsibilities include quality and growth initiatives, as well as recruitment and retention efforts.
Continuing to provide comprehensive healthcare for women, her focus is on gynecologic care, including preventative care, and gynecologic surgery with an emphasis on minimally-invasive laparoscopic surgery, menopausal care, incontinence care, and adolescent gynecology. She is certified by The Menopause Society for Menopause Care (MSCP). Furthermore, Benson serves as the regional medical director for central primary care, overseeing medical group leadership, quality improvement, performance improvement, recruitment, and physician liaison.
Previously, Benson was an obstetrician and gynecologist at Henry County Hospital. She earned an MD in Obstetrics/Gynecology from Indiana University School of Medicine and an undergraduate degree in biology from Xavier University.
9). Stephanie Shelley
VP, Marketing, Core Lab, Roche
Stephanie Shelley is the Vice President of Marketing at Core Lab of Roche. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known as Roche, is a Swiss multinational holding healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions – Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
Before joining Roche, Shelley was a senior director of marketing at Eli Lilly and Company, where she had served for over two decades. She started there as a sales representative in 2000. In just over two years, she was promoted to marketing associate and continues to rise through the ranks with several leadership roles, including sales manager, marketing director, marketing operations director, senior director, and business unit leader.
Shelley graduated from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale with an MS in education and an undergraduate degree in physiology.
10). Jill Shammas
Head of National Government & Strategic Account Teams, UCB
Jill Shammas elevated to the Head of National, Government, and Strategic Accounts in March of 2024. As part of UCB’s redesign to best position their Market Access Team, Jill assumed responsibilities for the various Account Management Teams supporting multiple launches, while improving organizational efficiency and maintaining UCB’s commitment to delivering the highest standard of patient support. Jill and her team are responsible for analyzing healthcare market dynamics and customer data to identify profitable access opportunities while maximizing pull-through programs. Under Jill’s leadership, her team manages 88% of gross product sales across UCB’s worldwide revenue. Jill is also responsible for driving corporate growth initiatives that are centered on transitioning from volume to value by conceptualizing and implementing innovative solutions across the current and expanding customer base.
Jill Shammas elevated to the Head of National Accounts, Innovative Access & Value Partnerships in February of 2021. She was responsible for leading the National Accounts Team, comprised of National Account Directors and National Account Executives that work with the largest National Payers and PBM’s across the U.S. Jill played a pivotal role in executing payer strategies through innovative and customized approaches for different payer types and segments to enable optimal access for patients.
Jill joined UCB in April 2019 as a National Account Lead. She led national account market access efforts, specific to Ascent, Cigna, Express Scripts, Prime Therapeutics, Humana Health Plan, and Kaiser Permanente. Jill & her team secured favorable formulary access for newly approved indications and products including Cimzia for nr-AxSpa and Nayzilam, each within 30 days of launch, while maintaining access for the entire established UCB portfolio. Jill’s team partnered with the ESI SafeGuard Rx team in launching the ‘first’ Epilepsy focused Care Value Program, while also featuring Cimzia within ESI’s Inflammatory Care Value Program. Jill enjoys working cross-functionally with her internal and external customers to improve access & deliver patient-centric solutions. While at UCB, Jill has served as the pricing & access lead for Early Solutions focused on Atopic Dermatitis. She has also completed a pricing and reimbursement project targeting Neurology for UCB’s International Markets. Jill has received various awards & certifications while at UCB including Pinnacle Club, Patient Value Award, Executive Coaching Certification, and an International Access Pricing Certification.
Prior to joining UCB, Jill was a Senior Director of National Accounts at Eli Lilly where she managed Lilly’s client relations and business with Express Scripts. She had a variety of roles during her 18 years at Lilly growing in scope and responsibility. Jill completed Green Belt Certification and held numerous mini kaizens. She received various awards including President’s Council, Lilly Divisional Sales Award, Master Performer, and Coach of the Year.
Jill holds a Pharmacy Doctorate from the University of Southern California as well as a B.S. from the University of Evansville. She is married with two children, Natalia, and Sam.
11). Abigail Sievers
VP, Industrial Brokerage, JLL
Abigail Sievers joined JLL in 2021 as a part of the Industrial brokerage team. Today, she is the Vice President of Industrial Brokerage of JLL. For over 200 years, JLL, a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage, and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential, and retail properties.
Sievers specializes in landlord and tenant representation. Key strengths of Sievers include a keen sense for business development ideas and most importantly – a positive and energetic attitude. She easily connects with diverse individuals and quickly develops an intuitive understanding of their needs and team dynamics. When working through project challenges, her clients appreciate Sievers’ flexible and adaptive decision-making style.
Sievers started her career in 2015 as a client services coordinator at Colliers International. From there, she eventually rose to director of industrial brokerage at Cushman & Wakefield, her most recent position before joining JLL. Sievers graduated from Murray State University with an undergraduate degree in public relations, and advertising.
12). Angelica Jewett
VP, Value Based Solutions, Elevance Health
Angelica Jewett is the Vice President of Value-Based Solutions at Elevance Health. She first joined the company in 2020 as staff VP of enterprise strategy. Elevance Health is a lifetime, trusted health partner fueled by its purpose to improve the health of humanity. Jewett is an executive leader focused on supporting managed care organizations with a demonstrated ability to lead major complex enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, drive innovation, and evaluate strategic partnerships and investments across healthcare themes (consumer, clinical, and growth).
Jewett has extensive experience with government programs, specializing in conducting business opportunity assessments, partnership considerations, leading federal and state government procurements, discussions with regulatory bodies, and planning and managing cross-functional business implications. Her focus is on care delivery transformation through value-based payment models, contracting with innovative providers, and evaluating next-gen operating models to enable innovation.
Previously, Jewett was a director of enterprise strategy, enterprise consulting, and alliances at Blue Cross NC. Before that, she was a director of management and strategy consulting at HealthScape Advisors. Earlier in her career, she worked with Deloitte Tax LLP as an audit and tax consultant. Jewett earned an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from the University of Illinois Chicago.
13). Karen Bodach
Managing Director, Forvis Mazars
Karen Bodach has been a member of Forvis Mazars Technology Consulting practice unit since 2005. After spending roughly 15 years implementing Microsoft products (Axapta 3.0, AX 4.0, AX 2009, AX 2012, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations), she has led the Sage practice (Sage Intacct, Sage 100) since 2019. Bodach has helped the practice achieve Sage Intacct’s President’s Club and Sage’s Platinum Level honors. In addition to team leadership, her role includes software assessments, business process redesign, requirement definition, project management, and client software implementations.
Prior to joining the Technology Consulting team, Bodach was an auditor for the Indianapolis office. Her client base primarily consisted of nonprofit and manufacturing and distribution organizations. She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Indiana CPA Society. She is a Microsoft Business Solutions Certified Professional (MBSCP) in Financials. Bodach was selected as a protégé in the SKY Initiative Sponsor-Protégé Program and the Emerging Leaders Academy.
Bodach is a regular speaker at seminars and conferences and has authored articles for Forvis Mazars e-newsletters, the Construction Financial Management Association, and Texas SAE. She is a graduate of Butler University, Indian.
14). Kimberly Guidone
VP, Morgan Stanley
Kimberly Guidone is the Vice President of Morgan Stanley, an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in 41 countries and more than 75,000 employees, the firm's clients include corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals.
Guidone has 26 years of experience. As VP, she is responsible for firm-led initiatives, consulting, and developing relationships with Financial Advisor teams and business growth. She works closely with complex management to collaborate and drive business through focused initiatives and product marketing strategies that will increase revenue. Through her partnership, she works one-on-one with advisors, focusing on liability reviews, cash management engagement, mortgage lending, education, and training to identify and analyze client opportunities. As a subject matter expert for advisors, she is introduced to clients, where she presents creative, intelligent solutions to win new business and retain assets.
Before joining Morgan Stanley, Guidone was a vice president and wealth management banking specialist at Merrill Lynch. Before that, she was an investment banker at KeyBank. Guidone graduated from Wright State University with an undergraduate degree in psychology.
15). Karen Mangia
President & Chief Strategy Officer, The Engineered Innovation Group
Today, Karen Mangia is the President and Chief Strategy Officer of The Engineered Innovation Group. Founded in November 2021, the Engineered Innovation Group has quickly grown to a team of 26 employees and has worked with businesses to help build software products and data science competencies and models. Clients have included B2B SaaS, health tech, established healthcare companies, and government organizations.
As a seasoned leader, Mangia brings over 20 years of experience in corporate strategy, technology, and innovation. She started her career in 1998 as a customer project manager at AT&T. From there, she went on to Cisco, before eventually rising to vice president of customer and market insights at Salesforce, her most recent position before joining The Engineered Innovation Group. In this role, she was responsible for driving growth and customer success in the highly competitive technology and communications industries.
Mangia graduated from Ball State University with an MS in Information and Communication Science and an undergraduate degree in international business.
16). Tatijana Narwold
Executive Director, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
Tatijana Narwold's professional journey spans decades of dedicated service to her communities, culminating in her current role as the youngest Executive Director for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. With a rich background in nonprofit work, she has seamlessly blended her expertise in business development, project management, marketing, and communication. Her passion lies in forging connections between companies and organizations to bolster community support. Known for her adeptness in navigating fast-paced environments, Tatijana is a dynamic leader who inspires others to achieve success.
Tatijana commenced her impactful journey in professional nonprofit work as a Community Development Manager for the American Cancer Society, where she managed a diverse portfolio of fundraising events. Recognized for her success, she was promoted to Senior Community Development Manager, Preparing for a Career in Excellence graduate, and CEO’s All Regions Club recipient. Transitioning to the role of Campaign Manager for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man and Woman of the Year campaign, Tatijana led efforts to recruit and mentor community leaders, resulting in the campaign's nationwide #1 ranking within their MSA. Her leadership and team's commitment were pivotal to this achievement.
Tatijana’s commitment to community service began long before her professional nonprofit roles. As a supporter of the Indiana Volunteer Firefighters Association, she represented 62 volunteer fire departments as District 19 Miss Flame, later earning recognition as Indiana State Miss Congeniality and District 19 Global Award winner. Leveraging her connections within first response systems, Tatijana led an autism awareness study spanning from Poland to Indiana, aiming to improve outcomes in emergency response calls. Presently, she continues her community involvement as a member of Indy Dress for Success and as History Chair of the Indianapolis Rotary Club, embodying their motto of "Service Above Self."
17). Ariel Ream
Senior Partner Executive, Higher Education, Workday
Ariel Ream is a Senior Partner Executive at Higher Education of Workday. She joined the company in 2024. Workday provides unified finance, human resources, and student/faculty lifecycle management cloud applications designed for the way people work in today's organizations.
Ream has built her career on helping teams succeed. She has a track record of achieving goals as an individual contributor and coaching her teams to hit their targets. Her past clients include Series A EdTech startups, individuals seeking sales coaching, and nonprofits working on workforce development initiatives. She has led sales teams, been an individual contributor, and now focuses on building strategic relationships and partnerships that benefit her clients and companies. She has worked for Fortune 100 companies, startups, and everything in between. She gets the most joy out of working with small startups looking to better understand their market or their business.
Previously, Ream was an enterprise account executive at Salesforce.org. Before that, she was a regional vice president of partner development at Vemo Education. Earlier in her career, she worked with Cengage as a senior learning consultant. Ream earned an undergraduate degree in nonprofit management, history, education, and social and historical studies from Indiana University Bloomington.
18). Francesca Hahn
VP, Digital Commerce, Mondelez International
Francesca Hahn is the Vice President of Digital Commerce of Mondelez International. Mondelez International, Inc., styled as Mondelēz International, is an American multinational confectionery, food, holding, beverage, and snack food company based in Chicago. Hahn is the Executive Sponsor for the Women Sales Leadership Network, a powerful ERG tasked to Attract, Develop, Retain, and Advance Women at Mondelēz International.
Hahn is responsible for the strategy, vision, and execution of Digital Commerce, including how the brands are experienced, purchased, and fulfilled online, including pureplay, omnichannel, eB2B, and two direct-to-consumer sites. Hahn joined Mondelēz in April 2021 and has held sales, category management, and change management roles with Britax Child Safety, Colgate-Palmolive, Acosta Sales and Marketing, PepsiCo, and Diageo.
Before joining Mondelez International, Hahn was a vice president of sales and customer development at Britax Child Safety. Before that, she was an e-commerce director at Hill's Pet Nutrition. Earlier in her career, she worked with Acosta Sales & Marketing as a regional category development manager. Hahn graduated from Webster University with an MBA and from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business with an undergraduate degree in management.
19). Meagan Chisholm
Executive Director, The Light for Levi Foundation
Meagan Chisholm is the Executive Director for the Light for Levi Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that serves as a Beacon of Hope to families in need. Based in Zionsville, Indiana, Light for Levi assists organizations and families across the country.
The Light for Levi Foundation was established in 2021, following a life-altering incident in which Meagan’s twin children suffered a near-fatal drowning. Inspired by the overwhelming community support her family received, Chisholm founded LFLF to aid families facing similar challenges. The foundation offers two main programs: a $3,500 grant for children with brain injuries and the Beacon Bag program, which provides essential items to families during hospital stays. Looking ahead, LFLF aims to launch a water safety awareness program for schools.
As the Executive Director, Chisholm leads the foundation's vision and growth. Her passion for community service drives her efforts to forge significant corporate partnerships, thereby enhancing the foundation's fundraising initiatives. Her professional background includes extensive experience in sales, management, and national account growth with Fortune 500 companies. Before establishing LFLF, Chisholm worked with Careforth, focusing on community outreach and providing resources to caregivers.
In addition to her volunteer efforts for LFLF, Meagan is a dedicated wife and mother of four. She blogs about her family's journey, sharing personal stories on the Facebook page "Light for Levi and Lainey," which she hopes will serve a deeper look into the life of a special needs family and be an inspiration to all who read it. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications from Indiana University, where she was an active member of Chi Omega.
20). Carole Casto
VP, Marketing & Communications, Cummins
Carole Casto began her professional career 27 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President-Marketing and Communications of Cummins. Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Integrity, diversity and inclusion, caring, excellence, and teamwork are the bedrock of Cummins. Casto shares these values, especially diversity and inclusion, where Cummins has been at the forefront, standing up for equity around the globe for decades.
Since 2003, Casto has dedicated her time and talent to Cummins Inc., a company she truly believes in. Over the years, she has had opportunities to build her skills and leadership in many roles, including quality and corporate responsibility. As a natural problem solver, Cummins nurtures and fulfills her desire to pick up important problems and fix them.
Casto started her career in 1997 as a chief operating officer at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. From there, she went on to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. Casto graduated from Marquette University with an undergraduate degree in history.
21). Lakeesha Smith
VP, Sales, Cassling
Lakeesha Smith is the Vice President of Sales at Cassling. She joined the team in 2024. Cassling strengthens community healthcare through customer-centric imaging and therapeutic technology, services, and solutions. From critical access hospitals and diagnostic imaging centers to large health systems and IDNs, Cassling is committed to helping healthcare organizations improve access and outcomes, create efficiencies, and lower costs.
Smith is a results-oriented, successful business-to-business sales professional in the diagnostic and pharmaceutical industry. With progressive experience as a sales representative, sales manager, and in sales training and marketing, she is accomplished in people leadership, project management, and competitive and corporate training. She can influence thought leaders, work effectively as a team leader and individual contributor, and build sales methodology based on the needs of the organization. She consistently delivers positive and timely results.
Previously, Smith was an area vice president of sales-north America and point of care at Siemens Healthineers. Before that, she was a regional business manager at Roche. Earlier in her career, she worked with Procter & Gamble as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Smith earned an undergraduate degree in English from Wittenberg University.
22). Kimberly Hurd
Executive VP, Property Management, KCG Companies
Kimberly Hurd is the Executive Vice President of Property Management for KCG Companies, where she is responsible for the long-term growth, strategic direction, and oversight of all operations for the company’s property portfolio. Since its founding in 2015, KCG has grown to national recognition through its portfolio of nearly 4200 multifamily rental housing units spanning eight states. With over 25 years of experience in the residential property management industry, Hurd is skilled in maximizing value, improving portfolio performance, and increasing bottom-line profitability. She has experience in conventional multifamily, workforce and affordable housing, new construction luxury lease-ups, mixed-use developments, purpose-built student housing, and troubled asset turnaround.
Before KCG, Hurd worked for 13 years at Buckingham Companies in marketing and professional development leadership roles and later launched Milhaus Property Management, LLC, as the senior director of residential services. Most recently, she was responsible for the operational success of Sundance Property Management, a 7,000-unit, third-party fee management company with communities in seven states. Hurd is passionate about the residential property management industry and regularly gives back through her time and talent. She is a volunteer instructor and guest speaker for several area apartment associations, a frequent Apartmentalize (NAA Education Conference) speaker, an NAAEI faculty member, and a recurring presenter of the Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) designation program. She has also chaired several committees at the national level.
Hurd earned her bachelor's degree from Franklin College and attained her NALP, CAM, and CAPS designations from the National Apartment Association’s Education Institute (NAAEI). She is a graduate of the National Apartment Association Leadership Lyceum and currently serves as President of the NAAEI Board of Directors.
23). Keri Happe
Head of North America Communications, Elanco
Keri Happe began her professional career 27 years ago. Today, she is the Head of North America Communications of Elanco. At Elanco, they work to improve the health of animals through innovative products and services for pets and farm animals around the world. As a global animal health company, they provide solutions that empower their customers to advance a vision of food and companionship enriching life.
Happe is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of distilling complex data into meaningful information for a lay audience. She is skilled in media relations, issues management, strategic planning, organizational change management, internal communications, and public relations. Successfully leading a series of high-visibility, high-pressure assignments spanning newspaper, government, and corporate environments, she is set apart by her adaptability and learning agility.
Happe started her career in 1997 as a news reporter at The Herald Bulletin. From there, she went on to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, before eventually rising to product communications manager at Eli Lilly and Company, her most recent position prior to joining Elanco. Happe graduated from Ball State University with an undergraduate degree in journalism.
24). Courtney Warren
VP, Strategy & Business Development, ADP
Courtney Warren began her professional career 22 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at ADP. ADP provides HR, talent, time management, benefits, and payroll.
Warren’s key specialties include consumer-driven healthcare, value-based healthcare, employee experience, and employee benefits. She is skilled in strategic planning, leadership coaching and development, employee engagement, and business process outsourcing. She has expertise in workers' compensation, HRIS/payroll/benefits administration technology implementation and optimization, change management, and rapid growth organization readiness. Additionally, she is experienced in M&A diligence, divestiture support, local/regional/national benchmarking, wellness and health risk management, prescription drugs, dental, life, vision, disability, and AD&D
Warren started her career in 2002 as a sales manager at Birch Communications. From there, she went on to Birch Telecom, starting as a VP of sales and then assuming the role of VP of broker strategy. She accepted her current position in 2017. Warren graduated from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) with an undergraduate degree in criminal justice.
25). Danielle Dillard
VP, Finance & Operations, WSI
Danielle Dillard is Vice President of Finance and Operations for WSI Technologies, a technology provider of critical recording services in law enforcement, emergency dispatch, and child advocacy. Their products and services enable agency compliance and accountability across the globe. As a strategic and operational leader, she and her team are passionate about delivering solutions that have a profound and direct impact on public safety for millions of people across the communities they serve.
Danielle has over 20 years of experience across a range of industries, including food, consumer products, building materials, and technology. Her career advancement and professional successes have included leadership roles with increasing responsibility within Fortune 500 companies Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Owens Corning. Her roles have spanned across sales, marketing, international treasury, capital strategy, and operations. Defining moments in her career have included multi-million-dollar transformation mandates, including the establishment of the world's largest tempeh facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her strategic insight, financial leadership, and operational management experience were instrumental in delivering the project on time and under budget. Danielle loves the challenge of bringing groups together to develop winning solutions for the business and customer through process improvements, and IT-based solutions. Her leadership has been described as confident, analytical, balanced, and heartfelt.
Danielle holds an MBA from The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, and an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.
26). Yolanda Taylor
Head of Medical Writing, Boehringer-Ingelheim
Yolanda Taylor is the Head of Medical Writing at Boehringer-Ingelheim. She first joined the company in 2019. C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. As of 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and the largest private one.
Taylor is a highly experienced senior leader with a demonstrated history of leading large teams within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. She is skilled in medical affairs leadership, medical writing leadership, oncology, clinical development leadership, Six Sigma, budget management, cross-functional strategy, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
Previously, Taylor was a senior director of regulatory affairs medical writing at Medpace. Before that, she was a director of scientific communications commercialization capabilities at Eli Lilly and Company. Taylor earned a PharmD in Pharmacy and an undergraduate degree in biology from The University of Kansas.
27). Tonya Combs
Senior VP, General Patent Counsel, Eli Lilly & Company
Tonya Combs serves as Senior Vice President and General Patent Counsel, where she advises senior leaders at Eli Lilly and Company on IP strategy. Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. They've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today their medicines help more than 51 million people across the globe.
Combs has the good fortune to lead a group of talented and experienced patent attorneys and professionals responsible for global patent and trademark procurement (drafting and prosecuting), maintenance, and enforcement aspects for Lilly. In addition, she and her team assess third-party patents for potential impact on Lilly’s development efforts and value in business due diligence. Combs started her career at Lilly as a chemical engineer in research and development with responsibility for optimizing scale-up production of clinical trial material. She’s held several positions of increasing responsibility in Lilly Legal, focusing on patent preparation and prosecution, multi-jurisdictional patent litigation, brand support, trade secret protection and enforcement, general counsel for the oncology business unit, and others.
Combs joined Lilly Research Labs in 2001 after receiving a BS in Chemical Engineering from RoseHulman Inst. of Tech. She received a JD, summa cum laude, from Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2006. She currently sits on the IPO Board of Directors and was newly appointed to the Executive Committee. She previously served as the co-chair and board liaison to IPO’s Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Issues Committee (and is a former co-chair), and is active in AIPLA, where she was named a Woman to Watch in January 2019. Combs also serves on the boards of Butler University, RoseHulman Institute of Technology, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law.
28). Justin Phillips
Chief Executive Officer, Overdose Lifeline
Justin Phillips, MA and White House Champion of Change for Advocacy, Prevention, and Treatment is the Founder and Executive Director of Overdose Lifeline, Inc. (ODL) Based in Indiana, ODL is a non-profit dedicated to reducing the stigma of substance use disorder and preventing deaths resulting from opioid overdose. Operating statewide, ODL addresses the opioid public health crisis through subject matter expertise, education, advocacy, and support for affected families.
In 2013 Justin lost her middle child Aaron Sims to a preventable drug overdose death and since then has dedicated her life to creating awareness that can save other lives through the work of ODL. In 2015 she tirelessly worked to pass Aaron’s Law, named after her son, that allows for over-the-counter access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone (Narcan). Prior to ODL, Justin spent most of her career in public health and the prevention of unintentional injury and death to children and is still active in providing counseling services. Justin holds a Master’s in Clinical Addiction Counseling from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Master’s degree in philanthropic studies and nonprofit management from Indiana University.
Justin is a featured speaker on the national, regional, and local circuit sharing about the national opioid health crisis. Justin has received the Fairbanks Circle of Hope Award, the Drug-Free Marion County Parent Advocate of the Year Award, and the Indiana Jefferson Award. The Indiana State Health Commissioner awarded Justin the Excellence in Public Health Award and in 2017 Justin testified before President Trump’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction. In 2021 Justin spoke on two separate occasions to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In 2024 Justin was named USA Today’s Indiana Woman of the Year.
29). Sue Ellspermann
President, Ivy Tech Community College
Sue Ellspermann serves as Ivy Tech Community College's ninth President. Ivy Tech is the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college and Indiana's community college system. Ellspermann also serves on multiple corporate boards, including OneAmerica, German American Bancorp, and OFS Brands. She serves on the board of the Midstates Corridor Regional Development Authority and nonprofit boards, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Conexus, Ascend, Center for Leadership Development, Women's Fund of Central Indiana, and Indiana Conference for Women. Ellspermann is currently chair of the American Association of Engineering Education Roundtable.
Ellspermann previously served as Indiana's 50th Lieutenant Governor from 2012 to 2016. Under Indiana law, the Lieutenant Governor also serves as President of the Indiana Senate and Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. She managed six state agencies, including the State Department of Agriculture, Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Office of Tourism Development, Office of Defense Development, Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. Additionally, she chaired the Indiana Counter Terrorism and Security Council and was vice-chair of the Indiana Career Council. Additionally, she led two trade missions to Asia and co-chaired Indiana's Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation Infrastructure and Rural Broadband Working Group.
After working in manufacturing and engineering at General Motors, Michelin, and Frito-Lay, Ellspermann owned and operated a consulting firm for 20 years focused on creative problem-solving, strategic planning facilitation, and training. In 2006, she became the founding director of the University of Southern Indiana Center for Applied Research and Economic Development. Ellspermann graduated from the University of Louisville with an MS and PhD in Industrial Engineering and from Purdue University with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering. She also completed the Woodrow Wilson Higher Education Policy Fellowship at Hunt-Kean Education Institute and the Aspen New President Fellowship.
30). Mitzi Wasik
VP, Government Programs Quality & Stars Experience, Optum
Mitzi Wasik is the Vice President of Government Programs Quality and Stars Experience of Optum. She first joined the company in 2022. Optum is a health services and innovation company on a mission to help people live healthier lives and to help make the health system work better for everyone. Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, is powering modern healthcare by connecting and serving the whole health system across 150 countries.
Before her role at Optum, Wasik was the VP of product and platform strategy at SS&C Technologies and the division head of the Integrated Business Unit CVS Health. Prior to that, she served as president of AMCP for over three years. Other roles included multiple leadership and director-level positions at Aetna and Coventry Healthcare. Early in her career, she worked in academics as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and an assistant professor at Ferris State University.
For the first 10 years of her career, Wasik served as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve. She earned an MBA in Health/Health Care Administration/Management from the University of Southern Indiana and an RPh & PharmD and undergraduate degree from Midwestern University.
31). Tiffany Obrecht
President, Blank Page Marketing, LLC
Tiffany Obrecht is the President at Blank Page Marketing, LLC, where she brings experience and ideation to the agriculture industry. A woman-owned small business, Blank Page Marketing, LLC is an all-agriculture agency based in Indianapolis. With a team of ag-centric agency veterans, BLNKPG has a passion for agriculture and sharing the stories that help support both its legacy and growth. Developed with a client-partnership mentality, BLNKPG is dedicated to driving results based on fresh ideas. An Iowa native and Iowa State grad, Tiffany is a fifth-generation Aggie. For 20+ years, she has been using that ag passion to lead communications in various roles within organizations and agencies alike. Dedicated to strategic thinking and driven by creative problem-solving, Tiffany hung her own placard in 2017. BLNKPG was developed after seeing a need for highly engaged marketing support with smaller marketing teams and unique, intentional marketing solutions.
Prior to this role, Obrecht served as a senior VP of account management and business development at Sandbox Advertising Inc., where Obrecht assessed client objectives, developed budgets, and managed office operations. With previous experience at McCormick Company, Indiana Farm Bureau, and Global Vet Link, she has a strong background in account work, policy development, and project management.
Obrecht holds a BS in Public Service and Administration in Agriculture from Iowa State University.
32). Megan Sims
Chief of Staff, Office of Congressman Andr Carson, US House of Representatives
Megan Sims is the Chief of Staff, Office of Congressman Andr Carson of the US House of Representatives. She started in 2009 as a grants coordinator in the office of Congressman André Carson.
For Congressman André Carson, Sims served as district director and deputy chief of staff, where she directed all office and legislative operations, served as a liaison to the community, and worked to implement policy priorities. Throughout her tenure, she worked to help Congressman Carson bring millions of dollars in federal grant and community project funding to Indianapolis organizations and led the local implementation of transformational legislation, including pandemic relief funds through the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan, historic infrastructure investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the expansion of veteran benefits through the PACT Act.
Sims also serves on the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership board, which aims to increase affordable housing for Indianapolis residents. Before joining Congressman Carson’s office, Sims served in various levels of government and politics. A lifelong Hoosier, Sims is a graduate of Indiana University-Indianapolis.
33). Gretchen Gutman
VP, Public Policy, Cook Medical
Gretchen Gutman is the Vice President of Public Policy at Cook Medical. Cook Group Incorporated is an American privately held company based in Bloomington, Indiana, and primarily involved in the manufacturing of medical devices.
Gutman has 35 years of experience. She is a sales leader with a strong track record of success with the largest payers in the US Her deep understanding of the healthcare market is complemented by strong clinical competence across various therapeutic categories. She has a proven ability to build strong relationships across complex organizations while delivering innovative solutions to improve patient care. Her strengths lie in being a strong communicator, motivator, and enthusiast who strategically approaches business and consistently delivers results.
Before joining Cook Medical, Gutman was an associate vice president for government relations at Ball State University. Before that, she was a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. Earlier in her career, she worked with the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute as a research associate. Gutman graduated from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law with a JD in Taxation, from Indiana University Bloomington with an MPA in Public Administration and Public Finance, and from Indiana University Bloomington with an undergraduate degree in history and English.
34). Shelley West
President, Civil Supply Company WBE/DBE
Shelley West is the President of Civil Supply Company WBE/DBE. Civil Supply is proud to be a woman-owned and operated business and is WBE certified.
As the owner and operator of Civil Supply, West has 18 years of experience in soil erosion control and is well-versed in drainage and construction technology. Prior to becoming a founder, her professional experience included serving Utility Pipe Sales, Inc. as the chief financial officer.
West possesses a diverse range of skills, including industry knowledge, account management, business analysis, service quality, sales and marketing, human resources, auditing, accounting, record of success, business development, and financial analysis. She earned a degree in accounting from the University of Southern Indiana.
35). Amy Smitley
VP, Arcadis
Amy Smitley is the Vice President of Arcadis. She first joined the company in 1993. Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. There are more than 36,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life.
Smitley is an experienced water/wastewater engineer with over 20 years of demonstrated history, including team leadership, client development and marketing, and management, planning, design, and construction administration of water and wastewater facilities and pipeline projects for various clients. Smitley has managed and engineered projects from cradle to grave.
Smitley graduated from Purdue University. She has served as the fund development/corporate relations co-chair for the Society of Women Engineers, Central Indiana Section, where she also held the position of president and membership chair. Additionally, she has been involved in various committees for the Indiana Water Environment Association, including the Collection System Committee, Joint Utility Management Committee, and Residuals and Resource Recovery Committee.
36). Tally Thrasher
Assistant VP & Chief Procurement Officer, University of Michigan
Tally Thrasher is the Assistant Vice President And Chief Procurement Officer at the University of Michigan (U-M). In this role, she is responsible for all procurement operations, including strategic sourcing, the procure-to-pay platform, contract administration, procurement systems, and software modules, the travel and expense program, the PCard program, and a number of auxiliary operational services.
Prior to joining U-M, Thrasher held a number of leadership positions in purchasing at Indiana University. Most recently, she was the executive director of purchasing services, where she led the implementation of a procure-to-pay system, worked to create opportunities for disadvantaged businesses, developed strategic sourcing teams, and created a customer-centric culture to support IU’s employees and students.
Before serving as the executive director of purchasing services, Thrasher was the director of purchasing administration at IU, where she developed policies, established standards for contract negotiations, management, and evaluation, and served as the primary compliance officer between the Purchasing Department and various IU regulatory departments. Thrasher has a BS in Business Management and an MS in Strategic Management, both from the Kelley School of Business at IU.
37). Rachael Coverdale
President, Coverdale Consulting
Rachael Coverdale is the Founder and President of Coverdale Consulting. Founded in 2015, Coverdale Consulting is a WBE-certified, full-service marketing agency that specializes in strategic and creative solutions, including public relations, digital advertising, email campaigns, messaging, branding, and design.
Coverdale has over 20 years of experience in strategic communications and marketing. She thrives on integrating cutting-edge marketing and company culture strategies into her business. Her personal life is enriched by a love of reading business books and connecting with creative minds. She is equally passionate about mentoring other women and empowering them to excel in their careers.
Coverdale’s areas of expertise include strategic marketing, business strategy, company culture, and communications.
38). Stephanie Motter
President, IU Health Accountable Care Organization (ACO), Indiana University Health
Stephanie Motter began her professional career 20 years ago. Today, she is the President of IU Health Accountable Care Organization (ACO) of Indiana University Health. Indiana University Health, formerly known as Clarian Health Partners, is a nonprofit healthcare system located in the US state of Indiana. It is the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Indiana, with 16 hospitals under its IU Health brand and almost 36,000 employees.
Motter is a clinician-executive who is passionate about making healthcare more simple and more inclusive and containing costs for all stakeholders (individual consumers, employers, governments/payers, etc.). She currently leads the value-based care (VBC) strategy at Indiana University Health and serves as president of the IU Health Plans and the IU Health ACO. Motter's prior experiences include scaling a joint-venture population health start-up in western Colorado, leading national clinical strategy teams for international kidney care provider, DaVita, and serving patients and families as a nurse, nurse practitioner, and certified nurse midwife.
Motter graduated from Yale University and Colorado State University Global with a master's degree and from Smith College with an undergraduate degree in economics.
39). Dawn Moore
VP & Chief Pharmacy Officer, Community Health Network
Dawn Moore is the Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Community Health Network in Indianapolis, Indiana, and an affiliate assistant professor at Purdue University and Butler University. The Community Health Network was created 60 years ago by their neighbors, for their neighbors.
At Community Health Network, Moore oversees the strategic, administrative, and operational initiatives of the pharmacy enterprise's nine-hospital, 1,230-bed health system with over 200 sites of care, encompassing inpatient, retail, specialty, ambulatory care pharmacy, homecare, and infusion pharmacy services. With over 22 years of experience leading hospital and health-system pharmacies, she is skilled at driving quality and safety in patient care, optimizing medication revenue integrity, decreasing drug costs and inappropriate utilization, and expanding and implementing new practices.
Moore is a member of the ASHP Pharmacy Executive Leadership Alliance and has served as a member of the ASHP Task Force on Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; ASHP Multi-Hospital Health-System Pharmacy Executive Committee; ASHP Women in Pharmacy Leadership Steering Committee; ASHP Council on Pharmacy Management; and as adjunct faculty to the ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Leadership Academy. In addition to her leadership within ASHP, she leads in her community as a board member of the Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety; a member of the Indiana Healthcare Executives Network, and served as president of the Indiana Pharmacy Association. Her passion for addressing health disparities cultivated her interest as a board member and chair of the Martin Center for Sickle Cell Initiative. Nationally, she served as a member of, the Vizient Purchasing Council and as a founding member of the Advisory Board Pharmacy Executive Forum.
40). Leah Wilson
Executive Director, Stand For Health Freedom
Leah Wilson is the Executive Director and Co-founder of Stand For Health Freedom. Stand for Health Freedom (SHF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization dedicated to informing and activating a grassroots movement to protect our health and our families.
Wilson is passionate about children’s health and has researched and worked on child welfare issues for more than a decade. She closed her law practice in 2019 to start SHF to promote parental rights, informed consent, and other tenets of health freedom.
Wilson is knowledgeable about how to join the movement. She understands the importance of grassroots activism and the dangers posed by the rise in censorship of our freedom. She is aware of the threats that School-based health centers pose to health freedom. Wilson advocates for the necessity of voting for health freedom through the Vote for Health Freedom initiative. She is an expert in health freedom policies. Her other interests include distance running, trail running, gardening, all things parenting, and all things natural health.
41). Susan Spaulding
VP, National Accounts, Cigna
Susan Spaulding is the Vice President of National Accounts of Cigna. She first joined the company in 2016. Cigna Healthcare is a health benefits provider that advocates for better health through every stage of life. They guide their customers through the healthcare system, empowering them with the information and insight they need to make the best choices for improving their health and vitality.
Spaulding is a successful and accomplished leader in the employee benefits field with a solid record of significant accomplishments, working on both the employer and carrier sides of healthcare. At Cigna, she uses her extensive employer experience as she works with the company's largest and most complex clients, focusing on benefit design, strategy, and solutions tailored to best meet their strategic healthcare objectives.
Previously, Spaulding was a senior director of benefits and wellness programs at Ascension Health. Before that, she was a director of benefits and HR shared services at St.Vincent Health. Earlier in her career, she worked with Hook-SupeRx, Inc. as a director of benefits. Spaulding earned an undergraduate degree in business administration and management from Hanover College.
42). Karen Hyman
Head of Data Management, Defense, Rolls-Royce
Karen Hyman is the Head of Data Management at Defense of Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea, and on land.
Hyman has 30 years of experience. She started as an application developer and worked her way up to technical team lead and project management roles. She has developed custom software for a customer account using AionAds (a rule-based software system), C/C++, COBOL, SAS, SQL, and JCL. Leading a team of up to eight developers, which included subcontractors and global resources, has been part of her responsibilities. Additionally, she has led the account of several audits, including a Data Security and Privacy audit and the Sarbanes-Oxley audit.
Before joining Rolls-Royce, Hyman was a project manager at Neopost. Before that, she was an I/T specialist at IBM. Hyman graduated from Wright State University with an undergraduate degree in computer science, and mathematics.
43). Laura Rector
Managing Partner, Vital: Growth Through Strategy
Laura Rector is a Managing Partner at Vital: Growth Through Strategy. At Vital, they are more than consultants. They firmly believe that every business has the potential to achieve greatness, regardless of size or industry. In this role, Rector helps businesses improve, expand and grow in healthcare medical device, digital health, and life sciences sectors by building strategic excellence and execution.
With over 30 years of experience in B2B and B2C marketing and strategy, Rector helps clients drive growth by creating connected strategies, solving complex problems, developing new markets, building storytelling brands and flawlessly launching innovative products and services. Additionally, she serves as a fractional chief marketing officer or chief strategy officer for companies in need of a temporary leadership boost by offering experienced, fresh eyes, strategic direction, and hands-on execution support. Before starting Vital: Growth Through Strategy, Rector was a Chief Marketing Officer at TMRW Life Sciences. Before that, she served as General Manager, of Smith & Nephew’s Digital Health and Ambulatory Surgery Center business. Earlier in her career, she was 16-year veteran at Johnson & Johnson, leading as the developer of, and Sales and Marketing, Executive Director of its Bariatric Surgery franchise. Over the years, she has honed an approach that drives exponential growth by quickly assessing what is working and what is not working, and then building highly executable strategies that impact growth in real time.
Rector graduated from Kennesaw State University’s Michael J. Coles College of Business with an MBA in International Marketing and from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with an undergraduate degree in business administration, and marketing.
44). Carrie Hagovsky
VP, Regional Marketing Director, Fifth Third Bank
Carrie Hagovsky began her professional career 15 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President and Regional Marketing Director of Fifth Third Bank. Hagovsky leads the marketing and communication efforts for the Greater Indiana Region, responsible for reputation management, executive communications and thought leadership, public and media relations, event conception and measurement, and sponsorship strategy and activation.
With years of experience in communications strategy, corporate marketing, fundraising, and public relations across the financial sector, performing arts, and education, Hagovsky is passionate about developing strong community partnerships and driving economic development strategies into their markets. Her mission is to bring organizations and change-makers together to further business development, brand health and reputation, and overall community health.
Hagovsky started her career in 2009 as a development associate at Purdue University. From there, she went on to the University of Louisville, before eventually rising to partner and business development at Mindset Collaborative, LLC, her most recent position before joining Fifth Third Bank. Hagovsky graduated from Purdue University with an undergraduate degree in communication and human relations.
45). Brook Cunningham
Senior VP, Chief Strategy Officer, Corteva Agriscience
Brook Cunningham is Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Corteva Agriscience, a role she assumed in December 2022. Corteva Agriscience is the only major agriscience company completely dedicated to agriculture. Cunningham is primarily responsible for leading the company’s efforts in corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, sustainability, and competitive intelligence.
Before joining Corteva, Cunningham was managing director and head of global agribusiness and nutrition at Lazard. She joined Lazard in New York in 2010, moving to Chicago in 2012 to play a leading role in growing the Firm’s investment banking business in the Midwestern US
At Lazard, she worked with companies across the value chain, including crop inputs, distribution, commodity trading, and processing, food ingredients, animal nutrition, and ag tech, as an advisor and thought partner to senior executives and boards of directors. Cunningham was also co-head of Lazard’s Americas Women in Banking Network.
Previously, Cunningham worked in Lehman Brothers’ (and subsequently Barclays Capital’s) M&A Group in New York. During her early career, she worked at Marsh & McLennan, where she advised corporate and university clients on risk management issues. Cunningham holds a Master of Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan.
46). Meagan Burton-Krieger
Executive Director, Campaign Operations & Institute Strategic Priorities, Georgia Institute of Technology
Meagan Burton-Krieger is the executive director of campaign operations and institute strategic priorities on Georgia Tech’s Development senior leadership team.
Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Meagan was responsible for the strategic direction and major gift fundraising efforts to build a new Sciences Complex and expand
academic fundraising at Butler University as lead development officer for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Provost. Before joining the successful Butler Beyond campaign efforts, Meagan served as chief of staff to the president and liaison to the board of trustees, and director of donor relations at Butler. She started her career at Vanderbilt University, where she served as assistant director of development for the Divinity School and later became the inaugural director of annual giving stewardship.
She holds a BA in sociology and religious studies from Albion College, where she served as a board of trustee member; a MEd in higher education administration and student affairs from the University of Vermont; and an EdD in higher education leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University. As a practicing scholar, Meagan’s research interests include higher education history and future models of post-secondary education, university presidential leadership and governance, student retention, and the role of philanthropy and policy in the evolution of our higher education systems and student experiences and outcomes.
47). Stacey Bledsoe
Head of Global Clinical Trial Diversity & Inclusion, Gilead Sciences
Stacey Bledsoe is the Head of Global Clinical Trial Diversity and Inclusion of Gilead Sciences. Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. Bledsoe is a highly motivated professional with proven leadership and communication skills, boasting an established record of achieving results by applying a strong work ethic and a high level of professionalism and integrity.
Bledsoe’s demonstrated success spans Six Sigma methodology, health outcomes research, clinical trial diversity, medical information, and the hospital and payer environment. As an action-oriented professional, Bledsoe possesses the ability to grasp complex concepts and organizations, leading teams to effective and collaborative results. Her experience and education provide valuable knowledge in the areas of healthcare, clinical trial diversity, outcomes research, managed markets, and process improvement.
Bledsoe started her career in 2003 as an outcomes liaison at Eli Lilly and Company. She graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a Master’s in Nursing and from Indiana University with an undergraduate degree in nursing.
48). Kimberly Jackson
Head of Department, Business Applications, Endress Hauser Infoserve GMBH Co. KG
Kimberly Jackson is the Head of the Business Applications Department at Endress Hauser Infoserve GMBH Co. KG. She first joined the company in 2022 as a process consultant in sales and logistics.
In her current role, Jackson strategically and functionally leads the US Business Applications team, responsible for supporting North and South America Sales and Production Centers within the Endress+Hauser Group. Providing guidance and direction to the team, she oversees interactions and collaborations with end users, internal stakeholders, project consultants, and global teams. Her role involves managing local and global expectations of stakeholders to bring together business needs and IT offerings. Additionally, she contributes individually to SAP requests and manages projects related to business applications.
Previously, Jackson was an IT project manager at Endress+Hauser, Inc. Before that, she was a senior payment services analyst at Blackbaud. Earlier in her career, she worked with Voltz Tree Farm as a merchandiser and tree keeper. Jackson earned an undergraduate degree in business management, and political science from Anderson University.
49). Amy Self
Head of Talent Development, Talent Acquisition, & Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, Avaya
Amy Self is the Head of Talent Development, Talent Acquisition, and Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Avaya. Avaya LLC, often shortened to Avaya and formerly Avaya Inc., is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, that provides cloud communications and workstream collaboration services.
Self has 27 years of experience. She is passionate about creating cultures that create competitive advantages. For over 15 years, she has assessed employee engagement, conducted two-way discussions with employees regarding improvement plans, and collaboratively brought satisfaction-boosting initiatives to life. Her specialty lies in driving exceptionally high levels of engagement with talent solutions. Self loves helping people realize their full potential, utilizing innovative training methods, stretch assignments, mentoring, and individual development plans. She feels fortunate to have worked for companies that share her strong belief in professional development.
Before joining Avaya, Self was a senior director of learning and development at Wyndham Destinations. Before that, she was an instructional designer contracted by Kelly Services at Eli Lilly and Company. Earlier in her career, she worked with Charles Schwab as a senior training specialist. Self graduated from Taylor University with an MBA and an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.
50). Ann Lathrop
Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) & Member of Governor Holcomb's Cabinet, Indiana Economic Development Corporation
Ann Lathrop, Chief Strategy Officer for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), joined the IEDC in November 2021 and was appointed to join Governor Eric J. Holcomb’s cabinet in August 2023. IEDC is charged with growing the State economy, driving economic development, and helping businesses launch, grow, and locate in the state. In her role, Lathrop oversees Indiana’s integrated approach to business development, aligning external engagement, workforce, business development, foreign direct investment, federal engagement, government-to-government relations, defense, foreign policy, and trade to meet the needs and speed of the market.
With a rich professional history spanning more than 30 years, Lathrop brings a wealth of diverse experience to her role at IEDC. Her extensive expertise encompasses business development, sales, finance, marketing, and brand management. Notably, she served as Crowe's pioneering chief marketing officer, where she orchestrated marketing and brand strategies and realigned the inside sales team. Lathrop's journey began as an auditor with KPMG, progressing to her pivotal position as deputy mayor of Indianapolis and subsequently as city controller. Before joining Crowe, she flourished as vice president of business development at ACS Inc./Lockheed Martin/Netgov.com.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Lathrop has made impactful contributions to the state by participating on various boards. She serves as an Executive Committee member at Visit Indy and previously served as Board President of the Indiana Youth Institute. Lathrop graduated from San Diego State University.