Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top Women Leaders of New Jersey for 2023. New Jersey has experienced a notable evolution in terms of women's leadership, reflecting a broader societal shift towards inclusivity and equal representation. These women-led businesses have not only broken gender barriers but have also promoted the further advancement of gender equality in traditionally male-dominated industries. A majority of our accomplished woman leaders highlighted this year for New Jersey have assumed pivotal roles demonstrating their dedication to humanitarian efforts, HR, education, non-profit organizations especially in the areas of DEI, and economic empowerment of minorities.
This year's honorees include Michele Tuck-Ponder, former mayor of Princeton Township and current Executive Director of Destination Imagination. Awardee Dr. Roslina Racioppi, President and CEO of WOMEN Unlimited, explored women's mentoring practices in her dissertation, "Women’s Mentoring Wisdom" focusing on mid-career levels. Additionally, Amanda DeMartino successfully leads the athletic department at the College of New Jersey, one of the most successful NCAA Division III programs in the nation.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top Women Leaders of New Jersey for 2023.
Kellie Terry
Global Head, DEI, Strategy and Portfolio Management, Johnson & Johnson
Kellie Terry offers more than a decade of IT and PMO leadership expertise. As a dynamic high-energy Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion/IT professional possessing strong leadership skills, she has effectively delivered the desired results to internal and external customer-facing clients. Having been continually challenged and rapidly promoted throughout her career, Kellie led numerous large-scale systems integration teams through a variety of complex implementations, re-engineering of business processes, change management programs, and integration of data systems in acquired and restructured business units.
Kellie fosters close working relationships between business and technical teams to define and implement critical business improvement initiatives that turn business strategies into sustained operational performance. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, she served in leadership roles with inVentiv Health Clinical, AstraZeneca, and MDS Pharma Services. Kellie graduated from Chestnut Hill College with an undergraduate degree in business administration.
Deb Pfennig
VP, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines, Supply Chain, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
Deborah Pfennig is currently Vice President of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines, Supply Chain where she leads Strategy & Deployment, responsible for pharmaceutical supply chain strategy, digitization strategy, ERP system building/global execution, and all financial resourcing and deployment prioritization efforts for supply chain. She was also recently hand-picked to lead the alliance and portfolio management strategy and activities enabling the successful separation of Kenvue from Johnson & Johnson from a supply chain perspective.
Deb came to supply chain as a long-standing leader in business development. Her most recent leadership position in BD was VP, Diagnostics & Enabling Technologies. In this role, Deb led all business development activities relating to diagnostics, digital diagnostics, and technologies enabling digital solutions connecting biology to medicine using large and increasingly available data sets. Deb has been an active member of various Commercial and Supply Chain Leadership Teams across Johnson & Johnson. She is a seasoned leader with diverse experiences spanning consumer, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, sales, and global and US marketing. Deb is a valuable partner to internal and external stakeholders, driving business results through developing strategies to launch new growth (white space) areas and products, and is recognized as a Credo-based collaborator with a proven track record of building diverse and impactful teams to drive change.
Deb holds an undergraduate degree in marketing and philosophy from Boston College and an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. She is also a Certified Life Coach and lives in New Jersey with her husband, Michael, and twin sons.
Sonia Luaces
Partner, PwC
Sonia Luaces is a Partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Trust Solutions segment and has over twenty years of experience working with public and private multinational companies, focusing on the service of global SEC clients. She has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and life science sector, providing insights and knowledge related to Sarbanes-Oxley, compliance and internal audit effectiveness, IFRS, US GAAP, and SEC Reporting as well as special transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, and offerings. Sonia is proactive in initiating collaborative discussions with her clients on events and other matters impacting their business, including COVID-19; healthcare reform; product launches; loss of exclusivity; the evolving regulatory landscape; finance transformation; revenue, research, and development and manufacturing-related issues; and various types of transactions.
Sonia actively participates in various charitable initiatives and is most passionate about her work as the executive co-chair of the Women@NJPAC (New Jersey Performing Arts Center). Her professional affiliations include the Healthcare Business Women’s Association (Recipient of the 2018 Rising Star Award), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the New Jersey State Societies of Certified Public Accountants. Sonia received her master’s and undergraduate degrees in accounting from Seton Hall University.
Sarah Hersey
Vice President, Precision Medicine, Bristol Myers Squibb
Sarah Hersey is the Vice President of Precision Medicine at Bristol Myers Squibb. BMS is a New York-based biopharmaceutical firm that develops and commercializes medicines for treating patients that prevail over serious diseases. Hersey has more than 20 years of industry experience in leading R&D organizations, CLIA and GLP laboratories, device manufacturing, consortiums, assessment and implementation of technology strategies, and development of in vitro diagnostics. In addition, she continuously works to further education and awareness in Precision Medicine and Companion Diagnostic spaces.
Prior to joining BMS, Hersey was the VP of Precision Medicine and Companion Diagnostics for Celgene, where she founded their Precision Medicine Organization in 2016. She joined Celgene after having held the position as the Global Head of Future Precision Medicine for Novartis, where the team submitted and gained approval for multiple Health Authority applications; including the first pre-market approval for a distributable NGS CDx. Hersey has also held multiple roles with increasing responsibility within Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) including Global Head of Operations, Assay Program Leader for Companion Diagnostics Center of Excellence, Director of Materials Process Development and Enabling Technologies. Hersey graduated from Pierce Chemical Company - Thermo Fisher Scientific with an MBA and from Northern Illinois University with an undergraduate degree in chemistry.
Lyenda Delp
Head of Financial Institutions Group - Americas & Managing Director , BlackRock
Lyenda Simpson Delp is a Managing Director and the Head of BlackRock's Financial Institutions Group (FIG) – Americas which delivers asset management, advisory, and risk management capabilities from BlackRock's enterprise platform that are tailored to the large balance sheets of insurance companies. Delp is accountable for driving the overall success of FIG Americas including leading a high-performing team and managing relationships with senior clients including insurance CIOs, CFOs, and Treasurers and their teams.
Prior to becoming Head of the FIG Americas business, she was Head of the Client Relationship team within FIG Americas after having worked up from joining as a VP and Relationship Manager in 2009. Before joining BlackRock, she was a VP at Goldman Sachs (GS) which she joined in 2000. In her most recent role at GS, she was a Client Portfolio Manager in Goldman Sachs Asset Management for the manager-of-managers providing multi-asset class whole portfolio solutions to US and European insurers, pensions, endowments, and foundations.
Lyenda spent two years at Deloitte Consulting as a management consultant in the financial services practice on assignments with banks, broker-dealers, and sell-side firms just before GSAM and after Business School. She earned her MBA with concentrations in finance, marketing, and strategy from Carnegie Mellon University and an undergraduate degree in chemistry and biochemistry, double major with honors, from The University of the West Indies (Kingston, Jamaica).
Lyenda is a member of the Business Board of Advisors for the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University and the Advisory Board for the American Foundation for the UWI (AFUWI), based in NYC. She is a former board member of the Adoption and Foster Family Coalition of NY (AFFCNY). Lyenda says her most important role is being a mom to her three wonderful daughters with her husband Phil.
Heather Leef
Managing Director, DEI Institute, Deloitte
Heather is the Managing Director leading Deloitte’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Institute. Leef has a long-standing passion for equity and belonging and is committed to the collaboration and collective actions necessary to advance successful DEI efforts in the workforce, marketplace, and society.
With more than 25 years of experience in driving innovative strategic initiatives at Deloitte, Leef most recently served as a senior leader and executive coach with Deloitte’s Chief Executive Program, working closely with CEOs in a wide range of industries and DEI-focused organizations, helping them achieve their aspirations. Prior to the Chief Executive Program, Leef led Deloitte’s office of the CEO, serving as the chief of staff for Deloitte’s first woman CEO, Cathy Engelbert. As a strategic advisor to advance the CEO’s priorities, she collaborated with senior leaders across Deloitte and in external organizations. In that role, she contributed to the launch of Deloitte’s industry-leading family leave program, providing up to 16 weeks of paid leave.
Leef received her Executive Coaching Certification from Columbia University. She is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and serves as a member of the ICF: Coaching in Organizations Board. Leef received a BSBA with an accounting major from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, and is a member of the AICPA and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Elizabeth Koehler
Managing Director & Head of Advisor Engagement, BlackRock
Elizabeth Koehler is a Managing Director and Head of Advisor Engagement for BlackRock’s US Wealth Advisory business. With more than 20 years of financial services experience, Liz manages a multi-functional team that empowers financial professionals to grow their businesses, build new and durable client relationships, and leverage a full suite of unique digital capabilities on blackrock.com. Her team develops innovative tools, industry insights, educational programs, bespoke study groups, and strategic business consulting – in an effort to help financial professionals enhance efficiency, build portfolios to meet client goals, and reimagine the client experience as the industry rapidly evolves.
Prior to her current role, Liz was responsible for product management, business development, and strategy for BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Solutions and Models within US Wealth Advisory. Before joining the Product & Platform Team, Liz was Head of USWA Product Marketing where she oversaw the positioning and development of content for BlackRock’s open-end mutual funds, separately managed accounts, alternative investments, and 529 plan. She joined the firm in 2003 as a member of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers’ (MLIM) Channel Marketing & Strategy team.
Liz was named Woman of the Year in 2021 by Women in Asset Management. She graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia with an undergraduate degree in business. She also has a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in applied positive psychology. She holds the Series 7, 66, and 24 licenses and became a CFA charter holder in 2008. Liz is also chair of the board for the non-profit Arm in Arm which helps support families in need across Mercer County NJ with food, housing, and job support. She lives in NJ with her husband and two sons.
Pia House Walker
SVP & Chief Human Resources and Diversity Officer, St. Joseph's Health
Pia House Walker has been a healthcare human resource professional for more than 25 years.
Pia joined St. Joseph Health in June 2020 as their Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer and was promoted in November 2021 to Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Pia received the additional appointment as the organization's first Chief Diversity Officer in March 2022.
She has served in leadership for the last 18 years supporting organizations to achieve positive employee experiences for their teams. Her support ensured positive patient outcomes by leading teams through their Talent Acquisition & Onboarding, Workforce Relations, Learning and Organizational Development, Total Rewards, Employee Recognition, and DEI initiatives.
In 2019, she was a winner of the Individual Diversity First award, which exhibits leadership and dedication through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace; in 2021 Pia was recognized as a Top 50 HR Officer through the National Diversity and Leadership Council, a 2022 Women of Achievement by the Northern New Jersey Girl Scouts Association and as a 2022 Top Women In HealthCare by the National Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consortium. Most recently, Pia was recognized through the National Diversity Council as a 2023 DEI Influencer.
Pia holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Change from Pfeiffer University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Human Resources from Livingston College.
Jennifer Nevins
Chief Operating Officer, PS&S
Jennifer Nevins was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of PS&S in May 2020. She was previously a Principal of DW Smith Associates since 2001 after being a significant team member since 1988. Nevins handled the overall operations of DW Smith, including project management, quality control and assurance, client satisfaction, and strategic planning. She successfully created the Community Association Services division within DW Smith Associates. Through Nevins’ efforts, this sector of the business has seen tremendous growth in recent years.
Nevins’ involvement as a Business Partner Member of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) New Jersey and Pennsylvania/Delaware Valley Chapters has allowed her to immerse herself in the Community Association industry, participating in industry events, attending networking functions and delivering presentations to property managers throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. On the national level, she presented a leadership webinar for CAI and spoke at the 2017 CAI National Conference in Las Vegas. She currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors as President for the Community Association Industry in the state of New Jersey. Also, she was a panelist at Montclair State University in April 2019 who discussed the Engineer’s involvement in Transitions and coordinated with legal and accounting professionals. In addition, Nevins received her CMCA® certification and developed a “Boot camp” class to assist Property Managers in attaining their certification. Most recently, she was elected to serve a term on the CAI Business Council for CAI National starting in January 2020.
Nevins graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science degree. She has always been a strong believer in continuing education, participating in numerous courses throughout her career including the National CAI Business Partner Essentials class through which she received her Educated Business Partner Certification. Nevins also earned her Management for Design Firms Certification from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Construction Management Certification from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Most recently, she received the Executive Leadership Certification from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Nevins has also been an advocate for women’s leadership, including advising and mentoring not only businesswomen but also female students through the Rutgers Institute for Women’s Leadership (IWL) and the Wall High School Business and Finance Academy (WBFA).
Subba Ramaswamy
Managing Director, Accenture
Subba Lakshmi Ramaswamy is a Managing Director with Accenture’s Cloud, Infrastructure, and Engineering practice. She brings close to two decades of global experience across multiple industries and technologies having lived and worked across Europe, North America & India.
Subba has built extensive experience in managing and delivering complex technology transformation programs & outsourcing engagements involving Digital, Data, Agile, DevOps, Cloud, and Legacy Modernization. As the lead for Accenture’s Quality Engineering practice in North America, she is accountable for strategy, talent development, growth, and delivery across the Market.
Furthermore, Subba leads Accenture's Apprentice program in the Northeast and takes pride in helping break down barriers to employment by expanding workplace opportunities with Accenture to motivated, high potential underrepresented talent who have traditionally lacked access to the digital economy. Since its inception in 2016, this program has had 230+ apprentices in the NY-NJ region alone and has expanded beyond post-secondary apprentices to youth apprentices.
Subba walks the talk when it comes to her passion for Inclusion and Diversity by being an active coach for Accenture’s women's leadership development program annually for the last 5 years.
Subba graduated from Bangalore University (India) with Computer Science, Mathematics and Electronics. As a lifelong learner, she continues to do training and certifications regularly. She completed the Chief Information Officer from NYU and the Green Cloud Advisor Program from MIT & Accenture. She gives back by speaking at a variety of internal and external forums including educational institutions on technology & women in IT. Subba lives in Metuchen, NJ with her husband, son, and daughter.
Maureen J. Lally
Vice President, Marketing, Paychex
Maureen J. Lally is the Chief Marketing Officer of Paychex, a leader in Integrated Human Capital Management Software Solutions, with $5B revenue and a $40B market capitalization. She is responsible for all marketing functions, including Marketing Strategy, Branding, Digital Marketing & Demand Generation, and Corporate Communications. Ms. Lally has both enormous breadth and depth in marketing, having previously served in executive roles at Johnson Controls/Tyco, Danfoss, Ingersoll Rand/Trane, and Skanska.
Ms. Lally has extensive experience and expertise with Digital Marketing, Brand Transformation, and Customer Journey & Sales Enablement. She has had global responsibility for much of her career, including having lived and worked in Germany, Belgium, and Denmark. She has marketed to a wide range of industries, including HR Services, Commercial Building Systems, Construction, Financial Services, and Telecommunications.
Shannon Simon
VP of Learning & Development, Arch Insurance Group
Shannon Simon is the Vice President of Learning and Development with Arch Insurance Group. Arch Insurance Group, a division of Arch Capital Group Ltd., is a market-leading specialty insurer. They provide a wide range of property, casualty, and specialty insurance for corporations, professional firms, and financial institutions across the United States and Canada. Simon has over 20 years of experience. She began her career in 1999.
Simon first got her start with Peak Performance Consulting as a learning and development strategist before moving on to become a training coordinator for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. She spent 8 years with AIG in various positions including director and manager roles before moving on to Arch Insurance Group in 2021. Simon is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with an undergraduate degree in accounting and of New York University with a master's in business education.
Alesia Visconti
CEO & President, FranServe
Alesia Visconti is the CEO and President of FranServe Inc., the world's largest franchise consulting & expansion organization, and the CEO of Franchise Dictionary Magazine (FCM). Alesia provides vision and leadership to these extraordinary franchise industry organizations. She has 20 years of experience as a President & CEO, taking companies to the next level, both domestically and internationally.
Alesia’s entered the franchise space training as a FranServe Consultant. She quickly became a FranServe Top Producer, and then eventually had the opportunity to acquire FranServe. She leaned on her executive experience and her team to grow FranServe into what it is now: the world’s largest franchise consulting /broker organization.
Highly active in the International Franchise Association (IFA), Alesia is on the Diversity Board, the VetFran Committee, the Legal Legislative Committee, the Supplier Advisory Board, and the IFA Membership Committee. She travels to Washington, DC annually to speak with legislators on the laws impacting franchising and small business ownership. She also serves on the Board of Advisors at the Titus Center for Franchising at Palm Beach University. There, she influences and helps educate college students pursuing a concentration in franchising. Consistently recognized by the franchise community, Alesia has been named a Top Influencer in Franchising by 1981/Samba year after year.
A true entrepreneur, Alesia acquired the struggling publication, Franchise Dictionary Magazine and turned it around in record time. It is now one of the leading sources of information that potential franchise owners and new franchisees turn to for information and advice. It receives praise and accolades throughout the industry. Her philanthropic activities include developing FranAid, an arm of FranServe that responsibly shares FranServe’s financial success with extraordinary organizations including Freedom Service Dogs of America, VetFran, Susan G. Komen, and more.
Sue James
Head of Global Regulatory Affairs, Haleon
Sue James is the Head of Global Regulatory Affairs for Haleon, a world-leading consumer health company with a clear purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity. With a broad range of science-based products, such as Sensodyne, parodontax, and Polident, their goal is to make the world's mouths healthier.
Prior to joining Haleon, Sue was the VP of Global Regulatory Affairs of Consumer Healthcare of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. She has over 21 years in the pharmaceutical industry. She began her career in 2000. James graduated from the University of York with an undergraduate degree in biochemistry.
Dawn Serpe
Executive Vice President, Collabera
Dawn Serpe is the Executive Vice President and a member of the Executive Management Committee at Collabera, a large minority-owned total talent solutions firm, HQ in New Jersey. For over 25 years, Collabera has provided IT and digital talent solutions to many of the Fortune 500 in the areas of staff augmentation, direct hire placement, Talent Development and Transformation, and Global Remote Talent.
Serpe has been with the company for 10 years and is responsible for Collabera’s North American Strategic Accounts new business development team and MSP partnerships. She is also very passionate about company culture and has been responsible for driving Collabera’s Talent and Culture Committee ensuring that their employees are always keeping the company’s values of Passion, Agility, Fearless, Committed, and Inclusive top of mind, and creating an amazing environment for everyone to work in. She started their weekly Employee Appreciation Week years ago where all their employees are “celebrated” all week long with fun-themed parties, contests, games, and events in their offices worldwide.
As one of the first female members of their Executive Management team, she is also responsible for establishing, developing, and driving the Women’s Leadership Advisory Board where all of the women leaders come together and form different committees including Mentorship, GirlTalk, College to Career, and Working Mom’s. Another passion is diversity and inclusion, and she has made it an absolute priority to work closely with their clients to drive diversity hiring initiatives and strategies as well as ensuring the company is working with diverse suppliers internally. Prior to Collabera, she has over 20 years of experience working for large publicly traded staffing companies such as Robert Half International in management roles as well as driving sales, recruiting, and working closely with clients to provide the best customer service experience.
Gail Seymour
Vice President, Global Product Strategy Head, Ianalumab, Novartis
Gail Seymour is currently a Vice President and Global Product Strategy Head in the Immunology Therapeutic Area at Novartis Pharmaceuticals located in East Hanover, New Jersey. Gail has extensive experience leading asset commercialization at the global and market level in Immunology, Oncology, and Hematology therapeutic areas. Her expertise is grounded in a deep marketing background, including more than 8 years of direct joint venture experience.
Gail has specific expertise in developing and executing strategy, launching and building brands, market understanding, developing people, and applying innovative thinking. Prior to her 20+ year career in the pharmaceutical industry, Gail served as a commissioned Quartermaster officer in the United States Army for over five years. She is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Gail is married to Scott Seymour, Co-Founder & CEO of Inked Bread Co., and they have 4 teenagers, 2 in college and 2 in high school.
Rachel Richter
VP, Growth Analytics, Intelligence & Business Process Operations, Optum
Rachel Richter is the VP of Growth Analytics, Intelligence, and Business Process Operations of Optum. Optum is a leading health solutions and care delivery organization, bringing together advanced data and technology, deep clinical experience, and professional partnerships. Her prior company, Change Healthcare, was acquired by Optum in late 2022. Richter has 20 years of experience. She began her career in 2002.
Before joining Optum, Richter was the VP of analytics, insights & operations at Dun & Bradstreet and before that a research director at Turner Broadcasting. Earlier in her career she worked with ACNielsen, The Nielsen Company as an associate client manager. Richter has an undergraduate degree in marketing and international business from McGill University and an MBA in marketing and statistics from Baruch College, CUNY.
Jennifer Carter-Lawyer
VP & Human Resources Advice Channel Team Lead, TD
Jennifer Lawyer is a Vice President and Human Resources Advice Channel Team Lead for TD. She has worked in corporate & regional-level positions in the field of Human Resources for over 25 years.
Jennifer’s career began in 1998 at State Farm Insurance, Inc., at their executive regional offices located in Wayne, NJ. She collaboratively worked with HR & the Public Affairs division while servicing the NY Area. She later took on recruiting & operational roles at Kelly IT & Engineering Services in Fort Washington, PA. She was the On-Site Lead at Lockheed Martin. In 2002, Jennifer embarked on a career with Comcast Cable at their HQ in Philadelphia, PA & later managed the Moorestown, NJ site for Comcast Commercial & Online Services (formerly Comcast Business Communications). Jennifer then moved to Comcast’s Eastern Division Call Center in Voorhees, NJ. She then became the Sr. HR Manager at the HQ offices of excelleRx, Inc., an Omnicare company, that oversees medication management for hospice patients. Jennifer later joined ComVerse under their global HR division & transitioned to TD Bank's Human Resources Corporate division in September 2012 located in Mount Laurel, NJ.
Jennifer She has conducted several trainings for leaders in Employee Relations/Law, Harassment, Workplace Violence, Performance, Positive Discipline, and Supervisory Leadership. In 2014, she received two TD HR Principles in Practice/Act to Impact awards for conducting Development Plans for over 4200 TD employees in Shared Services. She also is the HR Advice employee of the quarter in 2017, 2019, 2021 & 2023. In 2020, she was the recipient of the TD Wow Award for the company’s 4th quarter. In 2020-21, she became a triple threat & won the TD Legendary Leadership HR Group Award, TD CEO & Leadership Award, & the highest honor TD can give an employee, The Vision in Action Award winner (top 100 out of 100,000 employees).
Jennifer D'Angelo
SVP & General Manager Healthcare Division, New Jersey Innovation Institute
Jennifer D'Angelo is a visionary leader, innovator, and strategist who currently holds the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII)’s Healthcare Division. Under her leadership, the division manages federal and state grant-funded programs focused on revolutionizing healthcare through data-driven transformation, including the management of the New Jersey Health Information Network (NJHIN) on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Health. The NJHIN is the only network that has been built specifically to facilitate the exchange of patient data for all New Jersey patients with their healthcare providers. With Jennifer at the helm, NJII and the NJHIN can increase interoperability, thus reducing the cost of healthcare and improving population health statewide.
Jennifer also oversees the NJII Healthcare Division’s for-profit subsidiary, Healthcare Innovation Solutions (HCIS), which assists thousands of physicians across the country in navigating the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Merit-Based Incentive Payment Program (MIPS) and Quality Improvement Program-New Jersey (QIP-NJ). Prior to her appointment at NJII, Jennifer served as the SVP and CIO at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, NJ; CIO and VP of information services at Christian Health in Wyckoff, NJ; and executive director of Jersey Health Connect in Newark, NJ.
Jennifer has more than two decades of HealthIT experience and is one of the few women in leadership in the healthcare industry. She is committed to furthering HealthIT through volunteering and giving back her knowledge. She currently serves as a Board Member of NJHIMSS, along with serving on several regional and state leadership associations and committees including the Health Care Association of New Jersey (HCANJ), national HIMSS, AHIMA, LeadingAge CAST, Jersey Health Connect, AEHiT, New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) and NJHIN. Most recently, she was selected to become a member of CHIEF – an organization designed for the most powerful women executives to strengthen their leadership and magnify their influence – and a nominee for the Civitas Networks for Health’s board. Through her experience volunteering, collaborating, networking, and advising these organizations, she has helped to make a significant impact on growing healthcare technology initiatives across New Jersey and beyond.
Catherine Tantillo
Head of Social Impact, Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC
Catherine Tantillo is the Head of Social Impact at Lord Abbett, a global asset management firm based in Jersey City, NJ. During her 24-year career at Lord Abbett, Catherine has held a variety of senior positions and serves as chair of the firm's Inclusion Networks. She oversees high-impact programs that advance community engagement aligned with the firm's corporate values.
Catherine's mission is to lead transformative programs that champion community engagement in alignment with the organization's core values. As Head of Social Impact, she works to inspire leaders to elevate the corporate culture, fostering an environment that champions fairness and equity. Catherine passionately advocates for utilizing diversity across all dimensions, which in turn enhances engagement, cultivates a sense of belonging, and elevates productivity through the promotion of collaborative behaviors.
Beyond her professional commitments, Catherine is driven by a deep-seated passion for serving others and contributing to worthy causes. Her personal fundraising endeavors have yielded an impressive $478K in contributions toward critical breast cancer research. Catherine's commitment to the community extends to her role as Vice Chair for the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, where she actively shapes regional economic development. She also serves as a valued Regional Council Member of the American Red Cross in the New Jersey region. She is an esteemed American Red Cross Tiffany Circle of Women Leaders member, demonstrating her dedication to humanitarian efforts that touch lives near and far.
Yvonne Ramirez
Vice President of Human Resources, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Yvonne Ramirez began her professional career 32 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President of Human Resources at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Yvonne serves as CHRO and HR spokesperson for +2,200 faculty, staff, and fellows serving +1,200 students in 7 programs. She leads a 16-member team and 7-figure annual budget supporting compensation and benefits, learning and development, hiring and retention, technology, DEI, performance management, succession planning, labor relations and collective bargaining, HR governance, and risk management.
Ramirez is a dynamic HR Executive, leader, and partner with a proven record of facilitating change, aligning HR strategy with organizational mission and vision, and delivering tangible results. She is experienced as a higher education and healthcare knowledge expert and a champion and driver of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Ramirez first got her start in 1991 as a university director of HR at Pace University. From there, she went on to Yeshiva University as a CHRO. Ramirez graduated from Pace University - Lubin School of Business with an MBA and from Pace University - Lubin School of Business with an undergraduate degree in business administration.
Cassandra Porter
Vice President & Senior Managing Counsel, Mastercard
Cassandra Porter is Mastercard's first privacy counsel dedicated to assisting infrastructure teams with addressing concerns related to Schrems II, data localization, artificial intelligence, SaaS, and Cloud along with global privacy initiatives. Cassandra is a proud member of Mastercard's business resources group, ADAPTability, which works to support individual team members along with identifying systemic changes that enable all employees to fulfill their potential. She is a former member of the global legal team of a cutting-edge SaaS provider and served as lead negotiator for DPAs and data protection and liability terms generally.
Prior to joining Mastercard, Cassandra was an associate general counsel and global privacy team lead of Zuora. Before joining Zuora, she was a director and Americas privacy team lead at Cognizant, and before that, a counsel at Lowenstein Sandler LLP. Earlier in her career, she worked with the American Arbitration Association as a case administrator. Porter graduated from Brooklyn Law School with a JD, from Pratt Institute with an undergraduate degree in management information science, and from Hunter College with an undergraduate degree in political science and government.
Shawn Abner-Purnell
Chief Diversity Officer, South Jersey Industries
As Chief Diversity Officer for SJI, Shawn Abner-Purnell builds human capital strategies to create a culture of inclusion and belonging for all, where employees feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work each day. Abner-Purnell joined SJI in 2016, advancing through various managerial roles within SJI’s HR department before being appointed director of organizational development and diversity/inclusion in 2018. Prior to being named Chief Diversity Officer, she served as VP of DEI since 2021.
As Chief Diversity Officer, Abner-Purnell oversees the full scope of SJI's diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, which includes career development programs, employee engagement initiatives, and talent management practices, to name a few. In addition, she collaborates with leaders to drive advocacy and adoption of business strategies that address talent, diversity, and inclusion gaps in all areas of the company. She also drives the organizational capabilities of SJI's workforce through talent development and culture transformation initiatives.
Before joining SJI, Abner Purnell spent the majority of her career in the insurance industry, where she held leadership positions in organizational development and talent management. In these roles, she drove organizational performance through leadership and workforce development strategies. An alumnus of Morgan State University, she earned her undergraduate degree in business administration. In addition, she holds a master’s degree in organizational development and training from St. Joseph’s University. She currently resides in southern New Jersey with her husband of over 20 years and their three children.
Rosina Racioppi
President & CEO, WOMEN Unlimited, Inc
As President and Chief Executive Officer of WOMEN Unlimited, Inc., Dr. Rosina Racioppi spearheads her organization’s initiatives to help Fortune 1000 companies cultivate the talent they need for ongoing growth and profitability. Under her leadership, WOMEN Unlimited, Inc. successfully partners with organizations across a wide range of industries to develop their high-potential women and to build a pipeline of diverse and talented leaders.
By overseeing the management of programs and services nationwide, Dr. Racioppi is actively involved in helping organizations meet the challenges of a continually changing global economy. Additionally, she analyzes and develops new business opportunities; works with current Fortune 1000 partners to assess and update offerings to their high-potential women; and ensures that WOMEN Unlimited, Inc. is in sync with the needs of its present and potential partners.
Dr. Racioppi’s past experience makes her singularly qualified to understand the needs of partner organizations. Prior to joining WOMEN Unlimited, Inc., she held executive management positions in human resources at Degussa Corporation, Nextran (a division of Baxter Corporation), and Beechwood Data Systems. She has over 25 years of experience in Organization Planning and Development, Compensation and Benefits, Training and Development, Safety, Quality Management, Staffing and Employee Relations. Dr. Racioppi earned her doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania. Her dissertation, “Women’s Mentoring Wisdom” focuses on how women use and fail to use mentoring at the all-important mid-career level. She earned a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University, and is certified in the Hay Job Evaluation Process and the Crosby Total Management System.
Dr. Racioppi serves on the Advisory Council for the University of Pennsylvania CLO Alumni Network, the Advisory Board of the New Historia, and the Advisory Council of The Women’s Business Collaborative where she also chairs their Women in the Pipeline Committee.
Mandy Adams-Moreland
NJ Commercial Lines Team Leader, Acrisure
Mandy Adams-Moreland is the NJ Commercial Lines Team Leader for Acrisure NJ where she is responsible for managing carrier relationships and new business production. Mandy has extensive experience in both the insurance and banking industries, respectively, which has helped her achieve great things in her current role where she has worked for the past 20 years.
Prior to joining Acrisure/Waldor, Mandy served as marketing manager for one of the largest insurance agencies in the US, and before that for a smaller agency, where she built new insurance programs while managing accounts and producing new business. Mandy also has considerable sales experience, as she was a highly successful medical malpractice insurance producer for a niche firm. Her competitiveness and drive help contribute to the success of the agency and producers.
Mandy holds a property and casualty insurance license and carries a designation as an Associate in Commercial Underwriting and a Certified Professional Insurance Agent. She sits on the Allianz Broker Council and is a member of the PIA, The American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society, and the Association of Professional Insurance Women. Mandy lives in NJ with her husband Bryan and their four kids. When she isn’t working, you can find her cheering on her kids at sports.
Allyson Johnson
Chief Operating Officer & Chief Information and Governance Officer, OPEN Health
Allyson Johnson, currently Chief Information and Governance Officer and member of the Executive Committee for OPEN Health, leads the global IT, risk, governance, legal, and facilities strategy and operations for 15 offices across 6 countries. She is the lead executive implementing sustainability through environmental, social, and governance pillars while currently sitting as Global Health and Safety Committee Chair.
Allyson is responsible for defining and implementing the vision for technology in the organization while creating and maintaining the systems and processes that underpin cross-functional company operations. She successfully reinvented the IT, Governance, and Legal departments to globalize their effectiveness ensuring their value is maximized in an efficient manner. Setting a foundational approach to minimizing risk in the organization, Allyson has been successful in working with data privacy officers, establishing business continuity plans, and enforcing data retention rules to meet the standards set forth by clients and governing bodies.
With over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, cross-functional leadership, operational expertise, and business analytics, she enjoys the breadth of challenges presented in business operations and the opportunities to translate executive-level strategic discussions to all personnel resulting in engagement, high morale, and positive financial results.
Shruthi Reddy
Executive Vice President & Senior Program Director, Sage Group Technologies, Inc.
Shruthi Reddy is an accomplished, dynamic, and results-driven leader with over 20 years of experience and a proven track record of success in Client Services, Contingent Workforce Solutions, Global Talent Management Services, and Information Technology Services. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Senior Program Director at Sage Group Technologies, Inc. and Sage Group Healthcare Staffing. Shruthi is highly respected at Sage Group for her outstanding leadership, collaboration, strategic thinking, vision and for building successful client relations and high-performing workforce. She is passionate about delivering exceptional customer satisfaction and quality services to clients and is consistently recognized for her unparalleled focus in these areas. At Sage Group, Shruthi is instrumental in driving the company's success and business growth by consistently exceeding expectations and delivering exceptional results through her passion for success and striving for high-quality outcomes, while embodying the values of "Quality, Commitment, and Excellence". As a collaborative leader, she motivates and inspires others to achieve their full potential.
As Program Director at Sage Group, Shruthi successfully manages complex programs, identifies new opportunities for growth and improvement, and implements innovative solutions to help clients optimize their business and contingent workforce. In her previous role as Director of Client Services and Technology Management at eTeam Inc., Shruthi was equally instrumental in driving success and revenue growth by building, guiding, mentoring, and leading high-performance workforce teams and implementing strategies that aligned with the business goals and maximizing profitability for the organization.
Shruthi strongly advocates for Women Empowerment and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). As a passionate women empowerment advocate, and in her current role at Sage Group, a Women Owned Minority Business Enterprise, Shruthi mentors and nurtures other women to achieve their full potential and identifies opportunities and access to resources for those women to thrive, grow, and succeed.
As a DEI advocate, Shruthi strongly believes that diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental in creating a more just and equitable society. Throughout her career, Shruthi has been working with Minority Business Enterprises, where she has and continues to develop and implement DEI strategies that promote and foster an inclusive culture and equitable workplace.
In her commitment to drive positive change, Shruthi volunteers for organizations that empower women, support women's rights, uplift underprivileged women, and support underrepresented communities.
Shakeema North
Executive Director, Covenant House New York
Shakeema North is an Executive Director of Covenant House New York. Covenant House New York's mission is to help each young person find safety and refuge from the dangers of living on the streets. We do this through compassion, unconditional love, and absolute respect. For over 45 years, Covenant House New York (CHNY) has been a leader in providing residential services to vulnerable homeless, runaway, and exploited youth.
North’s long devotion to the young people and vision of Covenant House exemplifies our culture of unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support,” said Ben Grizzle, Covenant House New York board member and managing director of Goldman Sachs. “As an ordained pastor, scholar, and marketer prior to her many years of service at Covenant House, Shak embodies a unique amalgam of empathy, experience, and technical expertise. She is well-equipped to orchestrate the many disciplines of Covenant House NYC’s staff to meet the diverse needs of our clients and to optimize the complex range of our operations. Her autodidactic instinct to ask questions and grow her own knowledge base, as well as recognize and empower those with differentiated skills and passion make her the sort of leader we need to navigate the many powerful cultural crosscurrents facing Covenant House, GenZ, our city, and our nation in the coming years.”
Prior to joining Covenant House, North worked for over ten years as a marketing and production professional with HBO and as the Pastor of Families with Children at The Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from North Carolina A&T State University and her Master of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary. She is a 2017 Faith and Justice Fellow at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and a 2014 Fellow of the Black Theology and Leadership Institute at Princeton Theological Seminary. In May 2020, North received the Doctor of Ministry degree in Leadership in the Christian Tradition from Duke Divinity School.
Rebecca Conti Koar
EVP of Investor Relations and Strategy, Ascend Wellness Holdings
Rebecca Koar currently serves as an Executive Vice President of Investor Relations and Strategy at Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH). Koar joined AWH as Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Secretary in June 2021. She has over 12 years of professional experience spanning mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy, investor relations, and venture capital at both public and private companies. She has held progressive leadership positions at Verizon, Covanta Energy, Conduent, and Golden Seeds. She has produced quarterly earnings communications for nearly 20 quarters, participated in over 30 completed acquisition processes, developed comprehensive corporate strategies for 3 companies, and evaluated and performed diligence on hundreds of venture offerings.
At AWH, Koar is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of investor programs, messaging, and activities as well as the near and long-term corporate strategy. She also serves as chair of the Editorial Committee for the National Investor Relations Institute’s IR Update Magazine. Prior to her professional work, Koar graduated with an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Sciences with concentrations in materials science, engineering business, and applied math. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two kids, and rescue dog, as well as horseback riding, sailing, and snowboarding.
Renata Vallese Munhoz
Vice President, Mars Wrigley
Renata Vallese Munhoz currently serves as Vice President of Manufacturing for Mars Wrigley North America, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. She oversees operations for multiple sites that produce beloved confectionary products and multiple billion-dollar Brands: M&M’s, Twix, and Snickers, to name a few. She is passionate about the evolution of manufacturing with a focus on advancing Industry 4.0 while fostering an environment that builds capabilities and develops talent at all levels of the organization.
Prior to working at Mars Wrigley, Renata worked at Whirlpool Corporation, where she spent 15 years leading global and regional functions inside and outside of Supply, including Operations, R&D, Engineering, and Strategic Planning. She is known for combining her technical and analytical skills with a strong people-centric approach to create high-performing teams that drive superior results.
Originally from Brazil, Renata lived in four different countries before moving to the US over 15 years ago with a mechanical engineering degree, one bag with all her belongings, and her husband. She conquered corporate America, built a family, and progressed her education by completing her MBA at Michigan State University.
Her mission is to foster the right conditions for people to progress and shape a better future for themselves. She drives her mission every day, not only in her corporate roles but also in engaging with multiple non-profit organizations, especially in the areas of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, education, and economic empowerment of minorities.
Jen Waltz
Vice President of Global Alternate Channels, Kron
Jen Waltz, a dynamic business development leader with over 20 years of experience, excels in driving growth through digital transformation, direct sales, strategic partnerships, and channel sales. With deep expertise in Hyperscalers, OEM hardware, SLDC, and Agile methodologies, she consistently delivers outstanding results by leading high-performance teams and building key partner relationships. Currently, as VP of Global Alternate Channel Sales at Kron Technologies, a global cybersecurity software company, Jen specializes in cybersecurity, specifically privileged access management solutions, surpassing channel targets and strategy development to generate millions in new revenue through strategic channel partnerships.
Jen's journey began as a young child in the Girl Scouts of the USA, honing her sales skills and leading her to excel in various roles. Her tech career started at Yipes Communications, where she first encountered cloud computing. As one of Microsoft's early minority employees in enterprise field sales, her career soared. At Unisys, she held multiple leadership roles before pursuing an advanced degree from Benedictine University, enhancing her competence in assessing business risks and strategic alternatives. As a transformational leader at Equinix, Jen became the first minority female mid-level leader in the Global Partner Channel, emphasizing diversity and inclusion. With less than two years of tenure, Waltz earned a place in Equinix's prestigious global leadership program, Archimedes.
Beyond her professional career, Jen founded and served as the President of The Brooks Firm, securing $150M in grants to help formerly incarcerated individuals enter the workforce. She coached underrepresented minority filmmakers for The Blackhouse, actively mentoring new-to-career employees. Jen's technical expertise, market analysis skills, and partnership commitment consistently drive revenue generation and exceptional customer experiences. She embodies integrity, service, and excellence instilled by her US Air Force veteran father, reflecting the principles of the Girl Scout Law. Jen's versatile leadership and commitment to ethics, good leadership, accountability, community, and continuous learning make the world better.
Britt Kleine
Senior Vice President of Operations, City Fitness
Over the last decade, Britt Kleine has established herself as a reputable leader breaking barriers every step of the way. With a passion for taking on challenging leadership positions with growing companies, Britt has proven time and again that there is no challenge too big. With her extensive experience in strategic planning, execution, and business operations, Britt has the unique ability to immerse herself in a company’s culture making innovative, impactful, and lasting decisions, contributing to the company’s long-term scalable growth and success.
Britt’s experience includes being a top-performing executive in her current role as Senior Vice President of Operations for a notable and fast-growing health and fitness chain in Philadelphia, previously leading a traditionally stagnant program to success with Special Olympics; a globally recognized non-profit, and as a four-time World Championship competitor and Captain for Team USA.
With a genuine passion for business operations, leadership, and team development, and a thirst for building and contributing to successful brands, Britt looks forward to continuing her efforts in helping her team and company achieve untapped success.
Michele Tuck-Ponder
Executive Director, Destination Imagination
Michele Tuck-Ponder began her professional career 35 years ago. Today, she is the Executive Director of Destination Imagination. Destination Imagination, Inc. is a volunteer-led non-profit organization whose purpose is to inspire and equip students to become the next generation of innovators and leaders. The organization seeks to connect students to opportunities emerging in the global digital economy. The most popular education offering is the Challenge Program, where student teams solve open-ended science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and service learning Challenges and present their solutions to trained Appraisers. Founded in 1982, Destination Imagination has impacted more than 1.5 million students.
Tuck-Ponder has an extensive background in politics, government, media relations, and public policy. A former mayor of Princeton Township, New Jersey, she has served as assistant counsel to Governor Jim Florio, assistant director of the New Jersey Division on Women and New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, director of development and public affairs at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, congressional aide to former US Representative Louis Stokes and Senator Frank Lautenberg and CEO of the Girl Scouts of Delaware-Raritan, Inc.
Tuck-Ponder has also served as an interim executive director at the YWCA of Eastern Union County and the Resource Center of Somerset County. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School with a JD and from Northwestern University with an undergraduate degree in journalism.
Gabrielle Centra-Taylor
Clinical Director, Rainbow ABA
Gabrielle Centra-Taylor is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst who specializes in providing ABA therapy to individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition to being certified as a School Psychologist and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, Centra-Taylor holds an undergraduate degree in psychology, with a focus on child advocacy, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Montclair State University. She earned her Post Masters Certification in Applied Behavior Analysis from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Currently, Centra-Taylor oversees a team of 35 Board Certified Behavior Analysts and over 200 Behavior Technicians at Rainbow ABA. With 8+ years under her belt as a school psychologist and 4+ years as a BCBA, Centra-Taylor has made impressive professional strides early in her career. Prioritizing the scientific use of Organizational Behavior Management, Centra-Taylor prides herself in leading her team with effective performance management, a multitude of individualized positive reinforcement, consistent collaboration, and open availability. She ensures the health, happiness, and safety of her team is a top priority and a core value for all other leaders within the agency. Overall, Centra-Taylor places a strong emphasis on the culture and climate of Rainbow ABA and ensures it is a space that is diverse, ethical, accepting, and inclusive for both employees and clients.
Centra-Taylor assisted in Rainbow's growth by expanding the clientele from 10 clients to 200. Being a Medicaid-funded ABA agency in the State of NJ, Centra-Taylor has continued to push for ABA therapy for any and all areas, especially prioritizing outreach to inner cities and urban communities. Utilizing her unique perspective regarding growth and development, Centra-Taylor plans to continue expanding Rainbow ABA to other states within the United States to ensure high-quality, effective ABA therapy can be provided to those who are in need while maintaining a warm, nurturing environment.
Rume Joy Azikiwe-Oyeyemi
Chief Human Resources Officer & SVP, City Year
Rume Joy Azikiwe-Oyeyemi is the Chief Human Resources Officer and a Senior Vice President with City Year. City Year helps students and schools succeed while preparing the next generation of civically engaged leaders who can work across lines of difference. Diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide support to students, classrooms, and the whole school. Azikiwe-Oyeyemi is a highly motivated individual with a desire to make a positive and meaningful impact on those around her and the organizations she serves. She seeks to partner with organizations to create those positive changes that will help to increase the overall bottom line, positively impact the culture, and make them an employer of choice.
Prior to joining City Year, Azikiwe-Oyeyemi was an Executive Director of HR and Chief of Staff at the University of Pennsylvania, where she first joined in 2014. In 2007, she served as an HR director with HCR ManorCare before moving on to Genesis HealthCare where she also served in various HR manager and director roles. Over the years, she took on consulting with LER Depot, a small company specializing in employee and labor relations.
In addition to her current position, Azikiwe-Oyeyemi serves as an adjunct professor at both Rowan University and Wilmington University. She graduated from Hofstra University with an undergraduate degree in communications, the University of Phoenix with an MBA with a concentration in HR, and holds a doctorate of management in strategic leadership from Thomas Jefferson University.
Heather Griffin
VP of Marketing, Impact XM
Heather Griffin began her professional career 17 years ago. Today, she is the VP of Marketing Impact of Impact XM. Impact XM is an event and experiential marketing agency with over 50 years of experience in crafting impactful events, exhibits, environments, engagements, and activations that deliver measurable results for businesses worldwide. At Impact XM, Heather leads all marketing strategy and efforts on behalf of the company to strengthen their market position and achieve desired business goals.
In 2019, Griffin joined Impact XM. She was hired to restructure and nurture the existing marketing team and launched over a dozen new initiatives that included brand management, website and SEO, content marketing, lead generation and nurturing, social media marketing, event marketing, and robust data and analytics collection.
Griffin first got her start in 2006 as a marketing assistant at InfoEd Global. From there, she went on to work as the VP of marketing and E-commerce at Duggal Visual Solutions for nearly 12 years, and as the marketing director at Lumi Solair. Later she eventually co-founded YourArtGallery.com, the online gallery for artists, art lovers, and enthusiasts. The site provided a unique experience where professional and amateur artists from around the world could display and sell their photography, designs, and multimedia. Griffin graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design and a minor in marketing.
Gigi Polo
Design Director, Dauphin Americas
Gigi Polo is a Dominican artist, designer, filmmaker, researcher, and educator; her interdisciplinary practice brings together art and design, pedagogy, and research. As a filmmaker, Gigi directed, produced, and edited Madly Gifted (released in 2013), a documentary that explores the relationship between bipolar disorder and artistic temperament, which has been screened in several venues, such as Hawaii, NYC, and the Dominican Republic, and available as open-source material on Vimeo and at madlygifted.com. In 2021, Madly Gifted was included in the syllabi of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) psychiatry clerkship rotation, as a learning tool for medical students in training.
Gigi has been teaching since 2006 and is a part-time associate teaching professor at Parsons, The New School for Design where she currently teaches Integrative Studio and Mental Health by Design. She has been an adjunct professor at Montclair University, LIM College, and CUNY, where she taught courses in design theory and practice, digital literacy, film theory and production, typography, infographics, editorial design, photography, color theory, advanced graphic design, and design for social change. Her passion for teaching lies at the intersection of student-centered instruction and brain-based learning, with a focus on the neuroscience behind holistic learning within art and design education. In 2019, Gigi started pilot-testing her latest research on models for intense learning at Chavón, The School for Design in the Dominican Republic.
In 2020, Gigi took on the design of the brand identity and strategy for NuWud, a socially responsible brand that developed sustainable, and 100% waterproof, flooring. In 2021, she became the Design Director at Dauphin Americas, a German furniture manufacturer where she manages the Design Services and Marketing departments. Gigi leverages her design expertise and research capacities to service clients’ needs and build partnerships that foster more sustainable and socially just practices.
Ayesha Simons
Sr. Director, Supplier Diversity & Global Project Management, Colgate-Palmolive
Ayesha Simons is currently the Senior Director of Supplier Diversity and Global Project Management at Colgate Palmolive. She’s been in the Supplier Diversity role since December 2020. She prides herself on her ability to utilize her cross-discipline knowledge and passion to drive long-lasting change. In this role, she leads the development and implementation of strategies to enable the success of diverse-owned businesses and deliver a world-class Colgate Supplier Diversity program. She also leads Colgate’s Global Project Management team. In this role, she and her team focus on delivering large-scale global projects key to delivering Colgate’s 2025 growth and efficiency strategies as well as expanding project management capabilities across the enterprise.
Prior to this role, Ayesha was a director of operation for Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, North America Division. In this role, she led the operations and strategy for Colgate’s flagship award-winning children’s oral health improvement initiative that operates in 80 countries. She has worked for Colgate for 15 years and held several leadership roles in Global Project Management as well as Global and Regional Packaging Engineering roles within the Global Supply Chain. Before Colgate, she worked for Kraft Foods for 10 years leading teams in product and packaging development.
Ayesha has a passion for learning, being an empathetic change-driving leader, and purpose-driven work. She holds an undergraduate degree from Howard University in chemical engineering and lives in Piscataway, New Jersey with her husband. She has two daughters pursuing and building their careers.
Rubyna Zito
Vice President of Technology Services & Operations, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
Rubyna Zito began her professional career 22 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President of Technology Services and Operations at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA is dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. Their team of highly trained professionals are passionate about protecting investors and ensuring financial markets remain fair by writing and enforcing the critical rules and regulations that govern more than 3,700 firms and 630,000 brokers across the country. Their ultimate goal is to foster robust, but fair and orderly, markets in which America's 90 million investors can feel confident.
Zito first got her start in 2001 as a lead technology recruiter at Netpixel. From there, she went on to Citigroup, before eventually rising to become an SVP and program director in the global program management office at Citi, her most recent position prior to joining the FINRA. Zito graduated from Columbia University with an undergraduate degree in mathematics and statistics.
Elaine Colón
Associate Director of Communications – Cardiovascular and Renal, Bayer
Elaine (Andrecovich) Colón is a seasoned healthcare communications strategist, with a 20-year career across various healthcare verticals including pharma, biotech, agency, hospital system, and diagnostics. Currently, she serves as Associate Director of Communications – Cardiovascular and Renal for Bayer, working to launch two blockbuster products. She joined Bayer from Ortho Clinical Diagnostics where she held a global role and was instrumental in launching the company’s COVID-19 testing portfolio at the height of the pandemic. Prior to Ortho, Elaine served as the spokesperson for Morristown Medical Center, spearheading crisis communications and working to increase visibility for Atlantic Health System’s flagship hospital. Elaine spent several years in New York City and New Jersey-based agencies honing her skills serving top-tier pharma clients across several therapeutic areas.
Elaine prides herself on her roll-up-the-sleeves work ethic, passion for making high-science understandable, and ability to manage complex communications in highly matrixed organizations. She is a graduate of Rutgers University (Douglass College) with a degree in journalism and media studies.
Elaine is working to balance the demands of her career and motherhood with two under two-and-a-half. With the little free time she has, she is an advocate for people with food allergies and dreams of again being on top of mountains on skis or a fat-tire bike.
Kristine Keane
System Wide Clinical Director, Hackensack Meridian Health
Kristine C. Keane is a Clinical and Sports Neuropsychologist who has been in practice in New Jersey for the past fifteen years specializing in the neuropsychological evaluation and treatment of concussion, traumatic brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, dementia, learning disabilities, and neurological disorders. She is the Founder and Clinical Director of Shore Neuropsychology and Behavioral Health since 2006, a leading provider of comprehensive healthcare services for children, adults, and families with a range of mental health and neurological symptoms and disorders. She has extensive training in neuropsychological assessment, therapeutic feedback/remediation of traumatic brain injury patients, and patients with various neuro-developmental and neuro-cognitive difficulties.
Keane is also the Clinical Lead of the Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Program. She coordinates regional care for children and adults who sustain concussions and mild traumatic brain injury through sports, falls, and accidents. She also coordinates with athletic trainers, coaches, guidance counselors, school nurses, and school administration to create and provide up-to-date concussion management and return-to-play/learn decisions for individual school districts and recreational teams. She proudly served as the official Neuropsychologist for the Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Keane is an associate professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall. She is also a Clinical Supervisor for psychiatry residents at the HMH School of Medicine at Ocean Medical Center. She is an active member of the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey (BIANJ) and serves on the NJ Youth Sports Concussion Committee for the past five years. She also serves on the BIANJ Speakers Bureau and provides lectures and workshops to New Jersey elementary, middle, and high school students, teachers, guidance counselors, speech therapists, and school nurses.
Pam Sullivan
Head of Family Centers, Good Grief, Inc.
Pam Sullivan enjoys giving back to the community through her work with non-profit organizations. She currently holds a position as Head of Family Centers at Good Grief. In this role, she oversees and supports all program-related functions including the program staff, team coordinators, and volunteer facilitators by ensuring that Good Grief policies and practices are properly utilized throughout both centers. Sullivan provides leadership and direction to the team and evaluates the overall quality and success of the program. As Head of Family Centers, she embodies the staff values of Good Grief and passionately communicates the importance of the organization’s mission.
Pam has been volunteering as a facilitator and Team Coordinator for 16 years at Good Grief, and in the last two years has brought her expertise to Common Ground Grief Center as a Lead Facilitator. She is currently a board member of Preschool Advantage whose mission is to give children a fair chance to succeed in life by raising funds to open the doors of preschool and unlock the possibilities beyond.
Beth Collington
Director of Digital Materials and Laboratory Equipment, Henry Schein
Beth Collington is the Director of Digital Materials and Laboratory Equipment at Zahn Dental, a Division of Henry Schein, and Global Prosthetic Solutions. Henry Schein is a worldwide distributor of medical and dental supplies. Beth is fully immersed in the global dental industry researching new technologies and materials for development, management, and implementation for dental markets. Her core focus is on software, digital materials, CAD/CAM equipment, and the development of global best practices for strategies to launch, educate, and market new products and services. She is currently leading key teams focusing on technical support and education to help customers navigate and support their digital transformations and profitably by incorporating operational cost reductions and value realization.
Beth has 28 years of experience in the dental industry and is a graduate of Temple University with an undergraduate degree in communications. She is an avid supporter, volunteer, advisor, published author, and mentor in the dental industry and an active board member of the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology. She spends her spare time enjoying horses and activities on her farm in NJ.
Sandra LaFoca
Director of Customer Account Management, US, Seqirus
Sandra LaFoca is a seasoned executive with a knack for inspiring teams to row in the same direction, even amidst changing tides. As Director of Customer Account Management for Seqirus US, she is responsible for driving strategy while optimizing workflow processes, continuous improvement initiatives, and workforce planning. She has also been empowered to implement a future state operating model for enterprise service and operations, including key strategic initiatives to drive transformational services, operations strategy, and initiatives with an omnichannel focus. As she navigates uncharted waters, Sandra is actively developing and engaging a diverse crew, with her characteristic focus on creating an inclusive work environment and giving opportunities for visibility and career growth to strong performers.
Prior to joining Sequiris, Sandra served as the senior manager for contact center strategy and operations at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, where she consistently met the highest benchmarks of customer satisfaction through a comprehensive quality assurance and training program for her team of 84 customer specialists. At Guardian, she also implemented one of her signature “win-wins” – a digital, self-service operation that yielded a 10% reduction in overhead for her company, while dramatically increasing staff satisfaction scores.
Sandra got her start at Sanofi Pasteur as the manager for marketing and sales meeting planning. During her seven-year tenure with the company, she rose to the position of customer service director, ultimately leading a team of 32 employees through the fluid and fast-paced world of vaccine commerce. She earned her undergraduate degree at Bloomsburg University in communications and public relations. She holds an MBA from Villanova University with a concentration in strategic management and marketing.
Amanda DeMartino
Executive Director of Athletics, The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey appointed Amanda V. DeMartino as Executive Director of Athletics in 2017. DeMartino is the fifth full-time athletic director for the Lions in the history of the department. A native of Toms River, NJ, DeMartino oversees 20 varsity sports at TCNJ and a staff of over 35 full-time employees. Her responsibilities include managing the department budget, oversight of all departmental operations and events, and fundraising.
DeMartino took the reins of one of the most successful NCAA Division III athletics departments in the nation, and the department continues to thrive under her leadership. She currently serves on several committees including the NJAC Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Women Leaders in College Sports Membership Committee, and the New Jersey Athletic Conference Awards, Membership and Men’s Tennis Committees. Amanda also serves on TCNJ’s Campus Emergency Response Team, the group that provides leadership and recommendations to the President’s Cabinet on navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeMartino arrived from Raritan Valley Community College, where she had been the director of athletics since August 2011. Prior to her tenure with the RVCC Golden Lions, DeMartino was the athletic director at Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Fla. She graduated from Brandeis University with an undergraduate degree in economics. She earned her master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University. DeMartino is also a member of the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics, Women Leaders in College Sports, Women in Sports & Events, and Collegiate Athletic Administrators of NJ.
Naima Ricks
Executive Director, After-School All-Stars New Jersey
Dr. Naima Ricks is the Executive Director of After-School All-Stars New Jersey. As the Executive Director, she is responsible for setting the chapter’s strategic vision; overseeing quality afterschool programming throughout New Jersey; elevating the profile of the chapter; and developing and executing the chapter’s fundraising plan. Dr. Ricks is also responsible for building and maintaining strong partnerships with key stakeholders, including partner schools, board members, staff, government agencies, foundations, and program partners. Dr. Ricks is a dynamic and visionary leader; she has worked tirelessly to improve the community she has been a part of since the age of two.
In 2013, Dr. Ricks was elected Vice President of the Roselle Board of Education, making her the youngest elected official in her hometown of Roselle, NJ. For the past six years, she has graced InsiderNJ’s African American Power List and was most recently presented the Role Model of the Year award by the Roselle Branch NAACP. Dr. Ricks graduated from William Paterson University with an undergraduate degree and earned her master's degree as well as her PhD in higher education leadership, management, and policy from Seton Hall University, and is also a proud and active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omicron Zeta Chapter. She currently serves as the 2nd Vice Chair of the Girl Scouts Heart of NJ Board of Directors.
Dr. Ricks’ primary goal in life is to cultivate young men and women into the leaders of tomorrow. She believes in leading by example and believes wholeheartedly that education today paves the way for a successful tomorrow. She is also a recent author of her first book The Empowerment ABC’s available on Amazon.com.
Michelle Lifschitz
Director of Inclusion & Diversity, Cowen
Michelle Lifschitz is a seasoned DEI practitioner and Human Resources professional with deep expertise in Diversity & Inclusion, Learning and Development, and Talent Management. Michelle is currently the Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Cowen and focuses on working with business leaders and stakeholders to create and execute data-driven strategies, programs, and processes to achieve organizational goals for diversity and inclusion.
Michelle is a skilled facilitator, trainer, coach, and instructional designer. She has designed, delivered, and implemented courses in Leadership, Professional Development, and Diversity & Inclusion for high-potential talent at major banks and professional services firms. She is a certified coach in PDI’s 360 instruments as well as CCL's Skillscope and DiSC personal profile. Michelle holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Boston University and a master’s degree in socio-organizational psychology from Columbia University. Michelle’s professional passions include advancing women in the workplace, understanding the unique challenges of a multicultural and multigenerational workforce, and championing flexible work strategies.
Pratiksha Nirmale
Director of Data Engineering & BI, Circle K
Pratiksha Nirmale serves as the Director of Data Engineering & BI for Circle K. She is a performance-driven, strategic, and process-focused Data Engineering and Analytics Executive, recognized for delivering next-generation software and data products while using rigorous analytical skills, coupled with a passion for delivering customer value via automation, machine learning, and predictive analytics. She embraces and incubates emerging technology and open-source products across all platforms while modernizing existing tech stacks and data platforms as well as driving the implementation of new applications. She offers over 18 years of transferable experience in leading end-to-end engineering and data analytics solutions while developing and deploying visionary cloud-native enterprise data and analytics platforms to meet business goals. She champions all aspects of cloud-native databases, data discovery, data governance, technical troubleshooting, analytical & experimental design, change management, and business intelligence tools. She identifies discrepancies and generates innovative solutions to achieve competitive advantages across the industry.
As a thought leader with a unique industry perspective and hands-on data architecture expertise, Pratiksha builds best-in-class frameworks and facilitates a seamless transition to a data-driven organization culture in collaboration with business and enterprise architects. Throughout her career, she has earned a winning reputation for delivering holistic governance and data management initiatives, including optimizing data platforms, reporting, and tool standards to improve customer experience and success. She defines organization-wide data governance and consistency strategies, along with driving and scaling key performance indicators for data quality to identify and remediate hot spots and measure business impact. She utilizes a collaborative leadership style to motivate diverse teams toward achieving business goals while administering training and development initiatives to elevate team performance.
Hayley Guerra
Director of Franchisee Success, THE MAX Challenge
Hayley Guerra is the Director of Franchisee Success for THE MAX Challenge, a health and wellness franchise in its 11th year with locations in six states. In her role, she has a hand in all areas of corporate operations, including, but not limited to marketing, unit-level business operations, and franchise development. She is responsible for leading a team of remarkable individuals and for being directly involved in the planning and execution of projects that help franchisees run businesses that meet and exceed their personal and professional goals.
Guerra specializes in project management and the development and implementation of technological systems that help to streamline and simplify operations, while also having a notable impact on business results. Over the course of her five years with THE MAX Challenge, and with the support of her team, she has led the rollout of several such initiatives, including, but not limited to a full-service marketing agency, fully custom member-facing mobile app, and a social media management tool that completely changed the way the franchise system handled foundational social media content.
Prior to THE MAX, Guerra owned and operated Web Wellness Woman, LLC., a small business she created with the intent to help other small businesses take control of their internet presence. Guerra studied criminal justice at Kean University.
Sree Vadlamani
Director of Quality Engineering, UnitedHealth Group
Sree Vadlamani, as Director of Quality Engineering at Optum Technologies, a UnitedHealthGroup company, manages challenging product deliverables in the healthcare insurance domain while building and mentoring high-performance teams. Sree believes a leader’s true success is reflected by how successful their team is and enables everyone on the team with opportunity and the guidance needed to excel.
Starting as a quality engineer, Sree has progressed to the director level with increasing responsibilities on the way. She is a certified SAFe practitioner with the right mix of technical and soft skills needed to navigate the modern workplace. Apart from her regular responsibilities, Sree volunteers for Women In Technology and Women In Leadership group activities.
Maddy Cretella
Director of Engagement and Marketing, Landmark Hospitality
In addition to being second generation in this family business, Maddy Cretella is the Director of Engagement and Marketing at Landmark Hospitality; a hospitality company that specializes in the adaptive restoration of landmarked or historical properties, including over 18 boutique hotels, event venues, bars, unique restaurants and more across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Inspired by the industry contributions of her parents, Landmark’s founders, Frank and Jeanne Cretella, Maddy spearheads the company’s success and expansion by continuing the memory-making culture and growth of the Landmark brand. This includes the recent opening of Landmark’s Maddy Rose restaurant concept in August 2023, named after and inspired by her role and impact within the family business. The new Jersey City restaurant and bar offers elevated coastal cuisine, craft beverages, and a vibrant atmosphere. Located inside the renowned hospitality group’s flagship property off of the picturesque Hudson River, Liberty House, in what once was formerly known as the Liberty House Restaurant, Maddy Rose aims to reinvigorate the space with a fresh, Mediterranean-inspired concept where guests revel in both scenic views and an upscale dining experience.
Maddy began to hone in on her passion for events and celebrations as a young girl, inspired by her parents. After completing her college education at Monmouth University with a double major in business management and public relations, Maddy began her career as a wedding cake designer. She soon after found her niche in hospitality marketing, embracing the creative nature of the role and the opportunity to work with family. Since starting at Landmark in 2015, Maddy has been recognized as one of The Top 50 Women Leaders of New Jersey for 2022, and among the 30 Under 30 Top Rising Stars in Hotel Management. Her work to date has successfully grown Landmark’s reach with real estate acquisitions, e-commerce platforms, non-profit contributions, and profitability, and led to impactful social, digital, and print advertising, and campaigns.
Giving back to the community while also showcasing the possibilities of the industry which Maddy has loved since a young age has always been of the utmost importance. Maddy is currently on the board of the non-profit Workers Alliance Art of Hospitality and Educate The Block. The mission of the foundation is to support the needs and dreams of hospitality workers by offering career paths, growth opportunities, and propelling career advancement all while offering financial support. This non-profit offers a comprehensive 4-month Culinary Arts Certificate Program and two Hospitality Certificate Programs available for Hudson and Union County residents.
A creative at heart, Maddy is a leader in hospitality and business, constantly striving to produce magic in occasions across all of Landmark’s properties and to connect people in breathtaking experiences and gatherings.
Rakhi Bhattacharya
Senior Director & Global Head of Transfer Pricing, Fiserv
Rakhi is the Senior Director and Global Head of Transfer Pricing at Fiserv, a global Fintech industry leader and provider of payments and financial technology solutions. At Fiserv, Rakhi leads transfer pricing planning for global strategy, risk mitigation, and operational effectiveness. She is committed to implementing an efficient operational transfer pricing risk-controlled environment.
Rakhi has diverse and extensive experience in intellectual property planning, valuation analytics; designing and implementing tax-effective supply chain structures planning; and managing audit & controversy matters. She has successfully led global efforts to maximize Fiserv's transfer pricing position as a global leader. She is a committed and sincere team leader who has led her team to consistently deliver efficiencies. Rakhi holds an MS from Harvard Business School and an MBA from Clark University. She successfully applies her business acumen to lead her teams to achieve new heights.
Erika Hagberg
Director and Global Client Lead, Google
Erika Hagberg is the Director of Global Sales within Google's Global Client and Agency team (GCAS). Her team leads a portfolio of global brand partnerships across CPG and Technology in order to solve critical business challenges, drive digital transformation, and shape the next into now.
An inspiring leader, Erika has a proven track record for driving growth and advocating for her customers. She joined Google in 2005 and built the financial services vertical and helped Fortune 500 companies build their brands digitally by helping them understand how to utilize Google's search, display, video, social, mobile, and programmatic offerings across all screens. Prior to Google, Erika worked in Time Inc's Corporate Sales & Marketing group, leading clients and building integrated marketing programs to drive her client's business. Before that, she worked at AOL in their interactive marketing department, leading clients across healthcare, retail, and financial services verticals.
A graduate of Washington & Lee University, Erika majored in journalism. She sits on the Entrepreneurship Board at W&L, The Williams School of Commerce advisory board, and is an active member of the Fountain House & Shore House as a staunch advocate of mental health.
Maria Rodriguez
CEO and President - Private Practice, Care Counseling Center of Bridgewater
Dr. Maria Rodriguez is an accomplished mental health professional dedicated to a compassion-first approach to helping immigrant individuals, children, and families adapt and thrive in the United States. She is recognized as Top 25 executives of New Jersey and a Global Outstanding Leader in Health Care. Dr. Rodriguez has an extensive academic background which has been fortified with numerous accolades. With a master's degree in clinical psychology from William Paterson University and a PhD in general psychology from Capella University, she further solidified her expertise with 18 years of experience as an adjunct professor of women's and gender studies and psychology. Across her notable career, she has amassed over two decades of hands-on experience in mental health counseling, providing invaluable support to diverse populations.
As a first-generation American with Dominican parents, she has cultivated a deep understanding of the myriad of challenges immigrants face as they work toward realizing their ambitious goals in a new home. Her innate sense of hope for her community led her to establish the Care Counseling Center (awarded the Best of Somerville New Jersey in 2022 and 2023), a safe space providing support for emotional trauma, legal complexities, and practical issues that immigrants may face in addition to helping families and individuals from various backgrounds.
Today you can reach Dr. Maria via her websites, MariaRodriguez.org & CareCounselingCenter.org for in-person and virtual wellness services centered on resolving conflicts in self, business, and relationships.
Monika Saksena
Director of Cloud Finance, Google
Monika Saksena is the Director of Cloud Finance at Google. She is responsible for data strategy and enablement of finance data for the Cloud Technical Infrastructure. With over 20 years of experience across technology and field leadership roles, Monika specializes in ratcheting businesses to the next level through process reimagination and technology innovation.
With an authentic and energetic leadership style, Monika holds a strong bias for action and outsized impact. She is passionate about diversity in the workforce. Before joining Google, she led the Corporate Card Business for US West and South at American Express. She has also held IT leadership positions at Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. Saksena graduated from St. Stephens College, Delhi University, with an undergraduate degree in chemistry and holds a master’s degree in computer science from Florida Atlantic University.
Neetu Sangari
Director of Advanced Statistical Data Science & Analytics, Pfizer
Neetu Sangari is passionate about contributing to drug development using advanced innovative methods for patients that will have a meaningful impact on their lives. She has progressive experience in delivering diverse strategic, global projects and solving business problems by harnessing the power of People, Processes, and Technology. She is the Director of Advanced Statistical Data Science and Analytics at Pfizer. She is leading the Standards Centre of Excellence Advanced Analytics and Data Science Team, cross-functional partnerships with Programming, Statisticians, Clinicians, and the Digital Team. She established a strategy for using multiple programming software in the clinical area and assisted in decision-making Best-Fit analytical tool. She led multiple projects and accomplished identifying innovative solutions to ambiguous/complex problems using agile data analytics. Neetu governs teams across global cultures and takes on ownership for quality and timely delivery through leadership and guidance of internal and external resources. She delivered multiple presentations at industry conferences and academic symposiums.
Academically, she earned a PhD in computer science, an MS in physics, and an MS in education. Externally, she is leading the Global Healthcare Data Science Community, Pharmaceutical Users Software Exchange Working Group, collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration and American Statistical Association on Data Visualization: Advanced Visual Analytics for Drug Safety Review. She is also contributing to the mentoring circle within the Health Business Women Association. Additionally, she is the regional liaison of the Tri-state NY/NJ/CT region in Tomorrow's Executives Affinity Group in HBA where the group goal is: "To promote the professional advancement and impact of young professionals in the healthcare industry through leadership development education, skill-building volunteer opportunities, and networking with peers and industry leaders". Within Pfizer, she is guiding the Summer Growth Experience Internship Program for university students. She is a role model of her organization's values of courage, excellence, equity, and joy with her leadership skills and qualities. In 2023, she will lead AI/ML projects and continue transforming pharma using big data analytics-based innovation.