Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Chief Administrative Officers of 2024. Most people have at least heard of the top C-suite roles, like CEO, CFO, and even CHRO, but there’s another role that’s just as important as these well-known titles, and that’s the CAO – the Chief Administration Officer. The CAO oversees all the administrative functions in a business. These functions depend on a company’s size, structure, and industry, but most CAOs are tasked with making sure the business operations are efficient. Plus, they support the overall strategic objectives and long-term growth.
With all this on the line, organizations need to choose Chief Administrative Officers with the proven experience and skills to do the job well, a perfect description of this year’s honorees.
First, we’d like to acknowledge Daralyn Aburdene, the CAO of UCLA Health, one of the most advanced healthcare systems in the world. With over 15 years of experience, Aburdene focuses on operational efficiency, intricate financial planning, and leveraging data analytics for UCLA.
Next, we highlight the accomplished career of Melissa Hardaway, the Global Chief Administrative Officer for KPMG, a global organization of professional services firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services. Hardaway started at KPMG as a tax specialist, and thanks to her hard work and loyalty, she was promoted all the way to the C-suite.
Finally, we recognize the CAO of one of the most recognized brands in the world, 7-Eleven. Ladan Haghi started as a franchisee and worked her way up to Chief Administrative Officer for the premier name in the US convenience-retailing industry.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Chief Administrative Officers of 2024.
1. Daralyn Aburdene
Chief Administrative Officer, UCLA Health
Daralyn Aburdene is the Chief Administrative Officer of UCLA Health, which is among the most comprehensive and advanced healthcare systems in the world. Their mission is to provide state-of-the-art patient care, generate research discoveries, leading to new treatments and diagnosis, and train future generations of healthcare professionals.
Aburdene is an engaging, results-focused healthcare executive with over 15 years of work experience, with expertise in a broad scope of skill sets, including operational efficiency, intricate financial planning, and leveraging data analytics. She has a strategically proven record of achievement in complex highly matrixed organization structure, specializing in performance improvement and team development, including established success in system integration with organization alignment to launch new programs from ideation to operation implementation.
Previously, Aburdene was a director of group operations at Optum. Before that, she was an executive director at Cedars-Sinai. Earlier in her career, she worked with Children's Hospital Los Angeles as a contracts and grants specialist. Aburdene earned an MBA and undergraduate degree in business administration and management, both from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
2. Melissa Hardaway
Global Chief Administrative Officer & Global Chief Financial Officer, KPMG
Melissa Hardaway is the Global Chief Administrative Officer and Global Chief Financial Officer for KPMG International and sits on the Global Management Team. KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services.
Hardaway started at KPMG US as a tax specialist to the tax managing director. Her first promotion was to the business unit partner-in-charge for Bay Area tax services and then to the US national partner-in-charge of risk management. She was promoted to partner in 2000 and added her current role to her responsibilities in 2021.
During her career with KPMG, Hardaway has served a wide variety of both privately held and publicly traded clients primarily in the technology industry. She has advised clients on various tax and business issues, including international operations, mergers and acquisitions, state and local planning, accounting for income taxes and regulatory compliance, and tax authority examinations. Hardaway has served as the lead tax partner on a number of Fortune 500 technology companies and has been a regular speaker at both external and KPMG events, particularly on issues dealing with accounting for income taxes. Hardaway graduated from The Wharton School with an undergraduate degree in economics.
3. Ozzie Martinez
Chief Administrative Officer, Kaiser Permanente
Ozzie Martinez is the Chief Administrative Officer of Kaiser Permanente. Recognized as one of America’s leading healthcare providers and not-for-profit health plans, Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of healthcare. In the Southern California region, Martinez led the regional effort in developing and implementing the Proactive Office Encounter program. This has become a foundation of clinical operations and has built our capability and reputation for clinical excellence and preventive care throughout the nation, as recognized by the prestigious Kaiser Permanente James A. Vohs Award for Quality.
In her current role, Martinez oversees medical group operations at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, as well as Kaiser Permanente medical offices in Carson, Torrance, Gardena, Long Beach, Lomita, Harbor City, Manhattan Beach, and Signal Hill. With over 20 years of healthcare experience, she has worked alongside many talented clinicians and leaders from different organizations, including working with the Veterans Affairs Health System prior to joining Kaiser Permanente in 2000.
Martinez graduated from UCLA with a Master of Public Health in Health Services and Health Care Management and from Chapman University with an undergraduate degree in psychology. She also has an Executive Leadership Program Certification from the Harvard Business School Executive Education program.
4. Anne Komada
Chief Administrative Officer & Head of Business Infrastructure, Wholesale Business Risk & Controls, Wells Fargo
Anne Komada is the Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Business Infrastructure for Wholesale Business Risk and Controls at Wells Fargo, a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets and provides a diversified set of banking, investment, and mortgage products and services.
Komada’s first role with Wells Fargo was as a senior vice president and head of strategy for the consumer credit group. After two years, she was appointed to lead the enterprise marketing strategy of the company. In 2013, she stepped into her first CAO role at Wells Fargo, leaving the strategy and business management for global financial institutions. She was appointed to her current position in 2018. Earlier in her career, Komada worked with IBM Global Services as a principal consultant. She received her education from The George Washington University School of Business and William & Mary.
5. Stacey Ward
Chief Administrative Officer, Ascension
Stacey Ward is the Chief Administrative Officer of Ascension, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit and Catholic health systems, with a mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.
Ward is an experienced leader with a proven record of success in large team leadership, fiscal and operational management, conflict and crisis resolution, quality and regulatory improvement, and public and community relations. She started with Ascension in 2020 as a clinical nurse manager. A little over a year later, she was promoted to director of nursing. She accepted her current role in June of 2022.
Before joining Ascension, Ward worked at Austin Lakes Hospital, where she provided executive nursing leadership of 90 nursing staff and clinical operations in a 58-bed psychiatric hospital. Before that, she was a nurse manager of inpatient psychiatry at The University of Vermont Medical Center. Earlier in her career, she worked with Vermont State Hospital as a psychiatric staff nurse. Ward graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with an MSN in nursing and from Southern New Hampshire University with an undergraduate degree in nursing.
6. Ladan Haghi
Chief Administrative Officer, 7-Eleven
Ladan Haghi is the Chief Administrative Officer of 7-Eleven, the premier name in the US convenience-retailing industry. Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises, and licenses more than 13,000 stores in the US and Canada. In addition to 7-Eleven stores, 7-Eleven, Inc. operates and franchises Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company, and Raise the Roost Chicken & Biscuits locations.
Earlier in Haghi’s career, she was a franchise owner for another well-known brand, Quiznos, the pioneer of the chef-inspired toasted sandwich. She ran this business for almost a decade before becoming a franchisee with 7-Eleven. She was elevated to her current role with the company in August of 2012.
Haghi has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering from the Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology. This is a public research university located in Tehran, Iran. In 2016, Haghi published a Persian book of poetry called Moshke Masham. The causes she believes in include economic empowerment, education, and human rights.
7. Jean Lind
Chief Administrative Officer, Park Dental Partners
Jean Lind is the Chief Administrative Officer of Park Dental Partners, a dental resource organization built around the long-held principles of professionalism, patient-centered care, and business excellence. It’s the largest Minnesota-based provider of business and nonclinical support to general and multi-specialty dental practices.
Lind is also the CAO of Park Dental, a dental group practice with over 50 practice locations throughout the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota, and Western Wisconsin. Before her current position, she worked in quality assurance for Park Dental for almost three decades. Lind received her education from the University of Minnesota. She currently resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.
8. Ronda Arnett
Chief Administrative Officer, USDA
Ronda Arnett is the Chief Administrative Officer for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in the Texas State Office. The FSA serves farmers, ranchers, and agricultural partners by providing education, loans, and other resources.
The USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, the USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. As the CAO, Arnett serves an important role in this mission through the budget, human resources and staffing, and property and procurement for FSA Texas.
Arnett has spent her career serving the people of Texas through the USDA Farm Service Agency. She started with the agency in 1990 after receiving her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Journalism from Texas A&M University.
9. Jenifer Gurr
Chief Administrative Officer and Human Resources Director, State of Colorado
Jenifer Gurr is the Chief Administrative Officer and Human Resources Director at the Colorado Department of Agriculture for the State of Colorado, a Colorado-based public administration agency that provides welfare and development services.
Gurr oversees the administration and day-to-day operations of the department, including facilities management. Her position provides her the opportunity to work closely with Colorado’s agricultural industry while playing a vital role in the daily functions and operations of the department. During her tenure, Gurr has developed into an instrumental member of the agency by working closely with the Colorado Agricultural Commission. She serves as the rules administrator for all rules adopted by the department, and she has the institutional knowledge of the department with a broad-based knowledge of the Colorado budget and legislative processes.
Gurr was instrumental in the consolidation of six different metro area locations into one Department of Agriculture campus in Broomfield. She is a 2019 National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Honor Award recipient of the Douglas-Irwin Administration Award, which recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions within a state agency that result in improved efficiency and impact. Raised in a ranching community in northwest Colorado, Gurr has dedicated her professional career to the advancement of Colorado agriculture. She is a 2017 graduate of the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program.
10. Roshanak Didehban
Chief Administrative Officer, Mayo Clinic
Roshanak Didehban is the Chief Administrative Officer of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the number one hospital in the state as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Didehban provides leadership and strategy, defines and implements Mayo Clinic’s operational plan, and expands Mayo’s leadership in Arizona and the Southwest.
Prior to becoming CAO of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona in 2022, Didehban worked as Mayo Clinic’s chair of practice administration, providing strategic and operational direction for clinical functions, including quality, patient experience, nursing, clinical systems, and other services. Before that, she was an associate administrator for the Clinical Practice Committee and the Department of Internal Medicine. She accepted her first role with the clinic as an operations administrator in 2005
Throughout her career at Mayo Clinic, she has been a member of numerous committees at the site and enterprise levels, including serving as administrative leader for the Arizona Clinical Practice Committee, Outpatient Practice Subcommittee, and Operations Coordinating Group. Didehban holds the rank of assistant professor of healthcare administration and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Didehban earned a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Health Science in Health Finance and Management from Johns Hopkins University.
11. Rachael Clark
Chief Administrative Officer, U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management
Rachael Clark is the Chief Administrative Officer of U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, with nearly 77,000 employees and $557 billion in assets, and is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States.
Clark is an experienced operations manager with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry. She is skilled in customer acquisition, implementation of digital tools, change management, financial services, training and development, and wealth management. She previously served U.S. Bank as an operations manager and business analyst. She was promoted to her current position in October of 2020.
Before joining the U.S. Bank team, Clark was a branch manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co. She started there as a personal banker and then as an assistant branch manager. Clark attended Arizona State University with a focus on global business management and data analytics.
12. Jen Gullak
Chief Administrative Officer, ADP
Jen Gullak is the Chief Administrative Officer of ADP, a retirement services company, designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services, and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential. Gullak was appointed as CAO in September of 2023.
With a career spanning nearly three decades, Gullak is committed to providing reliable retirement services through ADP. Previously, she served the company as a senior director. Earlier in her career, she was an assistant vice president for State Street Bank, a financial services company that partners with institutional investors all over the world. Gullak completed her higher education at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. While in school, she completed the College Program through Walt Disney World.
13. Monica Murray
Chief Administrative Officer, New York City Transit
Monica Murray is the Chief Administrative Officer of New York City Transit. She first joined the company in 2020. New York City Transit operates the largest public transportation agency in North America and one of the largest in the world. In 2022, the subway had a daily ridership of approximately 3.2 million and an annual ridership of 1 billion.
Murray is an experienced lawyer with a demonstrated history of working with boards, special projects, contracts, compliance, code of ethics, investigations, negotiation, and corporate governance. She previously worked for the State of NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Her first role there was senior associate counsel, where she reviewed and edited MTA agency committee and board materials for monthly meetings and briefed the executive staff on all matters identifying those that may require attention, as well as serving as counsel to the charitable trust, providing advice on labor issues, procurement of new auditors and consultants and various other legal matters. She was promoted to deputy chief compliance officer and corporate secretary in 2017 and again to deputy general counsel for governance of special projects in 2019.
Earlier in her career, Murray was a senior attorney at the UIL Holdings Corporation. Before that, she was an attorney at Fidelity National Title. Murray earned a JD in law from Quinnipiac University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in English from Providence College.
14. Lisette Camilo
Chief Administrative Officer, State of NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Lisette Camilo joined the MTA as Chief Administrative Officer in December 2021, where she oversees its people, procurement, information technology, and real estate organizations. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is North America's largest transportation network, serving a population of 15.3 million people across a 5,000-square-mile travel area surrounding New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York State, and Connecticut.
In January 2016, Camilo was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio as Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the agency responsible for providing city agencies with essential services to aid them in their operations. DCAS manages a broad range of areas, including all of the city’s real estate transactions, centralized procurement of large-scale goods and services, the city’s fleet program, recruitment and training of the city’s workforce, and administration of the city’s civil service system and EEO policies, as well as the city’s efforts to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from more than 4,000 City buildings.
Camilo has a long history of public service. In April 2014, she was appointed as the director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) and city chief procurement officer by Mayor Bill de Blasio, where she ensured mayoral agencies’ compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements related to the city’s procurement of billions of dollars of goods and services. Camilo began at MOCS in 2011 in the legal unit and also served as its acting general counsel. Prior to MOCS, Camilo served as legislative counsel at the New York City Council and was an attorney practicing immigration law at a private law firm. She began her legal career as counsel for UNITE HERE Local 100. Born and raised in Washington Heights, Lisette Camilo is a graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University, and George Washington University School of Law.
15. Dianna Leveck
Chief Administrative Officer, Genesis Healthcare System
Dianna Leveck is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Genesis Healthcare System, an integrated healthcare delivery system based in Zanesville, Ohio. The system includes a not-for-profit hospital, Genesis Hospital, and an extensive network of more than 300 physicians and multiple outpatient care centers throughout the region.
Leveck has held multiple leadership roles with Genesis Healthcare System. She started as the director of human resources early in her career. After over 25 years in this role, she accepted the position of chief human resources officer in August 2013. She was appointed to her current leadership position in February of 2018.
Leveck graduated from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University with an MA in human resources management and services and from Muskingum University with an undergraduate degree in communication.
16. Stephanie Rodgers
Chief Administrative Officer, PNC Bank
Stephanie Rodgers is the Chief Administrative Officer of PNC Bank, one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking, including a full range of lending products and specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance, and asset-based lending, wealth management, and asset management. PNC Bank is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Rodgers is a financial sales professional with nearly 20 years of experience in consulting, executing sales strategies, driving measurable results, leading and managing a team, building a customer network, and delivering a superior customer experience. She first joined PNC in 2009 as the senior VP and manager of administration. She was promoted to strategy and planning senior manager in 2013 and accepted her current role with PNC Bank in 2019.
Previously, Rodgers was a vice president and specialty sales manager at National City Corporation. Earlier in her career, she was an assistant VP at National City Bank. Rodgers earned an undergraduate degree in political science from DePauw University.
17. Jill Anhalt
Chief Administrative Officer, Aon
Jill Anhalt is the Chief Administrative Officer for Aon, a global professional services firm, providing a wide range of risk, reinsurance, retirement, and health solutions. Aon has more than 50,000 employees in 120 countries, and the company supports customers worldwide by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that improve performance.
Anhalt started with Aon in risk services as a technical associate and office manager, as well as a technical insurance associate. After over three decades of serving the firm in this capacity, she added the job duties of CAO to her list of responsibilities.
Anhalt’s top areas of expertise include risk management, financial risk, strategic planning, and insurance (health insurance, property and casualty insurance, and commercial insurance), as well as customer service.
18. Pat Robertson
Chief Administrative Officer, Bon Secours Health System
Pat Robertson is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Bon Secours Health System. Based in Marriottsville, Maryland, the Bon Secours Health System is a $3.2 billion not-for-profit Catholic health system that owns, manages, or joint ventures 18 acute care, five long-term care, four assisted living, six retirement communities, and senior housing facilities, 14 home care and hospice services, and more, primarily on the East Coast.
Robertson previously served the Bon Secours Health System as chief executive officer from 2003 to 2014. In October 2014, she was appointed to her current role. Her primary areas of expertise include healthcare consulting, patient safety, healthcare management, performance improvement, quality improvement, clinical research, and healthcare information technology.
After earning her nursing degree from the Watts School of Nursing, Robertson continued her education at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, where she earned a BS and MHA in healthcare administration and management.
19. Mindy Drummond
Chief Administrative Officer, FlightSafety International
Mindy Drummond is the Chief Administrative Officer for FlightSafety International. Since joining the company in 2020, she has expanded her responsibilities and currently leads administrative ops, communications, customer experience, human resources, legal and compliance, information security, information technology, procurement, and real estate, and facilities.
Prior to joining FlightSafety, Drummond gained years of aviation experience as the EVP of employee and owner experience at NetJets. Drummond is known for growing and developing individuals and teams for success. She has led groups for Omnicare, a CVS Health Company, and served as VP of talent at Luxottica Retail. Prior to that, Drummond served in human resources roles at L Brands and Motorola and was named a “2016 Top 15 Women in Business in Ohio” by the National Diversity Council. Drummond earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Bowling Green State University.
20. Karla Killian
US Chief Administrative Officer, BNY Mellon
Karla Killian is the US Chief Administrative Officer of BNY Mellon. Established in 1784, BNY Mellon is America's oldest bank and the first company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Today, BNY Mellon powers capital markets around the world through comprehensive solutions that help clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment life cycle.
Killian is a dynamic financial services business manager, CAO, and third-party vendor manager with over 15 years of proven experience in driving impactful results. She excels in the proficient management of financials, operations, personnel, facilities, and logistics within pivotal business sectors across premier investment banks. She’s been recognized for adeptly steering cross-functional projects on behalf of senior stakeholders and spearheading transformative business enhancements. As a results-oriented strategic thinker, she has a demonstrated track record of delivering bespoke solutions, leveraging robust organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Before joining BNY Mellon, Killian was a vice president at BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking. Before that, she was an executive director at CIBC World Markets. Earlier in her career, she worked with PwC as a senior associate. Killian graduated from Bucknell University with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
21. Leslie Stump
Chief Administrative Officer, The Ohio State University
Leslie Stump is the Chief Administrative Officer of The Ohio State University. One of the largest universities in the United States, The Ohio State University is a leading research university and the model for Ohio's public higher education institutes. Founded in 1870 as a land-grant university, it consistently ranks as one of the top public universities in the United States.
A seasoned professional with over 25 progressive senior-level experience, Stump specializes in accounting and financial analysis. She is known as a team player with proven success working with the line as a strategic partner to create financial strategies that achieve organizational goals and the bottom line. She is a leader for today's organizations with the communication and motivation skills necessary to make a difference.
She started at The Ohio State University as a business manager and was promoted consistently throughout the years, serving the institution as a division administrator, associate director, and finance manager before being appointed to her current role. Earlier in her career, Stump was the VP of finance for Ladson Properties Limited. Stump graduated from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business with an MBA in organizational leadership and from Brock University with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
22. Madina Jastromb
Chief Administrative Officer, State Street
Madina Jastromb is the Chief Administrative Officer of State Street, where she leads the global markets and global credit finance sectors. At State Street, they partner with institutional investors all over the world to provide comprehensive financial services, including investment management, investment research and trading, and investment servicing.
Jastromb first joined State Street in 2015 as a product manager and vice president, focused on FX algorithmic trading. After nearly three years in this position, she was promoted to eFX business manager and again to head of platform for financing solutions. She accepted the CAO role in August of 2023.
Previously, Jastromb was a margin FX trader at Citi. Before that, she was a municipal bond researcher at Advest Financial. Earlier in her career, she worked with Bear Stearns & Co. as a municipal bond researcher. Jastromb earned an MBA from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and an undergraduate degree in economics from Pace University.
23. Lisa Doshi
Chief Administrative Officer, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Lisa Doshi is the Chief Administrative Officer of Johns Hopkins Medicine. As CAO, Doshi plans, directs, and controls the administrative, financial, and operational activities of the Johns Hopkins Hospital surgical sciences functional unit, coordinates the activities of surgery across JHM, and provides leadership and oversight to the JHUSOM Department of Surgery. She provides administrative leadership for the SOM surgery administrator, faculty, and staff in formulating and achieving department/functional unit objectives.
Doshi is an experienced healthcare leader with over 18 years in business management, serving an academic medical center setting. She possesses significant knowledge in operational and financial management, ambulatory operations, physician and mid-level provider relations, business development, business process redesign, strategic planning, grants management, and community practice management. She has highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, strong analytical skills, and an ability to facilitate diverse groups of people to identify, evaluate, and solve problems.
Previously the assistant administrator for the Department of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University, Doshi was promoted from senior administrative manager to take on additional responsibilities in the department. Doshi graduated from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a DrPH in healthcare management and leadership, from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health with an MHS in health finance and management, and from Nair Hospital Dental College with an undergraduate degree in dental surgery.
24. Marya Rose
Chief Administrative Officer, Cummins
Marya Rose was named CAO of Cummins in 2011. At Cummins, they empower everyone to grow their careers through meaningful work, building inclusive and equitable teams, coaching, development, and opportunities to make a difference.
In this role, Rose runs a team managing nine global functions for Cummins, including legal, corporate communications, marketing communications, government relations, compliance, facilities, security, corporate responsibility, and Cummins' global shared service organization. These groups represent a combined budget of approximately $700 million and include over 2,000 employees globally. She has also managed the information technology group.
Prior to joining Cummins, Rose served two Indiana Governors and practiced law in Indianapolis. She has served in leadership positions on several public company and not-for-profit boards, including Duke Energy, Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Newfields, Hoosier Women Forward, and 16 Tech. Rose earned a JD from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and an undergraduate degree in political economy from Williams College.
25. Barbara Bencomo
Chief Administrative Officer, City of Las Cruces
Barbara Bencomo joined the City of Las Cruces in 2010, and since 2021, she has served as the Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing financial services, information technology, community engagement, organizational development, and analytical support. In addition to these duties, she leads policy development and review, sits on the board of the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley, and co-chairs a regional advisory council to recommend expenditures from opioid settlement funds.
Bencomo has served as interim assistant city manager, chief of staff, ERP project manager, and senior management analyst. Her accomplishments include consecutive GFOA Triple Crown awards for excellence in public finance; re-implementation of the organization-wide enterprise resource planning system to improve personnel, financial, and operating functionality; launch of a Neighborhood Leadership Academy to promote mutual understanding and engagement with the community; creation of leadership development programs for multiple levels of the organization; implementation of enterprise-wide technology solutions, including a community 311 system and a learning management system; development of analyst training for process and program evaluation; and accomplishment of city-wide strategic planning goals, including public Wi-Fi installations.
Prior to joining the City of Las Cruces, Bencomo built an extensive analytical background in both the technology and healthcare business sectors. At Hewlett-Packard, she developed financial models for integrated circuits manufacturing and capacity planning, analyzed workstation pricing and bids, and recruited candidates for corporate-wide hiring. At Huron Consulting Group, Bencomo analyzed operations, labor productivity, and valuations for hospitals across the US. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a BBA and MBA in Finance.
26. Johnni Beckel
Chief Administrative Officer, OhioHealth
Johnni Beckel is the Chief Administrative Officer for OhioHealth, the nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church. As CAO, Beckel provides executive leadership in the areas of human resources, sustainability, information systems, marketing and communications, mission and ministry, security, and protective services. She is accountable for all core people processes, including the evolution of their “world-class” culture that has become a key differentiator for OhioHealth with over 35,000 associates, physicians, and volunteers. Her role ultimately strengthens OhioHealth's ability to deliver the best quality of care to its patients and the community through the strong engagement of its physicians and associates.
Prior to joining OhioHealth, Beckel held key positions leading global human resource, talent management, and organizational development efforts in the hospitality, retail, entertainment, restaurant, financial services, and healthcare industries. Other leadership roles she’s held include chief human resource officer for KeyBank, SVP and EVP for Cardinal Health, SVP of Bank of America, and senior director for Yum! Brands.
Beckel completed her undergraduate degree at Pennsylvania State University and her graduate degree at the University of Central Florida. She is Six Sigma Black Belt certified and serves on the boards of directors for the Health Transformation Alliance (HTA) and the board of White Castle, and is board Chair of Goodwill Columbus.
27. Mary Davidson
Chief Administrative Officer, Vanderbilt University
Mary Davidson is the Chief Administrative Officer of Vanderbilt University, a top-ranked teaching and research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at a global crossroads of teaching and discovery, Vanderbilt University is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world.
Davidson has been with Vanderbilt University since 2012, starting as a graduate assistant. She moved into a program coordinator role in 2013 and was soon promoted to assistant director for the Office of Student Accountability, Community Standards, and Academic Integrity. From there, she was promoted to director of the same department and then to director of administration from student affairs. She was promoted to CAO in 2023.
Earlier in her career, Davidson was a Tyco project manager at Consolidated Graphics. She completed internships at Humco and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She graduated from Vanderbilt University with an MAEd in higher education administration and from Rhodes College with an undergraduate degree in business administration.
28. Emy Kiliddjian
Chief Administrative Officer, Florida International University
Emy Kiliddjian is the Chief Administrative Officer of Florida International University (FIU). For over four decades, FIU has positioned itself as one of South Florida's anchor institutions by solving some of the greatest challenges of its time. They are dedicated to enriching the lives of the local and global community.
Kiliddjian first joined Florida International University in 2013 as a project manager for the Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) through the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM). This platform for HWCOM’s community-engaged mission emphasizes social accountability and interprofessional household-centered care.
Earlier in her career, Kiliddjian was a contracts manager at Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe, a nonprofit with a mission to lead a coordinated system of care delivering excellence to abused, abandoned, and neglected children and their families. Kiliddjian earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida International University.
29. Francie Emlen
Chief Administrative Officer, Brown University
Francie Emlen is the Chief Administrative Officer of Brown University. Brown is a nonprofit leading research university distinct for its student-centered learning and deep sense of purpose. Their students, faculty, and staff are driven by the idea that their work will have an impact on the world.
Emlen is a high-performing, agile, strategic leader with a strong record of achieving business goals and change in complex healthcare environments. Adept at contributing to organizational effectiveness and leading restructuring and organization design efforts to position teams for success, Emlen is particularly analytical with an ability to view problems through several perspectives. She is also skilled at cross-functional leadership, performance management, and advancing talent, driven to produce high-quality business lines by improving efficiencies, redesigning care models, reinforcing integrity, and engaging teams.
Emlen started her career as a nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and New York University. She then went to ComplexCare Solutions, where she held multiple leadership roles, including clinical team manager and director of training innovation and workforce development. She then went to Mount Sinai Health System as an associate director and then director of strategic initiatives. Back at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, she was promoted to director of oncology in 2019. From there, she was head of clinical strategy and operations for Alula, her last role before joining Brown. Emlen graduated from NYU Stern School of Business with an MBA in leadership and change management and strategy and from the University of Pennsylvania with an undergraduate degree in nursing.
30. Sue Ross
Chief Administrative Officer, maurices
Sue Ross is the Chief Administrative Officer of maurices a leading women’s fashion brand offering size-inclusive clothing that celebrates feel-good fashion for real life. In this role, Ross is a visionary executive supporting HR, strategy, and corporate communications, helping to ensure the organization achieves its results through exceptional talent and a superior workplace and ensuring goals and strategies connect with the end goal.
Ross leverages her more than 30 years of experience helping maurices win through talent and people. She is passionate about shaping culture and creating a great place to work. She started her career at maurices in 1990 as an HR business partner. She was promoted several times, and in 2000, she was named SVP of HR, a role she held until 2013. At that time, she transferred to maurices’ then-parent company, Ascena as EVP of talent strategy and corporate affairs. Ross returned to maurices in 2019, following the acquisition of maurices from Ascena to OpCapita.
Currently, Ross serves as a Trustee for the College of St. Scholastica, is on the Board of Trustees for the Hennepin Theatre Trust, and is an advisor to the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s School of Business and Economics. She earned her undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of South Dakota.
31. Sara McPheeters
Chief Administrative Officer, Peace Corps
Sara McPheeters is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Peace Corps, an international service network of volunteers, community members, host country partners, and staff who are driven by the agency’s mission of world peace and friendship.
McPheeters started with the Peace Corps in 2010 as a youth development special education consultant. She also served as a community development specialist, volunteer leader, and technical and cultural facilitator. While working for the Peace Corps, McPheeters served the American Red Cross as a district director for the disaster relief operation and as the regional lead in information and planning. Later, McPheeters was an overseas staff training assistant for the Peace Corps and was quickly promoted to administrative assistant for the office of the director and then again to administrative specialist for the office of management. She landed her first management role in February of 2021, and that August, she was appointed active CAO. She accepted the role full-time in April of 2022.
Before joining the Peace Corps, McPheeters was an early childhood teacher at KinderCare. McPheeters graduated from MidAmerica Nazarene University with an undergraduate degree in pre-medical studies.
32. Krista Murphy
Chief Administrative Officer, Point72
Krista Murphy is the Chief Administrative Officer for Point72, with global responsibility for the firm’s operations, operational risk, regulatory reporting, and internal audit functions. Point72 Asset Management is a global firm led by Steven Cohen that invests in multiple asset classes and strategies worldwide. Resting on more than a quarter-century of investing experience, they seek to be the industry’s premier asset manager through delivering superior risk-adjusted returns, adhering to the highest ethical standards, and offering the greatest opportunities to the industry’s brightest talent.
Murphy joined Point72 in 2008 as a member of the finance team, eventually leading the financial planning and analysis group. From 2016 to 2018, she served as the executive officer for Point72’s discretionary investing business.
Prior to joining Point72, Murphy was the controller at Marakon Associates for three years. She was at MasterCard for one year, and she spent six years in finance at IBM. Murphy is an active member of 100 Women in Finance, donating her time to speak on panels and support fundraising events. She earned a BS in accounting and an MS in management from Purdue University.
33. Celina Saucedo
Chief Administrative Officer, Broward County Aviation Department
Celina Saucedo is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Broward County Aviation Department. She first joined the company in 2011 as an assistant to the aviation department director. The Aviation Department is a self-supporting department of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. It does not rely on local tax dollars for operations and capital improvements. FLL is located in Greater Fort Lauderdale in the heart of Florida's Gold Coast.
Saucedo is an experienced CAO with a demonstrated history of working in the public sector and the aviation industry. She is skilled in nonprofit organizations, government, event management, team building, and Spanish. A strong administrative professional, Saucedo previously served the Broward County Aviation Department as assistant to the aviation department director and as director of administration. Saucedo earned an MPA and an undergraduate degree in international relations from Florida International University.
34. Kristina Raffaniello
Chief Administrative Officer, FocalPoint
Kristina Raffaniello is the Chief Administrative Officer of FocalPoint. FocalPoint Business Coaching is the world's premier coaching and business skills training organization. They provide business performance coaching and training to business owners and executives. This is accomplished through one-on-one coaching in an environment of continuous learning, positive support, and results-driven accountability.
Before joining FocalPoint, Raffaniello was a technical writer at Rapattoni Corporation. Before that, she was a paralegal at Vititoe Law Group. Earlier in her career, she worked with California Lutheran University as an academic specialist.
Raffaniello graduated from Keller Graduate School of Management with an MAFM and from California Lutheran University with an undergraduate degree in political science, English literature, and business and tax law.
35. Laura Tomlin
Chief Administrative Officer, The E.W. Scripps Company
Laura Tomlin is the Chief Administrative Officer for The E.W. Scripps Company. In this role, she leads human resources, information technology, and enterprise strategy, with a distinct focus on consumer technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Before Scripps acquired ION Media in January 2021, Tomlin served as executive vice president of national media and was responsible for Scripps’ national businesses: next-generation national news network Newsy; the global leader in digital audio technology and measurement services, Triton; lifestyle brand Simplemost; the award-winning Scripps Washington Bureau, with its national investigative reporting team and podcast productions; and the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She also oversaw podcast company Stitcher and helped lead its sale to SiriusXM in 2020.
In her previous experiences with Scripps, she was vice president of digital business operations. Tomlin was responsible for executing the strategic digital agenda for Scripps’ local brands in partnership with the television division. Her responsibilities have included working with leaders in all divisions to ensure success and consistency across the digital platforms. She served on the former digital division’s senior leadership team, creating the human resources function for the division and then moving into a leadership role in operations. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.
36. Tiffany Casey
Chief Administrative Officer, Memphis Area Transit Authority
Tiffany Casey is the chief administrative officer for the Memphis Area Transit Authority, one of the largest transit operators in the state of Tennessee. She is a proven leader who oversees internal business operations for the finance, procurement, grants, information technology, risk management, communications, performance improvement, and contract management departments. Growth-focused and innovative, Casey is an experienced, values-driven executive who efficiently meets unique organizational goals and objectives to produce significant achievements in cost reduction, service delivery, and internal process improvement.
Since first joining MATA, Casey has served in several leadership positions, including director of performance improvement, where she led, developed, and executed organizational key performance improvement strategic initiatives to achieve optimal performance. Sought out for her strategic acumen and operational management, Casey previously served as senior vice president of Shane Transportation, Inc., a joint venture with Laidlaw Transit-North America (now First Transit-North America). She also held senior positions with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Junior Achievement of the Mid-South.
As a member of prestigious organizations, such as Leadership Memphis and the American Public Transportation Association’s 2024 Leadership APTA cohort, Casey prioritizes and values action initiatives that drive educational achievement, diversity inclusivity, and collective impact for all. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Memphis and a Master of Education in Instructional Technology from the University of Maryland, and she completed her capstone for a Master of Professional Studies in Data Analytics and Visualization from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
37. Helen Cameron
Chief Administrative Officer, Southpaw
Helen Cameron is the Chief Administrative Officer of Southpaw, a private equity fund focused on generating stable and consistent returns through the acquisition, construction, and operation of quick-service restaurants. Cameron is central to Southpaw’s daily operations, ensuring compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements, and facilitating communication between the brands and the corporate team. She also regularly deploys her expertise to help with human resources, employee benefits, lease management, and network development.
Cameron has more than 15 years of experience working as an executive assistant. She worked for eight years in operations and logistics for a startup pumpkin seed company, handling everything from logistics to payroll to packing seeds into boxes. For Cameron, the best part of working with Southpaw is that every day is different and exciting. She’s spent years honing her multitasking skills as a mother and an EA, and she puts those skills to work daily.
Previously, Cameron was an operations manager at SuperSeedz. Earlier in her career, she worked with Rockrimmon Country Club as a waitress. Cameron earned an undergraduate degree in hospitality administration and management from Brooklands College.
38. Toni Fisher
Chief Administrative Officer, TekSynap
Toni Fisher is the Chief Administrative Officer for TekSynap, a dynamic, innovative technology company that delivers comprehensive IT solutions, focused on understanding their customer’s unique requirements and designing solutions that deliver accurate results. Fisher also serves as the Chief Knowledge Officer, organizing, preserving, and distributing the company’s intellectual capital and overseeing internal training and knowledge sharing.
With over 20 years of experience in growing small businesses and leading change, Fisher is a team-oriented and results-focused leader. She understands the complex interaction of systems, processes, and people and how to align culture to strategy to drive excellence and influence results. She has led large enterprise transformations investing in the right technologies and processes to modernize our systems, infrastructure, and digital capabilities. Fisher is a dynamic leader of organizational development and change leadership. She believes and demonstrates that leading with a positive attitude is key to motivating action, increasing productivity, improving morale, and perpetuating a positive work culture. Fisher is responsible for the areas of human resources, recruitment, diversity, equity, and inclusion, corporate communications, marketing, quality, security, compliance, and facilities.
Before joining TekSynap, Fisher was a senior vice president at Go City Group. Before that, she was a director of events at ClubCorp. Earlier in her career, she worked with The Peninsula Golf & Country Club as a director of events. Fisher graduated from the University of Maryland with an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.
39. Stephanie Orzechowski
Chief Administrative Officer, ProHealth Care
Stephanie Orzechowski is the Chief Administrative Officer of ProHealth Care. At ProHealth Care, they offer a culture that's warm, welcoming, and vibrant. Additionally, they offer a generous benefits plan and resources to help you further your education. After all, it's the way you should be treated.
Earlier in her career, Orzechowski was the regional director of sub-acute programs at UPC Health Network in the Catalyst Subacute Program, where she supervised seven multi-state sub-acute sites; provided training, mentoring, and orientation to all new program directors; and conducted sales and marketing activities to develop new business. She established the first sub-acute unit at the facility and substantially increased the utilization of sub-acute services. She next went to All Saints HealthCare System and then to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics (UWHC) where she had director-level roles. She joined the C-suite in 2-14 as VP for UW Health and was appointed to her current role in 2018.
Orzechowski graduated from Wisconsin School of Business with an MBA and from Marian University of Fond du Lac with an undergraduate degree in nursing.
40. Rachael Howe
Chief Administrative Officer, Market Express
Rachael Howe is the Chief Administrative Officer of Market Express. Serving partners regionally, nationally,m and across borders, Market Express specializes in creative shipping solutions that reduce costs and maximize on-time dependability. Their partners expect the service of a regional carrier and the reach and experience of a national network.
Howe has served Market Express in several positions. She started with the company in 2016 as an accounting manager, where she focused on team building. She was promoted to director of operations in September 2019. In May 2020, she added the job duties of the accounting controller to her list of responsibilities for the company. In October 2023, she was appointed to her current position of CAO.
Howe studies at Portland State University, where she began building the skills that would support her future career, including accounting, administration, team building, and operations management. Howe currently resides in Portland, Oregon.
41. Emily Park
Chief Administrative Officer, Citadel
Emily Park is the Chief Administrative Officer of Citadel. Their ambition at Citadel is to be the most successful investment firm of all time. Together, they turn ambition into action. For more than three decades, Citadel has captured undiscovered market opportunities in markets around the world by empowering extraordinary people to pursue their best and boldest ideas. They strive to identify the highest and best uses of capital to generate superior long-term returns for the world’s preeminent public and private institutions.
Before accepting her current role at Citadel in June of 2022, Park served as the director of the institutional client group for Citi, a leading global bank with over 200 million customer accounts that does business in over 160 countries and jurisdictions. Since January 2013, Park has also served Harvard University as an interviewer for Harvard College admissions.
Park attended the prestigious Horace Mann School for her secondary education. Founded in 1887, Horace Mann School is an independent college preparatory day school in the Bronx. She then went on to earn a degree from Harvard University.
42. Lauren Nunnally
Chief Administrative Officer, Swinerton Builders
Lauren Nunnally is the Chief Administrative Officer of Swinerton Builders, a 100% employee-owned company that provides commercial construction, construction management, design-build, and self-perform services throughout the United States.
Nunnally started with Swinerton in 2005 as a project engineer in San Diego and remained in core operations for eight years, quickly rising to project manager and gaining experience in numerous markets. After taking a brief hiatus to continue her education, she returned part-time in 2013 to support the CMiC initiative and process study of operations. Nunnally completed her Master of Business Administration at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. She rejoined Swinerton full-time in 2014 as director of support within the business technology group, working to reorganize and focus IT on the business of construction.
In 2017, Nunnally pivoted to general manager for Craft Services, where she was charged with developing a new corporate department to enable the expansion and profitability of Swinerton’s self-perform operations. Nunnally and her team worked to establish standardized processes for all craft employees, with a heavy emphasis on craft recruiting, training, and development. Assuming the role of vice president and chief talent officer in 2019, Nunnally focused on aligning and adapting Swinerton's overall talent strategy to its business strategy, leading and driving continuous improvements to workforce planning; talent acquisition, development, and mobility; and succession planning efforts. In 2021, she was promoted to senior vice president, and Nunnally became the youngest board member elected to the Swinerton Incorporated Board of Directors.
43. Sonia Hunter-Young
Chief Administrative Officer, Sun's Custom Carpentry
Sonia Hunter-Young is the Chief Administrative Officer of Sun's Custom Carpentry. Sun’s Custom Carpentry LLC serves the greater DC, Maryland, and Virginia area with quality home improvements, house painting, drywall services, cabinet refinishing and painting, handyman work, repairs, and more.
Hunter-Young is a competent professional with more than 20 years of extensive experience in analyzing current and potential business processes to identify clear opportunities for improvement. She’s had great success in promoting strategic vision through strategy, design, and planning and has worked as a contractor with the federal and local government, as well as the private and not-for-profit sectors. This has allowed her to cultivate a diverse portfolio of experience and adaptability. She is innovative with a proven ability to identify, analyze, and solve problems to increase customer satisfaction and control costs.
Earlier in her career, Hunter-Young worked exclusively as a project management consultant. In addition to her role with Sun’s Custom Carpentry, she also works with Covanta, where she is responsible for performing HR-related duties on a professional level and working closely with regional HR management in supporting designated geographic regions. Hunter-Young graduated from the University of Arkansas Grantham with an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.
44. Melissa Cheshier
Chief Administrative Officer, Old Republic Title
Melissa Cheshier is the Chief Administrative Officer of Old Republic Title. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Old Republic Title Insurance Group has built a solid reputation as an industry leader and is one of the largest title insurance groups in the United States. They have a conservative financial management philosophy to maintain stability through changing tides in the real estate, lending, and financial markets.
Before being appointed CAO in April of 2018, Cheshier served Old Republic Title as the central division controller, a role she started in 2002. After over 16 years as controller, she took all the experience and skills she’d learned, including business planning, collaboration, and operations, and now applies them to the CAO role.
Cheshier has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Baylor University. She currently resides in the Greater Houston area.
45. Molly Thiel
Chief Administrative Officer, Cielo Talent
As Chief Administration Officer, Molly Thiel enables Cielo’s mission by ensuring they have the best talent positioned to provide excellent client service. She oversees talent acquisition, talent management, learning and development, and HR operations for Cielo’s global operations. Cielo is the world's leading talent acquisition partner.
Thiel leads Cielo’s Global People and Culture Team to enable the business to succeed and empower our people to work to their fullest potential. She is committed to fostering a diverse culture that drives our individual and collective growth, engagement, and belonging. Throughout her career, she’s held broad roles dedicated to developing innovative business strategies, advancing financial turnarounds, and creating strong people practices. Her experience extends from human resources and organizational development to operations and sales. The variety of roles she’s held has allowed her to leverage both her business acumen and leadership qualities.
She joined Cielo in September 2018 and brought with her extensive experience in human resources and general business management. Prior to Cielo, Thiel spent much of her career in the banking industry, holding positions in operations, strategic planning, human resources, and P&L management. Thiel is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and lives in Franklin with her husband and two children.
46. Penelope Kokkinides
Chief Administrative Officer, InnovaCare Health
Penelope Kokkinides is the Chief Administrative Officer of InnovaCare Health. She first joined the company in 2015. InnovaCare Health improves the lives of members and physicians through innovative solutions for value-based healthcare. In each unique market, the company serves, InnovaCare works across the healthcare ecosystem – with patients, providers, payers, and other partners – to increase access to high-quality, affordable care.
Kokkinides has extensive healthcare experience, specializing in government programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and the managed care industry. She has knowledge and expertise in developing clinical programs and managing healthcare processes and operations, with a focus on improving efficiencies and organizational infrastructure, as well as the development and implementation of healthcare models.
Previously, Kokkinides was an executive vice president and chief operating officer at Centerlight Health System. Before that, she was a chief operating officer at Touchstone-Health HMO, Inc. Earlier in her career, she worked with UnitedHealthcare as a VP of disease management. Kokkinides earned an MPH in Public Health from Columbia University School of Public Health, an MSW in social work from New York University’s School of Social Work, and an undergraduate degree in biological sciences and classical languages from Binghamton University.
47. Beth Duncan
Chief Administrative Officer, Altium Packaging
Beth Duncan is the Chief Administrative Officer of Altium Packaging, the leading customer-centric packaging solutions provider that helps build businesses and elevate brands to the next level. They are supported by a network of plants throughout the US and Canada and 100 years of quality and service. With the combination of their state-of-the-art design center, their dedication to innovation, customized products, and patented processes, their team of over 3,000 associates are all committed to meeting and anticipating market and customer needs.
Duncan takes great pride in her ability to build a great team and great leaders. This skill has carried her into the position she’s in today. Her driving passion is to develop and grow people, helping them flourish into the individuals she knows they can become. Her career has a unique mix of HR, technology, and process, which Duncan believes are all necessary for a company to thrive.
She previously served Altium Packaging as the CIO and CHRO, as well as the VP of information service and the VP of customer service. Earlier in her career, she was the VP of customer service for CHEP, one of the world's most sustainable logistics businesses. Duncan graduated from UCF College of Business with an undergraduate degree.
48. Allison Keller
Chief Administrative Officer, PGA TOUR
Allison Keller is the Chief Administrative Officer for the PGA TOUR, the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers. Keller is a member of the TOUR’s Executive Leadership Team, working closely with chief operating office Ron Price and Commissioner Jay Monahan, along with other members of the Office of the Commissioner, on overall organizational strategy and operations.
During her 23 years with the TOUR, Keller has held various leadership roles. In 2017, Keller was named one of Sports Business Journal’s ‘Game Changers,’ an award that “recognizes women in the industry who have broad, deep, and varied responsibilities and who are contributing to the success of the industry in myriad ways.”
She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida and her law degree from the University of Florida. Keller has been active in a number of community organizations dedicated to youth development and assisting community members who are experiencing homelessness.
49. Lisa Marchitelli
Chief Administrative Officer, American Friends of Magen David Adom
Lisa Marchitelli is the Chief Administrative Officer for American Friends of Magen David Adom, Israel’s national paramedic and Red Cross service and a leader in mass-casualty response and in EMS technology.
Marchitelli is a highly accomplished and results-driven leader with over 20 years of experience. Her expertise includes creating human resources departments from ground zero, rebuilding infrastructure after mergers, downsizing, strategic planning, creating and implementing programs to improve operations, performing organizational diagnostics, and administering all human resource functions to support operations of up to 1000 employees.
She joined American Friends of Magen David Adom in 2016, where she utilized her experience in full-cycle recruiting, compensation, benefits, plan design and implementation, training, administration, and communications. Marchitelli has broad problem-solving and strategic planning experience with organizations, such as BNY Mellon, JP Morgan Chase, and Citibank, where she has worked with staff at all levels of the organization to create an environment conducive to learning and change. She has a bachelor’s degree in HR management from Ashford University.
50. Irene Diaz
Chief Administrative Officer, Phaidon International
Irene Diaz is the Chief Administrative Officer of Phaidon International, a professional services organization that works with thousands of businesses across the world, ranging from the Fortune 500 through to venture-backed start-ups – all of which use Phaidon's services to find the right talent for their business-critical roles.
Before being appointed CAO for Phaidon International, Diaz worked as a paralegal for Rich, Intelisano & Katz, LLP, an internationally recognized New York law firm that focuses on complex, highly sophisticated litigation and arbitration and related advisory and transactional services. Before that, Diaz worked as a paralegal for LePatner & Associates, LLP, one of the nation's foremost construction law firms. Diaz earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from Baruch College. She currently resides in New York City.