DirectWomen To Host 6th Annual DirectWomen Board Institute On Jan 22-24 In New York City At Waldorf Astoria Hotel

Online, January 9, 2014 (Newswire.com) - DirectWomen, an organization formed to position women lawyers to serve on boards of public companies, will hold its 6th annual DirectWomen Board Institute from January 22-24 in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel located at 301 Park Avenue. The organization selects a group of qualified women lawyers from a competitive pool of applicants across the country to participate in the three-day program. The Board Institute provides class members with information on key issues facing current and future corporate directors and the opportunity to interact with Institute alumnae and past honorees.

Co-chaired by Professor Hillary A. Sale, Walter D. Coles Professor of Law and Professor of Management at Washington University in St. Louis and Professor Lisa M. Fairfax, Leroy Sorenson Merrifield Research Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School, the Institute faculty features leading experts on corporate governance, as well as experienced directors and officers of large public companies. Speakers cover topics such as the role and work of nominating board members, the evolving nature of shareholder relations, the strategic role of audit committees and the role of executive search firms in board searches.

This year's faculty includes: Bob Barker, Managing Partner at BarkerGilmore; Alan Beller, Partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Rosemary Berkery, Vice Chairman of UBS Wealth Management Americas and Chairman of UBS Bank USA; Betsy Bruening, Executive Vice President & COO of The Prout Group; Robert Clark, Distinguished Service Professor and Austin Wakeman Scott Professor of Law at Harvard University; Betsy Cohen, Director and CEO of The Bancorp, Inc.; Connie Collingsworth, General Counsel and Secretary for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Mary Cranston, Retired Senior Partner and Immediate Past Chair of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Julie Daum, North American Board and CEO Succession Practice Leader at Spencer Stuart; Cynthia Dow, Executive Search Consultant at Russell Reynolds Associates; Janice Reals Ellig, Co-CEO of Chadick Ellig; Thames Fulton, Managing Director of Cook Associates, Inc.; Bonnie Gwin, Vice Chairman and Managing Partner, Board of Directors Practice, North America at Heidrick & Struggles; Ann Harlan, Retired Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for The J.M. Smucker Company; Fred Hassan, Retired Chairman and CEO, Schering-Plough Corporation; Peggy Heeg, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright; Lee Ann Howard, CEO at Howard & O'Brien Associates; Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric; Stasia Kelly, Co-Managing Partner (Americas), DLA Piper; Ilene Lang, President & CEO of Catalyst; Janiece Longoria, Partner, Ogden, Gibson, Broocks, Longoria & Hall, LLP; Deborah Majoras, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary for The Procter & Gamble Company; Bill McCracken, Retired CEO of CA Technologies, Inc.; Julie Cohen Norris, Senior Client Partner at Korn/Ferry International; Bill Nuti, Chairman, CEO & President of NCR Corporation; Aulana Peters, Retired Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; Helen Pudlin, Retired Executive Vice President and General Counsel, The PNC Financial Services Group; Toni Rembe, Retired Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Christine Spadafor, CEO of St. Jude's Ranch for Children; Doreen Wright, Retired Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Campbell Soup Company.

The DirectWomen Alumnae Program runs concurrently with the Board Institute at the same location. Alumnae of the Board Institute participate in informative sessions with respect to international perspectives on board diversity, interviewing for a board position and repositioning for the current board climate.

QUOTES:
"The DirectWomen Board Institute is the best opportunity women attorneys have to learn, develop, network and position themselves for service as Directors," said Roberta D. Liebenberg, Senior Partner at Fine, Kaplan and Black, R.P.C. and Chair of DirectWomen.

ABOUT:
The mission of DirectWomen is to increase the representation of women on corporate boards. DirectWomen identifies, develops and supports a growing group of accomplished women attorneys who have the experience, independence and diversity required for good corporate governance. Partners of the program include Catalyst, the leading nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women in business, and the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession.

Members attending the 2014 DirectWomen Board Institute are:

Susan L. Blount
Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Prudential Financial, Inc.

Marcy S. Cohen
Managing Director, General Counsel and Head of Legal for the Americas, ING Financial Holdings Corporation

Sheri H. Edison
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Bemis Company, Inc.

Barbara Finigan
Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary for Hasbro, Inc.

Michelle A. Friel
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for YRC Worldwide Inc.

Kayla J. Gillan
Principal, Leader of Investor Resource Institute, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Marie Oh Huber
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Sarah Hlavinka McConnell
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for ABM Industries Incorporated

Amanda M. McMillian
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Sheri L. Mossbeck
Vice President and Treasurer of Leggett & Platt, Inc.

Kim M. Rivera
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for DaVita HealthCare Partners

Carol Robles-Roman
Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs and Counsel to the Mayor, Mayor's Office, The City of New York

Jeanne M. Rosendale
Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Head of Human Resources for Muriel Siebert Co., Inc.

Margaret K. Seif
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Analog Devices, Inc.

Barbara Sicalides
Partner, Pepper Hamilton LLP - Antitrust Practice

Allison Leopold Tilley
Board Member and Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Corporate & Securities - Technology Practice

Simone Wu
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer for Choice Hotels International, Inc.

Loria Baskerville Yeadon
Executive Vice President of Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC