Kayla Gillan Attended 6th Annual DirectWomen Board Institute In New York

Online, February 18, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Kayla Gillan, Leader of PwC's Investor Resource Institute, attended the DirectWomen Board Institute from January 22-24 in New York City. DirectWomen, an organization formed to position women lawyers to serve on boards of public companies, selects a group of qualified women lawyers from a competitive pool of applicants across the country to participate in the three-day program.

At the DirectWomen Board Institute Gillan attended informational sessions on key issues facing current and future corporate directors and had the opportunity to interact with Institute alumnae and past honorees. The Institute was 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. Institute faculty featured leading experts on corporate governance as well as experienced directors and officers of large public companies. Speakers covered 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.

Gillan has a long career dedicated to corporate governance and investor advocacy. In January 2013 she was appointed to lead PwC's newly-created Investors' Resource Institute. The mission of the Institute is to add value to investors' decision-making processes by sharing PwC's insights and educational materials regarding markets, industries and corporate governance. Prior to joining PwC Gillan served for two years as Deputy Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In that role she implemented the Commission Chairman's vision for a revitalized capital markets regulatory agency, coordinating the activities of staff to ensure collaboration, effective communication, consistent focus and accountability. Gillan began her career in 1985 at the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS). CalPERS is the nation's largest publicly funded retirement plan, with assets valued at over $250 billion and providing retirement and health care benefits to over 1.6 million California public employees, retirees and their families. Gillan spent 16 years working in various legal and executive roles at CalPERS, including six years as General Counsel during which she managed all legal services and internal audits and investigations. Gillan received her undergraduate degree at the California State University in Sacramento, and her Juris Doctorate at the University of California in Davis.

QUOTES:
"I am honored to be selected to attend the DirectWomen Board Institute," said Gillan. "I was able to interact with women in my field, learn about the issues facing corporate directors and gain valuable insight into the process of nominating board members."

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.

Other attendees of the 2014 DirectWomen Board Institute:

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.

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-Romбn
Former Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs and Counsel to the Mayor, Mayor's Office, The City of New York

Jeanne M. Rosendale
Former 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