Our Leadership

Scott Smith

Board Co-Chair

Scott Smith is the Founder & Principal of SSmith Advisors.  His firm sits at the intersection of talent, technology, and process.  They apply cross-functional experience from multiple industries and a deep understanding of processes and technology to create customized solutions for the Talent Acquisition function.  Scott spent several years at Spencer Stuart, Bridgewater Associates, and Aetna, where he was the Head of Executive Search.  His earlier career included operational and board roles for technology and technology-enabled businesses.  

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Cheryl Palmer

Board Co-Chair

Cheryl Palmer is a Senior Operating Executive and Independent Director with extensive experience in Specialty Retail, Hospitality, and Consumer Brands.  Cheryl combines her consumer marketing and retail operations expertise with strategic Board leadership to achieve strong business results.

In addition to her corporate career, Cheryl has held a variety of corporate director seats in both public and private companies.  She currently serves on the board of B&G Foods, Inc., where she Chair's the company's Risk Committee and serves as a member of both the Compensation and Nominating & Governance committees.  Previously, she served as a member of the board's Audit Committee.  Cheryl is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors where she remains a disciple of contemporary board issues and best practices. Cheryl resides, with her husband Rey, on their farm in Aiken, SC.  She is an avid equestrian, hiker, and golfer.

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Jessica Perry

VIce President

Jessica Perry is principal of Six Doors, providing strategic consulting and advisory services to media, technology and trade associations seeking digital transformation and growth.  Perry brings more than 25 years of success in brand and performance marketing, business development and product development in leadership roles at Dow Jones & Company, Conde Nast, Atlantic Media and the Society for Human Resource Management, and as a consultant and board member to the American Marketing Association and Software & Information Industry Association, specializing in companies with membership, subscription and annuity revenue models.  Most recently, Perry was Chief Marketing Officer for private equity-backed Modern Hire, a SaaS platform providing interview technology and AI-based hiring assessments.  

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Mark DeGennaro

Secretary

Mark DeGennaro is a legal and business professional who has worked with financial sponsors, privately held businesses, and company founders on legal, operational, and financial matters, including mergers and acquisitions and the evaluation and implementation of new strategic initiatives. Currently, Mark is a Managing Director of an EdTech accelerator program at USC's Rossier School of Education and the Managing Member of Liberty Point Partners, LLC, a consulting firm providing strategic advisory services.  Earlier in his career, Mark was the General Counsel of The Collingwood Group, a Washington DC-based business advisory firm, the Chief Operating Officer of a New York-based investment banking firm, and an attorney with the law firm of White & Case.

 

Robyn D'Elia

Treasurer

Robin Delia is a versatile and collaborative CFO with progressive experience leading all areas of finance within a fortune 500 public company. She thrives and delivers in fast-paced transforming environments, leading by example.  While she was a vital member of the leadership team at iconic retailer Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY), the company grew from a single brand with 108 US-based stores to a complex multi-brand omnichannel retailer operating over 1500 stores in the US, Canada, and Mexico and revenues grew from ~$800M to over $11.5B, with digital revenues representing ~$2B. Robyn has expertise in strategic planning, financial planning & analysis, M&A, process improvement, risk management, corporate governance, and treasury.  In addition, Robyn has experience in the board room on various corporate governance, topics including executive compensation design, say on pay, board member selection & onboarding, business transformation, enterprise risk management, cybersecurity, and M&A.

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Doron Grosman

Membership

Doron Grosman is a serial CEO/President and Private Equity Operating Partner with a proven track record of achieving record sales and sustainable EBITDA growth. He is a motivational, multi-sector leader with broad strategic, value creation, operational improvement, and cash flow maximization skills. He is currently the CEO/President of Global Container Terminals a +$1 billion revenue business. Doron received an MBA from the Harvard Business School and an MS in Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. He has been a featured speaker at numerous private equity conferences, including Chief Executive Group, Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, NACD, and Private Equity International. His Board experience includes Rocket Software, DISA Global Service Solutions, Ancile Software, Mspark Direct Mail Marketing Services, Sandhurst Extension Urban Development, and GCT Global Container Terminals.

 

Jessica Perry is principal of Six Doors, providing strategic consulting and advisory services to media, technology and trade associations seeking digital transformation and growth.  Perry brings more than 25 years of success in brand and performance marketing, business development and product development in leadership roles at Dow Jones & Company, Conde Nast, Atlantic Media and the Society for Human Resource Management, and as a consultant and board member to the American Marketing Association and Software & Information Industry Association, specializing in companies with membership, subscription and annuity revenue models.  Most recently, Perry was Chief Marketing Officer for private equity-backed Modern Hire, a SaaS platform providing interview technology and AI-based hiring assessments.  

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Elaine Riddell

special Interest groups

Elaine Riddell is a growth activist who believes that breakthrough potential exists in every company.  She unlocks potential by anticipating the market disruptions that will influence client priorities and spending and then building organizational confidence to deliver the new value.  As a CEO, over 15 years (NOPWorld Health, a unit of UBM, TNS Healthcare, Kantar Health), she is recognized for transforming mature, stagnant, global data, analytics, and insights firms into high-performing, scalable market-leaders with sustained, profitable revenue growth at three-times the market rate. Elaine's playbook also draws on her experience at Abbott Labs (now AbbVie), a top 10 Pharmaceutical company, and IMS Health (now IQVIA), the leading multinational health information and technology firm.  Her composite of experience, which focuses on customer-centric innovation, strategic M&A, and building performance-driven cultures, forms the foundation for her growth advisory, serving founder/CEOs and Private Equity firms, as well as her M&A-related work. Today, Elaine is a Managing Director with Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips, a leading investment bank for the marketing and media services sectors.

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Jim Ranton

Independent Career Track

Jim Ranton is the Founder and Principal of Phenix Advisors, LLC – a People Performance Strategy consultancy for SMBs, PE-backed companies, Start-ups, and Senior Professionals seeking leadership skills coaching. A results-driven advisor, Jim has achieved notable success in partnering with stakeholders to build high-performance teams, transform corporate cultures into inclusive communities and create talent strategies that develop profitability-focused contributors. Prior to forming Phenix Advisors, Jim held HR executive leadership positions at Carrier Corporation, Citigroup, Citizens Utilities, Guardian Life Insurance, New York Racing Association, PepsiCo, Surescripts, and United Technologies.

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Lisa Rosenberg

Brand & Marketing

Lisa Rosenberg is a creative instigator who believes brands must live at the intersection of culture and commerce. A seasoned client counselor, Lisa is a hands-on strategist with expertise in leading global brand initiatives and has been the creative force behind many successful brand journeys. Currently, she is Partner + President of Consumer Brands at Allison+Partners, having previously held executive leadership positions at Havas PR and Porter Novelli. She has spent her career developing award-winning campaigns for major consumer brands and has launched every shaving innovation for Gillette from Sensor to Fusion ProGlide, helped M&M's put the color purple in the bag, was the creative spark behind Driscoll's Rosé berries, and most recently drove Budweiser's success at Super Bowl LV. Lisa has 20+ years of big agency operational leadership experience including strong financial management expertise and a reputation for recruiting, mentoring, and developing talent. She loves the thrill of the hunt and is a highly effective business developer with persuasive selling skills. A noted industry leader, Lisa is often quoted on brand and marketing trends and has served on numerous award juries, including Cannes Lions, The Clios, Brand Film Festival, Sabre Awards, Silver Anvils, Snackable Content, and PRWeek Awards, among others. She has been recognized by PRovoke Media as an Innovator 25, by PRWeek as a Hall of Femme, and a Champion of PR, and has won more than 50 awards on behalf of her clients.  Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Johns Hopkins University and resides in New Rochelle, NY.

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Carol Yvette Thorney

Technology & Digital Strategy

Carol Yvette Thorney, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Thorney Advisors, is an innovative, profit-oriented executive. Her track record includes increasing revenues, expanding market share, and improving client satisfaction. With over 20 years of experience, Carol has enabled organizations in various sectors—healthcare, finance, retail, BPO, and IT—to drive seamless customer experiences through reimagined business models. She also champions Agile and Lean enterprise strategies, fostering profitable growth and supporting industry benchmarks. Carol holds an MBA and is an active alumnus of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where the vision of “Why not change the world?” drives her mission.

Her areas of expertise include Start-Up Commercialization, Strategy & Growth, Digital Transformation, Change Management and Coaching & Training. Carol’s impact extends across industries such as technology, banking, financial services, insurance, healthcare (payer and provider), digital health, life sciences, manufacturing, and the public sector. Carol embodies the spirit of transformation, driving organizations toward success in an ever-evolving landscape.

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Barbara McCartney

Leadership Conference & Events

Barbara McCartney is an accomplished multi-country P&L owner, people leader, and growth accelerator with a passion for the Nutrition and Wellness space. She is currently the CEO of Trofi Nutritionals, where she and her team are advancing personal health management via next-generation therapeutic wellness solutions. During her 12-year tenure with Nestle, Barbara held multiple leadership roles, including North American Business Head and President for Consumer Care, a $650MM nutrition business with operations in the US, Canada, and Mexico. In roles with Unilever, Pillsbury, and Quaker, she led teams in accelerating iconic brand portfolios. At Hyde Park Group Innovation, she found new growth pathways for 20+ food and nutrition businesses. As a true strategic operator, Barbara brings an end-to-end mindset to commercial transformation, value creation, and organizational excellence to help businesses to reach new heights. Her work has generated significant revenue gains, new categories, and industry awards.

Richard Gellman

New Member programs

Richard is a forward-thinking leader with a strong performance history in talent acquisition, marketing, and merchandising. He has spearheaded merchandising, branding, print, and promotional advertising efforts to implement sustainable business models, improving top and bottom-line gains. He excels at creating strategic partnerships and thrives as a collaborative leader who builds and equips team members to exceed business goals in rapidly changing markets.

Phil Grabfield

Strategic Partnerships

Phil Grabfield has held multiple marketing leadership positions throughout his career, including his last position as the SVP Marketing at E&I Cooperative Services, a group purchasing organization focused on education. Prior to E&I, Phil led marketing organizations at Teladoc, Staffing Industry Analysts, and Mercer. He began his marketing career at Kraft Foods where he worked on the Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 100% Natural Cheese, and Polly-O brands. He was transferred to Japan as Marketing Director across brands. Phil also worked as a strategic brand and marketing consultant at Marketing Corporation of America and FutureBrand.

Phil currently consults companies on strategic marketing and branding issues, serves on various non-profit boards including Young Life and Executive Forum (Strategic Partnerships), and fills in as a substitute Spanish teacher in the Weston School District. He graduated from Trinity College with a B.A. in Economics and Spanish and from The University of Pennsylvania with an M.B.A. in Marketing from The Wharton School and an M.A. in International Studies from the Lauder Institute. He lives in Connecticut with his wife (and dog Joe Cocker) and has two children that are out of the nest. He is a jack of most sports and a master of none.

Kelly Christiano

New Member programs

Helayna Minsk

Board Journey

Helayna Minsk is a Senior Executive and experienced Independent Board Director who brings the unique perspective of 30+ years of marketing and general management experience to branded and private label businesses in the Consumer Products, Consumer Healthcare, and Retail industries in North America and Asia. She has transformed brand portfolios, businesses, and organizations at Unilever, J&J, and Walgreens to achieve their potential and accelerate profitable growth. In addition to pursuing corporate board roles, she provides consulting and advisory services focused on branding, marketing, innovation, go-to-market, operational and growth strategies to enable value-creation to consumer-facing businesses. She and her husband live in Evanston, IL.