Annual Member Meeting
Post-Election Reset: The Future of Board and Leadership Diversity
November 6, 2026, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Hosted by Edelman Smithfield
250 Hudson Street, 14th Floor
New York City
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Hybrid: We encourage in-person attendance, and offer a virtual option as well.
Sponsored by:
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Light Breakfast and Networking
8:30 am
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Welcome
9:00 am
Get ready for a day of strategizing together, and hear about the Invest Ahead Strategic Plan, our Global Initiative, and more.
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Julie Zuraw
President and CEO
Invest Ahead
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Research Reveal
9:30 am
Be the first to see the results of our major new academic study on the correlation between racial/ethnic diversity on boards (and in board leadership) and financial performance. Hear directly from the study authors, and discuss what's next in board diversity research.
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Moderator: Reid Jewett
Smith, PhD
Invest Ahead Board Member,
VP of Research & Policy,
DisabilityIN; Fellow, Harvard
John F. Kennedy School of
Government
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Viktoriya Staneva, PhD
Dwayne Wrightsman Professor of Finance, University of New
Hampshire, and study
author
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Karolina Krystyniak, PhD, CFA
Professor of Finance, Ontario Tech University, and study author
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Networking Break
10:15 am
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2027 Stewardship Priorities
10:45 am
What have we learned through two proxy seasons amid anti-diversity actions at the regulatory, legal, and corporate level? How are Invest Ahead members preparing for the 2027 proxy season in light of the the SEC’s proposal to rescind Rule 14a-8? What does it all mean for engagement? A panel of institutional investors shares their thinking on these and other priorities.
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Amanda Packel, Moderator
VP, Corporate Governance and External Affairs, Broadridge; Fmr Executive Director, Rock Center for Corporate Governance, Stanford University
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Rekha Vaitla
Investment Officer, Sustainable
Investment and Stewardship
Strategies, CalSTRS; Board
Treasurer, Invest Ahead
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Stephanie Lavallato
Director, US Lead, Investment Stewardship, Legal & General Investment Management
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Miguel CuUnjieng
Vice President, Calvert
Research & Management
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Keynote: The State of Play with Renaye Manley
11:30 am
Renaye Manley is known for her innovative approach to investment stewardship. In this conversation, she'll discuss the hidden opportunities in our volatile political and regulatory environment. And she'll share how investors can manage today's turbulent investment stewardship ecosystem while while also planning strategically for the future they want to see.
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Renaye Manley
Founder, MCG; Fellow, Harvard Law School Center for Labor and a Just Economy
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Interviewer: Amy Augustine
Director, ESG Investing,
Boston Trust Walden; Co-Chair,
Invest Ahead Institutional
Investor Committee; Invest
Ahead Board Director
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Making Sense of Global Shifts in Trust
1:15 pm
Edelman Smithfield CEO Lex Suvanto shares the results of the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer and what the "Retreat Toward Insularity" means for our work.
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Lex Suvanto
CEO, Edelman Smithfield
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What Does the Data Say?
1:30 pm
Josh Ramer doesn't just collect board diversity and workforce data. He makes sense of it for investors and stewardship professionals. As data shows disclosure rates falling and board diversity gains slowing, what can we learn from these trends?
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Josh Ramer
Co-Founder and CEO
PeopleReturn
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Johnathan Medina, Moderator
Global Head of Inclusion,
Macquarie Asset Management;
Board Vice Chair, Invest Ahead
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The Evolving Role of Institutional Investors in Corporate Governance and Director Elections
2:00 pm
This panel will explore how institutional investors evaluate management and dissident nominees in contested elections, changing approaches to board composition and diversity, and the evolving relationship between institutional investors and public companies. The panel will also consider how developments such as investor choice programs and the separate voting of passive and actively managed funds may affect the influence of the largest institutional investors heading into the 2027 proxy season.
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Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman
Partner, Head of Shareholder Engagement and Activism Practice, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom
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Shannon Nelson
Director, Investment
Stewardship, BlackRock
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Scott S. Winter
Co-Chair, Innisfree M&A
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Jared Landaw, Moderator
General Counsel, The Eastern
Company; Board Director,
Invest Ahead
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Breakout Strategy Sessions (Choose One)
3:15 pm
| | Now's your chance to get into the action in a topic-specific working session. | |
Institutional Investor Committee Meeting
A closed member meeting for asset owners and asset managers to discuss developments and 2027 planning.
Led by:
Amy Augustine, Director of ESG Investing, Boston Trust Walden; Institutional Investor Commitee Co-Chair
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Disclosure Policy: What's Next?
Invest Ahead champions board diversity disclosure mandates at the federal and state levels. How do the results of the mid-term elections impact our ability to move this agenda forward with officials and legislators in both arenas?
Led by:
Melinda Yee Franklin, Corporate Board Director; Managing Director, The Siena Group: Co-Chair, Invest Ahead Policy Committee, Board Director, Invest Ahead
Dave Young, Treasurer, State of Colorado; Board Director, Invest Ahead
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Building the Leadership Pipeline: New Research & Insights
Hear the latest research from Invest Ahead's advocate partners, and join a discussion of how these organizations can accelerate their progress in 2027.
Presentations by:
Heather Spilsbury, CEO, 50/50 Women on Boards
Todd Sears, Founder and CEO, Out Leadership
Louis Olander, Director of Research and Veteran's Initiatives, DisabilityIN
Executive Leadership, Ascend Pinnacle
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Connections and Conversations
4:30 pm
| | Take some time over cocktails to relax and talk with fellow attendees about what you're inspired to do next. | | | | |
