Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School

Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis professor of leadership and management at the Harvard Business School, a chair position established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She studies teaming, psychological safety and leadership. Previously, as the director of research at Pecos River Learning Centers, Amy worked on transformational change in large companies.

Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders, Professor in the Practice of Leadership, University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business. Retired Brigadier General, U.S. Army

Bernard (Bernie) Banks is a noted expert on the subjects of leadership and organizational change. Currently, he is the Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders and a Professor in the Practice of Leadership. Most recently, Bernie served on the faculty and senior leadership team at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management from 2016-2024 before arriving at Rice. In addition to having studied leadership extensively, he has led multiple military units ranging in size from 10 to 500 people since 1988.

Senior Advisor, Warren Bennis Leadership Institute at the University of Cincinnati.

Betsy Myers is a renowned expert on emerging leadership trends and women’s leadership and is the author of Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You. In addition to being a senior adviser to two U.S. presidents, her extensive leadership background also includes roles at the U.S. Small Business Administration, including heading the Office of Women’s Business Ownership. Previously, she was the founding director of the Center for Women and Business at Bentley University and the executive director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Former Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs
Retired Chairman, President and CEO, The Procter and Gamble Company
Board Member, Partnership for Public Service

Robert (Bob) A. McDonald served as the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs from July 2014 to January 2017. Under his guidance, the VA reduced by half the number of homeless veterans since 2010. Prior to joining the VA, Bob was chairman, president, and CEO for the Procter & Gamble Company. An Army veteran, Bob served as an airborne ranger infantry officer with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Professor of Organizational Behavior at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School
Author

Christine (Chris) Porath is the author of the books “Mastering Community” and “Mastering Civility,” and co-author of “The Cost of Bad Behavior. Previously, Chris served on the faculty at Georgetown University and the University of Southern California (USC). Her research on the topic of civility focuses not only on the effects of bad behavior, but also how organizations can create a more positive environment where people can thrive, and how individuals and organizations benefit in terms of individual well-being and performance. Her speaking and consulting clients have included Google, the United Nations and the World Bank.

Former Chairman of the Board, USAA
Retired General and former Vice Chief of Staff, United States Air Force
Board Member, Partnership for Public Service

General Lester (Les) L. Lyles served for 36 years in the United States Air Force, retiring as a general in 2003. During his Air Force career, he served in distinguished roles including vice chief of staff and commander of the Air Force Materiel Command. Since retirement, he has continued to be involved with public service through presidential and agency commissions on security and space policy, as well as serving on the board of corporations including General Dynamics Corp. and USAA.

CEO, Wiseman Group
Former Vice President, Oracle Corporation
Author

Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor who teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is the CEO of the Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm headquartered in Silicon Valley. Some of her recent clients include: Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft. Liz previously worked as an executive at Oracle Corporation when she led the creation of Oracle University.

Founder, Strategic Leadership & Learning

Mette Norgaard works with CEOs to design and deliver culture specific leadership solutions. She sees physical intelligence as new frontier in leadership—an actual shortcut to greater presence and performance. Norgaard is the author of the international best-seller The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work and co-author of the New York Times Bestseller TouchPoints. She writes a leadership column for Børsen, the Danish financial daily.

Former Secretary, Department of the Interior
Former CEO, Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)

As a business executive and public servant serving as secretary of the Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell focused her career on supporting a robust economy coupled with long-term sustainability of our natural world and its diverse people. Sally was president and CEO of REI, a $2.6 billion retailer dedicated to facilitating outdoor adventures.

Global Speed of Trust Practice Leader, FranklinCovey
Author

Stephen M. R. Covey is a New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of “The SPEED of Trust—The One Thing That Changes Everything.” He is the former CEO of Covey Leadership Center, which, under his stewardship, became the largest leadership development company in the world. He is a sought-after and compelling keynote speaker, consultant, and expert on trust, leadership, ethics and high performance.

Former Senior Executive Advisor, Booz Allen Hamilton
Former United States Coast Guard Commandant
Former Board Member, Partnership for Public Service

Admiral Thad W. Allen is a well-decorated senior fellow at the RAND Corporation. He became the 23rd commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard in 2006. Prior to this command, Thad served as national incident commander for the federal government’s response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and he continued to serve in this role as a civilian. He has worked as an executive vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton since November 2011.