Business Disruption and the Effective Private and Family Company Board
How can private and family businesses build an engaged and effective board of directors to copilot through today’s turbulence?
Learn from experienced directors, business owners, investors and experts whose insights can help you improve the effectiveness of your board.
Reserve your seat at the governance conference for directors, owners, and advisers of family-owned, closely held and private equity-owned businesses of all sizes.
Featured Speakers

Eric L. Motley, PhD
Executive Vice President, The Aspen Institute; Board Member, Barry-Wehmiller Companies

Timothy E. Ellsworth
Director, Chair, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc.

Robert E. Chappell
Former Chairman and CEO, Penn Mutual; Director, Quaker Chemical, The South Chester Tube Company, CSS Industries

Deborah L. DeHaas
Vice Chairman, Chief Inclusion Officer, and National Managing Partner, Center for Corporate Governance, Deloitte LLP
Register Today!
Wednesday, May 16
4-5 p.m. Session
Starting and Building the Private Company Board
This session spotlights speakers from private companies whose boards bolstered their success. They will describe practical steps they took to build their boards and how they managed the transition from a family/insider board to a professional board. Learn the nuts and bolts of their board journeys, including:
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what board structures they choose (advisory or fiduciary, fully or partially independent);
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how they find and compensate directors;
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lessons they learned and how they adjusted to create high-functioning, strategic boards.
Speakers: David W. Henderson, President and CEO, Samaritan Medical Center; Roger Koch, Principal and Co-Chairman, Koch Development Company; Jon Peterson, CEO, The Peterson Companies
Moderator: Rob Sligh, Affiliate Consultant, The Family Business Consulting Group
5:30-6:30 p.m. Opening Session
Board Dynamics in Private Company Governance
This session offers practical advice on how to build collegiality and effectiveness without “yes men” or disengaged directors. Topics to be addressed include encouaging candor in board discussions, teaching directors about your company history and the dynamics of your ownership group, and managing your board effectively.
Speakers: Julia Klein, Chair and CEO, C.H. Briggs Co., Director, Eastern States Group; Robert E. Chappell, Former Chairman and CEO, Penn Mutual; Director, Quaker Chemical, The South Chester Tube Company, CSS Industries; Chris Herschend, Vice Chairman, Herschend Entertainment
Moderator: Dottie Schindlinger, Vice President and Governance Technology Evangelist, Diligent Corporation
6:30-7:15 p.m. Keynote Interview
"Lessons from Government Service and Private Company Board Membership"
Speaker: Eric L. Motley, Executive Vice President, The Aspen Institute; Board Member, Barry-Wehmiller Companies
Interviewed by: Eve Tahmincioglu, Executive Editor and Digital Director, Directors & Boards magazine
7:15-9 p.m. Networking Reception and Dinner
Thursday, May 17
7:30-8:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:30-8:45 a.m. Conference Introduction
"Business Disruption Shaping Private Company Governance"
Speaker: Deborah DeHaas, Vice Chairman and National Managing Partner, Center for Board Effectiveness, Deloitte LLP
8:45-9:15 a.m. Keynote Interview
"Succession Strategies and the Governance of a 102-Year-Old Business"
Speakers: Craig J. Duchossois, Chairman and CEO, the Duchossois Group; Ashley D. Joyce, President, the Duchossois Foundation
Interviewed by: D. Roger Nanney, Vice Chairman, Deloitte LLP, National Leader, Deloitte Growth Enterprise Services
9:15-9:30 a.m. Networking Break
9:30-10:30 a.m. Session
Best Practices in Private Company Governance
What makes a successful private company board? There’s no one answer, and one approach doesn’t work for everyone. That creates complexity as owners and directors strive for the best possible governance that meets the needs of the company. Panelists will discuss board structures that work for their private companies and explore how these boards help their companies achieve their goals.
Speakers: Timothy E. Ellsworth, Director, Chair, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc.; Manuel Diez, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Diesco Ltd.; Roberta Sydney, President, CEO and Board Chair, Sydney Associates, Inc.
Moderator: Theo Sharp, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry Hay Group
10:30-11 a.m. Networking Break
11 a.m.-12 noon Workshop
The Private Board’s Role in Shaping Corporate Culture
This workshop will explore how a private company board can help establish a healthy culture. Topics to be addressed include how to recognize warning signs of cultures at risk, organizational metrics and information sources for assessing corporate culture, and leading practices for effective director oversight and committee responsibilities.
Host: Bob Rosone, Managing Director, Deloitte LLP
Presenters: Maureen Bujno, Managing Director, Center for Board Effectiveness, Deloitte LLP and Carey L Oven, Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, National Managing Partner, Modernizing Compliance and Culture Risk
12 noon-12:15 p.m. Networking Break
12:15-1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30-3 p.m. Expert Briefings (repeated twice)
• Defining Board Roles (chairman, corporate secretary, lead director, committee chairs): Doug Baumoel, Founder, Continuity LLC
• Private Board Compensation: Theo Sharp, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry Hay Group
• Engaging Private Equity and Other Outside Investors: Jamie Lewin, Principal, Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC
• The Mechanics and Dynamics of the Effective Board Meeting: Dottie Schindlinger, Diligent Corporation
• The Board and Succession Planning: Caleb White, Senior Consultant, and Nancy Drozdow, Founder/Principal, CFAR
3-3:15 p.m. Networking Break
3:15-4:15 p.m. Session
The Owner-Board Relationship: Creating Effective Shareholder/Family, Management and Board Interaction
A private company board can be effective only if there is an atmosphere of trust among company management, owners/family members and directors.
This session will offer real-world best practices on how to create effective family or owner governance (through family and owners’ councils) and develop systems for effective communication between shareholders and the board.
Speakers: Ronda Ritter Ray, Lead Family Director, E. Ritter & Company; Andrew D. Pitcairn, Chair, Pitcairn Family Council, Board Member, Pitcairn; Rebecca Peterson, Board Member and Family Council Member, Sasser Family Holdings
Moderator: Doug Baumoel, Founder, Continuity, LLC
4:15-5:15 PM Concurrent Workshops
• Preparing the Next Generation for Board Service
Identifying, developing and training management and family members for board roles.
Session Leaders: Caleb White, Senior Consultant and Nancy Drozdow, Founder/Principal, CFAR
• The Evolution of Ownership and Governance in a Family Enterprise
When a successful family business evolves into a sophisticated family enterprise, the complexity of what the family owns increases as the family grows or the entities expand. Family decisions about complexity and about ownership determine governance structures. Board members must understand these ownership structures when making decisions, since the shareholders could be individuals, family trusts, holding companies, investment partnerships, or philanthropic entities with future rights to ownership. This session will demonstrate how governance evolves through the generations for complex families, and why a variety of governance structures are used by sophisticated families.
Session Leader: Sara Hamilton, Founder and CEO, Family Office Exchange
• Board Performance, Evaluation and Re-Nomination
How to evaluate your board's performance, refresh your board and assemble a set of directors who are diverse in terms of experience and background. What skills do you need? What are the advantages of a board that is diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity?
Session Leader: Peter Gleason, CEO and President, National Association of Corporate Directors
6:30-9 p.m. Group Dinner and Private Boards of the Year Awards
National Press Club (transportation provided)
Host: Robert L. Rock, Chairman, MLR Holdings LLC
Friday, May 18
7:30-8:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:30-9:15 a.m. Keynote Address
"Our Board Journey, and Why I Hired My Own 'Boss'"
Speaker: McKeel Hagerty, Chief Executive Officer, Hagerty
Moderator: Bill Rock, President, MLR Holdings LLC
9:15-9:30 a.m. Networking Break
9:30-10:30 a.m. Workshop
Setting Your Private Board's Priorities
Presenters: Rob Sligh, Affiliate Consultant, The Family Business Consulting Group, and Peter Begalla, Conference and Education Director, Family Business Magazine
10:30-10:45 a.m. Networking Break
10:45-11:45 a..m. Session
The Private Board’s Role in Digital Disruption and Risk
All private companies should push management to address the impact of digital disruption, whether it’s the ‘Amazon’ effect, cybersecurity or such emerging technologies as blockchain.This session will offer real-world guidance on how the board can maintain ‘noses in, fingers out’ with management and still ensure the company has solid strategies for the digital future, while minimizing the risk involved.
Speakers: Joanna Peters, Managing Principal, StratConGlobal; Ivy Silver, Director, Fulton Bank, CIMG; Larry Putterman, Member, Board of Advisors, IPC Global Solutions
Moderator: Eve Tahmincioglu, Executive Editor and Digital Director, Directors & Boards
11:45 a.m. Conference Close
Confirmed Speakers

Julia H. Klein
Chairwoman and CEO, C.H. Briggs Co.
Julia H. Klein is Chairwoman and CEO of C.H. Briggs Co., a value-added distributor of specialty building products headquartered in Reading, PA. Past and current Board service includes C.H. Briggs, Hedwin Corporation, Arbill Safety Supply, Reading Health System, Reading Physicians Network, Berks County Community Foundation, and the National Association of Wholesalers. She is a frequent speaker on technology, governance, entrepreneurship, and womenâs issues, has a particular interest in closely held and family enterprises.
Julia Klein is a Chairwoman & CEO, Board Director, and leader in the building materials distribution industry. As C.E.O. and Chairwoman of C.H. Briggs Company, she transformed a local business into a super-regional, professionally managed platform company.
With expertise in strategy, governance, mergers and acquisitions, technology and supply chain solutions, and the residential and commercial construction industries, Ms. Klein has led C.H. Briggs for over 20 years. The Company is one of the nationâs largest independently owned distributors of specialty building materials. Customers include manufacturers, architects and designers of specialty interior products. Ms. Klein has successfully integrated 6 acquisitions expanding the C.H. Briggs footprint throughout the Middle Atlantic and Southeast.
Strategic use of new technology has established the companyâs reputation as an innovator and Ms. Kleinâs reputation as a thought leader in the industry. Over the last 20 years Briggs has achieved top quartile performance in its segment, and is among the nationâs top 100 women-owned businesses.
She has served as C.E.O. and Chairwoman of C.H. Briggs since 2007. She is a member of the Boards of Directors of Hedwin Corporation in Baltimore, Reading Physician Partners, the Reading Health System, Springboard Enterprises, Arzu Studio Hope, the Advisory Board of Modern Distribution Management, and is Co-Chair of the Committee of 200 Northeast Region. Most recently, Ms. Klein was elected to The College of Woosterâs Board of Trustees. She is a former member of the Advisory Boards of Quaker Maid Meats, Inc. and Arbill Industries, Inc.
She and C.H. Briggs have received numerous industry and community awards. Ms. Klein was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards© in Greater Philadelphia, and was honored with the Junior Achievement Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame Award, the Athena Award, and as a Distinguished Girl Scout Alumna by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. She also received the SmartCEO magazine Brava Award and Best Managed Companies in Philadelphia.
Ms. Klein is actively involved in numerous professional organizations. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the NAW (National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors) Institute for Distribution Excellence, the Board of Directors of the North American Building Materials Distribution Association, and the Cabinet Industry Distribution Association, which she helped establish. She is a member of Women Corporate Directors, World Presidentsâ Organization (WPO) and a former member of the Young Presidentsâ Organization (YPO); she is also a member of the Committee of 200, an international organization of women entrepreneurs, executives, and board members.
She was a member of the Board of the Berks County Community Foundation for 11 years, served as Chairwoman and continues as a member of its Governance Committee. Ms. Klein served on the Governance Committee of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and was a founding member of BEP.
She earned a M.A. in Public Policy as an Urban Scholars Fellow at the University of Chicago and a B.A. from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. Ms. Klein and her husband have a college-aged son and live in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Timothy E. Ellsworth
Director, Chair, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc.
Timothy E. Ellsworth joined EBI as a summer employee in 1968 and is a permanent employee in 1976. After various executive roles at EBI’s Darworth Company, Ensign-Bickford Optics, Corporate Development and Corporate Research units, Mr. Ellsworth formed and led Ensign-Bickford Coatings Company and was CEO of Advanced Glass Treatment Systems (AGTS). In 1994, he resigned from the Company, acquired AGTS from EBI and joined the EBI Board of Directors as a fifth generation family member and successor to his father, John E. Ellsworth, former President and Chairman. Mr. Ellsworth serves on the Audit and Proxy Committees and formerly chaired the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. In addition to his Board work for EBI, Tim is CEO of The Peak Experience, LLC, a real estate investment company, and participates on various other corporate and non-profit boards. He is also a former member of the Simsbury Economic Development Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Ellsworth holds a BFA degree from St. Lawrence University and completed his MFA and MBA degrees at R.I.T.

David W. Henderson
President and CEO, Samaritan Medical Center

Ronda Ritter Ray
Lead Family Director, E. Ritter & Company
Ronda Ritter Ray is a fourth-generation family owner of E Ritter & Company and currently serves as lead family director on the board of directors following three years as president of the Ritter Family Council. A teacher for 20 years in Arkansas and in Wisconsin, she most recently worked as an adjunct instructor in the secondary education department and subsequently as director of clinical experiences for the College of Education and Professional Studies at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL.

Roger Koch
Principal and Co-Chairman, Koch Development Company

Joanna Peters
Managing Principal, StratConGlobal, Inc.

Robert E. Chappell
Former Chairman and CEO, Penn Mutual; Director, Quaker Chemical, The South Chester Tube Company, CSS Industries

Ivy Silver
Director, Fulton Bank, CIMG

Manuel Diez
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Diesco Ltd.

Andrew D. Pitcairn
Chair, Pitcairn Family Council; Board Member, Pitcairn

Deborah L. DeHaas
Vice Chairman, Chief Inclusion Officer, and National Managing Partner, Center for Corporate Governance, Deloitte LLP

Maureen Bujno
Director, Deloitte LLP's Center for Corporate Governance
Maureen is a Director in Deloitte LLP's Center for Corporate Governance. Maureen leads and coordinates the Center's activities, including research and thought leadership, board and audit committee education, overseeing Deloitte LLP's corporate governance external website and monthly Deloitte Digest, leading the Deloitte invitation only director series programs and other special projects and events focused on critical governance topics. Maureen is a frequent speaker to boards, audit committees and other audiences interested in topics, including, board governance hot topics, proxy season and boardroom agenda items, audit committee leading practices, the latest corporate governance legislative developments and rule makings and the boards role in risk oversight. Maureen has over 24 years of business experience with Deloitte and prior to leading the Center activities, Maureen worked in the Deloitte Merger & Acquisition services group and the Audit practice group. Maureen is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, and is a member and Assistant Treasurer at the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals (SCSGP) organization. Maureen is former President and current member of the Fairfield University Alumni Association and board of directors and a former member of the board of directors of the YMCA, West Side, New York City. Maureen is a CPA in New York and a member of the AICPA. Maureen holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Fairfield University.

Chris Herschend
Vice Chairman, Herschend Entertainment

Rebecca Sasser Peterson
Board Member and Family Council Member, Sasser Family Holdings
Sasser Family Holdings (SFH) is a family-owned 4th generation transportation asset management leasing company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. Established in 1928 as a rail car leasing company, SFH recently hired their first non-family CEO when Fred Sasser (G3) moved into the Executive Chairman role of their fiduciary board.

Craig J. Duchossois
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Duchossois Group

Ashley D. Joyce
President, The Duchossois Foundation

Roberta Sydney
Board Chair, Sydney Associates, Inc.
- National Association of Corporate Directors, Governance Fellow
- Private Directors Association, Founding Member and City Chair, Boston Chapter
- American College of Corporate Directors, Masters Professional Director Certificate
- C200, Treasurer and Board Member
- Beth Israel Deaconess, Board of Overseers Executive Council and Member, Neuroscience Advisory Committee
- Marathon Daffodils, Co-founder
- Massachusetts Women’s Forum

Larry Putterman
Member, Board of Advisors, IPC Global Solutions

Eric L. Motley, PhD
Executive Vice President, The Aspen Institute; Board Member, Barry-Wehmiller Companies

Jon M. Peterson
Chief Executive Officer, The Peterson Companies

McKeel Hagerty
Chief Executive Officer, Hagerty

Jamie Lewin
Principal, Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC
- Advisor to Global Client Solutions on its recapitalization with Argonaut Private Equity and Bank of Oklahoma
- Advisor to TrustHouse Services Group on its sale to Elior SCA
- Advisor to Dymatize Enterprises on its recapitalization with TA Associates
- Advisor to Terra Payments on its sale to Optimal Group
- Advisor to Enhanced Recovery Corp. on its joint venture with RLJ Equity Partners
- Advisor to Bio-Engineered Supplements & Nutrition on its sale to Glanbia plc.
- Advisor to Klein-Becker USA on its sale of StriVectin to Catteron Partners
- Advisor to Neways International on its sale to Golden Gate Capital
- Duke University, Fuqua School of Business: MBA
- Queens University: BA

D. Roger Nanney
Vice Chairman, Deloitte LLP
D. Roger Nanney is a vice chairman of Deloitte LLP and the national leader of Deloitte Growth Enterprise Services (DGES), where he is responsible for the delivery of services to the firmâs mid-market and privately held clients. Roger also serves as the leader for the Audit and Advisory Services organization of DGES and is the advisory partner for several of Deloitteâs largest clients.
Since joining Deloitte in 1982, and as a partner for nearly 25 years, Roger has held a number of leadership positions, including the operations leader for Deloitteâs U.S. Clients & Industries initiatives and the U.S. industry program; marketing and business development; and the Office of the CEO program. Roger also was a member of the U.S. and Americas operating committees, and previously served as the Mid-America regional managing partner.
Throughout his career, Roger has worked with clients across a number of industries and geographies. His extensive experience serving both mid-size and private companies and multinational public organizations and has provided him with a broad and in-depth understanding of the challenges clients face in todayâs ever-changing business environment.
Roger is active in his community and serves a number of civic organizations. He is Chair of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas, and an Executive Board Member of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. Roger is a member of the board of the United Way of America and a trustee of the PGA of America Foundation and serves as a Vice Chair of Carolinaâs Promise Campaign in support of the University of South Carolina.
A CPA, Roger received his bachelor of business administration and master of accountancy from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Institute of Management Accountants.

Carey L. Oven
Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP; National Managing Partner – Modernizing Compliance and Culture Risk

Robert Rosone
Director, Deloitte LLP
Bob Rosone is a director with the accounting and advisory firm Deloitte LLP where he is focused on developing its middle market practice through Deloitte Growth Enterprise Services. His responsibilities include business development, marketing, public relations, advertising and communications. Prior to this role, Bob served as the chief of staff for Deloitteâs Chairman of the Board for six years, and has held numerous marketing and leadership positions since joining the firm in 1998. Earlier in his career, he was a vice president of sales with Chase Bank from 1988-1998, and sold municipal and corporate bonds for various brokerage firms. In addition to serving on the board of Pro Mujer Inc., Bob is also a member of the board of The United Way of Monmouth County, New Jersey. His prior board service includes the Affordable Housing Alliance, and he is a past chairman of the Business & Professional Committee of the American Cancer Society, Monmouth County Chapter. Bob graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1982 with a B.A. in Political Science and earned his MBA from Fordham University in 1994.

Rob Sligh
Affiliate Consultant, The Family Business Consulting Group

Peter Gleason
CEO and President, National Association of Corporate Directors

Doug Baumoel
Founder, Continuity, LLC

Nancy Drozdow
Founder/Principal, CFAR
Nancy Drozdow, one of CFAR’s five founders, has led CFAR’s family and owner-led business practice for more than 30 years and has been instrumental in the development of CFAR’s approach to strategy. Nancy is known for her expertise as a thinking partner to leaders, successors and successor candidates across the family enterprise. Nancy helps her clients creatively identify and work through dilemmas around complex issues of performance, money and relationships. Nancy is a founder of the Family Firm Institute. She is also an FFI Fellow and served on the organization’s original board. Nancy received the 2012 Richard Beckhard Practice Award from the Family Firm Institute, which annually honors a distinguished practitioner for outstanding contributions to the field of family business practice. She has lectured widely on topics such as risk, competition and growth, governance, succession, exit and continuity, and leadership. Her work and ideas have been published in Sloan Management Review, Business Week, CEO Magazine, Family Business Magazine, Journal of Management Consulting, Family Business Review, and the New York Times. Nancy holds an MBA in strategy from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Caleb White
Senior Consultant, CFAR

Sara Hamilton

Theodore Sharp
Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry Hay Group
Registration
Conference Hotel
Located in the heart of our nation’s capital, The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center is a vibrant hotel that captures the city’s dynamic spirit. The hotel has recently completed a multimillion-dollar transformation that has included dramatically-redesigned accommodations; public areas, including the lobby and a new 24-hour fitness center; meeting venues; and Fringetree, the new signature restaurant. The 406 newly-transformed guest rooms and suites are designed with your comfort in mind. Sleep well in the Heavenly® Bed and refresh in the Heavenly® Bath. Mini-refrigerators and 50-inch LCD flat screen TVs add a touch of aesthetic functionality. Every room also offers wireless High Speed Internet Access and 24-hour room service. Reenergize in the all-new 24-hour WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio, featuring state-of-the-art weight machines, free weights, and cardio equipment. Blending modern design with healthful menu offerings, Fringetree is an innovative restaurant and lounge that provides the ideal atmosphere for a delectable meal or handcrafted cocktail. Fringetree’s grab-and-go counter serves Starbucks® coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and light fare. The Westin Washington D.C. City Center’s central location makes it easy to appreciate the world-renowned buildings and historical monuments found throughout the city. The hotel is served by two metro stations: McPherson Square on the Blue/Orange lines and Farragut North on the Red line. The Washington Convention Center is just five blocks east, and the White House is five blocks south. Shops, restaurants, and nightclubs are just four blocks west on Connecticut Avenue.
A limited number of rooms are available at a special conference group rate of $299 per night which includes complimentary guest room internet, plus taxes which are presently 14.5% and subject to change. Reservations must be made prior to the cut-off date of Tuesday, April 25, 2018. Reservations may be made online here.
Reservations may also be made by calling 1-888-627-9035 and reference “Directors and Boards”
The hotel is located close to three airports: Reagan National Airport, 4 miles; Dulles International Airport, 27 miles; and Baltimore Washington International Airport, 32 miles.