Webinar Replay - Directors to Watch 2015: The Making of Successful Women Directors

Cheryl Mayberry McKissack

Director, PrivateBancorp, Inc.; Deluxe Corporation

Cheryl Mayberry McKissack is the Chief Operating Officer and President of JPC Digital for Johnson Publishing Company (JPC), best known for its flagship publication, Ebony.  Mayberry McKissack is responsible for managing media operations including technology development, production, media sales, marketing, business development and all functions of the digital business unit, JPC Digital.  

Mayberry McKissack has more than fourteen years of corporate board experience and a special expertise in corporate governance.  She serves on the board of the PrivateBanc Corp (NASDAQ:PVTB), where she is chair of the corporate governance committee and vice chair of the compensation committee.  She also serves as a director of the Deluxe Corporation (NYSE:DLX) and serves on the finance and compensation committees. Mayberry McKissack is actively involved in the Chicago community and has held positions on numerous non-profit boards.   She is currently a board member for the University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago Library Foundation, Shedd Aquarium, and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. 

Mayberry McKissack enjoyed a successful 23-year corporate career in operations and technology, including serving as the worldwide senior vice president and general manager for Open Port Technology. Before that, she was vice president for the Americas, and a founding member of the network systems division for 3Com (formerly U.S. Robotics). 

In 2012, she was recognized as one of the "17 Black Internet Pioneers" by ROOT.com, a division of the Washington Post. A published author, Ms. Mayberry McKissack’s next book, Entrepreneurial Selling: Mastering Selling Skills for Growth, is scheduled for distribution in 2016.

Cassandra Kelly

Director, Pottinger; Flight Centre Travel Group

Cassandra Kelly is an experienced international director, corporate advisor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She has lived in Africa, Asia, North America, Europe and Asia. Her industry experience spans agriculture, consumer products, energy and resources, financial services, infrastructure, technology, digital media, and tourism. She brings expertise in finance, risk, sustainability and proven success in building successful global businesses.

She was recognized in Australia in 2012 in the Women of Influence awards as one of the most influential women on boards and in management. In 2014, was awarded the In Style magazine Business Woman of Style.

She is also executive chair for Pottinger and Pottinger Analytics, a multiple award winning company she co-founded in 2003, enabling leaders to make informed decisions and achieve strategic transformations that stand the test of time. She has clients in most of the world’s major economies. Pottinger has been recognized by the Australian government as a benchmark for productivity and staff development.

Internationally regarded, she continues as an expert advisor to the G20/B20 on matters of infrastructure. In 2014, Kelly spoke at the G20 Finance Ministers’ and Reserve Bank Governors’ Meeting. By invitation, she has spoken in the UAE, Malaysia and Japan on the importance of gender equality.

One of her directorships is for Flight Centre Travel Group (ASX: FLT), one of Australia’s most iconic businesses. As a non-executive director, it brings her great satisfaction to provide insight on strategic and international growth.

Brenda D. Newberry

Director, The Laclede Group

Brenda D. Newberry currently serves on the Audit, Nominating and Governance and Investment Review (Vice-Chair) Committees of The Laclede Group, Inc. She previously served on the Compensation Committee for four years. With almost $3 billion in revenues, The Laclede Group, founded in 1857 and listed on the NYSE in 1889, is a public utility holding company that operates two business segments: Gas Utility and Gas Marketing. Newberry recently retired from the board of Enterprise Financial Services Corporation after eight years. She is a keynote speaker on leadership, life balance, business, technology and digital security and has a diverse background of Information Technology, Cyber Security, operating and network systems derived from business enterprise management, executive and C-level leadership roles. Additionally, as a former CEO and a current independent non-Executive Board member as well as significant non-profit board leadership roles, Newberry has acquired strong expertise in accounting, auditing, governance, pension investments, finance, brand development, marketing and mergers and acquisitions. Her experience includes financial, utility, defense and consumer oriented industries as well as regulated and non-regulated businesses.

Beth Stewart

CEO, Trewstar Corporate Board Services

Beth Stewart is the founder and CEO of Trewstar Corporate Board Services, a boutique firm that focuses on placing qualified women on corporate boards. Beth, a former investment banker, founded Trewstar with a deep understanding of the intricacies of how a board functions, with over 20 years of experience on corporate boards herself. As a seasoned veteran in the board room, Beth has served as a member of every type of board committee. She has chaired three audit committees, participated in the transition and replacement of four CEOs and supported management in numerous corporate restructurings, including one bankruptcy. She is a former director of Carmax, Inc., General Growth Properties and Avatar Holdings.

Beth graduated from Wellesley College in 1978 and started her career at Goldman Sachs as one of the first analysts in the investment banking division. After graduating from the Harvard Business School in 1982, she re-joined Goldman Sachs as an associate in the Real Estate Investment banking division. While at Goldman Sachs she was responsible for many significant client relationships including  Sam Zell  (Equity Group Investments) and the Bucksbaum family (General Growth Properties). She was also a member of Goldman Sachs’ Whitehall Investment Committee.

Since her ‘retirement’ from Goldman Sachs in 1993, Beth has pursued many professional investing and consulting activities in addition to her directorships. She had also been an adjunct professor at the Columbia Graduate School of Business.

Jim Kristie

Editor, Directors & Boards

Jim Kristie is editor and associate publisher of Directors & Boards, the only major independently-owned journal of corporate governance thought leadership in North America.  He is the longest-tenured editor (at 30 years) serving this field.  In addition to his editorial duties, Jim teaches journalism at Temple University.