Private Company Director has highlighted top private company boards and directors since our first issue 11 years ago. These professionals have contributed to and will continue to expand ongoing dialogue on board best practices and corporate governance excellence.
Directors to Watch is just one aspect of Private Company Director’s efforts to drive best practices on private boards across corporate North America and surrounding regions.
Kimberly Bishop
Shawmut Design and Construction, Starlite Building Services
Kimberly Bishop is board chair, chair of the compensation committee and member of the audit committee of Shawmut Design and Construction, a national construction management firm. She also serves on the board of Starlite Building Services.
Bishop brings more than 30 years of business experience with leadership roles in financial services and executive search. She is co-CEO of Kinetic Leaders, which provides talent advisory, executive search and strategy consulting. read more >
Sherrin Ingram
DHA Management Inc.
Sherrin Ingram, CEO of the International Center for Strategic Planning, combines legal acumen and strategic consultancy to enrich boardrooms with diverse, cross-sector insights and innovative critical thinking.
Ingram’s track record in achieving sustainable growth underscores her recognition as a “Top 100 Women of Influence” and a “Top 100 Under 50 Executive Leaders” by Diversity MBA Magazine. Her global influence as a speaker and author cements her thought leadership in governance and strategic execution. read more >
Sam Judd
HEI Civil
Sam Judd’s growth mindset in the boardroom combines deep financial acumen, strategic insight, operational breadth and governance experience from a career with best-in-class companies. His experience spans leading public and founder-led companies, such as PepsiCo, Paramount (formerly Viacom/CBS), Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. and Bridgewater Associates LP, along with private and family-owned companies across several industries.
Judd has helped launch three new fiduciary boards at private companies and family enterprises. He currently serves as an independent director and board and audit chair of HEI Civil, a leading heavy-construction business; audit chair of Times-Shamrock Communications, a diversified media company; and family office finance chair of a several-billion-dollar, multigenerational family enterprise. read more >
Colette LaForce
Ulteig, FGM Architects, Farms Work Wonders
Colette LaForce has more than 15 years of corporate board experience and currently serves as independent director at three award-winning private organizations: ESOP engineering leader Ulteig (named a Private Company Board of the Year in 2021), FGM Architects and social enterprise Farms Work Wonders.
LaForce joined Ulteig in 2020 and now chairs the compensation committee and has served on the audit and governance committees. She has been board chair of Farms Work Wonders since 2018 and was named to FGM Architects in 2023. read more >
Ayodele Alaran
Atlanta Life Insurance Company
Ayodele Alaran is a passionate leader who is well-versed in IT security, entrepreneurship, meditative practices and organizational turnaround. He is an independent director of Atlanta Life Insurance Company and a trustee of Herndon Foundation, where he serves as treasurer.
Alaran has over 20 years of experience, and as chief operating officer and technology leader at DelNovak, he contributes to digital transformation, IT security and governance, risk management and compliance at public- and private-sector clients. read more >
Anita Brown-Graham
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Investors Management Corporation, Research Triangle Park
Anita Brown-Graham is a highly sought-after public speaker. She is the founder and director of the ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC School of Government, where she works with private- and public-sector leaders on complex economic policy issues.
An independent director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Brown-Graham is chair of the nom/gov committee and a member of the strategic investments committee. She also serves on the board of IMC, a private holding company of eight partner companies with over 50,000 employees. She is on the personnel and compensation committee. read more >
Alison Clew
Duality, Rabobank N.A., Utrecht-America Holdings Inc., Sigma360
Alison Clew is an independent director, advisory board member and contributor to public policy advocacy.
As an executive at Citigroup and Deloitte, Clew strategically steered multinational financial institutions to achieve innovative compliance risk management solutions and delivered significant business growth by encouraging innovation and teamwork and selectively supercharging those less seen or those with softer voices who are critical to success. read more >
Valli Perera
Midmark Corporation, CONSOL Energy Inc.
Valli Perera possesses a rare combination of strategic insight and operational expertise cultivated over her 40-year career across multiple continents. She retired as a senior partner of Deloitte in 2019 and currently serves on the boards of Midmark Corporation and CONSOL Energy Inc.
Perera is renowned for her broad, organizational strategic problem-solving acumen and her capacity to drive growth and innovation in diverse markets. She has played instrumental roles in leading global transformations, fostering diversity and inclusion initiatives and contributing to community organizations such as Make-A-Wish Illinois. read more >
Joy Taylor Brown
Validify, ESO, Tractor Supply Co., Huron Consulting Group Inc.
Joy Taylor Brown serves on both private and public boards, including ESO, Validify, Tractor Supply Co. and Huron Consulting Group.
Brown has been an actively engaged director since 2021. As the former chief data officer of Verizon Media, she brings a differentiated set of skills to the boardroom, with deep experience as a technology executive in the financial services, health care/life sciences, telecom and media industries. She has a successful track record leading organizations toward maximizing value, through expertise in innovative digital transformation and AI. read more >
Vera T. Tice
Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc.
Vera T. Tice is a director, global strategic advisor and technology executive in health care innovation and technology, focused on emerging technologies and mobilizing innovation.
She has over 15 years of board and advisory experience and more than 25 years of corporate executive and technology leadership experience in large public and small to mid-size private companies. She is an advisor to businesses and global and national organizations investing in and commercializing health care innovation. read more >
Karen K. Mildenhall
KM Leadership Solutions LLC
Karen K Mildenhall is a recognized expert in strategic turnaround, operations, growth, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, and business finance. Before founding KM Leadership Solutions, Mildenhall was executive VP at Aon and managing director at Marsh.
With over three decades of experience serving private and public companies both global and domestic, Mildenhall helps clients in more than a dozen industries simplify complex strategic transformations. Her work includes advising over 100 private, public and nonprofit boards. read more >
Linda Fonner
HashWatt Inc., Trained Arrow
Linda Fonner, a seasoned CFO and CPA, brings a wealth of experience in global finance, manufacturing and strategic leadership. Acknowledged for expertise in financial governance and risk management, she excels in driving EBITDA growth.
As a qualified financial expert, Fonner offers a unique perspective on value creation, international operations and growth. Her diverse industry roles span manufacturing optical components, industrial chemicals, biopharmaceutical distribution, medical devices, refractory manufacturing and financial services globally. read more >
Jane Lamb
North America Essential Home Services
Jane Lamb is the chief growth officer for Great Day Improvements, a $1 billion direct-to-consumer home services company specializing in replacement windows and doors, sunrooms and bath remodeling.
Formerly the chief marketing officer at Dealer Tire LLC, Jane served on the board of its sister company, SimpleTire, a high-growth e-commerce business. A marketing and digital transformation executive with experience spanning over 25 years, Lamb drives growth for companies looking to reinvent themselves or disrupt industries. read more >
Martha McGuire
TAB Bank
Martha McGuire is an executive with more than 20 years of experience in the highly regulated banking industry. Currently, she is a director of TAB Bank, where she serves on the compensation committee and is chair of the directors loan committee.
In her career, she received excellent training at First Chicago Bank (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.), which led to P&L responsibility at Wachovia, Huntington and Bank of Oklahoma, where she led teams to expand markets while maintaining credit standards. Her strengths are in credit, capital markets, management and strategic planning. She concluded her career as executive VP of the lease finance and large corporate portfolios at First Bank Chicago. read more >
Elena Nuñez Cooper
PCT Family Office
Elena Nuñez Cooper is the CEO and founder of Ascend PR & Family Office Advisory, serving family offices and private equity firms. She consults on SPACs, leadership development, risk management, and corporate and family governance.
Nuñez Cooper serves as an independent director for the PCT Family Office. For nearly three years, she served on the board of and chaired the IT marketing committee at ZeroNox Inc., a $255 million off-road electric vehicle company. read more >
Emily Landis Walker
ERIBI
Emily Landis Walker, a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom, is globally recognized with extensive executive and board experience across private and public sectors. She served as United States representative on the boards of International Monetary Fund and The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
After working in the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq and Singapore, she was invited by Sir Richard Kleinwort to join the board of ERIBI, a U.K.-based private company focused on the Middle East. As managing director of Citigroup, she led the corporate and investment bank merger between Citi and Travelers, demonstrating understanding of financial services regulation, corporate strategy/governance, management performance evaluation and cross-border risk. read more >
Lisa Wicker
STOPit
Lisa Wicker is a Fortune 500 human resources executive who has undertaken P&L responsibility while working for corporations such as General Motors, Chrysler, MGM Grand and Lowe’s for over three decades.
Wicker is a recipient of The Mecklenburg Times’“50 Most Influential Women Award.” She has been recognized as one of the “Most Successful Businesswomen in Detroit,” and was named by Black Enterprise as a “Top Executive in Diversity.” Her background is in industrial manufacturing; multimillion-dollar, big-box retail; hospitality organizations and licensure/gaming management. read more >
Irma Shrivastava
Health-Ade, Desi Fresh Foods, Sciens
Irma Shrivastava is founder of R2 Strategic Solutions, a strategy and marketing consultancy, and a former Fortune Global 500 chief marketing and communications officer.
Known for her customer-centric approach, sound judgment and strong critical-thinking skills, Shrivastava excels at leading the brand growth strategy for large, well-established brands and small, entrepreneurial consumer brands. She has brought a visionary approach to many brands to connect with unique consumer insights and to deliver optimal customer experience to drive sales. read more >
Christy Soukhamneut
Voxtur Analytics Corp., Trained, Halcyon
Christy Soukhamneut has more than 25 years of experience in the mortgage industry and is an accomplished senior executive who has implemented change management strategies for multiple mortgage-related entities. She currently serves as the chief lending officer of Austin-based UFCU.
Prior to her time at UFCU, she led top-performing sales teams for a mid-sized information management branch. She sits on the boards of Voxtur Analytics Corp., Trained and Halcyon. She also serves on a wide variety of committees and industry boards as well as being a partner with Blue Wolf Coaching and contributing as a subject matter expert for Strategic Mortgage Finance Group LLC. read more >
Robert Barr
onShore Security
Robert Barr is a broad-view servant leader deeply committed to driving positive ecosystem change and value creation on a global scale.
Barr serves as advisory board director at onShore Security, offering invaluable insights on governance, M&A, strategic growth and risk. His prior roles include advisory board directorships at Podsmart AI and VoiceTech Labs, both innovative Silicon Valley start-ups focusing on Internet of Things, natural language and technology. read more >
Linda Borman
5 Star Background Checks Inc.
With more than 25 years in the investment banking industry, Linda Borman spent most of her career at Morgan Stanley, where she was an executive director in the institutional equity sales division. She established Morgan Stanley’s international equity sales desks in the Chicago and Boston offices, delivered significant revenue growth, turned around challenged accounts and fostered strong client relationships.
She serves as an advisory board director of 5 Star Background Checks Inc., a privately held tech-enabled employee background screening business with a growing national and international clientele. read more >
Steven R. Zirkel
Bard Manufacturing, The Plastek Group, OhioGuidestone, TutorSmart
Steven R. Zirkel, a seasoned international business leader with nearly 40 years of global expertise, is the CEO and founder of Blue Everest LLC. Specializing in strategic growth consulting, business advising and executive coaching, he collaborates with Fortune 500 companies and family businesses to formulate growth strategies.
As an independent director for Bard Manufacturing, The Plastek Group, OhioGuidestone and TutorSmart, Zirkel chairs the audit & finance committee and cochairs the governance committee. He cochairs the PDA’s Private Company Governance certification program, highlighting his passion for board excellence. read more >
Sanjai Bhagat
ProLink Solutions
Dr. Sanjai Bhagat is a qualified finance expert, as well as a nationally recognized expert in executive compensation, ESG and cybersecurity governance. He is an independent board member of ProLink Solutions, an enterprise-level application software.
Bhagat has served as an advisory board member of Integra Ventures LLP, a venture capital company focused on innovative technologies in life sciences. His expertise on corporate governance and corporate finance is sought by the SEC on executive incentive compensation reform, the U.S. Department of Treasury on the relation between bank capital and bank governance, and the National Association of Corporate Directors and Council of Institutional Investors on measurement of corporate governance and its impact on company performance. read more >
Kimberly Theiss
Repped Technologies Ltd.
Kimberly Theiss is a director for Repped Technologies Ltd., an early-stage London-based ad tech platform. Her leadership in the fast-growing sectors of global consumer brands, media and digital marketing distinguish her as a strategic advisor in this age of digital innovation.
Theiss brings value and Fortune 100 experience from her accomplishments as a former VP, U.S. Central division head: scaling enterprise revenues exceeding $500 million across the digital and linear portfolio of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company. Her operational impact included go-to-market annual strategy for businesses in different life cycles, P&L financial accountability, change management and human capital talent oversight. read more >