2010 Panel

 Karen Osar

 Former EVP & CFO, Chemtura Corporation

Karen Osar, a former banker, corporate treasurer, and CFO, currently serves on the boards of a number of public companies. She began her career at J.P. Morgan and Co., rising to managing director in its investment banking group. From 1994 to 1999, she was Treasurer of Tenneco Inc, then a $12 billion revenue conglomerate. She later served as CFO of Westvaco Corporation and (following its merger with Mead) of MeadWestvaco Corporation. Subsequently, she was CFO of Chemtura Corporation. She has served on many corporate boards since 1998, and is currently a Director and Member of both the Audit and Nominating and Governance Committees of The Reader’s Digest Association, a Director and Member of the Audit (Chair), Compensation, and Nominating and Governance Committees of Innophos, Inc, a Director and Member of the Audit and Risk Committees of Webster Financial Corporation, and a Director and Member of the Audit Committee of Sappi Ltd, one of the world’s largest pulp and paper companies, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a graduate of Smith College and received an MBA in finance from Columbia University.

Leslie Green

Managing Partner, Roffe & Green, Inc.

Leslie Green has 25+ years experience helping businesses drive growth and improve their bottom lines. She has successfully turned around unprofitable businesses and generated both top and bottom line growth in underperforming companies. Ms. Green served as CEO and President of Nydic Inc., a privately owned chain diagnostic imaging centers and as CMO, and head of strategic planning at Swiss Army Brands, Inc., among other operating roles. As Managing Partner of Roffe & Green, Inc. Ms. Green has filled interim C-level management positions and conducted project management assignments for a large number of corporations including Zila, Inc., The French Culinary Institute, Diagnostic Imaging Services (a division of Tenet Healthcare) and Aurora Imaging Technology among others. Prior to that, Ms. Green served as Senior Vice President and Director of the New Products Group at Lowe Marschalk, part of The Interpublic Group of Companies. She also worked at SSC&B Advertising and at American Home Products as a Product Manager.

Ms. Green was a Director of Zila, Inc. a nutraceuticals/pharmaceutical/biotech company, since taken private, serving on the Audit and Compensation Committees. She currently serves as Lead Outside Director of SSOE, Inc., a privately owned architecture and engineering firm where she chairs its Executive Compensation Committee and serves on the CEO Evaluation and Initiative/Investment Committees. She previously served on the Boards of two local community non-profits and as an advisor to the board of HELP USA.

Ms. Green has spoken on marketing and business planning before many groups including the Women Presidents Organization, Vistage, the Women’s Leadership Exchange and the New York Business Forums, and has instructed many corporate groups on professional marketing planning systems. She also serves as an Adjunct faculty member at The French Culinary Institute, teaching marketing in the Restaurant Management course. Ms. Green has an MBA in Marketing from the Harvard Business School and a BA cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania.

Suzanne M. Hopgood

President & CEO, The Hopgood Group, LLC and Managing Director of Board Advisory Services for NACD

 
Suzanne Hopgood is the Managing Director of Board Advisory Services of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Ms. Hopgood has served on the board of nine companies, five of which are public companies and as Chairman of the Board of two. She has also served as CEO of both public and private companies, and she is a Financial Expert. She has assisted a variety of companies in facing difficult business, financial and legal challenges and crises, serving at various times as CEO, as chairman of the board, as chair of public company executive, nominating, governance, and audit committees as well as a member of strategic planning, compensation, and CEO search committees. She has served on the board of an Italian company and currently serves as Chair of Nominating & Governance of Acadia Realty Trust (NYSE: AKR). She previously served on the board of Point Blank Solutions, Inc (PBSO.pk), a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of high performance body armor. She has twice served as a member of board slates elected in proxy contests initiated by institutional investors. She speaks internationally on the role and responsibilities of boards of directors. Ms Hopgood is a member of the teaching faculty of the National Association of Corporate Directors, holds the NACD Certificate of Director Education, and is an active educator, facilitator and mediator for boards of a wide variety of public and private companies on behalf of the NACD. She co-authored the award-winning Board Leadership for the Company in Crisis. Prior to founding The Hopgood Group, LLC, Ms Hopgood was responsible for a $1 billion equity real estate portfolio for Aetna Realty Investors, a subsidiary of Aetna. She has a B.S. degree in business administration. She is also the President and CEO of The Hopgood Group, LLC, a workout consulting firm she founded in 1985.

Anne Melissa Dowling

Anne Melissa Dowling is currently a Director for Spectranetics Corporation (SPNC), a medical device company, where she Chairs the Compensation Committee and serves on the Audit and Nominating/Governance committees. She is a trustee of Miss Porter’s School and The Hartford Public Library and trustee emeritus of Amherst College and the University of Connecticut Foundation as well as of numerous other community organizations. She serves on the Investment Committee for NAIFA (National Association of Independent Financial Advisors).

She is a Senior Financial Services Executive with a track record of establishing successful profitable new, and turning around under-performing, businesses in asset management and financial services.

Anne Melissa built, and grew by ten fold, the Large Corporate Markets Division of MassMutual. Under her management, the Division was one of the most profitable at MMFG and held top 3 market share position across products. Anne Melissa was most recently the Senior Vice President for Strategy of the US Insurance Group at MassMutual Financial Group. In this role she determined the Strategy for the insurance businesses identifying new markets for MassMutual to pursue, new businesses to enter and disposition of non-strategic businesses. She was a member of the merger team for the combination of Connecticut Mutual and MassMutual life insurance companies. Prior to the merger of MassMutual with Connecticut Mutual (CML), Anne Melissa was the Chief Investment Officer at CML She came to CML from Travelers..

Anne Melissa is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) , graduated from Columbia University School of Business with an MBA in Finance, and from Amherst College with a dual degree in Fine Arts and French.. She was named a Woman of Distinction by The Girl Scouts of the Pioneer Valley in 2004.

Panel Facilitator

Nancy May

President & CEO, BoardBench Companies, LLC

Nancy May is President and CEO of The BoardBench® Companies, LLC, a board consulting company which offers director succession, independent board assessment, and director placement services to private and public company boards of directors. BoardBench focuses on giving corporations the advantages needed to build and maintain their competitive lead in domestic and international markets.

She has more than 25 years experience as a strategic advisor to senior management and boards in evaluating, developing, and implementing strategic plans and opportunities. Utilizing new and trusted methodologies and technologies, she has worked in a broad variety of industries including: automotive, energy/utility, technology, healthcare, consumer goods/services, education, financial services, industrial manufacturing, media communications and others. As CEO of the BoardBench Companies, Nancy improves the strength and functioning of Boards so that they continue to keep their companies competitive.

She is a member of the Economic Club of New York, The World Affairs Forum, The Global Women’s Issues Forum, The International Women’s Forum and has served on the Board of Directors of the Girl Scout Council of Connecticut and the Connecticut Venture Capital Group. Ms. May has also served on the board of other not-for-profit corporations and as a board member of several private companies.

In 1998, she was honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration for her work and support of women business owners and was invited to meet President Clinton as one of the Nation’s top business leaders. Ms. May has been a guest lecturer for business and business and professional organizations, The Conference Board, National Geographic Films, and numerous college and university graduate school programs.