Mergers & Acquisitions NYC | June 17th, 2025

7:45-9:00 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast

9:00-9:05 AM | Welcome Remarks
Christopher P. Skroupa, Founder & CEO, Skytop Strategies

9:05-9:45 AM | Opening Panel Discussion
Policy Shifts and M&A: The Trump Administration’s Impact 
Moderator: 
Nick Graziano, Partner, 2717 Partners, and Skytop Contributing Author, Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists: 
Bob Marese, President, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
Eric Rosenfeld, CEO, Crescendo Partners
Sheila Hooda, Independent Board Director, Various Boards
Adrienne Ramsay, Founder, Delphi Strategies, LLC, Board Member, Former House Appropriations Professional Staff and Skytop Contributing Author

9:45-10:15 AM | Exclusive Interview
Navigating the Storm: Managing Integration Risks in M&A 
Interviewer: 
Jeremy Fielding, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Partner, Kekst CNC, Skytop Contributing Author, Host of “Board GPS”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Interviewee:
Susan Skerritt, Board Director, Tanger, Inc. and former CEO, Banking

10:15-10:45 AM | Keynote Presentation
Tensions Between Leverage and Monetary Policy: A Macroeconomic Backdrop 
Keynote Presenter:
Hans Hoogervorst, Former Dutch Finance Minister, Public Policy Expert and Skytop Contributing Author

10:45-11:00 AM | Networking Break

11:00-11:40 AM | Panel Discussion
Transforming Markets: The Evolving Role of Private Equity and M&A
Moderator:
Tim McCormick, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais
Panelists:

11:40-12:10 PM | Fireside Chat 
Valuation: Levers Affecting the Economics of Deal Making 
Moderator: 
Chad Rucker, Senior Managing Director, Valuation Research Corporation
Panelists: 

12:10-12:50 PM | Panel Discussion 
Antitrust and M&A: Government and Its Impact on Deal Making 
Moderator: 
Arthur Kohn, General Counsel, Leading Corporate Governance Expert, Skytop Contributing Author, Chair of the Editorial Committee, Skytop Media Group
Panelists:
Lowell Robinson, Experienced Board Director and Advisor
Barak Orbach, Robert H. Mundheim Professor of Law and Business, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law

12:50-1:50 PM | Networking Luncheon 

1:50- 2:30 PM | Panel Discussion 
Mind the Gap: Technology Sector Capital Flows into AI Companies 
Moderator: 
Panelists: 
Adrienne Ramsay, Founder, Delphi Strategies, LLC, Board Member, Former House Appropriations Professional Staff and Skytop Contributing Author

2:30-3:10 PM | Panel Discussion 
Energy M&A: A Tale of Oil and Gas
Moderator: 
Mauro Cunha, Independent Director, Various Boards
Panelists: 
Francisco J. Morales Barrón, Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity, Vinson & Elkins LLP
Jonathan Lurvey, Managing Director, Mergers & Acquisitions, Energy Sector, Bank of America

3:10-3:50 PM | Exclusive Interview
Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions: Strategies for Navigating New Challenges
Interviewer:
Ronald Orol, Senior Editor, The Deal
Interviewees:
Fred Pletcher, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

3:50-4:10 PM | Networking Break

4:10-4:50PM | Panel Discussion 
AI and the Digital Transformation: Its Impact on M&A
Moderator: 
Panelists: 
Anita Allen, Independent Board Director, Various Boards, President and Managing Partner, Allen Advisory Group

4:50-5:30 PM | Panel Discussion
Driving M&A Success: The Crucial Role of Talent 
Moderator:
Dr. Brett Trusko, Associate Professor, University of New Mexico, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Senior Advisor, Global Innovation Management Institute, Skytop Contributing Author and Host, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists: 
Dwain Celistan, Managing Partner, Diversity Practice, DHR Global
Nick Graziano, Partner, 2717 Partners, and Skytop Contributing Author, Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
John Glenn Grau, President and CEO, InvestorCom

5:30-5:35 PM | Closing Remarks

5:35-6:30 PM | Networking Reception