Shareholder Activism Summit NYC | January 30th, 2025
WE THANK OUR SPONSORS!
TITLE
LEADER
AMBASSADOR
AGENDA
8:00-9:00 AM | Registration and Networking Breakfast
9:00-9:05 AM | Welcome Remarks
Christopher P. Skroupa, Founder & CEO, Skytop Strategies
9:05-9:35 AM | Kickoff Panel
Washington on Wall Street: Trump 2 Initiatives on Deregulation and Antitrust
Moderator:
Arthur Kohn, General Counsel, Leading Corporate Governance Expert, Skytop Contributing Author, and Chair of the Editorial Committee, Skytop Media Group
Panelists:
Barak Orbach, Robert H. Mundheim Professor of Law and Business, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
Charles Elson, Founding Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair of Corporate Governance (retired), University of Delaware and Executive Editor, Directors & Boards Magazine
Robert McCormick, Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors
9:35-10:10AM | Panel Discussion
DEI Reimagined: A Look Ahead
Moderator:
Peter McDermott, Senior Partner, Head of Corporate Affairs, N.A., Korn Ferry
Panelists:
Lisa Silverman, Head of Activism Practice, K2 Integrity
Frantz Lubin, Investment Stewardship Analyst, Founder of Financial Literacy Platform, Blackwell Strategies and Stewardship LLC
Parichat Wrolstad, SVP, Financial Communications & ESG Advisory, Edelman Smithfield
10:10-10:50AM | Panel Discussion
Board Nominations: Activist Scorecard in Blocking CEO Driven Goals
Moderator:
Lindsay Frost, Senior Reporter, Agenda
Panelists:
David Berger, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Jared Landaw, Former SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Carrols Restaurant Group, Former COO and General Counsel, Barington Capital Group, Adjunct Professor, Syracuse University College of Law
Timothy Brog, Former Activist, Board Director and Corporate Executive
10:50- 11:10 PM | Networking Break
11:10-11:35 AM | Exclusive Remarks
Shareholders and Companies: The Evolution of Approaches to Engagement and Engagement Campaigns
Interviewer:
Dianne McKeever, Chief Investment Officer, Ides Capital
Interviewee:
Robert McCormick, Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors
11:35-12:10 PM | Panel Discussion
2025 Board Agenda: Top-of-Mind Risks to Consider in Navigating Through Uncertain Times
Moderator:
Ed Mullane, Dealreporter/Mergermarket/Activistmonitor, Editor, ION Analytics
Panelists:
Jeremy Fielding, CEO, Kekst CNC, Skytop Contributing Author, Host of “Board GPS”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
E. Shepard Farrar, NACD.DC, Audit & Risk Committee Member, Reall, Ltd.
12:10 PM-12:45 PM | Panel Discussion
Activism and ESG: What's Working in Today's Environment
Moderator:
Josh Black, Editor-in-Chief, Diligent Market Intelligence
Panelists:
Fred Pletcher, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais
Jan C. Childress, Director of Investor Relations, Consolidated Edison
Dianne McKeever, Chief Investment Officer, Ides Capital
12:45-1:30 PM | Networking Luncheon
1:30-2:05 PM | Panel Discussion
Proxy Case Stories: Modeling an Effective Campaign
Moderator:
Michael R. Levin, Independent Activist Investor, Founder of The Activist Investor, and Skytop Contributing Author & Host of “The Activist Investor”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
James Mitarotonda, Chairman, President & CEO, Barington Capital Group
Bob Marese, President, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
Richard Mansouri, Investments, Public Equity, Arkhouse
2:05-2:55 PM | Panel Discussion
Activist Targets: How to Stay Off of an Activist’s Radar
Moderator:
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Panelists:
Eric Rosenfeld, CEO, Crescendo Partners
Kelly Sullivan, Partner, Joele Frank
Charles Elson, Founding Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair of Corporate Governance (retired), University of Delaware and Executive Editor, Directors & Boards Magazine
Daniel H. Burch, Founder, Chairman & CEO, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
2:55-3:30 PM | Panel Discussion
M&A Activism 2025: Outlook on Activist Investor Targets
Moderator:
Ronald Orol, Senior Editor, The Deal
Panelists:
Eleazer Klein, Partner, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Patrick Ryan, Executive Vice President, Edelman Smithfield
Fred Pletcher, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais
3:30-3:45 PM | Networking Break
3:45-4:25 PM | Panel Discussion
Evaluating Board Candidates in an Activist Contest: Vetting and Due Diligence
Moderator:
Bob Marese, President, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
Panelists:
Tim Ring, Senior Vice President & Corporate Secretary, MetLife
Venita Fields, Board Director, Superior Group of Companies (NASDAQ: SGC) and four private companies, and Partner, Pelham SK2 Advisors
Jeff Korn, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Crexendo
Julian Grijns, Managing Director, Forensic Investigations and Intelligence, Kroll Associates
4:25-5:05 PM | Panel Discussion
The Activist Investor: The Evolution of Today’s Activist Investor
Moderator:
John Glenn Grau, President & CEO, Investorcom
Panelists:
Phil Goldstein, Principal, Bulldog Investors
Jeff Korn, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Crexendo
Eric Rosenfeld, CEO, Crescendo Partners
Eleazer Klein, Partner, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
5:05-5:10 PM | Closing Remarks
5:10-6:00 PM | Network Reception
SPEAKERS
DELEGATES
Venita Fields
Board Director
Superior Group of Companies (NASDAQ: SGC)
and four private companies
Partner, Pelham Sk2 Advisors
Chicago, IL
David A. Katz
Partner
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
New York, NY
Allison Sobel
Managing Director
Joele Frank
New York, NY
Tim Ring
Senior Vice President & Corporate Secretary
MetLife
New York, NY
David Berger
Partner
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Palo Alto, CA
Kelly Sullivan
Partner
Joele Frank
New York, NY
Bob Marese
President
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Phil Goldstein
Principal
Bulldog Investors
New York, NY
Jeff Korn
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
Crexendo
Austin, TX
James Mitarotonda
Chairman, President & CEO
Barington Capital Group
New York, NY
Jared Landaw
Former Senior Vice President,
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary,
Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc.,
Former Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel,
Barington Capital Group, L.P.,
Adjunct Professor,
Syracuse University College of Law
New York, NY
Fred Pletcher
Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais
Vancouver, Canada
Jan C. Childress
Director of Investor Relations
Consolidated Edison
New York, NY
Richard Mansouri
Investments, Public Equity
Arkhouse
New York, NY
Douglas G. Klein Jr.
Vice President, Client Services/Operations, ICS
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
New York, NY
Lisa Silverman
Head of Activism Practice
K2 Integrity
Chicago, Illinois
Skarlett Vaca
Analyst
InvestorCom
New York, NY
Christopher R. Drewry
Partner
Latham & Watkins LLP
Chicago, Illinois
Julian Grijns
Managing Director, Forensic Investigations and Intelligence
Kroll Associates
New York, New York
Cameron A. MacDonald
Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais
Toronto, Canada
Kevin White
Managing Director, Sentinel Marketing Intelligence
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Arthur Kohn
General Counsel, Leading Corporate Governance Expert
Skytop Contributing Author
Chair of the Editorial Committee, Skytop Media Group
New York, NY
Abraham Schwartz
Associate
Schulte Roth & Zabel
New York, NY
David Curtiss
Partner
Schulte Roth & Zabel
New York, NY
Barak Orbach
Robert H. Mundheim Professor of Law and Business
University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
Tucson, Arizona
Darin M. Lippoldt
Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel
Neurocrine Biosciences
San Diego, California
Andrew Shapiro
President
Lawndale Capital Management
Mill Valley, California
Ed Mullane
Dealreporter/Mergermarket/Activistmonitor, Editor
ION Analytics
Ramsey, New Jersey
Patrick Ryan
Executive Vice President
Edelman Smithfield
New York, NY
Robert McCormick
Executive Director
Council of Institutional Investors
Washington, D.C.
E. Shepard Farrar, NACD.DC
Audit & Risk Committee member
Reall, Ltd.
Washington, D.C.
Daniel Kerstein
Managing Director
TD Securities
New York, NY
Carleigh Roesler
Director
Joele Frank
New York, NY
Frantz Lubin
Investment Stewardship Analyst
Founder, Financial Literacy Platform
Blackwell Strategies and Stewardship LLC
New York, NY
Sammy Dayan
Associate
Schulte Roth & Zabel
New York, NY
Ronald Orol
Senior Editor
The Deal
Washington, D.C.
David Hunker
Managing Director
Global Head of Activist Defense & Shareholder Engagement
Piper Sandler & Co.
New York, NY
Marco Castellani
Senior Vice President
Strategic Situations and Investor Relations
Edelman Smithfield
New York, NY
Drayton D’Silva
Founder & CIO
Tower Hills Capital
New York, NY
Brendan McVeigh
Partner
Anteris Advisors
New York, NY
John Onieal
Partner
Anteris Advisors
New York, NY
Mario Mitarotonda
Managing Director
Barington Capital Group
New York, NY
Jean Haggerty
Senior Reporter, Activism
The Deal
New York, NY
Maya Rahwanji
Associate
Latham & Watkins LLP
New York, NY
Samuel Sharpe
Senior Associate
K2 Integrity
New York, NY
Josh Black
Editor-in-Chief
Diligent Market Intelligence
New York, NY
John Glenn Grau
President and CEO
InvestorCom
New York, NY
Eric Rosenfeld
CEO
Crescendo Partners
New York, NY
Andrew Dakos
Principal
Bulldog Investors
New York, NY
Charles Elson
Founding Director, John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance
Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair of Corporate Governance (retired), University of Delaware
Executive Editor, Directors & Boards Magazine
Newark, DE
Michael R. Levin
Independent Activist Investor
Founder of The Activist Investor
Skytop Contributing Author
Host of “The Activist Investor”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Chicago, Illinois
Jeremy Fielding
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Partner
Kekst CNC
Skytop Contributing Author
Host of "Board GPS"
SkytopTV Talk Show Series
New York, NY
Sam Taylor
Head of Corporate Intelligence, Americas
S-RM
New York, NY
Lindsay Frost
Senior Reporter
Agenda
New York, NY
Eleazer Klein
Partner
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
New York, NY
Doug Jaffe
Managing Director
InvestorCom
New York, NY
Emma Sandler
Deputy Editor
Agenda
New York, NY
Geordie Hebard
Principal, Investments
Arkhouse
New York, NY
Skip Trachtman
Head of Client Engagement
K2 Integrity
New York, NY
John Bryan
Managing Director
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Larry Schimmel
Managing Director
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Adriana Schwartz
Partner
Schulte Roth & Zabel
New York, NY
Michael Swartz
Partner
Schulte Roth & Zabel
New York, NY
Danny Goldstein
Special Counsel
Schulte Roth & Zabel
New York, NY
William P. Fiske
Head of M&A and Contested Situations - U.S.
Georgeson
New York, NY
Elina Tetelbaum
Partner
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
New York, NY
Anna Dimitrijevic
Associate
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
New York, NY
Timothy McCormick
Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais
Toronto, Canada
Dianne McKeever
Chief Investment Officer
Ides Capital
New York, NY
Timothy Brog
Former Activist, Board Director and Corporate Executive
Stamford, Connecticut
Lauren Puffer
Managing Director, Sustainability Banking
TD Cowen
New York, NY
Jenna Shinderman
Director
Joele Frank
New York, NY
Charlotte Burch
Director
Joele Frank
New York, NY
Lisa L. Hunter
Founder & Managing Director
Newport Consulting Group, Inc.
Executive Fellow
Institute for Compensation Studies, Cornell ILR
Tarrytown, NY
Eric Bonach
Managing Director
H Advisors/Abernathy
New York, NY
Jake Yanulis
Managing Director
H Advisors/Abernathy
New York, NY
Peter McDermott
Senior Partner, Head of Corporate Affairs, N.A.
Korn Ferry
New York, NY
Jack Flaherty
Senior Vice President
Edelman Smithfield
New York, NY
Liz Cohen
Partner
Kekst CNC
New York, NY
Daniel H. Burch
Founder, Chairman & CEO
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Susan Skerritt
Director
Tanger, Inc.
New York, NY
Jeff Gramm
Portfolio Manager
Bandera Partners
Brooklyn, NY
Parichat Wrolstad
SVP, Financial Communications & ESG Advisory
Edelman Smithfield
New York, NY
Desi Baca
Counsel
Vinson & Elkins LLP
New York, NY
Alexander H. Sugarman
Law Clerk
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
New York, NY
Amit Doshi
Managing Partner
Harbor Spring Capital
New York, NY
Mauro Cunha
Independent Director
Embraer
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Christian Rodriguez
Business Development Senior Specialist
Global M&A, Private Equity & Shareholder Activism
Latham & Watkins LLP
New York, NY
Keith Thomas
Business Development
Barington Capital Group
New York, NY
Cassandra Wade
Senior Associate, Global Corporate Affairs
Korn Ferry
New York, NY
Jeff Davis
Head of Market Intelligence
Diligent
New York, NY
VENUE - 730 THIRD AVENUE BY INDUSTRIOUS
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Hotels Nearby
The Bernic Hotel
This modern Midtown East hotel is under a mile from Times Square, the Theater District, Rockefeller Center, and the Chrysler Building. See the rest of Manhattan by taking the subway from Lexington Avenue-53rd Street Station five minutes away.
Fitzpatrick G
rand Central
Nestled in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, the Fitzpatrick Grand Central is an oasis of warm Irish hospitality within an elegant setting. Experience personalized service and amenities that attend to your every requirement, creating an atmosphere of comfort and convenience.
Hyatt Grand Central New York
Hyatt Grand Central New York is the only hotel connected to the majesty and convenience of Grand Central Station. The central 42nd Street location in Midtown Manhattan ensures that you can experience iconic New York just outside our doors. Discover world-class dining, Broadway, 5th Avenue shopping and attractions like the Empire State Building, right near the hotel.