Frank A. Bennack Jr. is executive vice chairman of Hearst, one of the nation’s largest private companies engaged in a broad range of publishing, broadcasting, cable networking and diversified media and information activities. He is also chairman of the company’s executive committee, a director of Hearst and a trustee of the Hearst Family Trust, established under the will of William Randolph Hearst. In addition, he sits on a number of corporate committees and the Hearst Foundations board, where he has served for more than 25 years.

Bennack served as Hearst’s CEO for more than 28 years. He directed the company through an unprecedented period of growth from when he began his first tenure as CEO in 1979 through June 2013, when he stepped down—increasing revenues 14 times and growing earnings more than 30 times, through investments, acquisitions and startups. Today, Hearst comprises some 360-plus businesses and 20,000 employees.

Under his leadership, the company launched three leading cable networks with its partner ABC (now the Walt Disney Company), A&E, HISTORY and Lifetime and invested in the ESPN family of networks, now in 190 countries and territories. On Bennack’s watch, Hearst marched toward diversification and global expansion, including its nearly $1 billion acquisition in 2011 of Lagardère’s 100 international titles outside of France, its purchase of healthcare information leader MCG and ownership of global ratings agency Fitch Group. Bennack was also instrumental in the decision to create what today is Hearst Television,Inc., one of the nation’s largest non-network-owned television station groups, which operates 33 television stations. During his tenure, Hearst launched such magazines as Country Living, Food Network Magazine, HGTV Magazine, Marie Claire and O, The Oprah Magazine.

Bennack's operating talent and ability to envision and oversee transformation extend beyond his role at Hearst. His influence on corporate boards of directors—many lasting decades—has impacted the worlds of finance, at J.P. Morgan Chase and its predecessor companies Chemical Bank, Manufacturers Hanover and Chase; retail, as an outside director of Allied Stores, which became the modern-day Federated/Macy’s Inc. and was the parent company of Brooks Brothers, Jordan Marsh, Stern’s and Le Bon Marché; and pharmaceuticals, as a director of Wyeth, formerly American Home Products, which was acquired by Pfizer in 2009.

Bennack is currently a director of Ralph Lauren Corporation. He is chairman of Hearst Magazines UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst. Bennack is also a governor and chairman of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and its Healthcare System, a managing director of the Metropolitan Opera of New York, chairman emeritus of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and chairman of the Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television & Radio). He was the 1992–93 chairman of the Newspaper Association of America (formerly the American Newspaper Publishers Association).

Paul Cheesbrough is Chief Executive Officer of Tubi Media Group. In this role, he oversees the operations and strategy of FOX’s standalone digital businesses including Tubi, Credible and Blockchain Creative Labs, as well as the digital platforms and teams that underpin FOX’s wider digital business in news, sports and entertainment.

Under Mr. Cheesbrough’s leadership, Tubi Media Group encompasses three lines of business that focus on streaming, advertising and engineering services: Tubi Streaming, FOX’s AVOD business and #1 market leader in advertising-based streaming; AdRise, a large-scale video advertising network that incorporates all of FOX’s video inventory; and Fox Digital Platforms Group, which contains Blockchain Creative Labs, Credible and platform services that support FOX’s news, sports and entertainment products.

Mr. Cheesbrough previously served as Chief Technology Officer and President of Digital where he led the Fox Corporation’s technology teams and operations and oversaw the acquisition and management of Tubi.

Before the 2019 establishment of FOX as a standalone public company, Mr. Cheesbrough served as Chief Technology Officer for 21st Century Fox, where he oversaw the Company’s technology operations globally. Prior, he served as Chief Technology Officer for News Corp, overseeing the enterprise technologies and digital products and platforms across the business as well as the technology investment portfolio. In these roles, Mr. Cheesbrough has led significant change and transformation through the implementation of modern technologies using internal teams and a range of established and earlier stage technology partners.

Before joining News Corp, Mr. Cheesbrough served as Chief Information Officer at the Telegraph Media Group, where he pioneered the development of a wide range of new digital products. Earlier, he was the Controller of Digital Media for the BBC, having started his career in IBM’s media division as a software engineer.

Mike Fries is Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Global, a world leader in converged broadband, video and mobile communications and an active investor in cutting-edge infrastructure, content and technology ventures. Liberty Global delivers next-generation products through advanced fiber and 5G networks, providing over 85 million connections across Europe and the UK. Its businesses operate under some of the best-known consumer brands, including Virgin Media-O2 in the UK, VodafoneZiggo in The Netherlands, Telenet in Belgium, Sunrise in Switzerland, Virgin Media in Ireland and UPC in Slovakia. The joint ventures in the UK and the Netherlands generate combined annual revenue of over $18 billion, while remaining operations generate consolidated revenue of more than $7 billion. Through its substantial scale and commitment to innovation, Liberty Global is building Tomorrow’s Connections Today, investing in the infrastructure and platforms that empower customers and deploying the advanced technologies that nations and economies need to thrive.

As a member of the management team that founded the Company over 30 years ago, Fries launched the company’s international expansion, and has served in various strategic and operating capacities since that time. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company in 2005 and serves as a member of its two-person Executive Committee along with Chairman, Dr. John C. Malone.

Fries is also Executive Chairman of Liberty Latin America (LLA), a leading communications company with operations in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and other parts of Latin America that serves 12 million broadband, video, voice and mobile subscribers and generates $4.5 billion of annual revenue. LLA was split off from Liberty Global to focus purely on organic and strategic growth in the region. Fries also serves on the corporate boards of Grupo Televisa and Lionsgate Entertainment.

Fries is an engaged industry and community leader. He serves as board member for Cable Labs, is a trustee & finance committee member of The Paley Center for Media and an ICT Governor of the World Economic Forum. He is Honorary Co-Chair for the Biennial of the Americas and is Trustee Emeritus and former Chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Recognition for his achievements includes EY Entrepreneur of the Year in Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications and inductions into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Cable Hall of Fame, which recognize pioneers and leaders in the media, communications and cable industries. Mike holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, where he is a Trustee Emeritus, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University, where he is a member of the Board of Overseers for the Business School.

Don Garber was named commissioner of Major League Soccer, the first division professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, in 1999. During his 25 years with MLS, the league has expanded from 10 to 30 clubs, added dozens of new owners, established 26 soccer stadiums, and secured a transformative global media partnership with Apple TV. 

Through his efforts, MLS has developed into one of the top soccer leagues in the world and has helped establish the United States as a true soccer nation.

Early in his tenure, he created MLS WORKS, a league-wide community outreach initiative dedicated to addressing important philanthropic and social issues.  

Prior to joining MLS, Garber spent 16 years in a variety of sales, marketing, programming, and event management positions at the National Football League. In 1996, he launched NFL International, a division that was responsible for all aspects of the NFL’s business outside the United States, with offices in Canada, England, Mexico, Japan and Germany. 

Commissioner Garber serves on a variety of professional and philanthropic boards, including the board of directors for the United States Soccer Federation, the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee, and The Football World League Association.  Garber is a member of the Board of Directors of the Paley Center for Media and the Billion Oyster Project. 

Garber is a member of the Broadcast and Cable Hall of Fame, the National Soccer Hall of Fame and is in the Athletic Hall of Fame for his Alma mater, SUNY Oneonta. He has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from both Montclair State University and the State University of New York.  

Alexandra Reeve Givens is the CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization fighting to protect civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. She is a frequent public commentator on ways to protect users’ online privacy and access to information, and to ensure emerging technologies advance human rights and democratic values.

At CDT, Alex leads an international team of lawyers and technologists shaping technology policy, governance and design. CDT advocates to policymakers and the courts in the U.S. and Europe, engages with companies to improve their policies and product designs, and shapes public opinion on major tech policy issues.

Alex previously served in the United States Senate, as the chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee covering innovation and consumer protection. Prior to joining CDT, she was the founding Executive Director of Georgetown University’s Institute for Technology Law & Policy, where she set the Institute’s research agenda, and directed its public convenings, research activities, and strategic development. Alex began her career as a litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City, and taught for nine years as an adjunct professor at Columbia Law and Georgetown Law.

Alex serves as Vice Chair of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. You can find her on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Rebecca Glashow was named CEO, BBC Global Media & Streaming in December 2023. She is responsible for the company’s international direct-to-consumer streaming platforms, international TV channels, global content monetization and digital news.

Under her leadership, the Global Media & Streaming team continues to expand the reach of BBC content and enable the BBC’s digital transformation across editorial, video and audio in international markets. Recent milestones include the launch of a new one-of-a-kind digital destination designed to make it easier to discover the best of the BBC’s global journalism and easier for brands to unlock new opportunities to engage with BBC’s coveted audience at BBC.com. The company also continues to expand its direct-to-consumer streaming services, including BBC Select and BBC Podcasts Premium, which is now available in more than 160 countries. Additionally, BBC Studios has built a robust portfolio of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) and international channels and secured incredible partnerships that have solidified BBC Studios as the biggest exporter of British content in the world.

One of the media industry’s leading digital pioneers, Rebecca has effectively worked for decades at the forefront of media and technology helping top global media organizations navigate change and evolve business models. She joined BBC Studios in 2020 as President of the Americas and was named CEO of Global Distribution in 2022. Prior to joining BBC, she served as Co-Head of Viacom’s Awesomeness, a leading Gen Z focused entertainment brand.

She sits on the board of BritBox and is a member of the Women’s Forum of New York.

Dr. Ramin Hasani is the co-founder and CEO of Liquid AI and a machine learning Scientist at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Previously, he was jointly appointed as a Principal AI Scientist at the Vanguard Group ($8.2T AUM) and an AI Researcher at CSAIL MIT. Ramin’s research focuses on robust and explainable deep learning and decision-making in complex dynamical systems. He received his Ph.D. with distinction in Computer Science from TU Wien, Austria (May 2020). His Ph.D. dissertation and continued research on Liquid Neural Networks is recognized internationally with numerous nominations and awards.

Steve assumed his role of President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Thomson Reuters effective March 15, 2020. He leads a company of over 25,000 people who operate in more than 75 countries around the world providing its customers with critical news, information and technology. The Company’s products primarily serve professionals in the legal, tax, corporate and media markets.

Previously, Steve served as senior advisor to TPG Capital, a private equity firm, chief executive officer of CAA Global, a TPG Capital portfolio company, and global president and chief operating officer of Nielsen, an information, data and measurement firm. He spent more than a decade with McKinsey as a partner in the global media, information and technology practice.

Before joining McKinsey, Steve worked in several financial roles in the United States, Russia and Australia. He started his career with PwC, where he qualified as a chartered accountant.

Steve is a non-executive director of Appen Limited and a member of the Australia and New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. He received an MBA and master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.

Jim Lanzone is CEO of Yahoo, the trusted digital guide for hundreds of millions of people globally, helping them achieve their goals online through its portfolio of iconic brands, from Yahoo News to Yahoo Finance to Yahoo Sports. With over 25 years of leadership and entrepreneurial experience in technology and media, Jim has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation. Prior to joining Yahoo, Jim was CEO of Tinder, the most popular dating app in the world. Jim joined Tinder after nearly a decade as President and CEO of CBS Interactive, a top 10 global internet company with brands ranging from CBS All Access (now Paramount+) to CNET. Jim was also named the first Chief Digital Officer in the history of CBS Corporation. Jim joined CBS in 2011 when it purchased Clicker Media, an Internet video search and programming guide, where he was founder and CEO. Previously, Jim held several leadership positions, including CEO at Ask.com. He holds a B.A. from UCLA and a J.D./M.B.A. from Emory University.

Almar Latour is Publisher of The Wall Street Journal and CEO of Dow Jones, a world-leading news and business information services company.

A journalist-turned-business leader, Almar combines a passion for news and technology with rich global experience and an entrepreneurial drive. Under his leadership, Dow Jones has doubled digital subscriptions and achieved record profits and revenue, while safeguarding the Wall Street Journal’s reputation as one of the world’s most-trusted news organizations.

Almar has an extensive track record of building successful news media businesses in the digital age. He oversaw the creation of the Barron’s Group, quadrupling the group’s digital audience at Barron’s and MarketWatch, and led the highly-successful modernization of The Wall Street Journal’s website during the global financial crisis, setting the stage for the Journal’s first million digital subscriptions. Almar also led the development of The Wall Street Journal in Japan, Korea and China.

Almar has worked on three continents and has been stationed as a journalist in Brussels, London, Stockholm, New York and Hong Kong. Among a wide range of topics, he has reported on Central and Eastern Europe, technology and the rise of mobile phones, the Nordics and the Baltics as well as numerous mega-mergers. In addition to being a reporter, he has served as a bureau chief in New York, the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal online, and the editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones in Asia-Pacific before being appointed the Journal’s Executive Editor.

Almar regularly discusses issues including the business of media, press freedom, global affairs and journalism in the era of generative AI. He started as a news assistant in Washington, D.C.

He is a native of the Netherlands and lives in New York City.

Dr. John C. Malone is Chairman of the Board of Liberty Media Corporation, Liberty Broadband Corporation and Liberty Global plc. From 1996 to March 1999, when Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) merged with AT&T Corp., he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TCI. Previous to that, from 1973 to 1996, Dr. Malone served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TCI. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Qurate Retail, Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Additionally, Dr. Malone is a director emeritus of Liberty Latin America Ltd., and Chairman Emeritus of the Board for Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.

Born in 1941 in Milford, Connecticut, Dr. Malone was a Phi Beta Kappa and merit scholar at Yale University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Economics in 1963. He also received a Master of Science in Industrial Management from Johns Hopkins in 1964 and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Operations Research from Johns Hopkins in 1967. He has received two Honorary Degrees for Doctorate of Human Letters; the first from Denver University in 1992 and the second from Johns Hopkins University in 2012.

Dr. Malone began his career in 1963 at Bell Telephone Laboratories/AT&T in economic planning and research and development. In 1968, he joined McKinsey & Company and in 1970 he became Group Vice President at General Instrument Corporation (GI). He was later named President of Jerrold Electronics, a GI subsidiary.

He served as Director of the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) from 1974 to 1977 and again from 1980 to 1993. During the 1977-1978 term, Dr. Malone was the NCTA's Treasurer.

In 1983, Dr. Malone received the NCTA Vanguard Award, one of the highest honors in the cable television industry. He has received many other awards and honors which include: TVC Magazine Man of the Year Award - 1981; Wall Street Transcript's Gold Award for the cable industry's best Chief Executive Officer - 1982, 1985, 1986 and 1987; Wall Street Transcript’s Silver Award in 1984 and 1989; Women In Cable's Betsy Magness Fellowship Honoree; University of Pennsylvania Wharton School Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center Award of Merit for Distinguished Entrepreneurship; American Jewish Committee Sherrill C. Corwin Human Relations Award; Communications Technology Magazine Service and Technology Award; Bronze Award - 1993 Financial World CEO of the Year Competition; The Hopkins Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1994 and in 2004 the Hopkins Medal, the school’s highest award. He is also recognized as a Yale Sterling Fellow (Harkness Circle) and in May of 2016 he was awarded the Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award. In October of 2016, Dr. Malone was honored by the Television Academy with the Charles F. Jenkins Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award. On January 9, 2017 he received the Citizen of the West award which is an honor bestowed upon him through the National Western Association in Colorado.

Dennis Mathew serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Altice USA and Optimum, one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States, delivering broadband, video, and mobile services to approximately 4.7 million residential and business customers across 21 states through its Optimum brand. In addition to the Optimum telecommunications business, Altice USA operates Optimum Media, an advanced advertising and data business, which provides audience-based, multiscreen advertising solutions to local, regional, and national businesses and clients, as well as hyper-local and international news networks through its News 12 and i24NEWS brands.

A telecommunications industry veteran, Mr. Mathew spent 17 years in senior corporate and operational leadership positions at Comcast, leading the company’s largest regions with a focus on all aspects of the residential and commercial businesses for the entire Comcast portfolio of products and services. He oversaw the organization’s strategic, financial, and operational performance in both the Freedom Region and Western New England Region, positioning these regions to become best-in-class for customer experience and employee engagement.

Prior to joining Comcast, he held positions focused on technology risk assessment with both PricewaterhouseCoopers and Andersen/Protiviti.

In addition, Mr. Mathew is a philanthropist and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and chairman of Bloom India, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide high-quality education to the underprivileged throughout India. He is also the founder of ConnectEd, an organization with the goal of providing digital education to children in India, creating innovative learning tools to support those preparing for the future workforce, and has spent the last decade working with non-profit organizations focused on anti-human trafficking efforts.

Mr. Mathew currently serves on the boards of C-SPAN, The Paley Center for Media and the Partnership for New York City.

Mr. Mathew earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Crystal is an award-winning filmmaker, NY Times Best Selling author, producer, entrepreneur, mother of three amazing humans, and wife to Ray McGuire.

She began her career practicing entertainment law with Paul Weiss before leaving to pursue a full-time career in writing, producing, and directing.

Since that time, she has published two New York Times Best Selling novels HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE and GOTHAM DIARIES and written the critically acclaimed non-fiction book INSPIRATION: Profiles of Black Women Changing the World which features Michelle Obama, Iman, Venus Williams, Mellody Hobson, Misty Copeland, Mary J. Blige, Marian Wright Edelman, Shonda Rhimes and Thelma Golden as well as several other extraordinary women. She also produced the independent film DIRTY LAUNDRY starring Loretta Devine and Jenifer Lewis which was co-sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign. For six seasons, Crystal served as co-creator/executive producer for the NAACP Image Award-nominated BET series LEADING WOMEN and LEADING MEN which profiled men and women of color who have impacted the world socially, politically, and culturally and included profiles of Dr. Maya Angelou and Wynton Marsalis.

She also co-created, and executive produced the three-part documentary series INSIDE BLACK CULTURE which profiled The Studio Museum in Harlem, Evidence Dance Company and Abyssinian Baptist Church.

Crystal also created, produced, and directed the Nickelodeon Sports series LITTLE BALLERS an LITTLE BALLERS INDIANA.

Additionally, Crystal directed five short films on the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Most recently, she directed a short film about the life and career of Kenneth Frazier, Executive Chairman and former CEO of Merck, and has also signed on to executive produce an 8- part scripted series on the life of Frederick Douglass and Anna Murray Douglass.

Mr. Miller is a senior executive and investor at the intersection of technology and media. Positions held include Chairman and CEO of AOL, INC, Chairman and CEO of News Corp Digital Media Group, President and CEO of USA Interactive (now IAC). He has been a partner in venture capital firm Advancit Capital with Paramount Global Chairperson Shari Redstone for the past eight years where he has invested in over 100 companies. Mr. Miller is CEO of Integrated Media Co, an investment partnership with private equity firm TPG.

Mr. Miller has served as a Director of a number of public and private companies including the Boards of BBC News Worldwide, RTL Broadcasting, NY Public Radio, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Akamai, Nielsen, First Look Media, Expedia, Trip Advisor and the Interpublic Group.

Mr. Miller has been honored as a UJA ‘Media Man of the Year’ and has also been awarded the Inaugural Pioneer Prize, Producers Guild of America, the Inaugural Vanguard Award, International Emmy Association, the Digital Power Player of the Year, Hollywood Reporter, and the Monaco Media Festival, Interactive Pioneer Award.

Mr. Miller is a Trustee of the Paley Center for Media and also of the American Film Institute. He also serves as Director of Force for Good and a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was Executive Producer of Live 8, the largest charity event ever produced and an Advisor on a related follow up initiative, Live Earth. Mr. Miller is senior media Advisor to Global Citizen and its upcoming Global Live series of events. He is also an Advisor to the Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning at Harvard University having previously served in this capacity with Harvard/MIT joint venture EdX.

Robert E. (Bob) Rubin began his career in finance at Goldman, Sachs & Company in New York City in 1966. Mr. Rubin served as vice chairman and co-chief operating officer at Goldman from 1987 to 1990 and as co-senior partner and co-chairman from 1990 to 1992. Before joining Goldman, he was an attorney at the firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York City from 1964 to 1966.

Long active in public affairs, Mr. Rubin joined the Bill Clinton administration in 1993 as assistant to the president for economic policy and as director of the newly created National Economic Council (NEC). At the NEC, he coordinated economic policy recommendations to the president and monitored the implementation of the president’s economic policy goals.

In January 1995, Mr. Rubin was appointed as the United States’ seventieth secretary of the treasury. He served for four and a half years, until July 1999, during which he was involved in balancing the federal budget; opening trade policy to further globalization; acting to stem financial crises in Asia, Mexico, and Russia; helping to resolve the impasse over the public debt limit; and guiding sensible reforms at the Internal Revenue Service.

From 1999 to 2009, Mr. Rubin served as a member of the board of directors at Citigroup and as a senior advisor to the company. In that capacity, he worked extensively with the firm’s clients around the world.

Mr. Rubin is one of the founders of the Hamilton Project, an economic policy project housed at the Brookings Institution that offers a strategic vision and innovative policy proposals on how to create a growing economy that benefits more Americans.

Mr. Rubin is the author of The Yellow Pad: Making Better Decisions in an Uncertain World (2023) and In An Uncertain World: Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington (2003, with Jacob Weisberg), which was a New York Times best seller and was named one of Business Week’s ten best business books of the year. He has also written op-eds on the U.S. economy and other topics in such publications as the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Mr. Rubin is chairman emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is vice chairman of the board of trustees at the Mount Sinai Health System and chairman of the board of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which is the nation's leading community development support organization with thirty-eight offices nationwide. From 2002 to 2014, he was a member of the Harvard Corporation, and from 2016 to 2022, he served as a member of its Finance Committee. Mr. Rubin joined Centerview Partners in 2010 as a senior counselor of the firm. In his role at Centerview, he serves as a sounding board and advisor to clients across the firm’s various activities, bringing years of experience in finance and public policy.

Mr. Rubin graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1960 with an AB in economics. He received an LLB from Yale Law School in 1964 and attended the London School of Economics. He has received honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and other universities. He was born in New York City in 1938 and is married to Judith Oxenberg Rubin, who served as the New York City commissioner of protocol for four years under Mayor David Dinkins. The Rubins have two children.

Faiza J. Saeed is the Presiding Partner of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. She advises on mergers and acquisitions, with a focus on the media, tech and biotech sectors. She serves as a Trustee of The Paley Center and NewYork-Presbyterian, and on the Board of Directors of the Partnership for New York City and The Paley Foundation. She is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations and The Economic Club of New York. In 2021, Ms. Saeed received the Judge Simon H. Rifkind Award from The Jewish Theological Seminary. She is a recipient of the American Jewish Committee’s Judge Learned Hand Award and was named one of the Asia Society’s Game Changers of 2019. Earlier in her career she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from the Harvard Law School and her B.A. in Economics and Molecular Biology with Highest Distinction from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Sowmyanarayan Sampath (Sampath) is executive vice president and chief executive officer for Verizon Consumer Group, serving the largest consumer customer base in the United States with over 103.5B in total revenue (2022). Sampath is a globally recognized leader in the telecom industry with experience spanning consumer, enterprise, security and critical infrastructure. His distinct tenure at Verizon includes transformative work on Verizon’s consumer operating model and empowering its customer-facing organization.

Sampath previously served as CEO of Verizon Business, serving 99% of Fortune 500 companies, leading the digitization of businesses, governments and communities around the world as customers reimagine their employee, supply chain and end-to-end-customer experiences. With $31B+ in annual revenue, Verizon Business is the leader in new 5G-based technology-led innovation.

Prior to Verizon Business, Sampath served as President of Global Enterprise at Verizon, where he led a global team focused on delivering solutions to enable enterprise customers to securely connect to the global economy and intelligently manage business operations. Earlier in his Verizon tenure, he served as Chief Product Officer, responsible for the consumer and business product portfolio and implementing major strategic initiatives. These included two of the company’s largest programs, Network Transformation and One Fiber, which served as the foundation for Verizon’s progress in wireless network densification and 5G. Before Verizon, Sampath spent almost a decade at the Boston Consulting Group, where he was a Partner and Global Sector Leader for the Telecom practice area focused on driving large scale, enterprise wide transformations.His experience includes other executive roles including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Transformation Officer.

Corporate and charitable leadership

Sampath is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is the executive sponsor of United of Verizon, one of the company’s employee resource groups, designed to bring together employees of all backgrounds to help build a diverse company culture and best serve customers.

Sampath serves as a member of the WSJ CEO Council, Fast Company Impact Council and is a member of the Board of Advisors for Tech United New Jersey. He also serves on the board of directors of Canadian Tire, one of that country’s largest chains of automotive, hardware, sports, leisure, and houseware products.

Personal and educational background

Sampath holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calcutta, St. Xavier’s College, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Boston University and he is a Chartered Accountant.

David Schwimmer is Chief Executive Officer of London Stock Exchange Group and a member of the Board of LSEG plc. Prior to joining the Group in August 2018, he spent twenty years at Goldman Sachs where he held a number of senior roles, most recently as Global Head of Market Structure and Global Head of Metals & Mining. During his tenure, he also served as Chief of Staff to Lloyd Blankfein, who was then President and COO of Goldman Sachs, and also spent three years in Russia as Co-Head of Russia/CIS. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, he practiced law at Davis Polk & Wardwell. He holds a B.A. from Yale University, and post graduate degrees in law (JD) and international affairs (MALD) from Harvard University and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, respectively.

Adam Silver was appointed NBA Commissioner on Feb. 1, 2014.

Silver presides over a global sports and media organization built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League.  Under his leadership, the leagues are dedicated to growing basketball around the world, promoting health and fitness, and using the sport to bring people together.

Silver joined the NBA in 1992.  Prior to becoming commissioner, he served as NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer of NBA Entertainment, NBA Chief of Staff, and Special Assistant to the Commissioner. 

Silver has been instrumental to many of the league’s signature achievements, including the development of the WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League; the creation of the NBA’s digital assets; and the establishment of NBA China and NBA Africa.

Silver was recognized by the Sports Business Journal as its Executive of the Decade and has been ranked No. 1 on its annual list of the 50 Most Influential People in the Sports Business.  He was also named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, Fortune’s 50 Greatest Leaders, and The Bloomberg 50.  Additionally, he earned Sports Executive of the Year from Sports Illustrated. 

Silver is a member of the Duke University Board of Trustees.  He was presented with Distinguished Alumni Awards from Duke and the University of Chicago Law School and received the University of Chicago’s Professional Achievement Award.  He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serves on the Board of Trustees for the Rockefeller Foundation, the Paley Center for Media, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and is Vice Chairman of the Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. 

Before joining the NBA, Silver was an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and previously served as a law clerk to Federal District Court Judge Kimba Wood in New York.  Silver is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Chicago Law School. 

Robert Silvers was nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate as the Under Secretary for Policy on August 5, 2021. He is responsible for driving DHS’s direction across all of its missions, including counterterrorism; cybersecurity; AI safety; border security and immigration; international affairs; a range of law enforcement activities; and trade and economic security.

Mr. Silvers serves as Chair of the both the U.S. Cyber Safety Review Board and the federal Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force. He also oversees the federal government’s Supply Chain Resilience Center.

Mr. Silvers previously served in the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama-Biden Administration as Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy. In that role he oversaw private sector engagement, federal government incident response, and diplomatic outreach pertaining to cybersecurity and emerging technology. Mr. Silvers also previously served as DHS’s Deputy Chief of Staff, managing execution of policy and operational priorities across the entire Department.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Silvers was a partner at the law firm Paul Hastings LLP, where his practice focused on investigations, cybersecurity and data privacy, AI safety and governance, and other matters at the intersection of law enforcement, technology, and national security. After graduating law school, he clerked for Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Silvers holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught as an adjunct professor in the M.S. in Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy Program co-offered by the NYU Law School and NYU Tandon School of Engineering.

Edward Skyler joined Citi in 2010 and is now Head of Enterprise Services & Public Affairs. A member of Citi’s Executive Management Team reporting to the CEO, Edward has responsibility for managing several global operations, including Aviation, Colleague & Client Services and Citi’s real estate portfolio, as well as functions that shape the reputation of Citi, including Communications, Government Affairs, Sustainability/ESG, Community Investing & Development and Citi’s compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). He chairs Citi’s Reputation Risk Committee and the Board of the Citi Foundation. He also shares oversight of Investor Relations and Regulatory Affairs.

Prior to joining Citi, Edward served as a member of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's administration from 2002 to 2010, rising to the position of Deputy Mayor for Operations for the City of New York. In that capacity, he oversaw the performance of the City's main operational agencies and served as a top budget, legislative and labor negotiator. He oversaw four consecutive balanced and on-time City budgets; negotiated legislation to reform lobbying and "pay-to-play" practices; and spearheaded critical initiatives such as the overhaul of the City's 911 system and its sustainability agenda.

Previously, Edward served as Press Secretary and Communications Director during Mayor Bloomberg's first term. Prior to joining the Bloomberg Administration, he worked in the Corporate Communications group of Bloomberg LP. He also served as Deputy Press Secretary to Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Public Information Director at the Department of Parks & Recreation.

Edward has stayed involved in civic life and served as Chairman of the Citizens Budget Commission. He is also an Executive Committee Member of the New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund and is a Trustee of The Paley Center for Media and the Hospital for Special Surgery. He has been honored by several organizations, including Global Kids, Graham Windham and the YMCA of Greater New York.

A member of the New York State Bar Association, Edward is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Fordham University School of Law.