Helena Foulkes

President & CEO, Hudson’s Bay Company (HBS)

Helena Foulkes was appointed CEO of HBC in February 2018, where she is responsible for HBC’s global strategy and operations for all banners, overseeing approximately 65,000 associates worldwide. Prior to joining HBC, she spent 25 years at CVS Health Corporation, most recently as Executive Vice President of CVS Health and President of CVS Pharmacy, a position she held since January 2014. Before joining CVS, Ms. Foulkes worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Tiffany & Co.

Ms. Foulkes has received numerous professional honors, including being named to Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women in Business, as well as Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business list. She serves on the boards of The Home Depot and the Harvard University Board of Overseers.

Ms. Foulkes holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Janet Foutty (Spring 2018)

Chairwoman & CEO, Deloitte

Janet Foutty is the chairman and chief executive officer of Deloitte Consulting. As CEO, Janet leads a $9B business comprised of over 45,000 professionals helping Fortune 500 companies and government agencies translate complex issues into opportunity. She is also a member of Deloitte’s Global Board of Directors.

Janet is a frequent author and popular public speaker and she regularly communicates with executive-level audiences about the changing business landscape, the C-suite of tomorrow, the multigenerational workforce, tech disruption, and leadership. She is a passionate advocate for inclusion in the workplace; women in technology; and the need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Janet has founded Women in Technology groups in India and the United States.

Janet holds a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University, and a Masters of Business Administration in finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She currently serves on the boards for Bright Pink, a nonprofit dedicated to women’s health, and NYU Stern’s Tech MBA program. Janet is also an inductee of the Kelley School of Business Academy of Alumni Fellows, Indiana University and former Dean’s Council member.

Laura Arrillaga-andreessen (Winter 2018)

Founder & President, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation (LAAF)

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen is an American philanthropist and author. She founded the Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation in 2013, with the mission of building a philanthropic “innovation lab”. She is also the author of Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World. Prior to founded LAAF, she founded the Silicon Social Venture Fund (SV2), a venture philanthropy fund.

She received her BA (1992) and MA (1999) in Art History from Stanford University, and an MA (1998) in Education from Stanford School of Education, and an MBA (1997) from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

In 2001, Arrillaga-Andreessen received the Jacqueline Kennedy Award for Women in Leadership. In 2005, she also became a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and in 2011, she received the Global Citizen Award from the World Affairs Council.

Melinda gates (Spring 2017)

President, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Melinda Gates is a Business Executive and Philanthropist. Between 1987 and 1994, she was a Microsoft employee where she worked on Microsoft Bob, Encarta, and Expedia. In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was founded. The primary aims of the organization globally is to enhance health care and reduce extreme poverty, and within the US is to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology. Gates also served as a member of Duke University board of trustees from 1996 to 2003 and holds a seat on the board of directors of the Washington Post company. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Economics from Duke University and an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

In 2005, Bill and Melinda Gates were named by Time as Persons of the Year. She was also ranked #3 in Forbes 2013, 2014, and 2017 lists of the 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2016, President Obama honored Bill and Melinda Gates with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Meg Whitman (Fall 2016)

CEO, Hewlett-Packard (HP)

Meg Whitman was CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 2011 to 2015, where she oversaw its split into HP INc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. In 2018, she stepped down as HPE’s chief executive but remains on its board. She also sits on the boards of Procter & Gamble and Dropbox. Prior to joining HP, she was CEO at eBay from 1998 to 2008, where she is best known for taking the company from $5.7 million to $8 billion in sales. In 2018, she became CEO of Quibi, a short-form video platform.

In 2018, she was honored as one of Forbes Power Women of the year, Forbes 400, and America’s Self-Made Women of the year. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Princeton University, and a Master of business administration from Harvard Business School.

TYra banks (Spring 2016)

Co-Founder, Tyra Beauty

Tyra Banks became a leading international fashion model and the first black woman to land on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in 1997. She was also a Victoria's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005. By the early 2000s, Banks was one of the world's top-earning models.

She later hosted the reality TV program America's Next Top Model and her own daytime talk show The Tyra Banks Show, for which she won two Emmy Awards. Starting in 2017, Banks took over Nick Cannon's hosting duties on America's Got Talent. In 2010, she published a young adult novel titled Modelland, based on her life as a model which topped The New York Times Best Seller list in 2011. Banks is one of four African Americans and seven women to have repeatedly ranked among the world's most influential people by Time magazine

In March 2011, Banks launched her fashion and beauty website called "typeF.com", which she co-created with Demand Media. In 2014, she launched her own cosmetics line, Tyra Beauty. In 2015, she launched "tyra.com", an interactive cosmetic e-commerce site.

Julie Rice & Elizabeth Cutler (Fall 2015)

Co-Founders, SoulCycle

SoulCycle Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Elizabeth Cutler and her partner Julie Rice, SoulCycle Co-Founder and Chief Talent and Creative Officer, are leading a fitness revolution. Their vision of a motivational 45-minute indoor-cycling workout combined with a chic branded environment, and “above and beyond” customer service came to life in 2006 in the rear lobby of an Upper West Side dance studio that Cutler found on Craigslist.

Cutler and Rice were honored as one of Goldman Sachs’ 100 Builders + Innovators in 2013 and 2014, SoulCycle was voted one of the World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Fitness of 2013 by Fast Company and was rated the sixth most influential brand on Twitter at CES in January of 2015. In 2015, Cutler was named to Elle Magazine's The Agenda, a board of 43 female powerhouses who are joining forces to improve the lives of women. Cutler and Rice are contributing editors to The Wall Street Journal’s Accelerators column and in 2015; Cutler was voted one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. 

Diane von Furstenberg (Fall 2014)

CEO, DvF and Fashion Designer

Diane first entered the industry in 1972, with a suitcase full of jersey dresses, and built her company into a global luxury lifestyle brand. Her legendary wrap dress has served as a symbol of female empowerment for 40 years. Over a million wrap dresses were sold in just 2 years, and the dress has been worn by the likes of Michelle Obama, Oprah, Kate Middleton, and Madonna. Today, DVF sells a full collection of ready-to-wear and accessories in over 55 countries worldwide.  

In 2005, Diane received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America for her impact on fashion. She’s currently serving her 8th year as CFDA president, where she has championed movements including copyright protection for designers, healthy body image for models, and the revival of the New York City fashion district.

Diane’s impact, however, goes far beyond fashion; her incredible commitment to empowering women is displayed in her philanthropy and mentorship endeavors. She sits on the board of Vital Voices, an organization that supports female leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. In 2010, Diane established the DVF Awards to honor women who have displayed leadership, strength, and courage in their commitment to their causes.

Diane’s new memoir, The Woman I Wanted to Be, provides an intimate look into a fascinating life, detailing her experiences and inspirations in business, fashion, philanthropy, and family.

Ruth Porat (Winter 2014)

CFO, Morgan Stanley

As the public face of Morgan Stanley, Ms. Porat is considered to be the most powerful woman on Wall Street. She has been the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since January 2010. Ms. Porat began her career with Morgan Stanley in 1987 in the Mergers and Acquisition Department. Having held such positions with the bank as vice chair of Investment Banking and global head of the Financial Institutions Group, Ms. Porat helped advise the U.S. Treasury with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the New York Fed with respect to AIG.

Throughout the financial crisis, Ms. Porat was responsible for the firm's coverage of financial institutions and governments globally. She has brought to IPO such firms as Broadcast.com, Priceline, Ask Jeeves, and VeriSign, Inc. In 2013 she emerged as one of President Obama's top-tier choices as the next Deputy Secretary of the Treasury. Her career has been analyzed by McKinsey & Company as a model for "How Remarkable Women Lead". Ms. Porat received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, an M.Sc.Econ. from the London School of Economics, and a B.A. from Stanford University.

Anne Sweeney

Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks and President, Disney/ABC Television Group

Anne Sweeney joined The Walt Disney Company in February 1996 as President of Disney Channel and Executive Vice President of Disney/ABC Cable Networks. From October 2000 to April 2004, Ms. Sweeney served as President of ABC Cable Networks Group and Disney Channels Worldwide, during which time Disney Channel more than quintupled its subscriber base. In 2005, Ms. Sweeney led the industry into the digital era when the Disney/ABC Television Group became the first company to put television content on new platforms.

In the past, she ran the Disney Media NetworksDisney/ABC Television Group.  She also oversaw Disney Channels Worldwide and managed the company’s equity interest in A+E Networks and Hulu. Ms. Sweeney has repeatedly been named the “Most Powerful Woman in Entertainment” (The Hollywood Reporter), one of the most “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” (Fortune), and one of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” (Forbes).

Ms. Sweeney earned a B.A. degree from The College of New Rochelle and Ed.M. degree from Harvard University. 

Drew Houston (Spring 2013)

CEO and Co-Founder, Dropbox

Drew Houston is CEO and Co-Founder of Dropbox, and has led Dropbox’s growth from a simple idea to a service relied upon by millions around the world. Before founding Dropbox, Drew attended MIT where he studied computer science. He took a quick leave from school to form Accolade, an online SAT prep startup, and also worked as a software engineer for Bit9.

After graduating from MIT, Drew recognized that people needed a way to bring their files with them without sending email attachments or carrying USB drives. He began writing a solution to this problem in early 2007 before showing an early version to Arash Ferdowsi in Boston. The two of them then began working on the project that would eventually become Dropbox.

Drew has been named one of the top "Twentysomething Entrepreneurs" by Businessweek. He was also included in Fortune’s “40 Under 40” list and Inc. Magazine's “30 Under 30”.

Evan Spiegel (Spring 2013)

CEO and Co-Founder, Snapchat

Evan Spiegel is the CEO and Co-Founder of Snapchat, a real-time picture messaging application available on iPhone and Android. He studied product design at Stanford University and almost graduated in 2012. 

Karen Katz (Spring 2013)

 CEO and President, Neiman Marcus Inc.

Karen W. Katz has been the CEO and President of Neiman Marcus Inc. since October 5, 2010. Ms. Katz, a graduate of the University of Texas, started with Neiman Marcus in 1985 as a merchandise manager. Over the years, she has overseen nearly every sector of the company, including Neiman Marcus Direct, Neiman Marcus Stores, and, before this, worked as executive vice president of the Neiman Marcus Group.