Board of Advisors

New York Jobs CEO Council
New York, NY

Kiersten Barnet is the Executive Director of the New York Jobs CEO Council, a nonprofit membership intermediary that leverages the power of the collective to scale workforce development solutions that benefit both jobseekers and business. Led by CEOs of large employers, the Council is committed to hiring 100,000 low-income and diverse New Yorkers into career-ladder jobs. In 2021, Council members hired 11,200 low-come New Yorkers and continues to bridge gaps between education and business to create new career pathways across industries.

Kiersten previously spent 15 years at Bloomberg, most recently leading Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index (GEI) and reporting framework. Kiersten and her team successfully influenced hundreds of the largest companies around the world to measure and report new social sustainability metrics and enhanced the investment community’s ability to direct capital in a way that aligns with clients’ values.

Skilled at publicly advancing a mission, Kiersten has spoken at global stages including Davos and the New Economy Forum and was the host of Bloomberg’s on-camera interview series “Invested in Equality”. She is the co-founder and former steering chair of the U.S. 30% Club, a group of influential CEOs including Warren Buffett and Larry Fink who are committed to diversifying U.S. boardrooms. She is a member of the Women’s Forum of New York, a former strategy officer to the World Economic Forum and sits on the investment committee of Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to bringing joy to pediatric patients. Kiersten currently serves on the board of directors at CareerWise New York and is a board member of the State Business Executives.

Bank of America
New York, NY

Thomas Blair is a Managing Director and Global Head of Commodity Sales & Structured Origination as well as Co-Head of Global Markets Investable Indices Distribution at Bank of America. Thomas is based in New York.

In his role as Global Head of Commodity Sales & Structured Origination, Thomas is responsible for delivering Commodity solutions to Institutional accounts including Pensions, Endowments, Asset Managers and Hedge Funds and as well as Corporate clients across the Metals, Oil & Gas, Power, Transportation, Industrial and Renewable sectors. Thomas is a member of the Global Commodities leadership team as well as a Board Member of Merrill Lynch Commodities Inc.

In addition to his Commodity role, Thomas co-heads Global Markets Investable Indices Distribution, where he is responsible for delivery of quantitative investment strategies across asset classes to Institutional clients. Bank of America’s Investable Indices platform delivers cross-asset investment solutions to clients while leveraging underlying single asset class expertise.

Thomas joined Bank of America in 2011 and previously was Head of Commodity Sales for the Americas. Prior to joining Bank of America, Thomas held various positions in Sales and Trading at Barclays and Goldman Sachs.

Thomas earned a Bachelor of Arts in both Economics and History from Washington and Lee University & a MBA in Finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Thomas resides in Darien, CT with his wife, Tasha ’00 and their two sons, Lachlan & Sawyer.

BUNTIN
Nashville, TN

Jeffrey Buntin, Jr. is CEO of BUNTIN, a Nashville based Brand Communications Agency ranking among the top 25 of U.S. independent firms and an ADWEEK-recognized top 100 U.S. shop. Jeffrey’s career began with the Chicago office of Bozell Worldwide/TrueNorth Communications, after which he returned to BUNTIN in 1997 and assumed the topmost leadership position in 2004.

Jeffrey was elected as the youngest-ever judge of the National ADDYs, has judged the prestigious EFFIE competition, been covered for his client strategy by AdAge, BRANDWEEK, The New York Times, Business Week and the Wall Street Journal, received the AAF’s Silver Medal Award, as well as earned numerous industry awards for his creative work, including EFFIE finalists, Jay Chiat Strategic Planning awards, 2x AAF Copywriter of the Year, OBIEs, Communication Arts Annuals, National ADDYs, OneShow pencils and others.

He is a Legacy Board Member of Nashville Public Television, a Board Member of the YMCA Joe C. Davis Outdoor Center at Camp Widjiwagan, a Legacy Committee member of Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee, in addition to serving on the National Advertising Review Board (NARB). Both a Nashville “30 Under 30” and “40 Under 40” honoree, he is a current Director of Truxton Trust, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Montgomery Bell Academy.

Google, Inc.
New York, NY

Erika Hagberg is a Global Client Lead at Google, where she has spent the last 14 years, based in New York City. Her goal is to ensure that she brings her clients the best of Google so they can grow and transform their business while being more effective and efficient.

In this role, she leads a team that oversees the relationships globally with some of the largest CPG companies in the world. Erika came to Google from Time Inc. where she was the Director of Sales Development for Corporate Marketing. Prior to Time Inc., she spent 4 years at AOL as an Account Executive within New Business Development. She received a Journalism degree from Washington and Lee University in Lexington VA.

She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, Peder, and their 3 boys William (13), James (12) and Layton (7). Erika has a passion for mentoring young women in marketing and advertising, and she's on the Rumson Education Foundation Board in her hometown public school district. She's also passionately involved in mental health through her work with Fountain House and Shore House and believes each of us plays a role in living healthier lives, both mentally and physically.

Crosspoint Capital
San Francisco, CA

Brook is operating principle at Crosspoint Capital Partners and brings twenty-plus years of experience in the technology space leading cross-functional teams through transformation initiatives, venture investments, mergers and acquisitions, integrations, and global risk mitigation strategies. Brook most recently contributed to the growth of Workday, a leading cloud enterprise software provider, building and leading the acquisition integration practice. This follows seventeen years in the digital storage industry with Seagate where she built her operating capabilities in functional and corporate roles across North America and Asia Pacific. One constant in Brook’s career while working in various parts of the world has always been the chance to maintain connections with young professionals and serve as an active mentor.

Brook holds a B.S. in Business Administration & Accounting from Washington & Lee University where she was a four-time All-American in tennis and received her multi-discipline master's in management, economics, and international relations from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Brook resides in the Bay Area with her husband Tad and they are active supporters of the Bay Area arts community.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP
London

Ms. Hill is an Atlanta-native and 2007 graduate of Washington & Lee University. After graduating from Washington and Lee, she completed her JD at Harvard Law School (2010) and obtained an MA in Italian from Middlebury College's school in Florence, Italy (2011). Ms. Hill worked in New York for two years as a capital markets associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton before moving to London to join Shearman & Sterling. After almost four years at Shearman, Ms. Hill was recruited to join Kirkland & Ellis where she was promoted to Partner in October 2019.

Confluence Healthcare Partners
Charlotte, NC

John Hudson is a Co-Founder and General Partner of Confluence Healthcare Partners. John has 30+ years of investment banking experience advising senior management teams and the board of directors. At Wells Fargo Securities, John served as a Vice Chair, Head of Investment Banking Coverage, and Head of Healthcare, Consumer, and Gaming Investment Banking.

Before joining Wells Fargo, John worked in the Healthcare Investment Banking group at Salomon Smith Barney (now Citigroup) and Kidder, Peabody in New York. John earned a B.S. from Washington & Lee University and an M.B.A. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

CBRE Capital Markets, Investment Properties Group
Saddle Brook, NJ

Karly Iacono is a Senior Vice President in CBRE's Capital Markets, Investment Properties Group. Karly provides clients with national advisory services on property acquisitions and dispositions, corporate sale-leasebacks, and development, with notable expertise in retail and single tenant net lease investments.

She has received a myriad of industry awards and acknowledgements, including being named a Globe St. Woman of Influence, Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal's Top Executives in CRE, and the Marcus & Millichap National Achievement Award. Karly is also the host of the widely followed commercial real estate video podcast CRE Fast Five, which offers investor education and interviews with some of the top voices in the commercial real estate industry.

Karly graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington and Lee University with a BS in Business Administration. She is an avid outdoor adventurer and lives in Northern NJ with her two daughters.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
San Francisco, CA

Jennifer Kennedy serves as the Tax Financial Services Leader, part of PwC US' Operating Committee. Jennifer brings a wide range of experiences from her 16 years in PwC's Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) Office and 28 years of public accounting experience. While in WNTS, she had the opportunity to consult with a number of the firm's largest asset management clients as one of the firm's specialists in accounting method issues. These strong relationships and experiences allow Jennifer to provide valuable insights, benchmarks, and best practices to each of her clients.

Prior to joining the Washington office, Ms. Kennedy worked in the legacy Price Waterhouse L.L.P. Atlanta office, where she provided tax consulting and compliance services to a broad range of clients.

Jennifer serves as a member of PwC's U.S. Board of Partners and Principals. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors at the Marriott School of Accountancy - Brigham Young University as well as the treasurer of the Orinda Network for Education.

Ms. Kennedy was previously the chair of the Accounting Periods and Methods Technical Resource Panel of the AICPA and is a co-author of 572 T.M., Accounting Methods - Adoption and Changes.

Ms. Kennedy earned a B.S. in Accounting from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA and a MS in Taxation from American University in Washington, D.C. She is a CPA licensed in Georgia, California, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. and is a member of the California Society of CPAs.

Bank of New York Mellon
New York, NY

Olufemi "Femi" Kusimo is the Global Markets Trading Chief of Staff and Global Platform Execution Services & Product COO at Bank of New York Mellon. In this role, he is responsible for budgeting, strategy and advising the global management team on special projects. He joined Bank of New York Mellon in 2020, serving as the Global Head of FX Transition Management and Onboarding, managing teams across offices in the US, UK, and India.

Prior to joining Bank of New York Mellon, Femi worked at Goldman Sachs for 12 years in the Global Markets Division in a variety of Operations roles on teams in Salt Lake City, Bengaluru and New York. At Goldman Sachs, he was responsible for managing the client onboarding space and liaised with senior internal stakeholders, external clients, and regulators. He also assisted with diversity and inclusion, recruiting and mentoring across the firm.

Femi is a proud West Virginia native and attended Washington and Lee University on the prestigious Heinz Scholarship, where he received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Since 2017, he has served on the Board of Trustees for the Sugar Hill Children's Museum in Harlem, NY and sits on the Finance Committee. He currently lives in Jersey City, NJ with his wife, Alisa, and son, Elijah.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods
Atlanta, GA

Catherine joined Keefe, Bruyette and Woods in 2003 and is responsible for small and mid cap bank research coverage for companies in the Southeast. KBW’s Midcap Banks research team is ranked as No. 1 on Wall Street by Extel (formerly Institutional Investor) All-American Team survey and by Greenwich Associates.

She started her career at KBW, where she spent three years as an analyst within KBW’s investment banking department in Richmond, Virginia. In 2006, she moved to Atlanta to join KBW’s research department. Catherine has been quoted in publications as Wall Street Journal, The American Banker, and various local business journals and has been featured as a guest on CNBC and Bloomberg TV. She is regularly invited to speak at industry conferences, company strategic retreats and bank board meetings.

Ms. Mealor graduated cum laude from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Science with Special Attainments in Commerce Degree. She currently serves on the board of KIPP Metro Atlanta School. Catherine also serves on the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Investor Advisory Council Provides to provide advice, from the investors’ perspective, on current and potential FASB agenda projects. She is an active participant in Stifel’s Women’s Initiative Network (WIN). Catherine lives in Atlanta with her husband, Bill (also a W&L 2003 Graduate), and is a mother of two boys, Griggs and Davis. She happily spends much of her time outside of work on the sidelines of a lacrosse field.

Truist Financial
Houston, TX

Caroline Mitchell is a client advisor with SunTrust Private Wealth Management. She offers clients more than 25 years of comprehensive wealth management experience, with a team approach that brings together specialists in investments, financial planning, credit and estate strategies.

Caroline is a native of Houston, Texas and is a graduate of the Kinkaid School and Washington & Lee University. Caroline serves on the board of The Women's Home, the Williams School Board of Advisors at Washington and Lee University and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Houston. Caroline and her husband, John, have three children and are active members of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church.

Lions Write
Washington, DC

Tolu Olubunmi is a Nigerian-born, American-raised chemical engineer turned political strategist and social entrepreneur. She began her career helping to build the largest immigrant youth movement in US history. An innovative thinker and determined change-maker, she has established and led numerous NGOs and campaigns focused on education, migration, economic inclusion, sustainability, and climate change.

Tolu is the founder and CEO of the social impact venture, Lions Write. In 2018, she was tapped by the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for a special appointment to the United Nations in New York. She ran the United Nations’ award-winning global climate action campaign, ActNow.

Tolu sits on the Board of Directors of the Anti-Defamation League, Board of Directors of USA for IOM (UN Migration Agency), served on the World Economic Forum's Migration Council, co-founded Immigrant Heritage Month, and has helped draft and implement U.S. immigration policies. She is a skilled public speaker, connector, and respected social impact innovator who has worked closely with leaders in government, the private sector, and civil society to shift culture, influence public policy and build strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships.

In 2015, the World Economic Forum named her one of 15 Women Changing the World and an Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur. She was also honored by the Anti-Defamation League for her work on behalf of migrants and refugees. Her inspiring personal story and work have been profiled by several media outlets, including BBC, MSNBC, TIME, US News and World Report, CBS and others.

Tolu is an inaugural Leadership Institute Fellow at the Center for American Progress and holds a Chemistry-Engineering degree from Washington and Lee University.

Bain & Company
Atlanta, GA

Rebecca Russell is a Partner in Bain & Company’s Atlanta office. She is a leader of Bain’s Consumer Products and Organization practices with a deep focus on large scale transformations.

During her time at Bain, Rebecca has worked with senior management teams at large, multi-national clients to help them tackle topics such as operating model, growth strategy, M&A, organizational effectiveness, behavior change and other transformational topics.

Rebecca graduated from Wharton Business School where she was a Palmer Scholar and she also received her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Washington and Lee University. She lives in Atlanta with her husband Jamie and two children Henry and Olivia.

Blackstone
New York, NY

Katie Storer is an investor at Blackstone focused on consumer Growth Equity investments. She joined Blackstone in 2020 and has been part of Blackstone’s investments in Spanx, Supergoop! and Walker Edison and is a member of the Board of Directors at Spanx and Walker Edison.

Prior to joining Blackstone’s Growth Equity team, Katie spent four years at The Carlyle Group focused on Consumer, Media & Retail investments as part of the U.S. Buyout Fund. Previously, Katie worked at Wellspring Capital Management, a middle-market private equity firm in New York, and at Deutsche Bank in the Investment Banking division.

Katie received an M.B.A from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in business administration from Washington & Lee University. Katie resides in New York with her husband Peter and son Henry.

BDO USA
McLean, VA/San Jose, CA

Tom Tagle joined BDO USA in April 2023 as a Partner in the Government Contracts practice with a focus on growing the Western Region. He has over 30 years of experience working with US federal government contractors across a variety of industries, including aerospace, construction, shipbuilding, contingency operations, information technology, engineering, healthcare, and professional services.

Often working for legal counsel, he leads investigations into allegations of accounting irregularities regarding cost allowability, cost allocability, and regulatory compliance under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Cost Accounting Standards, and Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Act (formerly known as Truth in Negotiations Act “TINA”).

Previously, Tagle was a Partner with Baker Tilly, Director with Navigant Consulting, and served the first nine years of his career at Arthur Andersen LLP.

Tagle graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting. Tagle applied his cost accounting knowledge to teach Undergraduate Accounting 330, “Cost Accounting,” at W&L during Winter Term 2018. He is a certified public accountant and resides with his wife in Palo Alto, CA.

KKR & Co.
New York, NY

Anna Thomas is a Principal on the Investor Relations team at KKR & Co. Inc. in New York City where she engages with institutional stockholders and the equity research community. Prior to joining KKR in 2017, Anna worked at SunTrust Robinson Humprey (now known as Truist Securities) in its syndicated and leveraged finance group where she was involved in a variety of debt capital raising transactions.

She graduated from Washington and Lee University in 2014 with a B.S. in Business. Anna is also a member of the Leadership Council of KIPP NYC.

Sherborne Investors Management LP
New York, NY

Stephen is a Partner in and Director of Research of Sherborne Investors, responsible for leading the firm's research function, including identifying investments, establishing the turnaround thesis and participating in the investment's management. He has previously been a non-executive director of TGI Fridays and Electra Private Equity PLC, and was an advisor to F&C Asset Management plc and a Trustee of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.

Prior to joining Sherborne Investors, Stephen worked at Morgan Stanley on both real estate investment banking and principal investment transactions. He earned a B.S. in accounting from Washington and Lee University.