Join Us For

Directors Summit 2026

Reframing the Future

March 5 & 6, 2026 | San Diego, California

A Summit for Directors and C-Suite

Directors Summit is where today’s boardroom visionaries and c-suite leaders come together to shape tomorrow. Crafted and led by the decision-makers themselves, this high-energy conference dives into the forces redefining leadership in an era of complexity and constant change.

Expect bold ideas and actionable insights through TED-style talks, fireside chats, and powerful conversations with the nation’s top corporate leaders. Expand your perspective, strengthen your network, and walk away ready to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

Registration opens soon—don’t miss your chance to be part of the conversation shaping the future of leadership.

Schedule

Dates: March 5 & 6, 2025

Location

Guggenheim Theatre
@ UCSD’s Park & Market

1100 Market Street San Diego, CA 92101

Ticket Information

Tickets on sale soon

Ticket Information

Members: $495
Non-Members: $595

Individual ticket sales are intended for current and former board members or company executives.

Why Top Directors Choose Directors Summit

Navigate Today's Toughest Challenges

Learn from leading directors and industry experts who are navigating the toughest challenges of our time.

Connect & Discover with Your Peers

Connect with peers from across the country in an environment designed for dialogue and discovery.

Drive Long-Term Impact

Lead with renewed vision and strategies to drive long-term impact.

Topics We Explore

Corporate Directors Forum Institute’s annual summit takes on the issues that matter most for boards and executives today:

Summit Co-Chairs

Directors Summit 2025
Keynote Speakers

Directors Summit Keynote Speakers

Corporate Directors Forum is pleased to introduce this year’s keynote speakers!

See 2026's Directors Summit
Keynote Sponsors

Meet this year’s keynote sponsors!

Sponsorship Opportunities
Coming Soon

Request more information on sponsorship opportunities by clicking here.

2025 Conference Agenda

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Welcome Reception & Opening Program

5:00pm – 6:00pm: Refreshments & Networking

6:00pm – 7:00pm: Fostering Resiliency & Reimagination

  • Sheila Bangalore (Moderator)
    • Independent Board Member and Chair, Governance Committee, StoneAge Holdings, Inc.
    • Director, Games Global Limited
    • Board Advisor, Paloma Health
    • Venture Partner, Springtide Ventures

  • Tracy S. Harris
    • Board Member, Bally’s Corporation
    • Board Member, CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield
    • Board Member, Council of Institutional Investors
    • Board Member, PCAOB, Investor Advisory Group
    • Trustee, District of Columbia Retirement Board

  • Nikul Patel
    • Founder & CEO, LoanGlide
    • Board Member, Getaround
    • Board Member, Skyline Champion Corporation
    • Board Member, Data Axle

Friday, February 21, 2025

Morning Summit Theme

Resiliency

8:00am - 8:30am: Check-in & Self-Serve Breakfast

8:45am - 9:00am: Welcome Remarks

  • Annalisa Barrett
    • Senior Advisor, KPMG Board Leadership Center
    • Chair, Directors Summit 2025, Corporate Directors Forum Institute

  • Jessica N. Grounds
    • CEO, Corporate Directors Forum & Corporate Directors Forum Institute

9:00am – 10:00am: TED-Style Speaker Series: Resiliency

Energy

  • Zabrina Johal
    • Senior Director, Strategic Development, General Atomics 
    • Board Member, National Center for Energy Analytics
    • Trustee Emeritus, National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
    • Founding Member, Women in Fusion
    • Chair, Communications Advisory Committee, Nuclear Energy Institute

Technology & Innovation

  • Amy Wilkinson
    • CEO & Founder, Ingenuity
    • Board Member, Hut 8
    • Board Member, Innovate Corp
    • Faculty, Stanford Graduate School of Business

Environment & Social Responsibility

  • Patricia Márquez
    • Director, PriceSmart
    • Professor of Management, Knauss School of Business, University of San Diego
    • Former Dean, Joan B. Kroc School of Peace & Justice, University of San Diego

10:00am – 10:40am: Fireside Chat: Lessons in Activism

In Partnership with Evercore

  • David Cahoy
    • Senior Managing Director, Evercore

  • John Driver (Moderator)
    • Chief Executive Officer, Lynx Technology
    • Director, City First Bank
    • Director, Vital Energy Inc.
    • Trustee, Fleet Science Center

10:40am – 11:00am: Morning Break

11:00am – 11:40am: Topic Spotlight: Managing the Wave of DEI Backlash

In Partnership with Sidley Austin LLP

  • Derek Zaba
    • Partner, Co-Chair, Shareholder Activism & Corporate Defense Practice, Sidley
  • David Glasgow
    • Executive Director, Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, NYU School of Law
  • Jessica N. Grounds (Moderator)
    • CEO, Corporate Directors Forum & Corporate Directors Forum Institute

11:45am – 12:25pm: Presentation: Navigating Geopolitical Risk in an Uncertain World

  • Rodger Baker
    • Executive Director, Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics, RANE

12:25pm – 1:15pm: Lunch Break

Afternoon Summit Themes

Reimagination

1:15pm – 2:00pm: Panel Discussion: Investor Trends & Fresh Takes

In Partnership with KPMG

  • Stephen L. Brown (Moderator)
    • Senior Advisor, KPMG Board Leadership Center
  • Courteney Keatinge
    • Senior Director of Environmental, Social and Governance Research, Glass Lewis
  • Scott Zdrazil
    • Principal Investment Officer, LACERA

2:00pm – 2:45pm: Fireside Chat: Reimagining Culture & Connection

  • Steve Brass
    • President, CEO, & Board Member, WD-40 Company

  • Jeff Lindeman
    • Chief People, Culture and Capability Officer, WD-40 Company

2:45pm – 3:00pm: Mid-Afternoon Break

3:00pm – 3:20pm: Presentation: Agenda for the Prepared Board

  • Judy Samuelson
    • Executive Director, Aspen Institute Business + Society Program, Aspen Institute

3:20pm – 4:10pm: TED-Style Speaker Series: Reimagination

In Partnership with Pearl Meyer

Board Member of the Future

  • Peter Thies
    • Managing Director, Pearl Meyer Leadership Practice

Reimagining the Work Model

  • Cali Williams Yost
    • CEO & Founder, Flex + Strategy Group

Expanding Our View of Stakeholders

  • Lara Lee
    • Independent Director, WD-40 Company
    • Independent Director, Liberty Safe
    • Independent Director, Rather Outdoors

4:10pm - 4:55pm: Resilience and Reimagination, Redefined: Harnessing the Power of Improv Thinking

  • Jerry Beers
    • CEO & Founder, The Olivine Project

4:55pm: Closing Remarks

  • Jessica N. Grounds
    • CEO, Corporate Directors Forum & Corporate Directors Forum Institute