Summit Speakers

Daphne Jones

I Am Becoming

Daphne E. Jones exemplifies the transformative power of resilience and ambition, having turned early societal constraints into a narrative of success and empowerment.

As a celebrated author, keynote speaker, and former Chief Information Officer, she has navigated a remarkable career across esteemed organizations like IBM and General Electric, where she has held pivotal leadership roles that span systems engineering, digital innovation, and corporate governance.

Keynote

Maria Ross

Maria Ross is a speaker, facilitator, author, and empathy advocate who believes cash flow, creativity, and compassion are not mutually exclusive. She’s spent decades helping forward-thinking leaders and teams connect and engage through empathy to accelerate growth and impact. Maria has authored multiple books, including The Empathy Edge: Harnessing the Value of Compassion as an Engine for Success and The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries, and hosts The Empathy Edge podcast.

I Am AI First, Human ALWAYS

Keynote

Anjana Harve

Anjana Harve is a distinguished Global Chief Digital and Information Officer with over 25 years of extensive experience in leading digital transformation initiatives across Fortune 500 companies.

Her expertise spans highly regulated sectors such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and retail, where she has successfully driven business model innovations, process enhancements, and superior customer and employee experiences.

I Am Leading Through the Curve

Rebecca Gasser

Rebecca Gasser is a distinguished global CIO renowned for her transformative leadership in leveraging enabling technologies to enhance organizational culture and employee experience, ultimately optimizing business outcomes.

With over 25 years in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and management consulting, Gasser has consistently demonstrated her ability to drive digital transformation.

I Am Leading Through the Curve

Leena Patel

After a successful 22-year tenure at a single enterprise, rising from software developer to Chief Information Officer, Leena Patel recently solidified her experience in the chemicals industry as the Global Chief Information Officer at a new organization.

Her expertise spans highly regulated sectors where she has successfully motivated teams to achieve strategic corporate goals via technology and creating winning cultures.

I Am C-Suite Ready

Rachelle Putnam

Rachelle Putnam serves as the Vice President, Chief Information Officer for General Dynamics Land Systems responsible for Information Technology and Cyber Security.

As CIO, Rachelle sets the strategic direction for IT and Cyber Security, driving innovation through the deployment of new technologies, ensuring optimization of technology operations while ensuring data is safely protected. Rachelle is responsible for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence across all sectors of the business, transforming business practices into modern ways of working..

I Am C-Suite Ready

Mel Reyes

Mel Reyes is a dynamic and accomplished professional whose multifaceted career spans over three decades in information technology, cybersecurity, and leadership development.

He has a proven track record as a thought leader, successfully guiding organizations through significant transformations and enabling teams to build resilience and high performance.

His commitment to community service is reflected in his active involvement with nonprofit organizations, helping these entities thrive through his advisory roles and mentorship. His dedication to professional growth and community involvement positions him as a formidable force in leadership development and organizational resilience.

Leona Thomas

Leona Thomas is the founder and CEO of Enabling Investments. She has over two decades in executive leadership and strategic management consulting experience focusing on business transformation and strategy execution bringing together strategy operations, team building, and technology.

Leona has worked with companies from the early-stage startups to the global fortune 500’s. These include leading teams starting at initial concept to over 300+ people and new innovations that have resulted in new products, services, and business models generating $billions over their lifetimes.

She serves on the board of Philadelphia City Rowing currently and has served on multiple boards previously.

Jane von Kirchbach

Global CIO and enterprise technology executive currently serving as Senior Vice President and Global Commercial CIO at Pfizer, leading a globally distributed organization of over 5,000 team members delivering digital, AI, and enterprise platforms and products across 200 markets worldwide.

Lyza Valenzo

Lyza Valenzo is a transformational technology executive, business leader, and advocate for intentional leadership. As Vice President of Information Technology and Digital Transformation at Ecore International, she leads enterprise technology strategy, cybersecurity, digital innovation, ERP modernization, AI enablement, and enterprise-wide business transformation initiatives.

I Am Human

Kristen Lamoreaux

Kristen Lamoreaux is a cultivator of talent that derives joy from helping others achieve their potential. Her integrity, candor, and focus on moving things forward ensure you will always get the hard truth from her mentoring heart.

A woman of energy and action, Kristen is a self-proclaimed “Inclusionist” who dedicates her efforts, both personally and professionally, toward helping people and organizations reap the benefits from a diverse leadership team.

Kristen's thought leadership includes women’s leadership, technology talent, STEM Outreach, and networking through philanthropy.

I Am C-Suite Ready

RJ Juliano

I Am C-Suite Ready

RJ Juliano creates environments where people want to work, and customers and partners enjoy doing business.

RJ joined Parkway Corporation in February 2016 and serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer. He is responsible for the innovative integration of industry-leading technology, strategy, partner relations, product development, customer experience, marketing, and operations company-wide.

Inside the "intersection of technology and business," and this is truer today than ever.