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Experts
Veta Richardson President & CEO
Veta heads ACC, the market-leading professional association that sets the standard for +45,000 in-house counsel across 10,000 companies and +85 nations, reaching 98% of the Fortune 100 and +50% of the Global 1000.
She is a thought leader and strategist regarding diversity/equity/ inclusion. Having advised hundreds of multinational corporations and three U.S. Presidential Administrations (Clinton, Bush, Obama), Veta has garnered multiple awards for development of best-in-class people programs and mentoring next generation leaders.
Veta served on the Strategic Advisory Board of Ethisphere, Inc. until October 2022, when the company was acquired by a private equity firm. Ethisphere is a for-profit corporation that advances business integrity, compliance, and ethics as a competitive advantage and annually selects The World’s Most Ethical Companies. Veta brings expertise in the areas of financial disclosure and corporate governance, holds the NACD Certified Directorship Credential, and has been named to its prestigious Directorship 100 list four times. She currently sits on the board of the John L Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, which is based in Delaware, the incorporation venue of choice for most companies doing business in the U.S.
She is also a bestselling author. Her first book, "Take Six" (TakeSixHabits.com), was released by ForbesBooks in August 2021 and by that December achieved Amazon #1 bestseller status in the strategic management genre.
Monica Palko Chief Legal and Administrative Officer
Monica Palko is Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of York Space Systems in Denver, Colorado. Her responsibilities center on government and commercial contracting, legal and regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. Ms. Palko and her team are passionate about revolutionizing the satellite industry through use of creative contracting vehicles and optimal resource deployment.
With more than thirty years of experience in the public and private sectors, Ms. Palko is an experienced general counsel, compliance lead, and board advisor. In current and prior roles with Fortune 100 and FTSE 50 companies, Ms. Palko has been responsible for all legal, risk, and compliance matters of growing businesses. Since moving inhouse nearly twenty years ago her primary responsibilities have been advising boards and executive leadership in the technology, defense, and manufacturing industries.
Ms. Palko is a National Association of Corporate Directors Governance Fellow and was named by the World Intellectual Property Forum to the list of Most Powerful Woman In Intellectual Property (2021). She serves on the Global Board of Directors of the 45,000-member Association of Corporate Counsel, which promotes excellence in the in-house bar.
Prior to joining York Ms. Palko was Vice President and General Counsel of Lockheed Martin Space. She previously served as the Vice President of Corporate Responsibility of ITT Defense & Information Solutions and as a Trial Attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice where she resolved government contracting claims on behalf of the United States.
Ms. Palko holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a Juris Doctor degree.
Hosts
Erin Essenmacher Chief Strategy and Experience Officer
Erin Essenmacher has 25 years of experience in media, education strategy and corporate governance. She has written, directed, and produced films for PBS, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, the History Channel, and CNN, and worked with brands like Sony, Apple, Acura, and The Gap.
Over the last decade Erin served on the executive leadership team National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) where she was responsible for the design and delivery of board member training, new product development, organizational strategy and thought leadership innovation. In her role, Erin focused on helping directors make sense of the changing role of the board and how it impacts their mandate, including a deeper understanding of ESG, cyber security, regulatory risk, geopolitical disruption, diversity, culture and digital transformation. During her tenure, Erin helped double NACD membership and drove a 400% growth in education revenue.
Her new venture, The Brigh Group helps organizations develop or reimagine content strategy, growth through partnership and better corporate governance. She is also the founder of Feisty Aphrodite, which focuses on original content creation and advising organizations and other makers on media and content strategy.
Erin has been a frequent speaker on corporate governance, strategy and risk oversight, presenting at industry meetings and conferences and as a regular contributor to Directors and Boards magazine. She has served on boards across sectors including as director for the iconic clothing retailer EILEEN FISHER where she chaired the People and Culture committee and helped lead design of the CEO succession plan. She currently sits on the board of Docs in Progress and the Advisory Board for the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University
About this event
In today's dynamic and rapidly evolving business landscape, the role of the general counsel has expanded beyond the traditional legal advisor to become a strategic asset for organizations. To thrive in this new era, general counsels are not here just to provide legal expertise but also possess essential critical thinking skills in combination with a keen understanding of the company’s broader business objectives to drive strategic decision-making. Join Veta T. Richardson and Monica Palko for an insightful and thought-provoking discussion of the evolution of this role and how to unlock its full potential.
Wed, Sep 20 @ 12:00pm PT (1 hr)
VIRTUAL (Join us remotely! RSVP for link)
Open to Public
Salon
Upcoming Events
Join us for a Salon or Meetup to get a peek inside our community! Peer Groups and Learning Circles are exclusively for members - log in here
- ALL events
- A Look Inside Athena
- Peer Group
- Salon
- Meetup
- Orientation
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena is held monthly for prospect members to come and understand how Athena works. They will learn more about the backstory of Athena, see a tour of our platform, and have the opportunity to discuss more of what they are interested in and ask questions about joining our community.
Salons
Learn about the most pressing topics facing executives today in an intimate, yet casual, virtual setting. Hosted by board directors and leaders from the world's top brands.
Meetups
Gather with Athena members in your area for a casual, in-person Meetup. These are planned by request and hosted by Athena members in various cities. If you're interested in hosting and/or joining a meetup in the future, reach out to the Member Success Team and let them know.
Peer Groups
We have an incredible community of female leaders at Athena and we want to bring you closer together! Join a Peer Group and build a network of peers you can engage with for guidance, lessons learned and insights around a shared interest. Choose a topic that most interests you or drop in and out of multiple peer groups as it suits you best. You’ll find at least one peer group available to join every week. Each live session goes for one hour, no preparation is needed, just show up as you are. We look forward to seeing you there!
Learning Circles
A Learning Circle is an opportunity to connect with a small group of other Athena members in a focused yet casual setting, creating accountability around targeted learning to assist you in achieving your goals. Over the course of 6 sessions, club members will meet every 2 weeks to participate in an organic, peer-led discussion of the session's "chapters" consisting of 1-2 Athena salons which are to be reviewed on your own prior to the group session. When joining, members are committing to completing all 6 sessions.
Guided Networking
Typically led by one of Athena's coaches, networking events provide members an opportunity to meet one another in a smaller intimate and virtual setting.
Partner Events
These are typically in-person events led by Coco and our partnering companies on topics that are relevant to the industry and audience of our business partners.
Workshops
A workshop is an interactive session for members to actively practice something, such as their pitch. These sessions typically involve breakout rooms, member to member feedback and are not recorded.
Orientations
For members new to Athena looking for ways to engage, these bi-weekly orientations led by an Athena Member Success Manager, provide a live tour of Athena, member success insights, and a chance to get questions answered.
Enterprise Events
Athena customizes virtual learning events with expert business leaders tailored to a unique company’s needs. These events cultivate cross-functional community, development, and learning across the partner organization.
Other
Athena listens and we're always adding new event types and opportunities for members to engage. See what new events we are currently offering members.
No Upcoming Events Found.
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