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Experts
Myrna Soto Corp Director / Board Member
Myrna has over 28 years of Information Technology/CyberSecurity experience. Myrna is the Founder and CEO of Apogee Executive Advisors, an advisory firm specializing in CyberSecurity, Technology Risk, Board Service and Governance.
Myrna serves on several publicly traded company boards including CMS Energy, Spirit Airlines, TriNet and Popular Inc. She is recognized as a Governance and Board Leadership Fellow by NACD. She also serves on two private company boards HeadSpace Health and Delinea (a cybersecurity technology provider).
She most recently served as the Chief Strategy and Trust Officer for Forcepoint. She also served as COO of a managed security service provider (MSSP) as well an Investment Partner at ForgePoint Capital. Her previous
roles include serving as Corporate SVP & Global CISO for Comcast Corp, CISO MGM Resorts and other senior leadership positions with American Express, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines and
Kemper Insurance.
She is a highly decorated executive with a long list of recognitions including, being recognized as NACD Directorship 100™ Honoree 2022. She was previously named to Directors & Boards Magazine as a Director to Watch. She also was recognized by boardiQ as a Hall of Fame LatinX | Hispanic Top 100 Honoree. Latino Leaders magazine recognized her in 2021 as one of the Top 100 most influential Latinas in business (for several years now in a row) and a Hall of Fame Honoree in 2022.
Cigdem Gencer Founder, Executive Coach » Leadership Development
Cigdem Gencer is a financial services and data/analytics executive. She has twice been a Chief Financial Officer at Fortune 100 public and mid-size private companies, driving 2-3x level improvements to achieve sustainable scaling and growth. Cigdem has specific expertise in foreseeing challenges associated with rapid scaling, and creating strategies for anticipating and managing potential risk
with the right combination of people, process, and infrastructure.
Cigdem held progressive roles at Wells Fargo over 17 years of leadership across a wide array of businesses and functions, including CFO and COO of Wealth Management, EVP/Head of International HR, EVP/Head of Customer Remediation. Prior to that, she was the CFO at Intrax Cultural Exchange, an international, cultural, and educational exchange company. Her early career includes executive roles at a B2B startup (ADPM) and a decade of Financial Services-vertical consulting with First Manhattan Consulting Group and Mitchell Madison Group, where she helped establish the Madrid, Spain office.
In 2020, Cigdem founded Fazilet Consulting, focused on coaching and guiding leaders, teams, and organizations in achieving sustained high-performance. She has coached professionals and teams in all growth stages and has personally built high-performing international teams that have answered the call on every level – strategically, financially, and competitively.
Cigdem’s acute business acumen, emotional intelligence, communication, and analytical skills have contributed to her success. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University, and a patent in analytic methodologies. In addition, she currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the SF-Marin Food Bank.
Terry Schwakopf Senior Advisor
Terry Schwakopf joined Deloitte in September, 2007 as Senior Advisor in the Governance, Regulatory and Risk Strategies Practice and in that capacity serves as an advisor in a range of areas, with a particular focus in regulatory and risk management for banking organizations. Prior to joining Deloitte, Ms. Schwakopf was Executive Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco with overall responsibility for banking supervision. As head of banking supervision she had oversight of all bank holding companies, state member banks and foreign banking operations located in the nine states that comprise the San Francisco District. In this capacity she traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally, and worked with foreign banking supervisors and other U.S. banking regulatory agencies.
During her 23 year career with the Federal Reserve, Ms. Schwakopf had very broad responsibilities, and in addition to banking supervision, she oversaw community affairs, public information, the corporate secretary’s function and communicating arts, with responsibility for approximately 300 in total staff. She was a member of the Executive Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee and chaired the Risk Management Committee. She was also actively involved in Board of Directors and Advisory Council recruitment.
Ms. Schwakopf is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University (BA) and California State University (MBA). She is on the board of directors of Rabobank, NA, Bridge Bank and Bridge Capital Holdings and she previously served on the board of Nara Bank and Nara Bancorp. She is also a member of the board of directors and the executive committee of United Way of the Bay Area, the Executive Committee for Go Red for Women of the American Heart Association, the Development Committee for the Bay Area Red Cross and the Library Foundation of Tiburon.
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
Community banks and mid-size banks continue to feel vulnerable with deposit run-offs and precarious recapitalizations. Large banks are suddenly back as a preferred choice.
Is there a structural problem in banking? What are the new risks at play that bank executives and their boards are having to consider? Do situations like these merit additional regulation, oversight, and disclosures? And, what is the role of executives and boards in risk, audit, and controls to prevent these situations?
Join Erin Essenmacher, Chief Experience and Strategy Officer at Athena Alliance as she hosts a panel with Cigdem Gencer, Myrna Soto, and Terry Schwakopf that will explore what conversations are or should be taking place in the boardroom as the situation continues to play out, focusing on the big takeaways for board members.
Tue, Jun 06 @ 8:30am PT (1 hr)
VIRTUAL (Join us remotely! RSVP for link)
Open to Public
Salon
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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.
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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.
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Meetup
In Person: Member Networking, Boston, MA 5:30pm-8:30pm ET
Host: Ellen Richstone
Salon
Regulatory Crisis and Board Responses
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Myrna Soto, Cigdem Gencer, Terry Schwakopf
A Look Inside Athena
In Person: Explore Athena Boston, MA 5:30pm-8:30pm ET
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Ellen Richstone
Salon
A Path to CEO in 18 Months: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Host: Carol Winfrey
Experts: Linda Drabik, Karen Spencer, Adriana Muñoz, Rania Missoumi
Salon
Chase Purpose Not Profits to Build a Thriving Culture
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Shaara Roman
Peer Group
Peer Group: People and Culture
Host: Alisia Gill
Experts: Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Experts: Alice Brennan, Athena Alliance
A Look Inside Athena
In Person: Explore Athena Seattle, WA 5pm-7:30pm PDT
Host: Liz Tinkham
Salon
Global Perspectives on People Sustainability
Host: Carol Winfrey
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc, Diana David
Salon
A Talk with Libby Wadle, CEO of J Crew
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Libby Wadle
A Look Inside Athena
A Look Inside Athena
Host: Coco Brown
Peer Group
Peer Group: Compensation Committee
Experts: Suja Chandrasekaran, Athena Alliance
Orientation
Athena Member Orientation
Host: Athena Member Success Manager
Peer Group
Peer Group: Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Athena Alliance
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Salon
ESGT Megatrends Manual Launch 2023-2024
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Ana Rold, Andrea Bonime-Blanc, Shane Szarkowski
Salon
Positive Intelligence: How to Grow Your Mental Fitness to Thrive
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Jennifer Dimaris
Peer Group
Peer Group: Audit Committee
Host: Carol Coughlin, Katrinka McCallum, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Women in Venture
Host: Athena Alliance
Experts: Lilia Shirman
Peer Group
Peer Group: Life Sciences Professionals
Experts: Barbara Troupin, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Succeeding in Your First Board Role
Experts: Cate Goethals, Athena Alliance
Salon
How Dell Went Net-Positive and Changed an Industry
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Trisa Thompson
Salon
The AI Playbook: A Community Dialogue on Creating Future-Ready Boards
Host: Erin Essenmacher
Experts: Joyce Li, Heidi Lorenzen
Peer Group
Peer Group: Raising Investments for Entrepreneurs
Experts: Coco Brown, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Navigating a Career Transition
Experts: Cate Goethals, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Sales and Marketing Leaders
Experts: Rebecca Jones, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Experts: Alice Brennan, Athena Alliance
Salon
Activating Your Capital as a Female Investor
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Naseem Sayani, Heather Zindel
Peer Group
Peer Group: People and Culture
Host: Alisia Gill
Experts: Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Athena Alliance
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Meetup
In Person: Member Networking, Los Altos, CA 5:30pm-7:30pm PT
Host: Marcia Daszko
Experts: Tammy Schuring
Peer Group
Peer Group: Life Sciences Professionals
Experts: Barbara Troupin, Athena Alliance
Salon
AI, Data Strategy & Data Governance
Host: Nazila Alasti, Erin Essenmacher
Peer Group
Peer Group: Raising Investments for Entrepreneurs
Experts: Coco Brown, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Sales and Marketing Leaders
Experts: Rebecca Jones, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Navigating a Career Transition
Experts: Cate Goethals, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Experts: Alice Brennan, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Compensation Committee
Experts: Suja Chandrasekaran, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Athena Alliance
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Peer Group: Raising Investments for Entrepreneurs
Experts: Coco Brown, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Life Sciences Professionals
Experts: Barbara Troupin, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Sales and Marketing Leaders
Experts: Rebecca Jones, Athena Alliance
Salon
A Talk with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, CEO of Xero
Host: Coco Brown
Experts: Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
Peer Group
Peer Group: Navigating a Career Transition
Experts: Cate Goethals, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Experts: Alice Brennan, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Athena Alliance
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Peer Group: Life Sciences Professionals
Experts: Barbara Troupin, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Raising Investments for Entrepreneurs
Experts: Coco Brown, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Navigating a Career Transition
Experts: Cate Goethals, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Sales and Marketing Leaders
Experts: Rebecca Jones, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Experts: Alice Brennan, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Athena Alliance
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Peer Group: Audit Committee
Host: Carol Coughlin, Katrinka McCallum, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Compensation Committee
Experts: Suja Chandrasekaran, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Life Sciences Professionals
Experts: Barbara Troupin, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Raising Investments for Entrepreneurs
Experts: Coco Brown, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Sales and Marketing Leaders
Experts: Rebecca Jones, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Navigating a Career Transition
Experts: Cate Goethals, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Experts: Alice Brennan, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Athena Alliance
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Peer Group: Raising Investments for Entrepreneurs
Experts: Coco Brown, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Life Sciences Professionals
Experts: Barbara Troupin, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Sales and Marketing Leaders
Experts: Rebecca Jones, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Navigating a Career Transition
Experts: Cate Goethals, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: The Board and Beyond for Women in Law
Experts: Alice Brennan, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Compensation Committee
Experts: Suja Chandrasekaran, Athena Alliance
Peer Group
Peer Group: Ripped from the Headlines: Risk, Crisis & Tech Governance in Turbulent Times
Host: Athena Alliance
Experts: Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Peer Group
Peer Group: Raising Investments for Entrepreneurs
Experts: Coco Brown, Athena Alliance
Reach your leadership goals with Athena
Athena Alliance is the premier executive development platform for senior-level women, offering a powerful networking community, resources, executive education, and coaching to help women advance and excel in their careers.