Peter Mason served for twenty-three years as global chief legal officer of Unicef, at UN Headquarters in New York. In this role, reporting directly to the global chief executive, he oversaw legal services to the organization’s offices in more than 150 countries. Unicef has complex global operations in procurement, transport, shipping, logistics, and construction, and is one of the largest purchasers of vaccines in the world (by value and volume); its annual budget is some US$10B. Throughout his time at Unicef he was a member of the organization’s International Management Committee. He also served on the Security Management Team, which established organizational risk policies across a broad range of risks (including cyber risk) and oversaw response to security incidents (including cyber incidents). From 1998 to 2006 he was a member of the Audit Committee. He chaired the board overseeing investment of a fund with US$2.1B AUM (as of June 2021) to meet retiree health insurance obligations and managed by external fund managers in the UK and Europe. Since early 2022, Peter Mason has been an international commercial arbitrator and mediator with London’s Arbitra International. He holds degrees in Law and in Economics from the University of Sydney (Australia) and clerked for a senior judge of the Federal Court of Australia immediately after graduating from Law School. He serves on the Boards of a number of philanthropic organizations and professional societies and was a member of The Conference Board’s Chief Legal Officers’ Council. Peter Mason was born in Papua New Guinea.

6 November 2024

Michael A. Brown serves as vice president, assistant general counsel and corporate secretary of The New York Times Company. Mike joined The Times Company as vice president, assistant general counsel and assistant corporate secretary in May 2022 and was named corporate secretary in March 2023.

In addition to his role as corporate secretary, Mike leads the company’s corporate and securities practice. He oversees its core responsibilities of securities law compliance, corporate governance, executive compensation and transactional matters.

Prior to joining The Times Company, Mike was deputy general counsel and corporate secretary at Cipher Mining, an emerging technology company specializing in Bitcoin. Before that, he was deputy general counsel and assistant corporate secretary at Clearway Energy, Inc., one of the largest renewable energy owners in the United States. In both roles, he led governance- and board-related activities, coordinated S.E.C. reporting and advised on significant financial transactions. He also played a key role in the development of E.S.G. strategic initiatives.

Mike was honored as a Rising Star by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association in 2023 and was a finalist for Governance Professional of the Year at the 2020 Corporate Governance Awards hosted by Corporate Secretary magazine.

Mike began his in-house career at NRG Energy, Inc., serving as senior counsel, securities and finance, and he also worked at the law firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. He received his undergraduate degree from Williams College and his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Richard Gluckselig is an Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an S&P 500 biotechnology company headquartered in New York whose mission is to help patients with serious diseases.  Richard has nearly 20 years of experience advising companies on issues critical to their business. In his current role, Richard focuses on corporate governance, securities law compliance and financing matters, as well as strategic transactions, shareholder engagement and board support.  Previously, Richard worked as a member of the securities and public companies practice group of an international law firm in Manhattan.  Richard holds a law degree from the University of Michigan and is admitted to the practice of law in New York.

Matthew W. Geekie is senior vice president, secretary and general counsel at Graybar, an

employee-owned FORTUNE 500 distributor of electrical, communications and data

networking products. Over the course of his 35-year career, Matt has developed broad

based experience in management, strategic planning, corporate governance, mergers and

acquisitions, risk management and human resources. His extensive educational

background, proven leadership skills and strategic vision enable him to achieve optimal

business results.

Matt began his career in 1987 as a trial attorney defending product liability lawsuits. He took

his first in-house positon with Siegel-Robert, Inc., a family-owned, tier-one supplier to the

automotive industry in 1992. While at Siegel-Robert, Matt expanded his skill sets to include

mergers and acquisitions, as well as labor and employment. Returning to private practice in

1997 at Peper Martin, Matt built on his mergers and acquisitions experience, began

securities work and continued advising clients in the areas of employment and labor

relations. In 2000, Matt moved to Emerson Electric as associate general counsel for the

Emerson Process Management group of companies. At Emerson, he continued to hone his

skills, while taking on responsibilities in corporate governance, export and import

compliance, and international law. In 2005, Matt became general counsel and secretary of a

Berkshire Hathaway company, XTRA Lease, where he became involved in logistics and

transportation.

Graybar hired Matt as its Associate General Counsel in February 2008 with the intent of his

succeeding to his current role, which occurred within six months of his hire. In August of

2008, Matt was elected to Graybar’s Board of Directors and named Senior Vice President,

Secretary and General Counsel. He sits on Graybar’s Executive, Audit, Compensation,

Contributions, Disclosure, Finance, Employees’ Benefits and Information Technologies

committees. In addition, Matt is Chairman of the Board of Graybar’s Canadian subsidiary.

Matt holds an undergraduate degree in history and a Juris Doctor, both from Saint Louis

University. He has attended executive education and board training at Harvard Business

Updated: 5/24

School, the University of Chicago, and the National Association

of Corporate Directors.

Matt currently serves on the Board of Directors of CK Power, a private company that is a

leading manufacturer of power units and power generation solutions, as well as the St.

Louis/Chicago Advisory Board of FM Global, a global insurer of commercial real estate.

Matt is a past president of the Saint Louis Zoo Association Board of Directors, currently

sitting on its Government Relations, Investment and Long-Range Plan Implementation

Committees, as well as being a Member of the Zoo’s Marlin Perkins Society. He is also past

chairman of the Board of Directors of the Oasis Institute, a current board member as well as

a member of its Executive, Finance and Advancement committees. In addition, Matt is past

chairman of the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Community Foundation. He is also a

member of the Greater St. Louis Inc. Government Relations Council, a member of Vistage

Worldwide, Inc. and a former president of the Missouri Law Institute.

Throughout his career Matt has written or spoken on various topics including corporate

governance, mergers and acquisitions, cybersecurity and enterprise risk management.

Matt’s experience, business achievements and community involvement helped him earn

several recognitions, including OnCon Icon Top 50 Corporate Counsel 2021 and 2023,

Missouri Lawyer’s Media In-House Counsel Award 2017, and the St. Louis Business

Journal’s Corporate Counsel Award for Innovation 2015. In addition, with Matt’s

stewardship, Graybar has been recognized for its excellence in corporate governance by

Corporate Secretary Magazine for Best Overall Corporate Governance for a Private

Company in 2015, 2016, and 2018 and by Private Company Director Magazine in 2019 in

the category of Fiduciary Board/Closely Held or Employee-Owned companies.

Mr. Phillips is Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Constellation Energy.  Constellation is the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy and leading supplier of sustainable solutions to millions of residential, public sector and business customers.

Mr. Phillips has advised boards and senior management on various topics, including risk oversight; fiduciary duties; board succession; executive compensation; SEC disclosures; and shareholder activism.

Mr. Phillips is past chair of the Corporate and Securities Law Committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel and formerly served on the board of directors of the Society for Corporate Governance.

In December 2021, Mr. Phillips obtained his National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship Certification™.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Duke University School of Law.

Mr. Taylor is the Vice President, Chief SEC Counsel and Secretary of American Water Works Company, Inc., where he is responsible for American Water’s securities law, corporate governance and corporate law compliance, and leads the corporate secretary function. At American Water, Mr. Taylor serves as a trusted advisor to the Board of Directors and the executive leadership team, and as a legal and strategic business partner to the company’s accounting, communications, human resources and executive compensation, finance, investor relations and treasury functions. Throughout his nearly three-decade career, including 13 years within the in-house corporate secretary function, Mr. Taylor has advised clients in various securities, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and capital raising, executive compensation and business and corporate law matters.

Mr. Taylor is a frequent speaker, presenter and panelist covering topics pertinent to securities and corporate governance professionals. Mr. Taylor has been an active member of the Society for Corporate Governance since 2002 and served for four years as a member of its Board of Directors, including three years as Chair of its Audit and Finance Committee. Mr. Taylor received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Northwestern University and his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Mr. Taylor is a member of the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania bars, and holds a limited license to practice as in-house counsel in New Jersey.

Bruce H. Goldfarb is President and Chief Executive Officer of Okapi Partners, the proxy solicitation and investor response firm.  Bruce works extensively with corporations and investors focusing on investor response strategy and execution for contested election campaigns, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance matters, investor engagement campaigns, and other extraordinary situations.

Prior to establishing Okapi Partners, Bruce was the Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of Georgeson Inc. (now a subsidiary of Computershare Limited), where he headed the Global M&A Advisory Group.

Before entering the proxy solicitation business, Bruce was a Senior Vice President of the investment management firm, Scudder, Stevens & Clark, which is now a part of DWS Group. At Scudder, he was a member of the Legal Department and served as Chairman of the Firm’s Proxy Review Committee.

Bruce practiced corporate law with Cravath, Swaine & Moore for more than six years, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions, securities transactions and international matters.

Bruce is a current member of the Board of Visitors of the Columbia University School of Law, the Advisory Board of the Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership, and the Board of Advisors of the NYU Law School Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance. He was previously a member of the Council of Institutional Investors Market Advisory Council and the Advisory Board of the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance.  Bruce also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the not-for-profit Signature Theatre Company.

Bruce earned a J.D. from the Columbia University School of Law.  He received a B.A. in the History of Art from the University of Pennsylvania concurrently with a B.S. Econ., concentration in Finance, from its Wharton School.

Henrique Canarim is Vice President, Senior Assistant General Counsel, and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Leidos. His practice areas include securities regulation, corporate governance, strategic transactions, and capital markets. Henrique serves as lead counsel for SEC disclosures and public company reporting, including proxy statements and corporate sustainability (ESG) reporting. He also advises Leidos and its senior management on NYSE compliance, investor relations, insider trading, and equity compensation.

Before joining Leidos, Henrique was a Director and Assistant General Counsel for Corporate Governance and Securities at Capital One Financial Corporation. He was also an associate at the law firms of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Morrison & Foerster LLP in New York, focusing on capital markets transactions, securities, and corporate governance advisory for domestic and international clients.

Henrique serves as chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Corporate and Securities Law Forum for the National Capital Region. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School and the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil and is licensed to practice law in New York and Virginia.

Abdullah is a Senior Governance Consultant at stc. His focus areas are Subsidiary Governance, Board and Committee Management, Board, Board Secretary Management, amongst other Governance mandates. He works to build a common understanding on all aspects of Governance and Compliance between the stc Group and its subsidiaries.

He worked as a corporate lawyer at Petro Rabigh, Emaar (King Abdullah Economic City) and the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

He was raised in Montreal, Canada. In addition to Arabic and English, he is fluent in French. He studied undergraduate and postgraduate law in England and has a Masters degree from IE University in Madrid.

He has participated in many speaking engagements on various Governance, Legal and Compliance topics in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and New York.

Additionally, he is a Board Member for the Association of Corporate Counsel’s (ACC) – the global bar associaton for in-house lawyers – MENA Chapter. He is a member of GCC BDI’s Board Secretary Advisory Board.

BRADY LONG is Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer of Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG), the world’s leading offshore drilling contractor. He served as Vice President – General Counsel & Secretary of Ensco plc (NYSE:ESV) from 2011 to 2015 and Pride International, Inc. (NYSE:PDE) from 2009 to 2011, when Pride was acquired by Ensco.  He served as Chief Compliance Officer of Pride from 2006 to 2009.

In 2009, Mr. Long was named one of the 100 most influential leaders in business ethics in the world by Ethisphere magazine.

Mr. Long graduated with a BA, magna cum laude, from Brigham Young University (1996), a JD, with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law (1999), and an Executive LLM in Tax from New York University (2019).

Adriana Mitchell serves as SVP and Associate GC at Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), where she is responsible for all of the company’s securities reporting, board governance, capital markets and treasury and tax work worldwide.

Adriana is an experienced corporate and securities attorney, with proven track record of guiding corporations through strategic capital markets transactions, M&A integration, and international corporate restructuring and expansion. Adriana has significant domain knowledge in SEC reporting obligations and provides strategic counsel to multiple global business functions, including treasury, accounting, investor relations, finance, tax, marketing and benefits teams.

Adriana previously served as the senior counsel and chief securities officer of Jack Cooper Transport, a transportation and logistics provider offering services in North America, where she performed a wide range of legal efforts during a period of dynamic change in raising capital. While at Jack Cooper, Adriana orchestrated policy implementation to fortify disclosure controls, ensuring IPO readiness for the company, and supported M&A transaction teams in various diversifying efforts.

Prior to that, Adriana spent 6 years as a corporate and securities lawyer with Paul Hastings LLP and Morris, Manning and Martin, LLP. Adriana received her JD. and B.A. with honors from the University of Georgia.

Ms. Olich is Head of Governance, Associate General Counsel and Senior Assistant Corporate Secretary for Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH). She joined Equitable Holdings in 2018 and is responsible for management of the corporate governance function and for oversight of the executive compensation, employee benefits and employment law functions. In addition to providing governance advice for the Equitable insurance and retirement businesses, she advises on governance matters for Equitable Holdings’ asset management subsidiary Alliance Bernstein. Ms. Olich is a member of the Executive Leadership Team of the Law Department and serves on the company’s ESG Steering Committee.

Before joining Equitable Holdings, Ms. Olich was Vice President, Corporate Counsel and Assistant Secretary at Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ) responsible for management of the corporate law and corporate secretarial functions. Previously, Ms. Olich was an associate in the corporate practice group of the New York office of Alston & Bird LLP focusing on international M&A.

Ms. Olich is a past President of the New York Chapter of the Society for Corporate Governance and currently its Membership Chair and a member of its Advisory Committee. She has spoken at governance and corporate counsel forums on the evolution of ESG reporting, corporate secretary and related investor relations matters, and law department leadership.

Ms. Olich received a Bachelor of Science degree in German Language from Georgetown University and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

Brian Short is a corporate transactional attorney and Co-Leader of the firm’s Securities and Capital Markets practice. He advises clients in many complex business law matters. Brian represents companies, investors, private equity firms, and investment banks in a range of corporate transactions, including negotiating and executing public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures. He counsels public and privately held companies on corporate governance and board issues, compliance matters, and periodic reporting. Brian regularly advises clients across a range of industries, including life sciences, technology, engineering, professional services, and consumer products. Prior to joining the firm, Brian was a partner at Dechert LLP and, most recently, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer of a publicly traded international engineering, information technology, and staffing services company.

Seth is a seasoned legal executive with a proven track record of providing strategic legal counsel and support to large global organizations. Seth is the Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Corporate Secretary, and General Counsel for Work Dynamics at JLL.

By working closely with the Work Dynamics Executive Board and other senior leadership, Seth advises on risk mitigation, governance and policy creation, litigation and dispute resolution, M&A deal structures, and solution design and implementation. His contributions help ensure that legal considerations are integrated seamlessly into JLL’s decision-making processes. Seth effectively navigates complex legal landscapes while supporting JLL’s growth strategies.

As JLL’s Assistant Corporate Secretary, Seth’s role as a trusted legal counselor to the JLL Board of Directors and JLL Global Executive Board underscores his commitment to fostering sound corporate governance practices. With his expertise in corporate governance matters, director and officer independence, and compliance with securities laws, Seth plays a vital role in maintaining JLL’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and best practices.

Through his leadership and strategic guidance, Seth enables JLL’s Work Dynamics business to flourish in a competitive market. Seth’s dedication and expertise make him a valuable asset in supporting JLL’s strategic priorities and delivering exceptional results for clients and stakeholders alike.

Prior to joining JLL in 2021, Seth previously served as a legal executive at Cushman & Wakefield and AkzoNobel and was a Litigation Partner at the international law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Seth received his law and undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan.

Christine Kim is a senior associate at international law firm Clifford Chance.  She advises privately and publicly held companies, both targets and acquirors, in cross-border and US transactions and corporate matters. Her experience spans a broad range of sectors and industries, as well as a diverse variety of matters, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, strategic investments, and joint ventures.

At Clifford Chance, Christine serves on the AI & Innovation Board.

She earned a BA from Stanford University and a JD from Cornell Law School.  She is a member of the New York bar.

George advises boards and conducts searches for directors.  He leads Spencer Stuart’s Board Effectiveness Practice in North America, consulting with CEOs and boards on governance matters such as board composition, director recruitment and onboarding, the board’s annual self-assessment, and CEO succession.  He is a recipient of Spencer Stuart’s Lou Rieger Quality Award for outstanding client service.

Boardroom Expertise

• George has been named multiple times to the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship 100, a listing of the most influential individuals in the boardroom community. He was named one of ten global “Rising Stars of Corporate Governance” by the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance at Yale University.
• He has authored numerous articles on board matters for publications including Harvard Business Review. He is often interviewed by global media organizations and has been quoted on governance and leadership in publications such as The Wall Street Journal.
• George is a regular speaker at events hosted by organizations such as by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), and Corporate Board Member. He also convenes directors to support their development and leads Spencer Stuart’s New Director Program.
• Before joining Spencer Stuart, George was a partner at Tapestry Networks where he convened several leading groups of corporate directors.  Previously, George was a principal at Toffler Associates, a senior consultant at Accenture, and a corps member in Teach For America.

George holds an M.Ed. in human development and psychology from Harvard University and a B.A. in philosophy from Haverford College.  He serves on nonprofit boards and is a governor-appointed trustee of MassTech, a public economic development authority in Massachusetts.

Ben Maiden is the editor-at-large of Governance Intelligence, an IR Media publication, having joined the company in December 2016. He is based in New York. Ben was previously managing editor of Compliance Reporter, covering regulatory and compliance issues affecting broker-dealers and asset management firms in the US and Europe. Before that, he was editor of Euromoney Institutional Investor’s International Financial Law Review and IFLR’s Americas editor, working in London and New York.

Steve Wade is the head of event content at IR Media Group. As a content researcher, conference producer, and event host for IR Magazine and Governance Intelligence, Steve is responsible for gathering intelligence on public companies’ most significant global issues. Steve’s team develops events that promote excellence in investor relations, governance, and sustainability for issuers and investors.

Prior to Corporate Secretary, Steve’s background was in corporate social responsibility and responsible investment. During his time at Ethical Corporation (now Reuters Events), Steve launched the ESG symposium; an event focused on connecting the socially responsible investment community with corporate sustainability leaders at listed companies. Steve was a judge for the Deloitte Green Frog Awards, celebrating the best corporate reporting in Eastern Europe. Steve also presented research at the Global Sustainable Event Summit in London and has spoken about extra-financial reporting with the United Nations Global Compact, the World Bank, and the Polish Ministry of Finance.

Steve has a BSC in Event Management, is a member of working groups toward improved practices in international event management, and enjoys swimming, rugby and outdoor pursuits in his spare time.