modern governance summit 2023

Adam Bailey is Senior Vice President (SVP) and Global Head of Product at Diligent Corporation, the leader in modern governance providing SaaS solutions across governance, risk, compliance, audit and ESG with $600 million in revenue. In his role, Adam is responsible for driving product strategy, product management and user experience. With more than 20 years’ experience building and scaling successful product and technology teams, Adam joined Diligent following the acquisition of ICSA Software in 2017 where he served as Chief Product Officer, having previously held leadership roles in media and gaming. Adam holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of London and a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Bristol.

Adam serves as SVP, Chief Accounting Officer for Diligent. Adam joined Diligent in 2017 and has more than 17 years of experience working with high-growth global organizations, specializing in the technology and SaaS/software industries. Adam’s team covers several functional areas across financial reporting, accounting operations, revenue recognition, technical accounting (including M&A), real estate, procurement, tax, treasury, and more. Prior to Diligent, Adam was a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young. Adam holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of Maryland and resides in Rockville, Maryland with his wife and two boys.

Adam Habberley, ACDA, is a Manager with Professional Services at Diligent, specializing in ACL Robotics Enterprise. Adam has over 13 years experience delivering robust data analytic programs for more than 300 customers spanning across a plethora of different industries and business process areas. He has expertise with fraud detection, risk management, internal audit, financial controls and transactional analysis. His passion is the deployment of real-world impact solutions that improve the quality of life.

Alex has spent more than 20 years supporting municipalities, educational organizations and other community-based entities in implementing governance management technology to improve efficiency and provide greater transparency for the community. Alex has a passion for customer success, leading a team of solution experts that support our customers in the training, onboarding and ongoing optimization of their board management systems, helping them improve outcomes for their boards, staff and constituents.

Alexa is based in Austin Texas and has been working at Diligent for 2 years. Her primary role is training clients on Diligent Boards and additional modules within the Governance Cloud, both in the beginning stages of site set up and configuration, as well as any additional training needs organizations may face. New members, new administrators, or if a client simply needs a refresher training to be confident in the use of their Diligent portal, Alexa is there to help as much as possible.

Alexander J. Cotoia, Regulatory Compliance Manager & Consultant at The Volkov Law Group PC, has over seventeen years of experience in the legal and compliance profession. Alexander joined The Volkov Law Group in 2021, after a four year in-house assignment with Richard Branson’s suborbital space tourism company Virgin Galactic, in a multifaceted legal and compliance role as a direct report to General Counsel. In that capacity, he assisted Virgin Galactic with the implementation of a foundational ethics and compliance program in preparation for the company to become publicly listed on the NYSE. In his current capacity, Alexander regularly assists the firm’s clients with the resolution of trade compliance matters arising under both the ITAR and EAR, spearheads its due diligence efforts, and assists the firm’s attorneys in advising clients with respect to the applicability of international sanctions regulations, the remediation of corporate compliance programs, and the conduct of internal investigations.

Amanda Carty serves as General Manager, ESG & Data Intelligence for Diligent Corporation, the leader in modern governance providing SaaS solutions across governance, risk, compliance, audit and ESG with $600 million in revenue. In her role, Amanda is responsible for driving commercial strategies for Diligent’s ESG capabilities, data services, risk intelligence data and due diligence services. Amanda previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Diligent, where she led and scaled the company’s global marketing function. In particular, Amanda spearheaded the launch of Modern Governance, a category designed to empower leaders with technology, insights, and processes to fuel good governance that organizations require to thrive and endure. Before Diligent, Amanda was VP of Marketing for Thomson Reuters’ tax and accounting division, where she was instrumental in launching its high-return Taxologist initiative, honoring and empowering tax professionals who embrace technology, innovate and challenge the status quo in their fields. She has also held other strategic marketing positions during her nearly decade-long tenure at the firm. Amanda has been recognized as a finalist for Female Executive of the Year – Business Services and Woman of the Year – Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations for the 2016 Stevie Awards Women in Business. Amanda holds a MBA in International Marketing from the New York Institute of Technology.

Amy has worked with the VMI Alumni Agencies for 15 years. Her primary role is to serve as the Corporate Secretary for the VMI Alumni Agencies, consisting of four boards within the Agencies. Additionally, she is the Executive Assistant to the CEO of the Agencies.

Andrea Messina has been the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director of the Florida School Boards Association since 2015. As CEO, she leads all aspects of the statewide professional organization for Florida’s elected School Board members, including Superintendent search services. In this role and her previous position as FSBA’s Director of Board Development, Andrea is the go-to person in Florida on the issue of School Board and Superintendent Relations, providing coaching and leadership support to district governance teams and their members. Andrea’s experience includes teaching high school English for eight years and being elected to the Charlotte County School Board for three terms where she served as chair four times. During Andrea’s tenure on the Charlotte County School Board, the district received nine straight “High Performing School District” designations by FLDOE. Additionally, Andrea has testified before committees in the Florida Legislature and the US Congress, served as a Keynote Speaker for numerous civic and state-wide organization meetings and conferences, and authored various education articles on local school district issues, community involvement, School Board governance, and School Board/Superintendent relations.

Andy Dunbar is the Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Herbalife Nutrition with global responsibility for the ongoing advancement of the ethics and compliance program within the company. He has direct oversight of the company’s global policies and investigations, guiding the development and delivery of training, and other critical initiatives to drive ethical culture and ensure compliance with local and regional regulations worldwide. Mr. Dunbar brings more than 20 years of experience to Herbalife Nutrition. Prior to joining, he was the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Bel Air Investment Advisors, responsible for advising on legal strategy, overseeing and enhancing the compliance program, and addressing all regulatory matters. Additionally, he was a partner at the international law firm Sidley Austin LLP, where he focused his practice on the defense and litigation of government enforcement matters, conducting corporate internal investigations, and creating and enhancing compliance policies. Mr. Dunbar also spent nine years as an Enforcement Attorney in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement in the Los Angeles Regional Office. Mr. Dunbar holds a Bachelor of Science degree from U.C. Davis, and a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.

Dr. Anna Everett is an Emeritus Professor of Film, Television and New Media Studies, and former Chair of the Department of Film and Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Currently she is an elected Trustee serving as Vice President on the Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees. Formerly, she was interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Academic Policy, and Director of the UCSB Center for Black Studies. Dr. Everett held distinguished visiting professor positions in Holland, Tunisia, and Canada. Dr. Everett is a Ford Foundation Senior Fellow, and a two-time recipient of the Fulbright Senior Scholar Award, among other honors and awards. Her numerous publications include the books Returning the Gaze: A Genealogy of Black Film Criticism, 1909-1949; Learning Race and Ethnicity: Youth and Digital Media; AfroGeeks: Beyond the Digital Divide; Digital Diaspora: A Race for Cyberspace, among many others. She worked as a subject area expert with the MacArthur Foundation, the American Film Institute, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, and the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of African American History and Culture among others. She was appointed and served as Commissioner for two full terms on the County of Santa Barbara County Commission for Women, and currently she serves on the Board of Directors at the National Association of Commissions for Women. She recently launched a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting business, EDS (Everett Diversity Strategies+).

Anthony J. Pugliese is President and CEO of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the internal audit profession’s most widely recognized advocate, educator, and provider of standards, guidance, and certifications. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Pugliese has been a strategic, hands-on leader, directed strategic expansions into major global markets, pioneered innovative educational initiatives aimed at enhancing members’ professional growth, overseen the internal audit function of a major organization, and defined cultural norms toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DE&I). As CEO of The IIA, he drives the vision and management of the over 80-year-old organization with more than 210,000 members, 156 chapters, and 112 affiliates in nearly 200 countries and territories. His focus is on enhancing membership services, creating new approaches to learning and competency development programs, fulfilling The IIA’s multimillion-dollar digital transformation initiative, and enhancing the value of internal audit, particularly in its role of addressing organizational risks and opportunities.