Current CEOs and Aspiring CEOs

This year's Annual Conference offers sessions intended solely for current foundation CEOs and aspiring CEOs. Here's what we have slated so far:

Current CEO Track  

In these sessions, current foundation executives will engage with peers in candid conversations about careers, foundation leadership, and important topics on the conference agenda.

Space is limited. To register for the CEO or Aspiring CEO track, visit the registration desk onsite. Please note that you must be a current foundation chief executive officer to participate.

Suite for the C-Suite
Saturday, April 28 - 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, April 29 - 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday, April 30 - 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 1 - 7 a.m.-12 p.m.
Meeting Room: Atrium 2, 3rd Floor Tower

Are you a "C-level" leader looking for a quiet corner to connect with colleagues? Share your wisdom and visit with peers in a special suite reserved for executive foundation leaders. Throughout the conference, you are invited to use this space to network and gain insight first-hand, in a safe and confidential environment. For executive leadership foundation staff only.

Reflections From the Start: New CEOs Reflect on the Challenges They Face
Sunday, April 29 - 2:30-4 p.m.
Meeting Room: Platinum Ballroom G/H, 2nd Floor

In an open forum moderated by three experienced CEOs, foundation executives new to their role will share experiences and persistent challenges, leading to a joint exploration of solutions and strategies.

Facilitator: Kevin F. Walker, President and CEO, Northwest Area Foundation
Discussants: Sandra R. Hern-ndez MD, Chief Executive Officer, The San Francisco Foundation; Carol Larson, President and CEO, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Session Designer(s): Peter Long, President and CEO, Blue Shield of California Foundation; Kevin F. Walker, President and CEO, Northwest Area Foundation

CEO Conversation with Council Leadership
Sunday, April 29 - 4:30-6 p.m
Meeting Room: Platinum Ballroom G/H, 2nd Floor

Council on Foundations leadership will hold a roundtable discussion for CEOs, to discuss matters pertinent to the Council and hear from members and prospective members about the key ways forward for the organization and the field.

Striking the Ideal Humanistic-Technocratic Balance in Grantmaking
Monday, April 30 - 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Meeting Room: Plaza 3, 3rd Floor Tower

A discussion with Paul Connolly of the TCC Group about understanding, articulating, and instilling the desired blend of humanistic and technocratic practices (rational, metrics orientation) in your foundation's organizational culture and everyday routines.

Presenter(s): Clara Miller, President, The F. B. Heron Foundation; Claire Peeps, Executive Director, The Durfee Foundation

Reflections at the Finish Line: CEOs Reflect on Changes in the Field and the Lessons They Learned
Monday, April 30 - 1-2:30 p.m.
Meeting Room: Platinum Ballroom G/H, 2nd Floor

Retired or soon-to-retire CEOs will offer sage advice in a session that draws on their hard-won experiences leading a foundation.

Facilitator: Kafi D. Blumenfield, President and Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Hill Foundation
Discussants: Paul Brest, President and Director, Philanthropy Program, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; James Hoolihan, Former President/CEO, Charles K. Blandin Foundation; Gary L. Yates, Former President and CEO, The California Wellness Foundation
Session Designer(s): Peter Long, President and CEO, Blue Shield of California Foundation; Kevin F. Walker, President and CEO, Northwest Area Foundation

Impact and Evaluation: Leveraging the Results and Feedback Generated by Assessment Reports
Monday, April 30 - 3-4:30 p.m.
Meeting Room: Gold Ballroom 1, 1st Floor

How do CEOs incorporate impact into their work on a daily basis? CEOs of three different foundation types share their thoughts and then open the discussion to their colleagues.

Moderator: Pamela P. Flaherty, President and CEO, Citi Foundation
Presenter(s): Carol Goss, President and CEO, Skillman Foundation; Ben Hecht, President and CEO, Living Cities; Drew E. Altman, Ph.D., President and CEO, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Session Designer(s): Pamela P. Flaherty, President and CEO, Citi Foundation; Peter Long, President and CEO, Blue Shield of California Foundation

Discuss and Dine-Around with Your CEO Colleagues
Monday, April 30 - 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Meeting Rooms: Various Locations

Please join a small group of your CEO colleagues on Monday, April 30, for an informal, participant-driven conversation at a restaurant located within easy walking distance of the conference hotel. The only cost to you is the price of your dinner. Check out the delicious options and sign up to participate in the C-Suite (Atrium 2, Third Floor Tower). Featured restaurants include the Farms of Beverly Hills, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, Magnolia, The Palm, Rosa Mexicano, and WP24. Groups will range in size from 8 to 15 and are designed to promote candid conversation between foundation leaders. The dine-arounds will be held between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. following the various networking receptions, with the majority occurring at 8 p.m.

CEO Salon Conversations
Tuesday, May 1 - 10-11:30 a.m.
Meeting Room: Plaza 1/2, 3rd Floor Tower

Join philanthropic adviser Patty Stonesifer, former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and chair for the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, as she shares the latest on her leadership of the White House Council for Community Solutions; three specific ways funders can more effectively support disconnected youth and needle-moving community collaboratives; candid reflections on the role of philanthropy in working with governments; creating community-level change; and her new perspective on foundation leadership from the other side of the table.

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Aspiring CEO Track  

This three-part program is intended specifically for those with more than five years of senior management experience who expect to be foundation CEOs in the next three to five years. Designed to foster open, candid dialogue, the Aspiring CEO Sessions will explore the skills and qualities needed for the job and the paths to leadership. Current CEOs, trustees, and search consultants will be on hand for the discussions.

Space is limited. To register for the CEO or Aspiring CEO track, visit the registration desk onsite. Please note that you must fit the above criteria to participate.

What Is This Job? A Conversation With Sitting CEOs
Sunday, April 29 - 2:30-4 p.m.
Meeting Room: Platinum Ballroom A/B, 2nd Floor

In a panel moderated by Jim Canales, president and CEO of the James Irvine Foundation, current CEOs will share what their job really entails. They will describe some of their biggest discoveries and challenges, along with the skills they found most essential. These experienced leaders will provide an intimate portrayal of what it really means to run a foundation.

Presenters: Grant Oliphant, The Pittsburgh Foundation; Jamie P. Merisotis, Lumina Foundation for Education; Kate Wolford, McKnight Foundation; Javier Soto, Miami Foundation

What Are You Looking For? A Conversation With Search Consultants and Foundation Trustees
Sunday, April 29 - 4:30-6 p.m.
Meeting Room: Platinum Ballroom A/B, 2nd Floor

Two search consultants and two foundation trustees describe what they look for in CEO candidates. This candid conversation will be moderated by Kathryn Merchant, president of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Presenters: Susan Berresford, trustee, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, The California Endowment, Robina Foundation, and American Asthma Foundation; Sam Pettway, Boardwalk Consulting; Sally Sterling, Spencer Stuart; Peter Taylor, chair, Irvine Foundation, and executive vice president and chief financial officer, University of California

A Round-Robin Session
Monday, April 30 - 10-11:30 a.m.
Meeting Room: Platinum Ballroom G/H, 2nd Floor

Building on the first two sessions, aspiring CEOs confer, in rotating small groups, with experienced current or former CEOs to deepen the previous discussions, expand networks, and build new relationships. This session will be facilitated by Jim Canales and Kathryn Merchant.

Presenters: Steve Hilton, President and CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; Fred Ali, president and CEO, Weingart Foundations; Susan Berresford, trustee, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, The California Endowment, Robina Foundation, and American Asthma Foundation; Jamie P. Merisotis, Lumina Foundation for Education; Grant Oliphant, The Pittsburgh Foundation; Kate Wolford, McKnight Foundation; Javier Soto, Miami Foundation

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