IAOP - IAOP On Location: NYC Speakers

IAOP On Location: NYC

James Donovan
CEO, ADEC Innovations, and Chairman, Global CEO Alliance

James is an entrepreneur focused on impact investing that generates measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial return. With over 25 years of investment banking and entrepreneurial expertise, James has invested in the areas of sustainability, healthcare, education, technology and data management. James redefines and delivers innovative Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) solutions to fortune 1000 corporations. Integrating Big Data expertise into ESG solutions, his companies have developed some of the most advanced applications that promote ethical and sustainable practices in the corporate world.

Zinaida Charalambous
Director, Workplace Advisory, Colliers

Zinaida is a Workplace Strategist in the Workplace Advisory practice, with 6 years of experience in Workplace Strategy, Architecture, Organization Strategy, Human Resources and Talent Acquisition. Based in Philadelphia, she supports the Workplace Advisory team across the US regions. She brings support to the practice leaders in developing workplace strategies, pre-design services, programming and deliverables. Zinaida brings unique strategic influences from Europe and the UK, having worked with clients across multiple industries in the US and internationally.

Zinaida believes a holistic approach to workplace should bridge the gap between people, space, and technology.

Mark Voytek, COP
Chief Advisor of Thought Leadership, IAOP and Founder and Managing Partner, Voytechnology Partners

Mark has over 25 years of experience as a transformational business executive helping Global 1000 organizations drive business and technology transformations across several industries, including CPG, health care & life sciences, technology & software, services, manufacturing, energy and utilities, financial services, and retail. Prior to his current role at SirionLabs, Mark held leadership roles at EY and KPMG advising clients across all aspects of enterprise transformation related to Information Technology, Supply Chain & Operations, Quality, Finance & Accounting, Enterprise Resource Planning, Procurement, and other functions.

Mark is a frequent guest-lecturer for top MBA programs such as Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Vanderbilt’s Owen School, Ohio State’s Fischer College of Business, and UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler, where he shares his expertise and industry insights with young professionals across the U.S.

Todd Hintze

Partner, Wavestone

Todd has more than 20 years of experience assisting Fortune 500 organizations in reducing costs and improving revenue through operational, organizational, and technical solutions. He effectively leverages his corporate and industry insights to help organizations address transformational challenges. Todd is highly skilled in strategic planning, process reengineering, and change management, as well as solutions evaluation and deployment.

Dan Lang
Practitioner with Sutherland Labs, and Chief Advisor to IAOP in the Center for Social Impact

As a founding member of Sutherland's executive team, Lang has experienced every aspect of building a business, from an idea and a handful of people to a multinational provider serving some of the most well-known and trusted brands in the world. In his 35-year career, Dan has led US Service delivery, overseen Global Business Development, been President, Chief Marketing Officer, and held a series of individual contributor roles working on breakthrough missions. Over the past two decades, he has also led cross-industry social impact investments and sustainable development initiatives that extend beyond the walls of his company. Initiatives that have been recognized by Microsoft Community Affairs, Rockefeller Foundation, IAOP and the Global Impact Sourcing Coalition for groundbreaking contribution. He is one of the few private sectors people who has addressed the member countries of the United Nations on the power of companies to change lives and upgrade communities where they operate. He is known as persistent, and a pioneer with a record of putting people and purpose together to achieve greater ethical and commercial outcomes. Lang is hardly a typical corporate personality. He is authentic, a lateral thinker, quite opinionated, and sometimes entertaining.

James Lee
Principal & Global Supplier Governance Practice Lead, Avasant

Jim Lee is a solutions-oriented leader and accomplished problem-solver specializing in supplier governance and risk, service integration and management, digital transformation, and business and technology architecture. An experienced IT executive and former CIO, he possesses a diverse background of management consulting and hands-on IT architecture, management, applications, and service delivery experience with Fortune 100 US and global clients. Jim has led large sourcing transition programs, vendor governance engagements, and org transformations to enable clients to achieve their business & technology transformation goals. He is a graduate of the University of Phoenix and member of the IAOP Collaborative Supplier Governance CoE.

Krinsesh Amin
Managing Director, Synechron

As a Global Business & Technology Executive Leader, Krinesh is proud to lead a dynamic team focused on accelerating digital transformations for Synechron's Tier 1 banking and financial services clients. In this capacity, he is tasked with driving business growth, guaranteeing customer success, and generating substantial value for our clients.

Prior to joining Synechron, he devoted 15 years to UBS, fulfilling a range of roles in Infrastructure Services and Application Development. His tenure culminated in the role of Head of India for the Technology Operations Centre and specializing it outsourcing.

Robert Kantrowitz
Partner, Healthcare & Life Sciences Regulatory, Kirkland & Ellis

Robert Kantrowitz is a corporate healthcare partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, focusing on healthcare regulatory, privacy/security, enforcement, transactional and restructuring matters. He regularly represents healthcare and veterinary clients in structuring and negotiating M&A, data and technology sharing/licensing, management services and other contractual arrangements, corporate organization and restructuring, compliance matters and investigations, data breach/incident response and risk management legal issues. Robert assists clients with a broad range of healthcare and veterinary regulatory matters, including laws related to fraud and abuse, licensure, the corporate practice of medicine and telemedicine.

Micah Desaire
Associate, Healthcare & Life Sciences Regulatory, Kirkland & Ellis

Micah J. Desaire is a corporate healthcare associate in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He regularly represents private equity funds, private and public companies and health systems in complex transactional, healthcare regulatory and data security and privacy matters.

Dennis Williams
Partner, Healthcare & Life Sciences Regulatory, Kirkland & Ellis

Dennis Williams is a corporate healthcare partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Dennis’ focus is on healthcare entities and related companies. He is regularly engaged in structural, transactional, regulatory and enforcement matters on behalf of private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies.

Caitlin Kierum
Associate, Kirkland & Ellis

Caitlin Kierum is a corporate healthcare associate in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, focusing on healthcare regulatory and transactional matters. Caitlin counsels clients on a broad range of healthcare related matters, including state laws related to licensure and the corporate practice of medicine, federal healthcare fraud and abuse laws such as the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law, certificate of need and exemption filings, and other related regulatory matters. She also advises clients with regards to state and federal privacy matters, including compliance with HIPAA's Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules.

Emma Flett
Partner, Technology & IP Transactions, Kirkland & Ellis

Emma Flett is a partner in Kirkland’s Technology & IP Transactions Practice Group and heads the London team. Emma's practice is focused on complex IP and technology-related transactions, carve-outs and business separations and EU data protection. Emma regularly counsels clients on the emerging legal risks surrounding the use of AI.

Max Harris
Partner, Technology & IP Transactions, Kirkland & Ellis

Max Harris is a partner in the London office of Kirkland’s Technology & IP Transactions Practice Group. Max supports clients on the IP, technology and data elements of corporate transactions, and regularly counsels on legal risks and considerations in the development and use of AI systems.

Ben Zeris
Partner, Technology & IP Transactions, Kirkland & Ellis

Ben Zeris is an associate in the London office of Kirkland’s Technology & IP Transactions Practice Group. Ben’s practice focuses on advising clients on a variety of complex commercial and corporate transactions in which technology, IP and data play a major role.

Alpa Inamdar
Senior Leader in Financial Services

Alpa is the Transformation Leader at AIG, overseeing execution of large strategy initiatives that will shape AIG’s underwriting and claims operations and policy administrations function. Prior to this, she was the Global Head of Third Party Governance Advisory Group at BNY Mellon. Previously, she was Vice President and Chief of Staff in the Regulatory and Tax Operations division at Goldman Sachs as a global project manager for the Federal Preparedness program. Other prior roles included serving as Cost Allocation Specialist for Societe Generale, and various assignments at Fluor Daniel Corporation.

Alpa is on the board for Park and Trails of NY, Risk Board, CeFPro Magazine, Pace Transformative leadership advisory panel, and Ascend; and is also a Steering Committee Member of Shared Assessments, as well as a contributor for the Forbes Finance Council.

She is the President and program creator for Women Helping Women, and created Take 2, a program with the objective of increasing the success for women returning to the workplace. Alpa earned an MBA and a BA in Finance from California State University, and a SIFMA Securities Industry, Business, and Finance certification from the Wharton School of Business. She has completed a Board Readiness Program at Stanford University.

Peter Goerge
Partner, Baker McKenzie

Peter George practices international commercial law and regularly advises clients, both on the buyer and provider side, on domestic and multi-jurisdictional sourcing transactions, complex business process transactions involving human resources, finance and accounting and other web enabled services. Peter is a recognized leader in the areas of electronic contracting, social media, contracting for cloud services, robotic process automation, Internet of Things and other disruptive technologies. He regularly advises clients on the issues these technologies raise, both domestically and from a global perspective. Peter also helps clients manage the complex technology and data rights issues that these technologies raise.

Peter advises clients in the areas of cross-border and domestic sourcing transactions, data and technology transfers and licensing transactions. He also assists clients with the general management of their intellectual property assets.

Najet Tenoutit
Managing Director (VP), Foundever

Najet Tenoutit is the Global Managing Director of Foundever.org, a key initiative under Foundever™, a global leader in the Customer Experience industry. Born in France and deeply connected to her Algerian heritage, Najet is currently based in Washington D.C. She joined Foundever™ on March 1st, 2023, coinciding with the company’s rebranding from Sitel.

In her role, Najet leads the #CXforGood movement, focusing on transforming education and employability for vulnerable communities through sustainable empowerment by leveraging the strengths of the Customer eXperience industry. She built the Foundever Charitable Foundation from the ground up and currently oversees its strategic growth, ensuring alignment with Foundever's ESG standards.

With a career spanning International Affairs, Nonprofit Management, and Global Risk Management, Najet has held key positions at UNICEF, the IMF, and the World Bank, and has led global risk functions at Bain & Company. She is passionate about driving impactful change.

Martin Wilkinson Brown
Chief Marketing Officer, Foundever

As Chief Marketing Officer at Foundever, I'm proud to lead a talented global team of marketing professionals who shape and support innovative customer experience management solutions for the outsourcing and offshoring industry. With over 5 years of experience in this role and more than 20 years in the industry, I am excited to be part of the continued evolution of our brand as we redefine the role of BPO for some of the world's leading brands.

I am passionate about creating and nurturing a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration within Foundever and with our partners. My mission is to drive growth and value for our company and our customers through shared CX insights and ideas from across our diverse and global organization.

Scarlet Cronin
VP of Global Strategy & the Americas at Tent Partnership for Refugees

Scarlet leads global strategy at the Tent Partnership for Refugees, the personal foundation of the CEO of Chobani, which has grown to a corporate network of more than 400 companies and which was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2024. She is a social impact executive with 15+ years of experience driving philanthropic programs and CSR initiatives at high-profile organizations. This includes building corporate networks, working with Fortune 500 companies to develop their social impact strategies, and managing high impact teams to reach ambitious deliverables. She is motivated by solving complex social issues.

Bethany Thorne
Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board, Project Rousseau

Anupam Govil
Managing Partner, Avasant

With over 25 years of dynamic experience in digital transformation and ICT sector development, Anupam Govil is a seasoned advisor to enterprises, governments, and public sector agencies across emerging regions, particularly in the Americas. Anupam’s expertise encompasses a wide range of areas, from the program management of digital transformation initiatives to providing strategic insights on the impact of ICT investments and broadband policies on economic growth and global development. Anupam has overseen consultancy projects for public enterprises and financial organizations, advising on Digital Transformation, Sector Development, and Investment Promotion Strategies to drive regional economic growth. He has also provided guidance to leading IT services and financial institutions on ISO and CMM Certification, digital management, and governance.

Actively engaged in the venture capital and entrepreneurial ecosystem through his role at TiE Global, Anupam has demonstrated his strategic acumen by designing roadmaps for the implementation of Centers of Excellence and modernization strategies for key organizations such as Equifax and the Central Bank of the Bahamas. His expertise extends to advising investment promotion agencies and development agencies, contributing as a key speaker at notable events organized by NOA, World Bank, UNCTAD, IAOP, and Commonwealth. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Industry Executives for ICT by Nearshore Americas for 2010 and 2011, Anupam’s contributions to digital transformation and sector development are truly commendable and impactful.

Ves Kjenstad
Executive Advisor, Kjelp Tech Consultancy

With more than a decade in senior leadership roles, Ves has established herself as a skilled and accomplished executive. As member of the IT leadership team at Bristol Myers Squibb, she was instrumental in enabling IT delivery through cross-IT capabilities, including IT Business Management, IT Service Management, IT Finance Management, IT Quality Management, and IT Supplier Governance. She has extensive Supplier Provider governance and relationship management oversight of key IT suppliers representing >$1B in annual spend commitment.

Reflecting an IT delivery model with a high dependency on 3rd parties, Ves drove a strategy to integrate IT Service Management practices with Supplier Governance and Quality Management disciplines. This resulted in her organization's ability to negotiate major outsourcing agreements, oversee offshore and onshore service delivery, and build end-to-end cross-supplier interdependent processes that incentivize effective partner collaboration. Under her leadership, IT leveraged process design building on the ServiceNow platform creating a seamless delivery across internal and external teams. This is supported by the organization's Quality Management System, which ensures compliance with IT controls, including Computer System Validation & Sarbanes Oxley. Additionally, the centralized platform streamlined several governance processes, including financials, service level reporting and change management. Realizing the importance of collaboration, she sponsored and co-developed a training program (TEAMWORK - Together Everyone Achieves More) with key providers recognizing the dynamic tension between internal and external teams.

The company’s digital transformation and integration activities from major acquisitions relied heavily on third parties. Ves' centralized Program and Project Management framework and CoE were critical in driving IT’s ability to deliver these programs. She has implemented tools and standard practices that ensured strong financial planning, estimation, and oversight. This ensured both a control component as well as visibility to 3rd party spend.

After leaving Bristol Myer Squibb, she formed her own consultancy to provide advice to others, including not-for-profit organizations.

Ves’ career spans international experience in the US, UK, Norway, Nigeria, Austria. She holds a masters degree in Social Sciences from the University of Bergen, Norway.

Meghan Raman
Founder and CEO of AVIVO (formerly with BMS)

Pam Sands
Vice President Strategy & Partnerships - Diversity Office, Kelly Services

As Vice President within the Diversity Office at Kelly, a global workforce solutions provider, Pam Sands leads defining, implementing, and managing relationships strategic partners. Pam also spearheads initiatives for enterprise inclusion through the Kelly Affinity Group network. She also responsible for reducing barriers to work and connecting underleveraged talent with meaningful work opportunities. She is passionate about social impact and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion at Kelly and with clients, and she builds partnerships across the industry’s supply chain in support of that goal.

Mike Wheeler
Partner & Global Supply Chain Practice Lead, Avasant

Mike Wheeler values driving tangible and sustainable results that influence improved operation capabilities and enhanced performance and has over forty years of professional experience, including significant time spent in executive management consulting roles for the energy, construction, and telecommunication industries. He has significant global experience in procurement, contract management, material management, travel and corporate card services, and logistics. Mike holds a BA in Business and Computer Science from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Frances Cruz
Sr. Director: Head of Strategy, Transformation & Architecture, Head of Client Lifecycle Management and Key Account Management, Synechron

With over twenty years of combined experience working with boards, management committees, C-levels and other senior executives, Frances has built a reputation as a Business Transformation specialist and lateral thinker. Throughout her career, she has consistently been chosen to support strategic and large-scale initiatives as someone that can both see the problem and get the job done by turning problems into objectives and managed work to deliver business value. Frances is a gifted connector of people and dots who is prepared to call “balls and strikes” with her first love being in the service of others as an agent of change and her second being collaborating and learning from others.

Meet the Speakers

IAOP On Location: NYC