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AGENDA
8:00-9:00 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast
9:00-9:05 AM | Welcome Remarks
Christopher P. Skroupa, Founder & CEO, Skytop Strategies
9:05-9:35 AM | Keynote Presentation
Tensions Between Leverage and Monetary Policy: A Macroeconomic Backdrop
Keynote Presenter:
Hans Hoogervorst, Former Dutch Minister, Public Policy Expert and Skytop Contributing Author
9:35-10:15 AM | Panel Discussion
Policy Shifts and M&A: Market Conditions and Regulatory Uncertainty
Moderator:
Nick Graziano, Managing Partner, Venetus Partners, and Skytop Contributing Author, Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
Jeanne Carr, Senior Managing Director, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
Eric Rosenfeld, CEO, Crescendo Partners
Lowell Robinson, Experienced Board Director and Advisor
10:15-10:45 AM | Exclusive Interview
Navigating the Storm: Managing Integration Risks
Interviewer:
Jeremy Fielding, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Partner, Kekst CNC, Skytop Contributor, Host of “To The Point”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Interviewee:
Susan Skerritt, Board Director, Tanger, Inc., Independent Non-Executive Director, Citibank Europe PLC, Chair, IG Group North America, Non-Executive Director, IG Group, and former CEO, Banking
10:45-11:25AM | Panel Discussion
Driving M&A Success: The Crucial Role of Talent
Moderator:
Lisa L. Hunter, Managing Director, Newport Consulting Group, Inc., Senior Fellow, The Conference Board, Executive Fellow, Cornell Institute for Compensation Studies
Panelists:
Dwain Celistan, Managing Partner, Diversity Practice, DHR Global
Nick Graziano, Managing Partner, Venetus Partners, and Skytop Contributing Author, Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
John Glenn Grau, President and CEO, InvestorCom
11:25-11:40 AM | Networking Break
11:40-12:20 PM | Panel Discussion
Strategic Liquidity & Valuation in Private Equity: Navigating Continuation Fund Vehicles and Deal Economics
Moderator:
Ryan Tomicic, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Panelists:
Dave El Helou, Managing Director, Private Capital Advisory, Evercore
Chad Rucker, Senior Managing Director, Valuation Research Corporation
August Vlak, Partner and Managing Director, Barington Capital Group, L.P.
12:20 - 12:40 PM | Panel Discussion
Strategic Currents: M&A Perspectives in the Evolving Energy Economy
Moderator:
Carlos A. Rechelo Neto, CEO, Petrobras America, Inc.
Panelists:
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
12:40-1:40 PM | Networking Luncheon
1:40-2:10 PM | Exclusive Interview
Catalysts of M&A: Shareholder Activists and M&A Dealmaking
Interviewer:
Anntal Silver, Partner, Kekst CNC
Interviewee:
Sebastian Tiller, Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions and Shareholder Engagement, Head of Strategic M&A, Vinson & Elkins LLP
2:10-2:50 PM | Panel Discussion
Energy M&A: Macro Trends, Increasing Demand and Drivers of Value
Moderator:
Paulo Henrique Rocha, Head of M&A, Joint Ventures and Divestitures, Motiva Enterprises LLC
Panelists:
Jonathan Lurvey, Managing Director, Mergers & Acquisitions, Energy Sector, Bank of America
Sean Diskin, Managing Director, Head of Power & Energy M&A, Morgan Stanley
2:50-3:30 PM | Exclusive Interview
Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions: Strategies for Navigating New Challenges
Interviewer:
Nicholas Capuano, Partner, Kekst CNC
Interviewees:
Fred Pletcher, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
3:30-3:45 PM | Networking Break
3:45-4:25 PM | Panel Discussion
AI and the Digital Transformation: Its Impact on M&A
Moderator:
Bill Deckelman, Chief Legal Officer, Andersen, Vice Chairman of The Howard Baker Forum AI Collaborative
Panelists:
Chuck Brooks, Professor, Georgetown University, CEO, Brooks Consulting International, Skytop Contributor & Host of “Intelligence Briefing”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Robert Liscouski, Chairman, Quantum Computing, Inc., Skytop Contributor and Host, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Michael Frankel, Founder and Managing Partner, Trajectory Capital
Arthur Kohn, General Counsel, Leading Corporate Governance Expert, Skytop Contributor, Chair of the Editorial Committee, Skytop Media Group
4:25-4:55 PM | Fireside Chat
Regulatory Uncertainty, Economic Instability and Geopolitical Risk: Uncovering Opportunities as Institutional Investors Adapt to Changing Conditions
Host:
Robert McCormick, Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors
Discussants:
Marcy Sharon Cohen, Managing Director, General Counsel and Head of Regulatory Affairs, ING Americas
Charles Elson, Founding Director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair of Corporate Governance (retired), University of Delaware and Executive Editor, Directors & Boards Magazine
4:55-5:00 PM | Closing Remarks
5:00-6:00 PM | Networking Reception
SPEAKERS
DELEGATES
Fred R. Pletcher
Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Jeanne Carr
Senior Managing Director
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
John Glenn Grau
President and CEO
InvestorCom
New York, NY
David A. Katz
Partner
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
New York, NY
Eric Rosenfeld
CEO
Crescendo Partners
New York, NY
Arthur Kohn
General Counsel
Leading Corporate Governance Expert
Skytop Contributor
Chair of the Editorial Committee, Skytop Media Group
New York, NY
Jeremy Fielding
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Partner, Kekst CNC
Skytop Contributor
Host of “To The Point”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
New York, NY
Dwain Celistan
Managing Partner, Diversity Practice
DHR Global
Hinsdale, IL
Francisco J. Morales Barron
Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity
Vinson & Elkins LLP
New York, NY
Mauro da Cunha
Independent Director, Multiple Boards
Senior Advisor, Engage.MC
Skytop Contributor
Host of “Capital Connection”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Miami, Florida
Solade Rowe
Managing Partner, Diversity & Inclusion Practice
Jobplex
Washington, D.C.
Jessica Bayer
Managing Partner, Corporate Affairs and Communications
DHR Global
Washington, D.C.
Larry Schimmel
Managing Director
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Daniel Sullivan
Senior Vice President
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Alexandre Chenesseau
Managing Director, M&A Advisory & Investments (Professional Role)
CMD Global Partners
Member, Council on Foreign Relations &
Trade Advisor, Republic of France (External Affiliations)
New York, NY
Chuck Brooks
Professor, Georgetown University
CEO, Brooks Consulting International
Skytop Contributor
Host of “Intelligence Briefing”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Washington, D.C.
Skarlett Vaca Jara
Social Media Director and Data Analyst
InvestorCom
New York, NY
Josh Hochberg
Global COO
Edelman Smithfield
New York, NY
Jeffrey Taufield
Vice Chairman, Partner, Founding Member
Kekst CNC
New York, NY
Ashe Reardon
Partner
Kekst CNC
New York, NY
Robert McCormick
Executive Director
Council of Institutional Investors
Washington, D.C.
Deepak Gill
Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Vancouver, Canada
Robert Liscouski
Chairman
Quantum Computing, Inc.
Skytop Contributor and
Host, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Washington, D.C.
Marcy Sharon Cohen
Managing Director, General Counsel and Head of Regulatory Affairs
ING Americas
New York, NY
Jan C. Childress
Director of Investor Relations
Consolidated Edison
New York, NY
Charles Elson
Founding Director of the John L. Weinberg Center
for Corporate Governance
Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair of Corporate Governance (retired)
University of Delaware
Executive Editor, Directors & Boards Magazine
Newark, DE
Sebastian Tiller
Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions and Shareholder Engagement
Head of Strategic M&A
Vinson & Elkins LLP
New York, NY
Leonard Wood
Partner
Chair, Shareholder Activism and Takeover Defense
Goodwin
New York, NY
Sean Diskin
Managing Director
Head of Power & Energy M&A
Morgan Stanley
New York, NY
Andrea Henderson
Partner
Life Sciences, Healthcare, Diversity,
and Board & CEO Practice Groups
DHR Global
New York, NY
Nick Graziano
Partner, Venetus Partners
Skytop Contributor
Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”
SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Greenwich, Connecticut
Ryan Tomicic
Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Lowell Robinson
Experienced Board Director and Advisor
New York, NY
Hans Hoogervorst
Former Dutch Minister
Public Policy Expert and Skytop Contributing Author
The Hague, Netherlands
Susan Skerritt
Board Director, Tanger, Inc.
Independent Non-Executive Director, Citibank Europe PLC
Chair, IG Group North America
Non-Executive Director, IG Group
and former CEO, Banking
New York, NY
Steven Crowley
Director of Business Development
CFO Consulting Partners
Westport, Connecticut
Chad Rucker
Senior Managing Director
Valuation Research Corporation
New York, NY
Jonathan Lurvey
Managing Director
Mergers & Acquisitions, Energy Sector
Bank of America
New York, NY
Marty Nass
Vice Chairman & Partner, Global Real Estate Practice
DHR Global
New York, NY
Dan Carney
Partner
DHR Global
New York, NY
John Bryan
Managing Director
MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
New York, NY
Gregory Monahan
Managing Director
Crescendo Partners
Independent Board Director
New York, NY
Bill Deckelman
Chief Legal Officer, Andersen
Vice Chairman of The Howard Baker Forum AI Collaborative
McLean, Virginia
Doug Jaffe
Managing Director
InvestorCom
New York, NY
Michelle Richards
Senior Director
InvestorCom
New York, NY
August Vlak
Partner and Managing Director
Barington Capital Group, L.P.
New York, NY
Ira Gorsky
Managing Director, Special Situations and Investor Relations
Edelman Smithfield
New York, NY
Mark Fallati
Principal
Kekst CNC
New York, NY
Dave El Helou
Managing Director, Private Capital Advisory
Evercore
New York, NY
Gianna McCarthy
Director Of Corporate Governance
New York State Common Retirement Fund
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
Pension Investment and Cash Management
New York, NY
Richard Mansouri
Investments, Public Equity
Arkhouse
New York, NY
Michael Frankel
Founder and Managing Partner
Trajectory Capital
New York, NY
Paulo Henrique Rocha
Head of M&A, Joint Ventures and Divestitures
Motiva Enterprises LLC
Houston, Texas
Carlos A . Rechelo Neto
CEO
Petrobras America, Inc.
Houston, Texas
Lisa L. Hunter
Managing Director
Newport Consulting Group, Inc.
Senior Fellow, The Conference Board
Executive Fellow
Cornell Institute for Compensation Studies
New York, NY
Rob Masella
Partner, Co-Chair, Public M&A
Goodwin
New York, NY
Perry V. Zizzi
Managing Partner
Dentons
Bucharest, Romania
Nicholas Capuano
Partner
Kekst CNC
New York, NY
Anntal Silver
Partner
Kekst CNC
New York, NY
Venue - NYC Event Spaces 4 West 43rd Street, New York, NY
4W43 offers a conference experience set within one of Midtown Manhattan’s most distinguished Renaissance Revival buildings. Designed in the 1890s by Clarence S. Luce for David H. King Jr., the landmark stands just off Fifth Avenue, moments from Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Park. Its location provides unmatched accessibility for national and international executives, while its architectural heritage delivers a sense of gravitas befitting high‑level professional gatherings.
Inside, 4W43 provides conference spaces that balance architectural heritage with modern capability. High ceilings, refined detailing, and restored interiors create an environment that feels both inspiring and executive‑ready. Each room is supported by reliable audiovisual infrastructure, strong acoustics, and flexible layouts—ideal for keynote sessions, multi‑track programming, leadership discussions, and hybrid formats that demand seamless execution. The setting is intentionally designed to keep attendees focused, comfortable, and fully engaged throughout the event.
By joining us at 4W43, you’ll experience a conference environment that elevates the content, the conversations, and the connections we aim to create. The building’s flow, amenities, and professional support staff ensure a smooth experience from registration through closing remarks. With its blend of history, accessibility, and modern conference readiness, 4W43 provides the ideal backdrop for a gathering built to inform, inspire, and drive meaningful outcomes.