Shareholder Activism Summit NYC | January 29th, 2026

8:00-8:55 AM | Registration and Networking Breakfast

8:55 - 9:00 AM | Welcome Remarks
Christopher P. Skroupa, Founder & CEO, Skytop Strategies

9:00 - 9:35 AM | Panel Discussion
The Activist Investor: How to Best Capitalize on What Lies Ahead in 2026
Moderator:
Michael R. Levin, Independent Activist Investor, Founder of The Activist Investor, Skytop Contributor and Host of “The Activist Investor”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
Gabriel Radzyminski, Founder, Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer, Sandon Capital
Jeff Gramm, Portfolio Manager, Bandera Partners, Adjunct Professor, Columbia Business School, Author of Dear Chairman: Boardroom Battles and the Rise of Shareholder Activism
Eleazer Klein, Partner, Global Head of Shareholder Activism, McDermott Will & Schulte

9:35 - 10:10 AM | Panel Discussion
The Activist Playbook: Objectives, Tactics, and Board-Level Implications
Moderator:
Josh Black, Editor-in Chief, Diligent Market Intelligence
Panelists:
Nicholas Capuano, Partner, Kekst CNC
Daniel Kerstein, Managing Director, M&A, Head of Structuring Solutions and Shareholder Advisory, TD Securities
Eleazer Klein, Partner, Global Head of Shareholder Activism, McDermott Will & Schulte

10:10- 10:45 AM | Panel Discussion
Board Refresh: Navigating Change in the Boardroom
Moderator:
Elina (Lina) Tetelbaum, Partner, Head of Shareholder Engagement and Activism Defense, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Panelists:
Christopher J. Pappano, Partner & Managing Director, Barington Capital Group
Mauro da Cunha, Independent Director, Multiple Boards, Senior Advisor, Engage.MC, Skytop Contributor and Host of “Capital Connection”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Nick Graziano, Managing Partner, Venetus Partners, Skytop Contributor & Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series

10:45 - 10:55 AM | Networking Break

10:55 - 11:30 AM | Panel Discussion
Board Accountability: Increased Pressure on Underperforming CEOs
Moderator:
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
Panelists:
August Vlak, Partner and Managing Director, Barington Capital Group, L.P.
Jared L. Landaw, General Counsel, The Eastern Company, Adjunct Professor, Syracuse University College of Law
Evelyn Li, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

11:30 - 12:10 PM | Case Story One
The Activist Decision to Invest
Investment Committee Chair:
Nick Graziano, Managing Partner, Venetus Partners, Skytop Contributor & Host of “Inside the Corporate Boardroom”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Key Presenter:
James Mitarotonda, Chairman, President & CEO, Barington Capital Group
Investment Committee Members:
Michael R. Levin, Independent Activist Investor, Founder of The Activist Investor, Skytop Contributor and Host of “The Activist Investor”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Eric Rosenfeld, CEO, Crescendo Partners
Timothy Brog, Former Activist, Board Director and Corporate Executive
About this Case Story:
In a mock closed-door session, the investment committee—chaired by Nick and composed of four members—convenes to evaluate a mid-cap industrial company facing poor operational performance relative to peers, an inefficient balance sheet and management/governance concerns.  The company appears to be at a crossroads where it must decide on a go-forward operating plan, leadership change or a sale of the company.  The discounted share price and frustrated shareholder base has recently attracted activist attention. Committee members debate whether the firm presents a viable turnaround opportunity or a value trap. Key considerations include board receptiveness, potential for margin expansion, and alignment with high performance principles. The session culminates in a go/no-go vote, with audience members invited to weigh in on the strategic rationale behind either decision.

12:10 - 12:45 PM | Panel Discussion
Small Cap Activism: Activist Strategies Worth Noting
Moderator:
John Glenn Grau, President & CEO, InvestorCom
Panelists:
James Elbaor, Managing Partner, Marlton LLC
Phil Goldstein, Principal, Bulldog Investors LLC
Jeffrey G. Korn, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of the Board, Crexendo
Randall Adams, Partner, Seward & Kissel LLP

12:45 - 1:25 PM | Networking Luncheon

1:25 - 1:30 PM | Welcome Back
Networking Partner Host: EdgarAgents
Sal Migliorisi, Director, Business Development, Capital Markets

1:30 - 1:45 PM | Topic Briefing
Command Decisions: Eisenhower Principles for Today’s Boardroom
Presenter:
Susan Eisenhower, Founder & Chairman-Emeritus, The Eisenhower Institute, Author of “How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions” and Chairman of the Eisenhower Group, Inc, a strategic solutions firm

1:45 - 2:15 PM | Fireside Chat
Board Leadership Under Activist Pressure: Eisenhower Principles Applied 
Host:
Sandy Kenyon, Executive Vice President and Managing Partner, SkytopTV & Skytop Media Group LLC
Discussants:
Susan Eisenhower, Founder & Chairman-Emeritus, The Eisenhower Institute, Author of “How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions” and Chairman of the Eisenhower Group, Inc, a strategic solutions firm
Elina (Lina) Tetelbaum, Partner, Head of Shareholder Engagement and Activism Defense, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Susan Eisenhower and Elina Tetelbaum bring forward the disciplined, principle‑anchored leadership of President Dwight D. Eisenhower to equip today’s corporate stewards with something rare: a battle‑tested framework for navigating ambiguity without sacrificing mission, momentum, or unity. Drawing from How Ike Led, Susan reveals how Eisenhower fused decisive action with deliberate reflection, turned dissent into strategic fuel, and built coalitions capable of acting with precision when the stakes were nothing short of existential.

Elina Tetelbaum, partner at Wachtell Lipton, joins her for a fireside conversation that extracts universal leadership truths from one of history’s most consequential feats of alignment: Ike’s orchestration of the Allied coalition leading into the Normandy Invasion. Together, they translate those same principles—clarity of purpose, disciplined preparation, and unified execution—into the realities of today’s boardrooms and management teams.

This session challenges leaders to rise above the noise, reclaim strategic clarity, and adopt a leadership posture built for volatility: steady under pressure, anchored in principle, and aligned to win.

2:15 - 2:50 PM | Panel Discussion
Reputation on Trial: Navigating Activist Pressure in the Court of Public Opinion
Moderator:
Nathan Riggs, Partner, Kekst CNC
Panelists:
Jan C. Childress, Director of Investor Relations, Consolidated Edison
Richard Mansouri, Investments, Public Equity, Arkhouse
Gabriel Radzyminski, Founder, Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer, Sandon Capital

2:50 - 3:10 PM | Exclusive Interview
Executive Compensation: Recent Insights from the Chancery Court
Interviewer:
Robert McCormick, Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors
Interviewee:
Gregory V. Varallo, Partner & Head of Delaware Office, BLB&G

3:10 - 3:45 PM | Panel Discussion
The Aftermath of Tornetta: Impact for Stakeholders on Executive Compensation
Moderator:
Arthur Kohn, General Counsel, Leading Corporate Governance Expert, Skytop Contributing Author, and Chair of the Editorial Committee, Skytop Media Group
Panelists:
Michael Garland, Assistant Comptroller for Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment, Bureau of Asset Management, Office of NYC Comptroller Brad Lander
Bob Marese, President, MacKenzie Partners, Inc.
Rolin P. Bissell, Partner, Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP

3:45 - 3:55 PM | Networking Break

3:55 - 4:15 PM | Fireside Chat
Government & Governance: When State and Activists Collide
Host:
Josh Black, Editor-in-Chief, Diligent Market Intelligence
Discussants:
Mauro da Cunha, Independent Director, Multiple Boards, Senior Advisor, Engage.MC, Skytop Contributor and Host of “Capital Connection”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Arthur Kohn, General Counsel, Leading Corporate Governance Expert, Skytop Contributor, and Chair of the Editorial Committee, Skytop Media Group

4:15 - 4:50 PM | Panel Discussion
Fiduciary Foresight: Best Practices for Boards in Activist and Crisis Scenarios
Moderator:
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
Panelists:
Fred Pletcher, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Lauren Puffer, Managing Director, Shareholder Advisory, TD Securities
Rolin P. Bissell, Partner, Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP

4:50 - 5:15 PM | Fireside Chat
Canada M&A: Sector Upswings, Valuation Insights, and Institutional Investor Advantage
Discussants:
Fred Pletcher, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Daniel Kerstein, Managing Director, M&A, Head of Structuring Solutions and Shareholder Advisory, TD Securities

5:15- 5:55 PM | Panel Discussion
The Activist Decision to Exit: Perspectives on the Definition of Success
Moderator:
Michael R. Levin, Independent Activist Investor, Founder of The Activist Investor, Skytop Contributor and Host of “The Activist Investor”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
Randall Adams, Partner, Seward & Kissel LLP
Gabriel Radzyminski, Founder, Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer, Sandon Capital
Richard Mansouri, Investments, Public Equity, Arkhouse

5:55 - 6:00 PM | Closing Remarks

6:00 - 7:00 PM | Networking Reception
Networking Partner Host: EdgarAgents