On the first Friday in March, Executive Women of Goizueta president Julie Friedberg 87C 23EMBA welcomed 300 attendees to the organization’s 23rd Annual Leadership Conference, “Own your Own Path: Ignite, Elevate, Lead.”
“I can’t think of a more timely theme given our ever-changing professional landscape,” Friedberg, vice president of development at Kindle Energy, told the audience. “Leadership isn’t simply about reaching the next rung or measuring your success based on how high you can climb. It’s about consciously shaping the journey—both your own and for those to whom you offer leadership.”
The Carter Center’s CEO, Paige Alexander, kicked off the conference. Alexander began her tenure as CEO of the not-for-profit organization in June 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Bold leadership in the face of uncertainly doesn’t require having all the answers all the time,” Alexander explained.
Alexander told attendees that she uses a trio of anchor points—purpose, presence, and partnership—to guide her. “Knowing who you are, what you stand for, and where you can’t compromise. That is an important part of how we move forward as leaders,” Alexander said. “Lead with presence, be in the moment. Don’t be afraid to be decisive, but don’t be afraid to admit that you might have to pivot. That is the strength and that is the superpower that many women have that others do not. And build partnerships, convene across differences, and move with others. That is the way we move faster.”
Faculty Feature: Substance and Style
When talking about the intersection of substance and style, Lynne Segall 99MBA, associate dean of management practice initiatives and associate professor in the practice of organization and management, used a tree as an example.
Segall equated roots with “planning and preparation,” adding there is no substitute for being prepared. “Don’t show up and wing it, because you will be exposed.”
After the planning and preparation are done, it’s time to “have a point of view,” Segall said. To communicate that point of view, Segall shared a simple three-finger summary device. The first finger represents the foreground—an explanation of why you need to have the conversation. The second represents the trigger, “the why now,” explained Segall. The third represents the question, “What is the central issue that needs to be resolved,” she added.
Segall defined the tree’s canopy as “how you show up,” and offered a second framing device—ABC: Authority, Belief, and Connection. Authority is evident in how a person stands and speaks when presenting, the conviction behind their words, and their ability to connect with an audience. “You have to close the distance between you and your audience,” Segall said.
Shaping Professional Narratives and Conflict Management
The first of two panel discussions, “The Power of Repositioning: Rethinking Your Career Narrative” was moderated by Chi Chi Okezie 98Ox 00C, owner/producer at SIMPLEnetworking. Panelists included Clair Flores 14MBA, CEO of OODAZU, Kathryn O’Day, partner at Atlanta Ventures, and Meredith Swartz 09MBA, chief planning officer of Mercy Care.
The second panel discussion, “Courageous Conversations: Leading with Candor and Compassion” was led by past Executive Women of Goizueta President and Chair of Goizueta’s Advisory Board, Laura Balser 94BBA 01MBA, senior client partner at Korn Ferry’s Executive Pay & Governance practice. The panel consisted of Elizabeth Halkos 01MBA, CEO of myphysician360, Chevy Arnold 98MBA, managing director at EY, and Nicole Jones 04MBA, founder/lead coach & consultant at KAKO.
AI Trends to Watch in 2026
After a networking lunch, Deepa Krishnan 06MBA, vice president of technology sales and customer success at IBM, tasked herself with helping attendees understand current AI trends “in your context,” she noted, adding that we are at the beginning of a multi-year journey. “There will be massive disruption to all industries.”
During her talk, Krishnan discussed five key trends to watch in 2026:
- Uncertainty will be your greatest asset—if you embrace it.
- Employees will want more AI, not less.
- Customers will hold your AI accountable.
- Global AI resilience will require a local safety net.
- Credible evidence of quantum advantage is likely to emerge in 2026.
“Now’s a good time to learn. Read the books, listen to the podcasts,” Krishnan said. “Be part of the change—even if it’s something small. How do you change one little thing in your day?”
Owning Your Power: Crafting a Leadership Legacy You Are Proud Of
Before concluding the event with a networking happy hour, Gareth James, John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School sat down with Sara Wechter 03BBA, Chief Human Resources Officer, Citigroup (Citi), for a fireside chat around the theme, “Owning Your Power: Crafting a Leadership Legacy You Are Proud Of.”
Wechter began her career at Citi as an Investment Banking Analyst and spent time on its Corporate M&A Strategy team. She also served as Chief of Staff to Citi Chairmen Richard Parsons and Michael O’Neill as well as former CEO Michael Corbat. Wechter highlighted how leaders have positively impacted her career: “You have to trust the people around you, and who are willing to take a bet on you and invest in you.”
Wechter likened her career path to a jungle gym, an analogy she learned from Corbat. “There are times that you go laterally. There are times that you go up. There are times that you go back to go up,” she said. “I think many people aren’t comfortable with that in their career.”
Though Citi is a huge financial institution, Wechter seeks out opportunities to make the company feel small. “There are moments that matter in our employees’ lives,” she explained. “Some of them are horrible, some of them are joyous, but we all experience them, and I think it’s so, so important when those things happen that the place feels really small and that people feel like they have a family and a home.”
Awards and Scholarships
“It is a cornerstone of our mission to create opportunities and promote diversity in leadership while building professional networks,” said Executive Women of Goizueta community engagement chair Abby England, principal at Abby England Consulting and producer & host of Bitter Or Better Podcast. During the conference, England introduced this year’s Bridge Award winner and scholarship recipients.
The Bridge Award went to Kesha Crump 21MPH, director of benefits and health management at Insight Global. The Bridge Award recognizes a senior business leader with a demonstrated track record of creating opportunities for others, championing diversity, and producing results for the betterment of their community and/or workplace. Seen as a pioneer in her field, the Bridge Award winner helps others bridge the gap between potential and achievement.
Each year, Executive Women of Goizueta supports the advancement of women in business by providing financial assistance to exceptional candidates pursuing their MBA at Goizueta Business School. This year, the organization awarded two $7,500 scholarships to leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence, diversity, and making a positive impact in their careers and communities.
The scholarship award winners were Lucja Bundy 28EvMBA, deputy director at Emory Prevention Research Center and director of research projects at Emory University, and Amanda Garcia-Williams 27EMBA 15PhD 09MPH, senior performance improvements lead at Piedmont Healthcare.
About Executive Women of Goizueta
With the mission of creating an inclusive community that advances leadership for Goizueta women and allies at every career stage, Executive Women of Goizueta, was started 24 years ago by Sarah O’Brien 03MBA. Executive Women of Goizueta’s annual conference is open to the entire Emory University community and to friends of the organization.
Want to Learn More About Executive Women of Goizueta? If you’d like to find ways to get involved with our thriving community, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or reach out to gbsalumni@emory.edu.
