
Founder & President

Sophie L'Hélias
Sophie L'Hélias is an experienced board director and trusted advisor to CEOs, C-suite executives, and boards, internationally recognized for her expertise in corporate governance and sustainability. She is the founder of LeaderXXchange, where she develops innovative solutions such as the award-winning Gender Diversity Exchange app, used by financial institutions to track and benchmark sustainability and diversity data metrics and customize ETFs and other investment offerings.
Sophie currently serves as Chair of the ESG Committee and Audit Committee member at Herbalife (NYSE), and as an independent director at IWG Plc (FTSE), Africa50 a private equity group, Echiquier Positive Impact Europe equity funds, and Banque AFL in France. She has previously chaired the Board of Suez SA, leading its merger with Veolia, and served as Lead Independent Director at Kering, the luxury group that includes Gucci and YSL, where she was responsible for investor governance and ESG engagement.
A co-founder and former Board member of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), Sophie is also Senior Fellow at The Conference Board Governance and Sustainability Center (New York), Vice President Prospective and Ideas at Medef (France), and a member of the French High Committee for Corporate Governance (HCGE). She has advised the UN Global Compact and also served on the boards of ECGI in Brussels and Hawkamah in Dubai.
Her ongoing involvement with organizations such as ICGN, The Conference Board, the ECGI, Hawkamah and HCGE reflects her interest in emerging trends and innovation in governance and sustainability, and her commitment to advancing best practices through exchange of ideas and thought leadership.
Sophie holds an MBA from INSEAD, an LLM from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Laws from Pantheon-Sorbonne and a degree from the European Law Institute of the University of Saarbrücken in Germany.
Advisory Board

Michele Chow-Tai
Michele Chow-Tai is Managing Director and Head of Business Development at Fairview Capital Partners, where she leads the development and execution of strategic plans to drive the firm's private equity and venture capital business. She is responsible for expanding Fairview's global presence, identifying new business opportunities, and strengthening client relationships.
Before joining Fairview Capital, Ms. Chow-Tai served as a Relationship Manager in Institutional Relationships at TIAA, where she led client management and planning, as well as engaged in product and sales strategies for the firm's largest and most complex clients across business areas.
Before TIAA, she spent 22 years at HSBC in several senior roles, including Relationship Manager for Global Reserve Managers and Sovereigns within Global Banking and Markets, where she worked with central banks, sovereign wealth funds, and public sector clients. She also served as Vice President of Business Development and Assistant Director for the HSBC Financial Products Institute, focusing on derivatives and structured products client education. Earlier, Michele was a bank and finance analyst at Moody's Investor Services.
Michele serves as an Independent Director at 1847 Holdings LLC (NYSE American: EFSH) and is a member of the Nominating and Governance and Audit Committees. She previously chaired the Board of the City University of New York (CUNY) York College Foundation and served on the boards of the National Association of Securities Professionals – New York Chapter, the NASP-NY Foundation, and the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. Michele actively contributes to the Corporate Advisory Committee of the National Council of Teachers' Retirement and is involved with Women of Color in Investments (WOCII), supporting diversity and opportunity in the investment industry.
She holds a B.S. from the City University of New York – York College, credentials in business administration and finance, and is currently pursuing a JD at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Michele has received numerous honors, including The US President's Volunteer Service Award (2020), the AFUW's Vice Chancellor's Achievement Award (2024), and recognition as a 2025 Power100 Asset Gatherers honoree.

Cynthia J. Cole
Cynthia J. Cole is Chair of Baker McKenzie's Global Commercial, Tech and Transactions Business Unit, a member of the Firm's global Commercial, Data, IP and Trade (CDIT) practice group steering committee, and Co-chair of Baker Women California.
Cynthia has significant expertise in intellectual property transactions, AI, digital transformation, data privacy, and cybersecurity.
Cynthia was previously CEO and General Counsel of Spectra 7 Microsystems (TSE:SEV), an industry leader in VR/AR and data center applications, where she managed strategic relationships, agreements, and public company responsibilities. She also served as Deputy Department Chair of the Corporate Section in the California offices of Baker Botts, where she built the technology transactions and data privacy practice.
Cynthia advises clients across industries including Technology, Media & Telecoms, Energy, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Industrials. She is highly experienced in complex cross-border, IP, and digital transactions, and often serves as outside general counsel to executive teams and boards. Her practice focuses on technology and IP alliances, data privacy, and cybersecurity, including advising on M&A and compliance with the CCPA and GDPR. Cynthia is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E).
Her honors include recognition as a “Top IP Lawyer” and “Top Cyber Lawyer in California” by the Daily Journal, a “California Trailblazer in Data Privacy” by The Recorder, and a “Woman of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. She serves as a board member of DirectWomen and as an advisory board member for the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology and the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law West Coast Initiative.
Cynthia is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where she teaches information and data privacy. She holds a J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and an Honors B.A. in English and French from the University of Utah.

Nina Hodzic
Nina Hodzic is Fiduciary Manager Responsible Investment at APG Asset Management providing strategic advice to pension fund clients on responsible investment. Nina is a frequent speaker at industry events and her papers and articles have been featured in various academic and ESG publications.
Nina has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, working in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Prior to joining APG Asset Management, she was Head of the Sustainable Investment Office at Allianz Global Investors. In this role, she was responsible for shaping AllianzGI's overall sustainable investment strategy and policies as well as sustainable product strategy.
Before that Nina worked at NN Investment Partners, where she had global responsibility for ESG analysis and reporting, screening methods and communication with various internal and external parties on sustainability topics. She started her career at ING Group Market Risk Management in 2003 developing and implementing stress testing practices and scenario analysis for ING Bank trading portfolio.
Nina holds a Master of Science in Financial Econometrics (Quantitative Finance) from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and has also studied at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. Recently she obtained her postgraduate diploma in Managing Technology and Strategy from ESMT Berlin, Germany.

Catherine Jackson
Catherine Jackson is Co-CEO of Mosaic Governance Advisors, an independent North American consulting firm providing strategic insights and practical solutions to boards, C-suites, and senior executives. member of the consulting team and head of Mosaic's Canadian business, Catherine advises Mosaic's client board members and senior executives on complex governance matters. A strategic thinker with experience in building consensus, Catherine works to ensure that Mosaic clients successfully realize their objectives.
Catherine has served pension and institutional investor clients in Europe, Asia, and North America, advising on a range of governance matters, including governance of sustainable finance, governance structure and practices, strategic planning, and strategic communications.
Catherine developed her expertise through nearly two decades of serving clients, members and beneficiaries at PGGM, a Dutch pension fund manager, and before that at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in Canada. At both organizations, she pioneered new practices and policies, influencing the global pension community.
Catherine is a a former CPA, CA through the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. She has instructed global pension fund board members on oversight practices through the Pension Governance Education Program, a joint effort between the Rotman School of Management Executive Programs and the International Centre for Pension Fund Management. Catherine resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Carol Baldwin Moody
Carol Baldwin Moody serves as President and CEO of Legal Momentum, The Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund. Founded in 1970, Legal Momentum is the nation's oldest civil rights advocacy organisation dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls.
Carol has developed a reputation for her outstanding efforts to fight for equality. Her work specifically focuses on educational, economic and gender equality. Known as a tireless mentor and advocate for diversity, Carol has taken on many roles to serve the community and is also an experienced board director.
In addition to receiving numerous awards for her advocacy work, Carol is also recognized for her broad regulatory experience, domestically and internationally. With a strong focus on organizational culture, her specialties include expertise in global risk management, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. In 2010, Black Enterprise named Carol as one of the 75 most powerful women in business. In honor of her work and influence on diversity, Nationwide Insurance established the Carol Baldwin Moody Impact Award. Carol moved to full-time service in the public sector in 2011, taking on the role of acting Chief Operating Investment Officer for CalPERS, the nation's largest public pension fund with a fair value of investments of over 300 billion dollars.
Carol sits on several other Boards that include Security Mutual Life Insurance Company of NY and Germantown Friends School. Her professional associations include the Executive Leadership Council and the Council on Foreign Relations. Carol holds a JD from Columbia University School of Law and a BSE from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Debra Richman
Debra Richman is a Partner at Forward Ventures Group, where she specialises in business development, the creation and execution of growth and go-to-market strategies, and corporate financing. Her expertise spans value-based care, care delivery, and payor and provider risk contracting, including products for government programs and employer-based plans.
Previously, Debra served as Chief Development Officer for The Oncology Institute (NASDAQ: TOI), a national value- based community oncology company providing oncology care to over 2 million value-based lives. As Chief Development Officer, she directed The Oncology Institute's national business and corporate development including strategy, M&A, payor and provider contracting, and new market and product expansion.
Debra brings deep expertise in management, scaling revenue, developing, and executing growth-oriented strategic plans, forging accretive partnerships, and new market and product development across industry sectors, including payors, providers, consumers, value-based care and digital health.
Prior to joining The Oncology Institute, Debra was a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal, as part of the global management consulting firm's Healthcare Industry Group where she worked with corporate and private equity clients, and corporate boards.
Throughout her career, Debra has worked across a spectrum of healthcare sectors, ranging from payors (private, government, Medicare and Medicaid, employers) and providers to health systems, on best practices for developing and executing revenue growth plans, go-to-market strategies, and driving superior financial performance. As an advisor, she has supported early-stage companies and mature market leaders in care delivery, value-based care, and evolving delivery and payment models, providing strategic and tactical support, including corporate and business strategies, performance improvement and securing investment capital from private equity and venture funds.
Formerly, Debra was Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer for Complex Care Solutions, Inc., a private equity-backed health information technology company. She directed and implemented corporate growth strategy, product development and revenue expansion.
A national speaker on value-based care, consumerism, and emerging industry trends, Debra earned a bachelor's degree, cum laude, from Herbert H. Lehman College in New York.