NACD PSW | UCLA Corporate Directors Symposium 2026

Please join us, as we partner with UCLA Anderson Executive Education, for the 19th Annual Corporate Directors Symposium on Thursday, November 12, from 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM at the Jonathan Club in Downtown Los Angeles.

Corporate Directors Symposium (CDS) is an all-day conference and is the preeminent NACD directors event on the West Coast hosting 175+ board directors. Attendees have the opportunity to network with fellow directors and CDS sponsors, and learn from peers on top-of-mind board issues to take back to their organizations.

Who should attend? CDS is a premier gathering for experienced board directors and governance leaders.

Our theme this year is, "Governing at the Speed of Change."

Get a glimpse of the CDS experience - watch our 2025 recap video to see the highlights. 

Registration: $895 NACD members, $995 non-members

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Schedule
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM:  Check-In
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM:  Sponsor-Led Hot Topic Sessions & Breakfast
9:20 AM - 3:50 PM:  Main Sessions & Lunch 
3:50 PM - 5:00 PM:  Cocktail Networking Reception

SESSION 1 - Fireside Chat: "From Oversight to Foresight"
Speaker: Andy Campion | Moderator: John Driver

Corporate directors and CEO’s have never faced so much concurrent pressure from multiple stakeholders, colliding technologies, government regulators, social media activism, shareholder activism, and AI disrupting age old business models.  Against this backdrop, the relationship between the Board and its CEO is more important than ever.  This session features a conversation with Andy Campion, currently serving on the boards of Paramount Skydance Corporation, Starbucks Coffee Company, Williams-Sonoma, Vuori, LA28, UCLA Anderson, and Chairman & CEO of Unrivaled Sport, and moderator John Driver, Lead Independent Director City First Bank, Chair 50/50 Women on Boards, President of NACD Pacific Southwest Chapter, and CEO of Lynx Technology.   

Andy and John will discuss how boards need to think and operate in a world of increasing velocity and shift from oversight to foresight to fulfill their duties while balancing oversight over both risks and opportunities.

SESSION 2 - Panel: "Strategy Execution at the Speed of Risk"
Speakers: R "Ray" Wang & Nora Denzel  |  Moderator: Ashwin Rangan

AI, cybersecurity risks, and quantum computing are accelerating and converging at the same time.  The combined velocity and complexity of both risks and opportunities is rapidly changing the historical paradigm of board oversight.  Traditional business models and go to market strategies are being quickly disintermediated and upended in a growing number of industries way beyond technology.  Will your company survive?  Boards are consequentially struggling with their oversight of management strategy execution and enterprise risks, while trying hard not to miss incredible new growth opportunities afforded by AI today and – potentially – Quantum, tomorrow.

This discussion will explore the likely impact of rapidly colliding technologies, and provide guidance and tools for board members to evaluate associated risks and opportunities, to effectively oversee management strategy execution, and how they can think and ask questions about new opportunities afforded by AI and Quantum to transform business models and markets.

This session features expert panelists Nora Denzel, Lead Independent Director AMD, R “Ray” Wang, Founder, Chairman and Principal Analyst Constellation Research, Inc., with moderator Ashwin Rangan, Advisor to Qtonic Quantum, and Director at Ready AI and NACD Pacific Southwest Chapter.

SESSION 3 - Panel: "The Future Ready Board"
Speakers: Edna Morris & Herman Bulls | Moderator: Terri Funk Graham

As companies navigate accelerating technological change, AI disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, workforce transformation, and evolving stakeholder expectations, boards must move beyond traditional oversight toward active strategic foresight.  What capabilities will define a high-performing board in future? How should directors oversee strategy execution, evaluate emerging AI opportunities and risks, and ensure the company is prepared for disruption before it occurs?  Our expert panel will explore how boards can strengthen their composition, culture, decision-making, and succession planning, how directors can challenge management constructively, and what it means to create the strategic board, capable of leading through uncertainty while preserving long-term enterprise value.   

Our expert panel includes Edna Morris, Chair of Tractor Supply Company, Herman Bulls, Vice Chairman Americas, JLL, Chairman Fluence Energy, Director Host Hotels and Comfort Systems, with moderator Terri Funk Graham, Independent Director Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

SESSION 4 - Fireside Chat: "Thriving in Velocity: A Conversation with Mary Winston & Brian Niccol"
Speakers: Mary Winston & Brian Niccol

During this capstone session, Brian Niccol, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks Coffee Company, and Mary Winston, Director Chipotle Mexican Grill, Director TD Bank Group and TD US Bank, Director Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Chair NACD Board of Directors, will share their thoughts on how and why boards need to maintain strategic resilience and oversight over companies navigating disruption, and extraordinary risks and opportunities in the global business environment.  They will discuss why it is as important as ever for board oversight and guidance over business strategy and staying true to company values, to ensure that companies and their management teams successfully navigate disruption and unpredictability and continue to deliver growth and stakeholder value at the velocity of change.

Hotel Accommodations
Attendees can stay near the Jonathan Club at the following recommended hotel and receive a 15% discount off their Best Flexible Rate: 

• InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown: Hotel Link

NACD MEMBER REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!!

MEMBER REGISTRATION

Non-Members, Please Complete This Form To Join Our Waiting List