Colleen Birdnow Brown is a six-time public company director and former public company CEO recognized for guiding boards and executive teams through moments of strategic inflection—enterprise transformation, portfolio evolution, and heightened stakeholder scrutiny. She is known for disciplined judgment and for driving decisive action when performance or strategy falls short, while maintaining a clear focus on long-term shareholder value, risk stewardship, and institutional trust.

She has been recognized as a NACD Directorship 100 (D100) honoree and served on the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission, reflecting her leadership in advancing modern board and CEO governance practices. She is also a GAMCO Hall of Fame inductee, recognized for disciplined capital allocation and value-creating strategic repositioning that delivers sustained shareholder returns.

Ms. Brown serves on the boards of public and private companies across media, technology, digital platforms, financial services, and consumer businesses. She brings deep experience in governance, M&A and portfolio strategy, enterprise and technology transformation, and stakeholder engagement—shaped by her tenure as CEO of a NASDAQ-listed company and her service as a director across multiple market cycles.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Brown worked at the forefront of technology-led disruption, operating in environments where legacy business models were challenged early by digital platforms, data-driven decision-making, and shifting consumer behavior. That formative experience informs her work today—helping boards anticipate disruption sooner, pressure-test strategy before it becomes reactive, and guide organizations through change with greater speed, resilience, and confidence.

She has led and overseen numerous mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic transactions, working closely with management and advisors to evaluate growth opportunities, manage risk, and ensure capital is deployed in ways that strengthen long-term enterprise value.

Her board work includes oversight of leadership continuity and succession, enterprise and technology transformation (including AI oversight and operating model change), and risk and reputation management in complex operating environments. She is particularly valued in moments of heightened scrutiny—when leadership judgment, disciplined decision-making, and alignment between the board and management are critical to enterprise stability, credibility, and shareholder confidence.

Ms. Brown brings clarity, focus, and constructive challenge to board deliberations. She is known for asking the questions that surface real issues, framing choices crisply, and helping boards and CEOs move from ambiguity to action—ensuring transformation strengthens the institution rather than destabilizes it. She is a NACD Leadership Fellow and holds certifications in Cyber-Risk Oversight. She is also an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow and a member of the Aspen Leadership Institute, reflecting a commitment to values-based leadership, long-term stewardship, and institutional responsibility.

Ms. Brown is a co-founder of Panarchy, a leadership and governance collective focused on helping boards and CEOs architect transformation rather than react to disruption. Through Panarchy, she works directly with senior leaders to pressure test strategy, leadership capability, capital allocation, and enterprise readiness. She is also an active advisor with SGP, working with companies and investors on strategic repositioning, growth inflection points, and value creation.