Nancy Freda-Smith is the founder of NFS Insights, an advisory firm helping boards and senior leadership navigate governance challenges, crisis response, and enterprise risk. With over 20 years in the boardroom and C-suite, she advises directors and management teams on how to effectively lead and align when organizations face their most critical moments.

A seasoned public board director and audit committee financial expert, Nancy served on the board of Chuy's Holdings Inc. and spent nearly 15 years at Ralph Lauren Corp., most recently as chief audit executive and risk officer, working directly with boards and audit committees through complex risk environments spanning cybersecurity, financial controls, and business continuity.

Her experience on both sides of the boardroom table gives her a distinctive perspective on what effective board-management dynamics look like under pressure and where the relationship most often breaks down.

Prior to Ralph Lauren, she was a managing director at Deloitte, advising clients across the New York Metro and London offices on audit, risk, and governance matters.

Freda-Smith is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner.