President & CEO, Catalyst
As the President & CEO of Catalyst, the leading research and advisory organization working with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business. She was appointed President in August 2003 and named Chief Executive Officer in September 2008.
Ms. Lang brings energy and corporate savvy to the advancement of women in every sector of the global marketplace. Her expertise on the advancement of women in corporations and professional firms, corporate boards and governance, workforce demographic trends, the business case for women’s career development, innovative strategies for retaining and advancing women, and work-life effectiveness is often called upon by the media, member companies and firms, and other organizations. She regularly addresses national and international groups of senior leaders in a variety of business, academic, and public policy venues.
Having broken barriers in her own career, Ms. Lang is broadly recognized as a pioneering female high-tech/Internet executive. She was the founding CEO of AltaVista Internet Software Inc., a subsidiary of Digital Equipment Corporation. Prior to that work, Ms. Lang was Senior Vice President of the Desktop Business Group at Lotus Development Corporation, responsible for a $500 million business. She has also advised CEOs and entrepreneurs as a board member, coach, and investor in women-led technology companies.
Ms. Lang currently serves on the Board of Directors of Art Technology Group, Inc., an enterprise software company. She was named to the Global Agenda Council on the gender gap at the World Economic Forum, and she is a member of the National Board Development Committee of the Girl Scouts of the USA. She has served on numerous other corporate, private, and nonprofit boards in the past.
Ms. Lang earned an A.B. degree in history and literature from Radcliffe College and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. She is married and the mother of three adult children.
Arnold Donald, President & CEO, The Executive Leadership Council and The Executive Leadership Foundation
Arnold Donald, a private investor and small business owner, is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, the largest charitable funder of diabetes research in the world. Previously, Mr. Donald was Chairman of Merisant Company, which products include leading global tabletop sweetener brands Equal* and Canderel*. Merisant, formed in March 2000, is committed to the growing global need for health, nutritional, and lifestyle products based on science and technology.
Prior to assuming leadership of Merisant, Mr. Donald was a senior executive at Monsanto Company in St. Louis, MO. He joined Monsanto in industrial chemical sales in 1977 and worked in ever more challenging and responsible roles in his 20 plus years with that company. In January 1998, he was appointed Corporate Senior Vice-President and President of the Consumer and Nutrition Sector of the corporation with worldwide responsibility in areas that included the company's growth, globalization, and technology initiatives. Prior to that, Mr. Donald was President of the $4 billion plus agricultural sector, overseeing several years of tremendous growth and marked by the successful introduction and commercialization of Monsanto’s first crop protection products resulting from modern plant biotechnology. He was recognized by the agricultural industry as Agri-Marketer of the Year in 1996.
A native of New Orleans, Mr. Donald received a BA degree from Carleton College, a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. In 1997, Mr. Donald was named Executive of the Year by Black Enterprise Magazine; in 1998, he received the Washington University Distinguished Alumni Award; in 1999, he received the Eagle Award from the National Eagle Leadership Institute; and in 2000 he received the Black Engineers President’s Award. In July 2002, Fortune Magazine named Mr. Donald #17 on their list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in America”.
Mr. Donald has an extensive history of involvement in local, national, and international organizations, both professional and civic. In November 1998, Mr. Donald was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the President’s Export Council (PEC) for international trade. President Bush re-appointed Mr. Donald to the PEC in February 2003. Mr. Donald currently serves on the boards of Carleton College; St. Louis Art Museum; Missouri Botanical Garden; St. Louis Science Center; Opera Theatre of St. Louis; St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association; Barnes-Jewish Hospital; Crown Holdings, Inc.; Oil-Dri Corporation of America; Carnival Corporation; Laclede Group; DHR International; Vertellus, Inc.; United Way of Greater St. Louis, and the St. Louis Sports Commission. He serves as an executive advisory partner for Wind Point-Chicago and Atlas Holdings. He also serves on the National Advisory Council for Washington University School of Engineering. Mr. Donald is a past president of the Leadership Center of Greater St. Louis and a former member of the corporate roundtable of the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Science and the Caux Business Roundtable. In November 2001, the Governor of Missouri appointed Mr. Donald to the Missouri Life Sciences Research Committee. He has served on the boards of The Scotts Company; Russell Corporation; Belden, Inc.; Dillard University; Washington University in St. Louis; U.S.-Russia Business Council; Grocery Manufacturers of America; Eurasia Foundation; National Science Teachers Association; American Crop Protection Association (CropLife America); British-American Project; the FFA; and the 4-H among others.
Arnold and his wife Hazel have two daughters, Radiah and Alicia, and one son Zachary.
Carlos F. Orta, President and CEO, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility
In April of 2006, Carlos Orta was appointed president and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), a Washington, D.C. based not for profit organization whose mission is to ensure the inclusion of Hispanics in corporate America at a level commensurate with the Hispanic community’s economic contributions. HACR focuses on four areas of corporate responsibility and community reciprocity: employment, procurement, philanthropy, and governance.
Prior to joining the HACR, Carlos was at Anheuser-Busch, Inc. as Director of (Latino) Community Outreach for the Western Region, based in Los Angeles, California.
From December of 1997 to September of 2004, Carlos was with Ford Motor Company in their Corporate Affairs Division, holding positions in their State Government Relations Group and at the Ford Motor Company Fund. With Ford, he resided in Atlanta, Georgia, Dearborn, Michigan, and in Kansas City, Missouri.
Prior to joining Ford, Carlos worked at Waste Management of Florida, Inc. in Miami as Manager, Government and Community Relations.
Carlos’ career in the public sector began as a legislative aide for two former members of the Florida House of Representatives. Between 1993 and 1996, he served as Executive Director of the Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation, the state’s largest and most diverse and bi-partisan legislative delegation, comprised of twenty-seven elected members.
Over the past 17 years, Carlos has been extremely active in the communities where he has resided through volunteer efforts with several community-based and professional organizations including serving on the board of directors of Padres Contra El Cancer (Los Angeles), the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, the Missouri State Chamber, the Kansas City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Big Brother Big Sisters (Kansas City), where he also volunteered as a big brother and co-founded the Kansas City BBBS Hermanos/Hermanas Mayores initiative. He is a graduate of Leadership Florida (Class XV) and a graduate and past chairman of Leadership Miami. Carlos currently serves on the Nationwide Hispanic Advisory Council of Big Brothers Big of the United States.
In 2004, Carlos co-authored the executive order that created the Missouri Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs and led the efforts that established the Hispanic Business Political Action Committee of Greater Kansas City.
Carlos graduated from Barry University (Miami, Florida) in 1995 with a Bachelor of Liberal Studies.
Linda Akutagawa, President and CEO, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics
Linda Akutagawa is the President and CEO of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics Inc.,
where she is responsible for LEAP’s fund-raising, business development and oversight of
program design, development and delivery. As chief fundraiser, she develops and executes
strategies focused on increasing earned and contributed income, building interest among clients
and donors to support and participate in LEAP’s leadership programs.
Linda bridges her development and program design and delivery roles through her consulting
with LEAP’s diverse range of clients, which include nearly 500 nonprofit, community and
student organizations; federal, state and local government agencies; colleges and universities;
and Fortune 1000 companies. She works with clients locally, nationally and globally to
determine the best programs and services to support their Asian talent development needs and
brings together the resources needed to deliver a solution. In addition, she collaborates with
LEAP’s consultants to co-design and customize new and existing programs.
Linda is certified to facilitate LEAP’s Leadership Development Program as well as to deliver
several of LEAP’s foundational courses, including the 21st Century Leadership, Understanding
Your Cultural Values, and Effective Work & Communication Styles. She previously was vice
president of resource and business development for Los Angeles-based LEAP, developing and
implementing fund-raising, marketing and sales strategies for its programs and services.
A beneficiary of LEAP’s leadership training, Linda first began as a volunteer for the 501(c)(3)
entity. Now in her 20th year there, she speaks and presents globally on topics such as leadership,
Asian cultural values and influences, employee resource groups, diversity, networking and
branding to a range of audiences such as corporations, student groups and community and
professional organizations. Prior to joining LEAP, she was the marketing manager for Japan &
Orient Tours Inc., a travel operator specializing in Asia and the Pacific.
Linda serves on the Board Directors of the Asian Women Leadership Network and Japanese
American Community Services of Southern California Inc. (JACS), a provider of grants with a
focus on community service, leadership development, cultural arts, and health and human
services. Linda received her Bachelor of Science in international business with a minor in
economics from California State University at Los Angeles. Married, she is auntie to six nieces
and nephews ranging in age from one to 21 years old.
Patrick M. Prout, President & CEO, The Prout Group
Prior to launching his own executive search organization, Pat Prout served as a partner in the Cleveland office of Heidrick & Struggles. He was a member of the firm’s financial services, diversity, chief financial officer and industrial practices. He also conducted successful searches for clients in the insurance, manufacturing, telecommunications, entertainment and sports fields.
Previously Pat was president and chief operating officer, then vice chairman of Bank One, Cleveland, NA, a $2.5 billion assets affiliate of Banc One Corporation. His career in financial services also included positions with Bank of America in Los Angeles, Rainier Bank in Seattle and Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City. He also held sales and marketing positions with IBM, Miller Brewing Company and American Petroleum.
Pat received a B.S. degree in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.B.A. in general management from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business. He took his commission in the U.S. Marine Corps and served two tours of duty in Vietnam.
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