50/50 Women on Boards™ Announces Featured Speakers for 2026 Breakfast of Corporate Champions

Event to Honor More Than 230 Companies with At Least 40% Women Directors on Their Boards and Recognize Costco CEO Ron Vachris with the Muriel F. Siebert Leadership Award

LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 50/50 Women on Boards™, the leading global nonprofit advancing the business case for diverse boards, today announced featured speakers for the 2026 Breakfast of Corporate Champions, including leaders from Dow, S&P Global, Costco Wholesale, AMD, Nasdaq, Mastercard, Wells Fargo, Edelman, and SoFi.

Taking place September 17, 2026, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET at 48 Wall Street in New York City, the Breakfast of Corporate Champions will honor CEOs from more than 230 S&P 500 and Fortune 1000 companies recognized for having achieved at least 40% women directors on their boards.

The event will also include the presentation of the prestigious Muriel F. Siebert Leadership Award to Ron Vachris, President and Chief Executive Officer of Costco Wholesale, in recognition of his commitment to advancing women in leadership and corporate governance.

The exclusive event kicks off the 50/50 Women on Boards annual Global Summit: The Future Board Agenda, where the conversation will shift from recognition to responsibility and convene CEOs, corporate directors, investors, and governance leaders for conversations on governance, AI oversight, risk, and the future of board leadership.

"The companies recognized at the Breakfast of Corporate Champions demonstrate what forward-looking board leadership looks like today," said Heather Spilsbury, CEO of 50/50 Women on Boards. "The composition of their boards reflects a commitment to risk oversight, innovation, and long-term growth — all of which strengthen performance for their companies, investors, and shareholdrs."

"Since the inception in 2011, the Breakfast of Corporate Champions has shined a light on companies and leaders who recognize gender balance in the boardroom as a clear and critical business imperative," said Janice Ellig, founder of the event, when she was President of the Women's Forum of New York. "As challenges ramp up, companies more than ever need to tap into the incredible talent pool women represent."

Topics and speakers to date include:

Board Leadership in the Age of AI

• Ruth Cotter, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, AMD
• Richard Davis, Lead Director, Dow; Board Director, Mastercard and Wells Fargo
• Kirsty Graham, CEO, Edelman
• Byron Loflin, Global Head of Board Advisory and Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence
• Shannon Nash, COO/CFO, Vibrant Planet; Board Director, NETSCOUT and SoFi Bank

CEO Leadership: Driving Gender Parity as a Business Imperative

• Jim Fitterling, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Dow
• Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wilderotter Vineyard; Board Director: DocuSign, Costco, Sonoma Biotherapeutics, Inc., and Tanium, Inc.

Additional speakers and honorees will be announced in the coming months.

Sponsors of the 2026 Breakfast of Corporate Champions to date include:
Official Airline: United Airlines
Diamond Sponsors: Broadridge, Genworth Financial and S&P Global
Platinum Sponsors: AptarGroup and Bank of America 
Gold Sponsor: Patterson-UTI Energy
Silver Sponsor: New York Stock Exchange
Bronze Sponsor: Globe Life

Registration and sponsorship opportunities for the Breakfast of Corporate Champions and Global Summit are available at 50/50 Women on Boards Global Summit Week.

About 50/50 Women on Boards (50/50WOB)
50/50 Women on Boards™ (50/50WOB) is the leading global nonprofit advancing the business case for diverse boards. Through research, education, and advocacy, 50/50WOB cultivates a pipeline of board-ready candidates and engages the companies and governance leaders who shape board appointments and succession planning. Since 2010, 50/50WOB has published its Gender Diversity Index™ and research reports tracking the composition of Russell 3000 company boards. The organization's educational programs, Global Summit, and strategic convenings provide aspiring and experienced directors with the insights, networks, and resources to advance their board journeys. For more information, visit www.5050wob.com.

About The Breakfast of Corporate Champions
The Breakfast of Corporate Champions is a biennial salute that was launched in 2011 by the Women's Forum of New York, when Janice Ellig was the President. The objective was to convene CEOs and directors to speak on the topic that gender balance in the boardroom is a strategic business imperative, and to recognize those companies at or above the national S&P 500 average of women on boards. In 2026, we honor S&P 500 and Fortune 1000 companies with at least 40% of board seats held by women. These Corporate Champions are an inspiration for other companies to accelerate positive change.

About Ellig Group
Ellig Group is a New York based, certified woman-owned executive search firm with a nearly 50-year legacy of placing inclusive leaders in C-suite and board roles, driving lasting success for corporate and nonprofit clients while championing exceptional diverse talent.

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SOURCE 50/50 Women on Boards

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