Advisory Board

After an accomplished 29.5-year career at HP, Tara J. Agen has retired, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, innovation, and strategic impact. Most recently, she served as the Global Head and Vice President of HP Marketing Strategic Planning, Operations, and Marketing Technology (MarTech). In this role, she led critical initiatives, including strategic corporate planning, purchase-to-pay operations, privacy and cybersecurity, marketing automation, and CRM platform services. She also spearheaded HP’s agency strategy and governance, the Marketing Lab for employee development, and marketing audit and M&A integration. Additionally, she co-led HP’s Industry Pillar to advance supplier diversity and ESG efforts, significantly exceeding corporate goals.

Prior to this, Tara was Vice President and General Manager of HP’s Personal Systems Displays and Accessories (D&A) global business unit, overseeing a $36B market opportunity. Under her leadership, the business achieved double-digit growth for two consecutive years, including 16% top-line and 34% bottom-line expansion in 2018. She played a pivotal role in redefining business strategy, fostering innovation, and driving operational excellence across 166 countries.

Earlier in her career, Tara served as Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Planning and Operations for HP’s $32B Personal Systems business. She managed daily operations for a global workforce of 3,500 employees and contributed to the turnaround of the $10B Consumer PC business. Throughout her tenure at HP and Hewlett-Packard, she held leadership roles spanning Print, PCs, Storage, and Servers, making lasting contributions to strategy, marketing, and business operations.

Among her many career milestones, Tara is a named inventor of a U.S. and China patent (Patent #11,160,341), played a key role in sustainable printing initiatives in her local community, and was part of the founding team behind the fastest-growing $1B business in HP history—HP Pavilion PCs.

Now retired, Tara remains passionate about mentoring, innovation, and the evolving landscape of technology and business.

Harriet Harty is a distinguished senior business executive with a unique blend of Human Resources expertise and financial acumen. Throughout her career, she has championed values-based cultures that drive high performance by aligning HR strategies with business needs and fostering inclusive, innovative workplaces.

Harriet retired after an impactful tenure as Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer at ADT, where she was responsible for Human Resources, Real Estate & Facilities, Corporate Security, Employee Health & Safety Compliance, and Business Continuity. Before her role at ADT, Harriet served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Sompo International.

Prior to her executive roles, Harriet spent over 23 years at Allstate Insurance Company, where she held multiple leadership positions, including Chief Human Resources Officer. As EVP of Human Resources, Harriet led a global HR organization of more than 600 employees, overseeing recruitment, development, and compensation for over 70,000 employees and exclusive agents. She advised the Board of Directors, designed and implemented successful succession plans, and developed data-driven talent strategies to prepare the organization for the workforce of the future.

Harriet’s career also includes significant Board of Directors experience. She served on the Advisory Board for After School Matters and as a Board Member for Women Employed.

She earned a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Northeastern Illinois University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.

A native of Chicago, Harriet now resides in Park Ridge, Illinois, with her husband, John, and daughter, Carissa. In her retirement, she enjoys exercise, reading, and traveling with her family.

Donna Hughes, JD, is the Founder and CEO of Hughes Solutions, LLC, an executive coaching and human resources consulting business. Hughes Solutions’ mission is to enable senior and emerging leaders, particularly women and people of color, to excel in their leadership capabilities, and positively shape their teams, organizations, and communities.

Over the course of her career in Fortune 500 global organizations, and a not-for-profit organization, Donna gained the respect of executive leaders and corporate boards for her ability to drive positive cultural change through instilling inclusive leadership, and for her legal and business acumen. Donna most recently served as the Chief People Officer for EmblemHealth, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health insurers. Donna’s career and contributions at EmblemHealth were showcased by Profile Magazine’s December 2019 article, “How Donna Hughes Guides Teams along the ‘Curve of Change’”.

Donna’s prior roles include SVP, Human Resources, for Impax Laboratories, Inc., Vice President, Labor & Employment for Allergan, plc, and Director and Assistant General Counsel for Circuit City Stores, Inc. Her rise through progressive leadership roles in the field of law to the C-suite was showcased by American Healthcare Leader’s December 2017 article, “Seizing New Opportunities for Growth”.

For her contributions in leadership, Donna was recently named to Crain’s New York Business’ 2022 list of Notable Black Leaders and its 2021 list of Notable Leaders in Healthcare. In addition, Donna was named to Crain’s New York Business’ 2020 list of most Notable Women in Talent and recognized as one of Diversity Leadership, Inc.’s 2021 national list of “Top 50 HR Professionals”.

Donna is a sought-after speaker for institutions of higher education, national organizations, and has been a guest podcast speaker on various topics including, the value of coaching, conscious leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion, culture transformation, and leading organizations through the Covid-19 pandemic and social unrest. In October 2021, Donna was the featured speaker at the Le Moyne College, Madden School of Business program “Conscious Leadership and Culturally Competent Healthcare.”

Donna received her Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark, her Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers College, Rutgers University. She is a graduate of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP).

Blair has 30 years of experience in executive compensation consulting, primarily advising public company boards but also private and pre-IPO companies. Blair has extensive experience across the healthcare, retail, consumer products, automotive, and aerospace industries. She has deep expertise in advising boards on company transitions, significant investor concerns, and an expanding human capital management mandate.

Blair brings insights from across her client work to drive richer Compensation Committee conversations. Her work with global companies informs her guidance on navigating disruptive change and sensitivity to stakeholder priorities. Blair is particularly adept at raising critical issues and considering the larger equation of leadership performance amidst transformation. Work with private equity portfolio companies and turnarounds attunes Blair to the power of strategic messages, clear performance measures, and meaningful goals. Blair’s investor and advisor network keeps her ahead of governance issues.

Blair began her career at Bain & Company and brings that strategic training to her work. Later, she was Practice Leader in Leadership Performance and Rewards at Sibson Consulting, which informs her perspectives on the role of executive compensation in driving leadership performance. Blair holds designations of Certified Benefits Professional (CBP), Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), and Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP). She has been recognized by NACD yearly from 2013-2022 as a Directorship 100: Governance Professional honoree.

Blair regularly speaks at leading board of director and executive forums and is a prominent author in the executive compensation space. Blair was a many-year member of the Executive Rewards Advisory Council for WorldatWork and co-founded WorldatWork’s Women in Executive Compensation and Regional Executive Compensation Roundtables. Blair participates in broader governance dialogue at the steering committee of the U.S. 30% Club and Harvard Law School Corporate Governance Roundtables.

Forward-thinking Global Business Leader and Corporate Officer with deep experience in human capital strategies for the achievement of business goals. Transformation expert with a track record of success in culture evolution, executive compensation and succession planning, talent management, change management development and integration execution, corporate governance, labor strategies and corporate social responsibility, including diversity, equity & inclusion.

In C-Suite leadership roles at large, publicly traded companies, interfaced closely with Boards of Directors, serving as liaison between executive management and Boards. As Global HR leader and executive team member at Sysco, spent 40% of time working with Board of Directors, providing support to Compensation and Leadership Development Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. At Dean Foods Company, provided primary executive support to Board of Directors Compensation Committee and Governance Committee.

Select Board-Level Competencies include the following:

• GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
• STRATEGY & EXECUTION
• TALENT DEVELOPMENT
• CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
• MANAGING CHANGE
• COMMUNICAITON

Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX: 2011 – 2021

• Executive Vice President, Human Resources

Dean Foods Company, Dallas, TX: 2007 – 2010

• Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer

Yum! Brands, Dallas, TX: 1996 – 2007

• Chief People Officer, Pizza Hut USA: (2004 – 2007)
• Vice President, Field Human Resources/Training, Pizza Hut USA (2001 – 2004)
• Senior Director, International Human Resources, Tricon Restaurants International: (1997 – 2001)
• Director, Global Human Resources, Tricon Global Restaurants (1996 – 1997)

Darden Restaurants, Inc., Orlando, FL: 1994 – 1996

• Vice President, Compensation and Corporate Employment

Brinker International, Dallas, TX: 1992 – 1994

• Director, Compensation and Benefits

Towers Perrin, Los Angeles, CA & Dallas, TX: 1988 – 1992

• Compensation Consultant

Maureen E. O’Brien is a life-long New Yorker. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.A.) and New York University (M.A.). In 2023 Maureen completed, Women on Boards, Succeeding as a Corporate Director, at Harvard Business School.
In 2018, following a national search, Maureen was appointed the first female President and Chief Executive Officer of New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID). NYSID is the designated facilitator of the Preferred Source Program for individuals with disabilities. Maureen manages the execution of over 1,200 state and municipal contracts valuing $320m on behalf of 135 disability service provider member agencies and corporate partners. Annually, more than 6,500 individuals with disabilities are gainfully employed through the program. Maureen combines her private sector experience and inclusion expertise with her desire to provide opportunities and advancement to individuals with disabilities, bringing transformational change to the organization.
After serving as the Director of State Operations to 20th Congressional District Representative and Homeland Security Appropriator John E. Sweeney, Maureen became the Director of Government Affairs for Motorola Solutions Inc. (MSI) in 2007. In this capacity she handled the company’s public safety government relations work on large strategic projects. In her tenure at MSI Maureen secured public funding for over $1b in public safety projects.
Maureen’s reputation in the state houses she has called on and among the partners of NYSID is that of an honest broker and trusted advisor with a keen understanding of the political process. Those who work closely with her are witness to her sense of humor, deep network of respectful colleagues and persistence in leaving no stone unturned.
Maureen is a Director at the New York State Enterprise Technology Corporation and LifePlan, CCO NY. She is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Christian Brothers Academy, a member of the Executive Board of Governors at the Center for Disability Services and the Albany Medical Center Hospital Affairs Committee. Maureen is a partner of the CEO Commission for Disability Employment.
Maureen was a recipient of the Andrew Heiskell Community Service Award and on two occasions the quarterly MSI Foundation Volunteerism Award. In 2012, 2013 and 2016, Maureen was inducted in MSI CEO Circle – recognition of performing in the top 10% of the company. In 2016, she was a recipient of The American Institute for Public Service Foundation Jefferson Award. In 2020, Maureen was recognized by the Albany Business Review as a Community Connector for Leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and by City and State New York as a Socially Responsible 100 Leader making our state better for New Yorkers.
In 2021, Maureen was named a “Woman Who Means Business” by the Albany Business Review. She also received a Game Changer Award from Special Olympics New York and the Anthony J. Koenig Volunteer Service Award from the Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State. In 2022 she received the Key For Women Achievement Award. In 2023, Maureen was named the non-profit leader of the year by the Capital Region Chamber.
Maureen is a member of the Notre Dame Club of Northeastern N.Y. and The Notre Dame Monogram Club. She and her family are communicants of Mater Christi Parish in Albany, New York. Together Maureen and her husband Dr. Paul F. Vogt have four boys Patrick, Andrew, Christopher and Gabriel.

Kimberly Townsend is President and Chief Executive Officer of Loretto, a post-acute care system located in New York, with assets in skilled nursing, housing, managed care, short term and sub-acute rehabilitation and home and community- based services. 

Ms. Townsend is currently a Governor’s Appointee to the New York State Workforce Investment Board.  She also serves as a board member and in board leadership positions for several non-profit organizations.

Ms. Townsend received her BS and MBA from the Whitman School of Management, her JD from Syracuse University College of Law, her MPA from the Maxwell School of Public Administration and her Doctorate in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College. She is admitted to practice by the New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. bars.

Christy Harris is Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at CCC Intelligent Solutions, where she leads the company’s global people strategy in support of sustained growth, innovation, and operational excellence. She partners closely with the executive leadership team to shape culture, evolve the operating model, and ensure the organization has the talent, capabilities, and leadership needed to compete in a rapidly changing environment.

Christy is particularly passionate about the intersection of people, technology, and performance. Her work centers on modernizing HR through scalable systems and data‑driven insights, advancing inclusive and values‑based leadership, and preparing the workforce for the impact of AI and automation. She is a strong advocate for transparency, thoughtful governance, and human‑centered adoption of emerging technologies.

Known for her collaborative and pragmatic leadership style, Christy focuses on creating clarity through change, building strong leadership teams, and aligning talent strategy with long‑term business outcomes. She brings a steady, enterprise‑wide perspective to transformation—balancing innovation with discipline, and ambition with care for the employee experience.