Angie leads integrated communications strategies and campaigns for Fortune 250 consumer finance company Synchrony, advancing the company’s people-first culture, future of work, DEI and tech innovation. She has over 18 years of public relations and public affairs experience across the corporate, government and philanthropy sectors. Angie previously led global communications for the IBM Foundation and served as New York City press secretary for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. She began her career in national television news. Angie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and cinema and media studies from Wellesley College and lives in New York.

Christina Vega Magrini is the Vice President of Corporate Communications at Forbes. She is a global communications professional specializing in shaping the reach, impact, and perception of a global media brand and C-suite executives. In her current role, Christina has a strong focus on securing high profile media placements, brand messaging development, product, editorial, and business PR, media training, crisis communications and implementing results-oriented thought leadership programs. Christina plays a role in managing publicity efforts for all Forbes platforms including Forbes editorial and franchise lists, Forbes products and Forbes Live Events. As Vice President of Communications, Christina collaborates with departments across the company including product, human resources, marketing, research, events and editorial teams to identify and develop narratives that reinforce the company’s leadership position and overall brand purpose. Prior to joining the Corporate Communications team, Christina started her time at Forbes in digital operations, working for the Chief Digital Officer, Forbes Media. Christina graduated from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT with a double major in marketing and finance. She currently lives in New York with her husband and son.

Damon Jones leads efforts to ensure the world’s largest consumer goods company is recognized as one of the most trusted brands in the world. He leads a global organization responsible for P&G’s image and reputation and that of its nearly 100 brands. P&G’s global communications discipline includes brand and corporate communications, digital and social media, stakeholder engagement, issues advocacy and crisis management. Leveraging P&G’s significant industry presence, advertising spending and convening power, Jones also directs a broad portfolio of citizenship and advocacy efforts focused on driving equality for women, people of color and other under-represented groups. A trusted advisor to the C-suite, Jones has a proven track record of leveraging reputation and relationships to drive brand and business success, while guiding and enabling the company to be a force for good and a force for growth.

Halley Knigge serves as director of communications for REI Co-op, leading the teams responsible for showcasing the co-op’s impact work, highlighting its passionate employees and helping current and future members see themselves as part of the co-op–and outdoor–community. Prior to REI, she spent four years as a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines, where she also designed and launched the airline’s first company blog. At Alaska, she helped explain an airline merger, helped inspire adventures near and far, and sometimes ghost-wrote tweets for a certain Seattle quarterback. She’s also dabbled in healthcare, nonprofits, education and daily newspapers. She grew up on Mr. Rogers, so her no. 1 core value is to always be a helper, and currently serves on the boards of the Tacoma Urban League and the Washington Trails Association. She lives and rabblerouses in Tacoma, Washington with her stay-at-home artist husband and first grader.

Lou Dubois is an experienced content and creative executive who specializes in modernizing brands through innovative storytelling, products and campaigns. In his current role as Sr. Director, Head of Content, Creative & HDTV at The Home Depot, he leads a team of 30+ creative professionals tasked with working across the organization to tell the story of Home Depot, its strategic priorities, history, product and people, to audiences internal and external. Previously, he built and led similar teams at Hilton and its 19 brands, 6,800+ hotels worldwide and its employees, and at NBCUniversal, working across the media and entertainment conglomerate’s 50+ brands worldwide. In each of those roles, his teams have been responsible for multiple award-winning brand films and episodics, for leading multi-platform content initiatives and for developing and growing storytelling practices and the products/platforms to support them across the organizations. In his career before brands, Dubois led social and digital newsgathering and strategy at NBC News for a team that worked on the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the 2012 Presidential Election and more, where his work was recognized with both a Peabody and an Emmy Award. He began his journalism career at Sports Illustrated and has also worked at Inc. Magazine, the Associated Press and Social Media Today. He holds a degree in journalism from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida and lives in Park City, Utah.

Michael Kaye is an award-winning public relations professional serving as the head of brand marketing and communications for Match Group’s ARCHER and OkCupid. Michael has written for Adweek and PRWeek, and has been interviewed by ABC News, Axios, Business Insider, CNN, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Kaye is also an adjunct instructor at New York University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and previously served on the board of the Human Rights Campaign.

Sarah Alspach is SVP, External Affairs at bluebird bio, where she is responsible for driving bluebird’s external engagement – including corporate communications, investor relations, patient advocacy, government affairs and alliance development – in support of the company’s mission — pursuing curative gene therapies to bring patients and their families more bluebird days.

Sarah joined bluebird bio in September 2021 as Chief Communications Officer and led communications strategy and execution through a period of significant transformation for the company, culminating with the FDA approval and launch of two first-in-class gene therapies in 2022. Built on a foundation of more than 10 years of leadership in research and development, bluebird is seeking approval for a third gene therapy in 2023 for sickle cell disease.

Prior to joining bluebird, Sarah served as Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the world’s leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. She also spent more than a decade at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where she was Vice President for U.S. Pharma and Corporate Communications, with responsibility for communications, corporate brand and reputation, and philanthropic giving in the US. Sarah holds a B.S. in public relations from the University of Texas at Austin and lives outside of Washington, DC with her husband and three children.

Stephanie Lowenthal is an award winning communications expert with over 20-years experience from in-house roles as well as in global PR agencies, leading integrated communications programs for the world’s leading brands and hottest tech start ups including Nasdaq, trivago and Builder.ai. Deep experience in developing and building out PR & Communications functions from scratch, developing brand positioning, corporate and internal communications and content development.

Dr. Tiph Turpin is the Global Vice President of Employee Communications at Expedia Group. Her team’s responsibilities include executive communication, enterprise-wide communication, operating division communication, corporate function communication, corporate brand and visual identity, employee events and experiences, and communications strategic operations and measurement. For nearly two decades, Dr. Turpin has led award-winning teams spanning internal, external, legislative, community engagement, and investor communications in corporate, consulting, and nonprofit sectors. She graduated from Georgetown University with a double major in English and Sociology before earning an M.A. at the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. at Howard University. She’s a lifelong traveler and volunteer who enjoys exploring the world with her family. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Global Glimpse and is passionate about this nonprofit’s work to create life-changing travel experiences for students.

Billy Rielly serves as Senior Vice President, Head of Public Affairs at the Consumer Bankers Association (CBA) in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he plans and directs the organization’s media and messaging efforts to amplify industry policy priorities and ensure CBA member banks remain well-positioned to deliver on their fundamental missions across every community they serve. Prior to joining CBA, Billy worked on multiple political campaigns, in public affairs representing leading corporate advocacy clients, and most recently spent five years working as a Special Assistant and Communications Director in Congress. He is a native of Pittsburgh who graduated cum laude from Wake Forest University with a major in Political Affairs and Entrepreneurship.