Sam Lalanne is a Managing Director and Chief Diversity Officer at Morgan Stanley. As Chief Diversity Officer, Sam works with leaders across the Firm on innovative strategies for attracting, advancing, and retaining top diverse talent. In addition, Sam is the Head of Strategy for the Institute for Inclusion, leading the critical work of the Institute in supporting internal diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts, driving equity in education and careers, and investing in diverse communities and businesses.

Prior to his current role, Sam was the Head of D&I for the Institutional Securities Group (ISG), Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM), and International. In this role, Sam served as a strategic partner and trusted advisor across institutional businesses, and integrated regional initiatives across the global footprint to deliver to our colleagues, our communities, and our clients.

Sam joined Morgan Stanley in 2019 from Citi where he had a distinguished career spanning 19 years. During his tenure, Sam held leadership positions in the Talent & Diversity, Institutional Client, and Private Banking organizations.

Sam holds his B.S. in Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and two daughters.

Amy Trutor, Vice President, Office of the CIO (Boston) is a Portfolio Manager responsible for the investment of State Street’s US Credit portfolio.  In addition to her portfolio management responsibilities, she leads many of the Impact and Sustainability programs across State Street’s treasury and balance sheet which includes the oversight of State Street’s Sustainability Bond program, partnerships with diverse firms in capital markets activities, and the organization of State Street’s MDI and CDFI deposit initiative.  

Amy has been with State Street for 8 years where she has held other trading roles in funding / liability management.  Prior to joining State Street she spent several years at MFS Investment Management working as part of their fixed income trading team.  Outside of State Street she is an advocate for underserved youth and sits on the Associate Board of BUILD Boston.  Amy has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Northeastern University. 

Devean R. Owens-Toler, Ph.D. is an Associate Director on the Insights team at Seramount. With extensive experience in designing, executing, and managing data-driven client engagements, Devean combines strategic thinking with sharp analytical skills, allowing her to see both the big picture and the finer details.

Previously, she served as Operations & Analytics Manager at KEIRUS by KJE, where she partnered with the CEO to build a dynamic team, launch a virtual learning platform, secure new business, and analyze client data.

Devean earned her Ph.D. in Diversity and Equity in Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Southern Methodist University. She has co-published research on topics such as Black women doctoral students’ use of peer mentorship, anti-racist change leadership, and the praxis of intersectionality for women of color in academia.

Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Devean now lives in the Dallas area with her husband, three children, and two dogs. A lover of colorful sticky notes, reading, calendar organization, and coding qualitative data, she brings enthusiasm and precision to everything she does.

Melinda Wolfe has served as Chief People Officer and led talent initiatives with a passionate focus on diversity, equity and inclusion at companies including 2U, GLG, Pearson, Bloomberg, American Express and Goldman Sachs. Across industry, she has joined leadership teams to optimize organizational design, culture and human resource priorities, while driving outcomes for employee engagement, productivity and profitability. Ms. Wolfe began her career in public finance at Merrill Lynch where she managed billions of dollars of project finance and public power transactions for public and private sector clients.

Currently, Ms. Wolfe consults on a wide range of HR, talent and culture issues and serves as an Executive Coach to company leaders and their teams. She holds Board positions at several start-up companies and serves as an advisor to SemperVirens Venture Capital.

In addition to her work in the private sector, Ms. Wolfe serves on several non-profit boards focused on social impact.

Megan Hogan is Global Head of Talent and Chief Diversity Officer at Goldman Sachs responsible for driving the firm’s development, retention and growth strategies, strengthening the leadership pipeline and ensuring the firm’s workforce reflects the diversity of its clients and communities. Megan serves as a member of the Human Capital Management Global Leadership Group, the Vendor Diversity Steering Group, and One Million Black Women Steering Committee. Prior to joining the firm, Megan worked as a litigation associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP covering white collar, insurance, and complex commercial cases and trials. During that period, she dedicated significant time to pro bono cases, primarily representing immigrants seeking asylum. Megan serves as the chair of the Stephen Gaynor School’s Board of Trustees. She is also a member of the Advisory Board for the New York Botanical Garden.

Anne Erni joined Audible as Chief People Officer in 2016. She most recently served as Head of Human Resources at Bloomberg L.P. Anne spent six years at Bloomberg, during which the global workforce doubled, and where her passion for nurturing talent led to the creation of Bloomberg’s Global Leadership Forum.

Before Bloomberg, Anne was Managing Director and Chief Diversity Officer at Lehman Brothers, focusing on the recruitment and retention of women and under-represented groups. Anne also spent fifteen years with P&L responsibility in fixed income and equity sales at Lehman Brothers and Bankers Trust. A New Jersey native, Anne holds a BA and MA from Johns Hopkins University.

Ana Duarte McCarthy has 25 years’ experience providing advisory consulting services on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy, policy, and practices to Fortune 500 companies across the pharmaceutical, financial services, insurance, and legal industries.   

During her more than twenty-year tenure as Chief Diversity Officer of Citi, Ana led the company’s global diversity and inclusion strategy for hiring and developing diverse talent, fostering an inclusive work environment, and ensuring management accountability. Most recently she served as Director, Corporate Partners, Forté Foundation, managing more than 60 companies and driving measurable efforts to increase the advancement of women in business leadership roles.  

Ana served as an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, lecturing on Women in the Global Economy. She is also a featured “Ask the Expert” speaker within three online of Cornell University’s online certificate programs. 

As a change agent, Ana places a high commitment on service to organizations in her community. This includes serving on and chairing the DEI task force for the Greater Somerset County YMCA Board of Directors, and as an elected official on the Bernards Township Committee.  

Shenelle Brooks is an Associate Director on Seramount’s Advisory team, where she guides companies in developing impactful HR strategies through a DEI-focused lens. A SHRM-certified HR professional, Shenelle has over eight years of experience specializing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Her passion for creating inclusive workplaces is evident in her expertise with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), where she has played a pivotal role in shaping their strategic direction and aligning them with global DEI initiatives.

Beyond her professional work, Shenelle serves on the boards of the Independence Business Alliance (IBA), City Year Philadelphia, and HopePHL, championing initiatives that uplift diverse communities. She holds a BA in Business Administration and Communications from The College of New Rochelle and an MS in Human Resource Management from Capella University, which she leverages to implement innovative strategies across both corporate and non-profit sectors.

A proud Bronx native, Shenelle is deeply attuned to the challenges faced by underserved communities and uses her platform to advocate for equitable opportunities. She is committed to educating others on the importance of inclusion and celebrating the unique stories that shape our identities. In her free time, Shenelle enjoys exploring new destinations, outdoor activities, and volunteering to support those in need.

Nancy J. Di Dia is a celebrated leadership advisor, executive coach, and certified DEI practitioner. As the former Chief Diversity Officer at Boehringer Ingelheim USA, she reimagined diversity and inclusion strategies that shaped the company’s culture and elevated diverse talent representation at all levels. A PCC-certified executive coach with more than two decades of experience, Nancy has developed and facilitated leadership programs that empower leaders to connect authentically, foster innovation, and build resilient teams. 

Nancy’s career spans global organizations in pharmaceuticals, financial services, and technology, where she has been instrumental in crafting leadership pipelines and advancing inclusion initiatives. Among her accomplishments, she designed the Women in Leadership Pipeline and multicultural integration frameworks that have been adopted as best practices. Her efforts have garnered national recognition, including honors from the Human Rights Campaign and DiversityInc. Magazine. 

As founder and CEO of Di Dia Executive Coaching Group, Nancy continues to champion inclusive leadership, partnering with executives to create cultures of belonging and achieve measurable impact in global organizations.  She is currently a global advisor for Seramount. 

Christena Pyle is the first Chief Equity Officer at dentsu Americas and joined the network in 2020. Christena has spent her entire career working in and advocating for the advertising industry, having worked for agencies, holding companies, and non-profits. Christena has received countless honors but most recently recognized by Ad Age’s 40 under 40 list and inducted into the America Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement. In addition to being inducted into the 2021 AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement, Christena also received the Jack Avrett Volunteer Spirit Award for industry service.

Christena serves on committees, councils, and boards supporting the advertising industry including the GLAAD Advertising Council which launched the GLAAD Advertising Visibility Index helping to ensuring fair, accurate, inclusive and diverse visibility for LGBTQ people in marketing and advertising campaigns. Christena believes in the power of Media to be a force for good in the world. She believes Media can introduce new narratives, challenge legacy thinking, accurately portray people, and combat harmful stereotypes.

Christena is recently married to Rosemary and call NYC their home. In 2019 they ran all 26.2 miles of the New York City Marathon together! If you want to hear more from Christena, you can check out the Adweek Podcast “Home / Work” on iTunes or where ever you get your podcasts.