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Michael brings more than 35 years of governance, strategy and ethics expertise to every keynote speaking engagement, meeting facilitation and workshop. With his colleagues and staff, Michael regularly works with the Boards and C-suite executive leadership of credit unions, nonprofits and organizations of all shapes and sizes to improve the effectiveness of their governance, strategy and leadership. Michael and his colleagues at Quantum Governance have worked closely with more than a third of the credit unions in the U.S. with assets of $1 billion or greater and more than 75 percent of his clients are credit unions. Michael has spent the last decade developing a battle-tested methodology for assessing governance and strategy which includes a proprietary survey tool that informs the biennial research study The State of Credit Union Governance.

Michael has also worked closely with a number of corporate clients to develop cutting-edge community involvement, philanthropic and leadership development programs centered on the training of executives and employees to more effectively execute their roles as members of nonprofit boards. His workshops and seminars for corporate executives have been extremely well-received.

Michael is a nationally-recognized speaker, having presented at conferences including: The Credit Union Executives Society, Board Source, The Conference Board, The Ethics Officers Association and Independent Sector, among others. He is an expert on topics such as governance, ethics and strategic planning for credit unions, businesses, nonprofits, associations and governmental entities. He has published articles on these topics for a wide variety of trade journals and magazines, including: CU Magazine, CU Update, Association Management, The Audit Report, BoardMember Magazine, Catalyst and Executive Update, to name a few.

Previously, he served as President of the Ethics Resource Center (ERC) – the nation’s oldest, independent ethics center. During his tenure, the organization launched the ERC Fellows Program; developed ethics centers in the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Colombia; and spearheaded the rebirth of the National Business Ethics Survey. Additionally, the organization worked with leading institutions including Lockheed Martin Corporation, the Society for Human Resource Management and the World Bank Group.

Prior to becoming the President of the ERC, Michael was the Founder and President of Ethics, Inc.– a private consulting and training firm specializing in business ethics for the private, nonprofit and public sectors. Previously, Michael lead the American Inns of Court Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the skills, ethics, civility and professionalism of judges and lawyers.

Michael is a three-time graduate of Georgetown University, holding a B.A. from the College in Philosophy where he was the top graduate in Philosophy; a J.D. from the Law Center; and a Master’s Degree in Law from the Law Center. He was the first person to graduate from the Law Center with a Masters in Law and a concentration in Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Michael is always working to expand his own learning of contemporary governance, strategy and ethics issues, and recently completed Columbia Business School’s Corporate Governance Training program.

General George W. Casey, Jr., enjoyed a 41-year career in the US Army following his graduation from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in 1970. He is an accomplished soldier and an authority on strategic leadership. As the Army Chief of Staff, he led one of the nation's largest and most complex organizations during one of the most extraordinary periods in our history. He is widely credited with restoring balance to a war-weary Army and leading the transformation to keep it relevant in the 21st Century. Prior to this, from July 2004 to February 2007, he commanded the Multi-National Force – Iraq, a coalition of more than 30 countries where he guided the Iraq mission through its toughest days.

Currently, he lectures internationally on leadership to the leaders of national and multinational corporations and at other business schools. He serves on corporate boards and numerous boards of organizations that support our servicemen and women, our veterans, and their families. He also teaches international relations at the Korbel School in Denver.

He has published a book, Strategic Reflections, Operation Iraqi Freedom, July 2004-2007 (October 2012), about his experiences in Iraq, and two articles on leadership: "Leading in a VUCA World," Fortune Magazine (March 20, 2014), and "Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous: Leadership Lessons from Iraq," Chapter 1, Changing Mindsets to Transform Security, (December 2013).

General Casey holds a master's degree in international relations from University of Denver, and served as a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States, a foreign policy think-tank. He has broad international experience. Born in Japan, he served in operational assignments in Europe, the Balkans, and the Middle East.

Les Wallace, Ph.D., is president of Signature Resources and a veteran of work with over 300 boards of directors. His books A Legacy of 21st Century Leadership, Principles of 21st Century Governance, and Personal Success in a Team Environment are used by organizations around the world. His video series, “9MinuteMentor: Governance,” is offered as an online learning resource by many national and international associations. Les serves on two international boards, Counterpart International and the World Future Society.

Since Les founded his consulting consortium in 1982, Signature Resources has grown to encompass more than 30 individuals and partner organizations. They provide governance and leadership strategy development to public and private sector enterprises through three domestic and three international offices. Their clients include Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, professional associations and businesses from many industries.

Drew Pascarella is associate dean for MBA programs, the Rempe Wilson Distinguished Lecturer, and a Senior Lecturer of Finance at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

As associate dean for MBA programs, Drew is responsible for curriculum, admissions, placement, student services, leadership programs, and diversity and inclusive initiatives for Johnson’s residential MBA programs. In addition to his duties as associate dean, Drew leads the Investment Banking Immersion at Johnson. Drew founded Johnson’s Fintech Intensive, delivered at the Cornell Tech campus each spring. In addition, Drew has taught Core Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions (Executive MBA level), Investment Banking Essentials (undergraduate and EMBA levels), and Lectures in Finance. Drew is also heavily involved with executive education initiatives, working with global corporate clients on finance hard skills and Fintech training. Drew was the 2014 recipient of the Class of 1992 Apple Award for Teaching Excellence.

Prior to his arrival at Johnson in 2012, Drew spent 15 years working at bulge bracket investment banks. Drew has advised clients on over $35bn of merger and acquisition transactions and led equity, convertible, and debt financing transactions totaling over $9bn in proceeds. Most recently, Drew was a director in the Technology Investment Banking group at Citi. Notable transactions include the formation of Nokia Siemens Networks (largest JV in corporate history), Nokia's $8.1bn acquisition of NAVTEQ (largest acquisition by a Finnish corporate) and associated €1.75bn debt IPO, Andrew Corporation's $2.6bn sale to Commscope, Lucent's $1.625bn convertible bond offering, and sale of multiple private businesses to Cisco. While at Citi, Drew was an active participant in the Investment Banking Associate Training Program, developing and delivering hard and soft skills courses. Prior to joining Citi, Drew was a technology project manager at Goldman Sachs, where he led the design, development, implementation, and support of global trading technology systems.

In addition to his duties at Johnson, Drew Pascarella is managing director and head of East Coast Banking of Vista Point Advisors.

Drew holds an MBA from Cornell University and a BBA in computer information systems from James Madison University. Drew was the class co-president and a Fried Fellow at Cornell.

Professor Vishal Gaur is Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management, and professor of operations, technology and information management at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. His research interests lie in the design and optimization of data-driven business models. His current research projects deal with econometric analysis and optimization in retailing, supply chains, and linking operations with financial performance of firms.

Gaur served as associate dean of MBA programs during 2014-2019. He teaches the MBA core course in operations management and MBA elective courses in retail operations and SQL. He has received numerous awards for his research and teaching: the Johnson Faculty Research Award in 2012-13; the Clifford H. Whitcomb Faculty Fellowship in 2010-11; the Johnson Core Faculty Award by the graduating classes of 2015, 2012, and 2008; the Johnson Cornell Tech Core Faculty Award by the graduating class of 2017; the Wickham Skinner Early Career Research Accomplishments Award by the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) in 2006; and honorable mention in the George B. Dantzig Dissertation Award Competition in 2001. His co-authored paper, "Hedging Inventory Risk Through Market Instruments," published in the journal Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, received the 2008 Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Best Paper Award. He serves as a department editor for Management Science and an associate editor for Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, Operations Research, and Production and Operations Management. Prof. Gaur received his PhD in 2001 from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad in 1995, and his BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in 1993. Before joining Johnson, he was an assistant professor at the NYU Stern School of Business during 2001-07 and a visiting associate professor at Harvard Business School during 2007-08.

Risa Mish is professor of practice of management at the Johnson Graduate School of Management. She designed and teaches the MBA, EMBA, and Cornell-Tsinghua Core courses in Critical and Strategic Thinking, teaches elective courses in critical thinking and leadership, and was the founding faculty director of the Johnson Leadership Fellows program.

She has been the recipient of the MBA and Accelerated MBA Core Faculty Teaching Awards, selected by the residential program MBA and AMBA classes to honor the teacher who "best fosters learning through lecture, discussion and course work in the required core curriculum"; the Apple Award for Teaching Excellence, selected by the MBA graduating class to honor a faculty member who "exemplifies outstanding leadership and enduring educational influence"; the "Best Teacher Award", selected by the graduating class of the Cornell-Tsinghua dual degree MBA/FMBA program offered by Johnson at Cornell and the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University to recognize "a faculty member whose teaching was the best in the classroom"; the Stephen Russell Distinguished Teaching Award, selected by the five-year MBA reunion class to honor a faculty member whose "teaching and example have continued to influence graduates five years into their post-MBA careers"; the Globe Award for Teaching Excellence, selected by the Executive MBA graduating class to honor a faculty member who "demonstrates a command of subject matter and also possesses the creativity, dedication, and enthusiasm essential to meet the unique challenges of an EMBA education"; and the Star Award for Teaching Excellence, selected by the Executive MBA of the Americas graduating class to honor the faculty member whose "exceptional performance made the most significant contribution to the student learning experience".

Mish serves as a keynote speaker and workshop leader at global, national, and regional conferences for corporations and trade associations in the consumer products, financial services, health care, high tech, media, and manufacturing industries, on a variety of topics, including critical thinking and problem solving, persuasion and influence, and motivating optimal employee performance.

Before returning to Cornell, Mish was a partner in the New York City law firm of Collazo Carling & Mish LLP (now Collazo Florentino & Keil LLP), where she represented management clients on a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including defense of employment discrimination claims in federal and state courts and administrative agencies, and in labor arbitrations and negotiations under collective bargaining agreements. Prior to CC&M, Mish was a labor and employment law associate with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City, where she represented Fortune 500 clients in the financial services, consumer products, and manufacturing industries. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and state and federal courts in New York and Massachusetts.

Mish is a member of the board of directors of SmithBucklin Corporation, the world's largest trade association management company, headquartered in Chicago. She formerly served on the board of directors of TheraCare, Inc., headquartered in New York City, as a Trustee of the Tompkins County Public Library, Vice Chair of the board of directors of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, and member of the board of directors of the United Way of Tompkins County. 

Steven A. Carvell, professor of finance in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, was named Cornell’s first vice provost for external education strategy in 2019. He works to help the university achieve greater synergies among a range of external education programs. These include executive education, certificate, and master’s degree programs, which are offered by various colleges and schools as well as eCornell. Collaborating with all of these units, Carvell will lead efforts to support and expand external education programs. In particular, his role includes aligning eCornell more closely with the academic enterprise.

Carvell joined the faculty of the School of Hotel Administration in 1986 and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses, including Advanced Corporate Finance, Capital Budgeting, Financial Strategy and Investments, and Mergers and Acquisitions. He has also been active in executive education since 1990, working with almost every major domestic and international hotel company to create custom courses for hotel executives. These companies include Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental Hotel Group, Taj Hotels, and many others. Carvell was one of the earliest contributors to eCornell and has authored eight distance-learning courses that are among most widely demanded offerings of eCornell for the past 15 years. At the Hotel School, he served as associate dean for academic affairs (2007–2016) and academic director of the Pillsbury Institute for Entrepreneurship (2013–2016). Currently he is academic director of the Center for Real Estate and Finance.

Carvell has published numerous articles in academic and professional journals and is co-author of In the Shadows of Wall Street. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, and elsewhere. He has recently finished a major project designed to identify the determinants of hotel demand for U.S. hotels and another on economic and capital market antecedents of venture capital commitments. He is currently working on a project to disaggregate hotel room rates within urban markets and another to determine the risk-return characteristics of room rates in major U.S markets.

Carvell has worked with professional money managers in the area of applied strategy in the equity market and served as a consultant to the Presidential Commission on the 1987 stock market crash. His private sector interests include consulting on valuation and risk analysis in feasibility studies, hotel debt capacity, strategic benchmarking, and corporate and financial strategy. He serves on a number of private equity and start-up boards in health care, real estate, hospitality, and consumer goods.

He holds a Ph.D. from the State University of New York, Binghamton.
 

Natalia teaches classes in project management and operations management for non-business graduate students at the Johnson School (NBA5410 and NCC5580), and the operations management class for the Executive Program in Health Administration at the Sloan Program in Health Administration (PAM5583).

Her research focuses on competitive bidding and decision making under competition and uncertainty, which has been published in Management Science, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, and Production and Operations Management.

Natalia earned a BS and MSc in industrial engineering from Universidad de Los Andes, a MSc in operations research from Rutgers University, and a PhD in supply chain management and operations research from the Pennsylvania State University. Before joining Cornell in 2014, she was an assistant professor in the industrial engineering school at Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia.