IWIRC announces new board of directors

By Mohamed Dabo

The International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) has announced its newly elected and appointed incoming board of directors for 2018 – 2019.

The international networking and professional growth organization, aimed at women in the restructuring and insolvency industries, announced the names of its five-member executive board and its ten-member management committee on 17 September.

IWIRC also published the names of its new regional directors, directors at large, as well as its standing committee and vice directors.

Carrianne Basler, a managing director at AlixPartners in Chicago who was vice chair, succeeds outgoing chair Jennifer McLemore. Michelle Pickett, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Toronto, Canada, becomes the new vice chair. McLemore will remain on the board as immediate past chair.

The executive board also includes Leyza B. Florin of Sequor Law in Miami as secretary, Jennifer Kimble of New York restructuring firm Prime Clerk as treasurer, and Marjorie Kaufman of Getzler Henrich in Boston as Vice Finance Director.

Appointees to the group’s management committee include Tinamarie Feil, president of the California-based BMC Group, who becomes the group’s UNCITRAL committee director. Alexandra Schnapp, a law clerk at the US Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta, is the communications director.

Eloise Fardon, a senior associate at Stephenson Harwood in Hong Kong, is now the Asia regional director. Rita Gismondi, an associate at Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners in Rome, is the new Europe regional director. Kelly McDonald, of Shearman & Sterling in New York, is  US regional director and Toronto-based Dentons counsel Sara-Ann Van Allen is Canada regional director.

Outgoing chair McLemore says, “The composition of the Board speaks to the depth and expertise of our membership base and we look forward to working with these talented women.”

In a phone interview, she told GRR the organisation’s focus right now is to bring the international experience to the local level—so that members who are unable to attend international conferences can still have access to those international resources.

IWIRC’s newsletter is one resource the organisation is aiming to make more accessible; for example, by using social media to give it a stronger international presence on the internet.

Founded in 1993, IWIRC is a not-for-profit organisation currently located in Asia, Europe, and North America and continues to grow. McLemore says IWIRC welcomes the development of new networks in these or new regions.

Executive Board (terms ending October 2019)

• Carrianne Basler, AlixPartners, Chair
• Michelle Pickett, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Vice Chair
• Leyza B. Florin, Sequor Law, Secretary
• Jennifer Kimble, Prime Clerk, Treasurer
• Marjorie Kaufman, Getzler Henrich & Associates, Vice Finance Director
• Jennifer McLemore, Christian & Barton, Immediate Past Chair

Management Committee (terms ending October 2019)

• Tinamarie Feil, BMC Group, UNCITRAL Committee Director*
• Karen Fellowes, DLA Piper, Newsletter Director
• Terri Freedman, Freedman Law, Program Committee Co-Director
• Melissa Hager, Morrison & Foerster, US Networks Director
• Evelyn Meltzer, Pepper Hamilton, Member Services Director
• Alexandra “CC” Schnapp, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Communications Director
• Helen Sevenoaks, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang, Europe Networks Director
• Carren Shulman, NYU School of Law, UNCITRAL Committee Director*
• Pooja Sinha, Global Legal Solutions (GLS Law), Asia Networks Director
• Melaney Wagner, Goodmans, Canada Networks Director

Regional Directors (terms ending October 2019)

• Eloise Fardon, Stephenson Harwood, Asia Regional Director
• Rita Gismondi, Gianni, Origoni, Grippo, Cappelli & Partners, Europe Regional Director
• Kelly McDonald, Shearman & Sterling, U.S. Regional Director
• Sara-Ann Van Allen, Dentons, Canada Regional Director

Directors at Large (terms ending October 2019)

• Jacqui Calderin, Agentis
• Kelly Beaudin Conlan, Connolly Gallagher
• Catherine D’Alton, Harney Westwood & Riegels
• Mary Grace Diehl, former judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court
• Rebecca Hume, Kobre & Kim
• Ericka Johnson, Womble Bond Dickinson
• Nicole Stefanelli, Cullen and Dykman
• Blanche Zelmanovich, Ernst & Young

Directors at Large (terms ending October 2020)

• Monica Blacker, BAX Advisors
• Kristen Siracusa Eustis, Miles & Stockbridge PC
• Elizabeth Gunn, Virginia Office of the Attorney General
• Rachel Lao, SSG Capital Management
• Kerri Mumford, Landis Rath & Cobb
• Leanne Williams, ThorntonGroutFinnigan

Standing Committee Vice-Directors (terms ending October 2019)

• Valerie Banter-Peo, Buchalter Nemer, Vice Director of Regional Programming*
• Aisling Dwyer, Maples and Calder, Asia Regional Vice Director*
• Rosa Evergreen, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, Vice Director of Communications and Newsletter*
• Justine Lau, Mourant Ozannes, Asia Regional Vice Director*
• Tina Lucas, Banner Bank, Vice Director of Budget*
• Lauren McKelvey, Odin Feldman & Pittleman, Vice Director of Spring Programs*
• Tara Schellhorn, Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti, Vice Director of Fall Programs*
• Nellwyn Voorhies, Donlin Recano, Vice Director of Communications and Social Media*
• Blanche Zelmanovich, Ernst & Young, Vice Director of Member Services*
• Rita Gismondi, Gianni, Origoni, Grippo, Cappelli & Partners, Europe Regional Director
• Kelly McDonald, Shearman & Sterling, U.S. Regional Director
• Sara-Ann Van Allen, Dentons, Canada Regional Director

Directors at Large (terms ending October 2019)

• Jacqui Calderin, Agentis
• Kelly Beaudin Conlan, Connolly Gallagher
• Catherine D’Alton, Harney Westwood & Riegels
• Mary Grace Diehl, former judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court
• Rebecca Hume, Kobre & Kim
• Ericka Johnson, Womble Bond Dickinson
• Nicole Stefanelli, Cullen and Dykman
• Blanche Zelmanovich, Ernst & Young

Directors at Large (terms ending October 2020)

• Monica Blacker, BAX Advisors
• Kristen Siracusa Eustis, Miles & Stockbridge PC
• Elizabeth Gunn, Virginia Office of the Attorney General
• Rachel Lao, SSG Capital Management
• Kerri Mumford, Landis Rath & Cobb
• Leanne Williams, ThorntonGroutFinnigan

Standing Committee Vice-Directors (terms ending October 2019)

• Valerie Banter-Peo, Buchalter Nemer, Vice Director of Regional Programming*
• Aisling Dwyer, Maples and Calder, Asia Regional Vice Director* 
• Blanche Zelmanovich, Ernst & Young, Vice Director of Member Services*     
• Rosa Evergreen, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, Vice Director of Communications and Newsletter*
• Justine Lau, Mourant Ozannes, Asia Regional Vice Director*
• Tina Lucas, Banner Bank, Vice Director of Budget*
• Lauren McKelvey, Odin Feldman & Pittleman, Vice Director of Spring Programs*
• Tara Schellhorn, Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti, Vice Director of Fall Programs*
• Nellwyn Voorhies, Donlin Recano, Vice Director of Communications and Social Media*
• Blanche Zelmanovich, Ernst & Young, Vice Director of Member Services*

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