Driving Operational Excellence
Innovation and disruption are advancing at unprecedented speeds, and COOs are under pressure to rethink strategies and drive organizational growth. Once considered a behind-the-scenes role, the COO is now a pivotal player in achieving competitive advantage.
Join the Fortune COO Summit: Driving Operational Excellence this October, where the world’s leading operations executives will unveil game-changing strategies. Gain insights on transforming supply chains, managing risks, preparing workforces, and enhancing financial performance.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with Fortune’s editors and explore best practices and cutting-edge trends that are reshaping operations, leadership, and the future of companies. Click here to read a summary of a recent Fortune COO Summit virtual discussion.
A Retreat for Peers
Prepare for an exclusive, high-energy event where senior leaders ignite innovative ideas, build strategic partnerships, and find inspiration amidst rapid change. In collaboration with our founding partner, Cognizant, this invitation-only gathering features the best of Fortune’s live events: engaging content, influential networking, and actionable insights.
Join us at the luxurious Salamander Middleburg resort, just an hour from Washington, DC, for a two-day experience filled with plenary sessions, intimate group discussions, workshops, and premier networking opportunities. Balance business with pleasure through unique off-site activities, including a winery tour, country bike ride with cider tasting, and a guided nature hike. Don’t miss the chance to connect, learn, and unwind in style!
Who Should Attend
The Fortune COO Summit is the premier event for COOs from Fortune 1000 companies and leading private firms. As the COO role evolves, collaboration across the C-suite is more critical than ever. That’s why we’re inviting not only COOs but also CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, CSOs, CPOs, and other top executives committed to driving operational excellence.
Whether you’re at the helm or innovating behind the scenes, this summit offers a unique opportunity to connect with peers, share insights, and lead your organization into the future. Don’t miss the chance to engage with industry leaders and shape the future of business together.
Email coosummit@fortune.com for more information.
Overview
This two-day meeting will feature a mix of plenary sessions, small-group discussions, workshops, networking, and recreational activities. Attendees will learn how today's COOs are redefining their roles as critical pathways to the CEO chair and acquiring essential skills for success in a high-stakes environment. Participants will gain practical insights and strategies to navigate a fluctuating financial landscape, optimize operations, and advance their careers.
Day one focuses on transforming the COO position from behind-the-scenes to a key driver of organizational leadership. Learn how today’s COOs are redefining their roles as critical pathways to the CEO chair, and discover the essential skills needed to excel in today's high-stakes operational environment. Gain insights from industry leaders on driving profitability through innovative strategies, and explore how COOs leverage AI to enhance efficiency and connectivity. Hear real-world examples of successful AI integration from COOs who are at the forefront of this tech revolution. Plus, uncover how COOs are responding to the evolving expectations of Gen Z by fostering culture, offering top-tier training, and creating meaningful career growth opportunities. This day is about mastering resilience and adaptability to thrive in the ever-changing business landscape.
Day two of the Fortune COO Summit is dedicated to advancing your career. Learn how COOs can accelerate their path to the CEO role by leveraging their operational expertise as a strategic advantage. Join expert panels packed with actionable tips on mastering the new skills required for this transition, especially in an era where public leadership is more critical than ever. Discover the COO’s vital role in collaborating with boards of directors, using operational insights to shape high-level strategies. Dive deep into people operations with sessions on managing automation, upskilling teams, and boosting talent engagement while cultivating a positive workplace culture. Stay ahead in a fluctuating financial landscape with strategies on optimizing operations, embracing technological innovation, and adapting supply chain strategies to meet global challenges. This day is filled with insights, inspiration, and practical strategies to elevate your career as a COO.
Featured recreational activities
- RdV Winery Tour and Tasting: Sip and savor at RdV Vineyard during the harvest season, all set against the stunning backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Pickleball Tournament: Join the fun in a friendly pickleball showdown! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a curious newbie, come play and compete with guidance from a local pickleball champ.
- Equine Communication: Discover the magic of connecting with horses in a unique program that explores leadership, communication, and the power of body language with our four-legged friends.
- Countryside Bike Ride: Pedal through the picturesque Virginia countryside on a leisurely 13-mile ride—perfect for taking in the scenic beauty and fresh air.
- Guided Nature Hike: Lace up your hiking boots for a morning trek through the beautiful forest trails surrounding the Salamander property.
Venue
We will gather at Salamander Middleburg, in Middleberg VA, located just one hour from Washington, D.C., and nestled within the heart of Virginia’s horse and wine country.
Agenda
WELCOME
Diane Brady, Executive Editorial Director, Fortune; Co-chair, Fortune COO Summit
SETTING THE STAGE: HOW TO DRIVE OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
It’s a transformational time for business: Fast-paced change presents new opportunities for efficiencies, but also unanticipated challenges. The COO stands at the center of this matrix, tasked with spearheading business goals that include improving productivity, connecting teams to strategy, and incorporating new technology like AI. What are the tools needed to meet this moment and thrive? How can COOs stay ahead of the curve by thinking proactively and anticipating change? We’ll set the stage with Cognizant’s Ganesh Ayyar on why this is the key moment to gather together COOs, and how this summit can help develop and flex the skills necessary for business reinvention.
Ganesh Ayyar, EVP and President, Intuitive Operations and Automation and Industry Solutions, Cognizant
ALL EYES ON THE COO: THE EVOLVING ROLE IN A TIME OF TRANSFORMATION
The role of chief operating officer is making a comeback. Always a somewhat amorphous title, the newest incarnation comes with increased opportunity to oversee internal operations and a potential pathway to the top leadership position. With this evolution comes a need to redefine the crucial skills COOs need to succeed in a challenging operational environment. How can leaders industry-wide approach this transformation in a way that makes sense and drives profits?
Adrian Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer and CFO, Macy’s
Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri, Chief Operating Officer and Director, TPG
AI AND THE COO: LEADING THE TRANSFORMATION TO A FUTURISTIC WORKPLACE
It’s safe to say that there is no corner of an organization that will not be changed by AI. But determining best use cases and how to integrate the technology is not always straightforward. This is where a COO with an in-depth understanding of AI’s true potential can expertly guide a company to new levels of efficiency and connectivity. Join us as we explore real use cases with COOs who are navigating the artificial intelligence revolution.
Sebastian Guth, Chief Operating Officer Global Pharmaceuticals and President, Bayer U.S.
Terra Terwilliger, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Google DeepMind
CHAMPIONING CHANGE: THE COO AS A CATALYST FOR CULTURE SHIFTS
Thanks to a big push from Gen Z, one of the driving forces behind today’s industry transformation is evolving employee expectations. As change agents and culture-builders within their organizations, COOs like Corey Lee at Capital One are responding by offering employees better training and advancement opportunities. To do this, Lee implemented a groundbreaking program designed to help front-line workers transition into new roles across the bank. In this presentation, Lee walks us through how COOs can drive change… and measure success.
Corey Lee, Chief Operating Officer, Capital One Commercial Banking
CLOSING THE SAY-DO GAP: EXECUTING ON PURPOSE
Turning a company's big picture statement of purpose into actual operating principles is where the real challenges lie. COOs are uniquely positioned to tackle the hard work of translating intentions into practical strategies while balancing employee needs with those of owners and investors. What are the steps necessary to build a virtuous cycle that starts with purpose and leads to stronger performance and financial returns? We ask the president and CEO of the non-profit Make-A-Wish Foundation and the CEO of SYPartners, a business consultancy helping companies make a “positive impact in the world,” to give us advice on how they get it done.
Leslie Motter, Chief Executive Officer, Make-A-Wish America
Jessica Orkin, Chief Executive Officer, SYPartners
HOW THIS SELF-MADE ENTREPRENEUR BLAZED HER OWN TRAIL
Entrepreneurs are by nature accustomed to fighting headwinds and pushing through hardships. Sheila Johnson has faced more than most in her journey to the top. As the co-founder of BET, she broke racial and gender stereotypes and overcame personal and professional adversity to rise to the top of corporate America. In her third act, Johnson is continuing to hone her business acumen and pay it forward. She is the founder and CEO of the Salamander Collection, the largest black-owned luxury hotel company in the US. She’s also the only African American woman to wholly own a 5-star resort, as well as the co-owner of three sports teams, and a philanthropist. In this session, Johnson charts her path to success.
Sheila Johnson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Salamander Collection
THRIVING IN COMPLEXITY:
A FRAMEWORK FOR SUCCESS IN AN AGE OF DISRUPTION
Remaining nimble in a constantly changing world doesn't have to be daunting. Instead, COOs can seize this opportunity to pivot and lean into operational solutions that leverage new technologies like AI and automation and unify disparate organizational structures and regulatory systems. Moreover, by utilizing customer experience and insights to drive decision-making, companies can proactively manage disruption. In this session, we'll meet two leaders who are successfully navigating this transformation.
GAME CHANGER: TALKING LEADERSHIP WITH MLS’S FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT
Danita Johnson says a decade’s worth of experience working in the WNBA instilled grit and a “day-to-day scrappiness” in her. Today, as the first Black president of a Major League Soccer club, she’s operationalizing her wealth of knowledge to guide D.C. United’s front office to greater heights. Hear Johnson speak about how not taking no for an answer enabled her to boldly take on leadership challenges—setting attendance records in the process.
Danita Johnson, President, Business Operations, DC United
Operations 2.0: The New Role of Operations in the Age of AI
Hosted by Cognizant
WHAT HORSES CAN TEACH US ABOUT LEADERSHIP
Equine-assisted learning is used in a business context to teach collaborative working styles and ways to create a culture of psychological safety. In this hands-on equine communication masterclass, participants will be partnered with a horse to gain and sharpen valuable tools including clear communication and the impact of body language and energy—and learn how lessons from “horse whispering” can transfer back to leadership in their organizations.
MAKING THE CASE FOR TEAMSHIP OVER LEADERSHIP
Renowned executive team coach Keith Ferrazzi is at the forefront of a revolutionary new approach to leadership, and he believes COOs have a pivotal role to play in this change by acting as behavioral engineers for 21st century culture. This means fostering what he calls “teamship” in their organizations by prioritizing employee collaboration and co-creation. In this interactive masterclass, Ferrazzi not only pinpoints the key characteristics of high-performing teams but also equips participants with actionable work practices and behaviors to elevate teamship within your organization.
RdV Vineyards Tour and Tasting Experience
Join us during the peak of harvest season for an exclusive tour and tasting at RdV Vineyards, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains. Embark on a journey through time and taste as you explore the ancient hillside vineyards, immersing yourself in the rich history and meticulous process behind each bottle.
Pickleball Tournament
Dive into the excitement of friendly competition during a lively racket tournament, joined by players of all skill levels. Before the excitement unfolds on the courts, sharpen your skills and refine your game with expert guidance from a local pro.
Countryside Bike Ride
Embark on a picturesque journey through the Virginia countryside on a moderate 13-mile bike ride, immersing yourself in the beauty of nature at every turn.
Contact Us
The COO Summit program is developed with the guidance of FORTUNE editors, whose journalistic perspective provides unique insights into the key trends and dynamic people that are driving business.
For Speaker Suggestions:
To suggest a speaker for the 2024 COO Summit, please complete the form at the link below. There are no exact deadlines for speaker submissions.
Click here to submit a speaker suggestion.
For Participation:
Participation in the COO Summit is by invitation only, and subject to approval. The membership fee of $1,995 includes full participation in the 2024 Summit, plus virtual conversations.
Tel: 1-866-661-3840
E-mail: coosummit@fortune.com
For Sponsorship Opportunities:
A limited number of corporate sponsorships are available for 2024. Please contact us for more information.
Elizabeth Parks and Monica Sembler
E-mail: fortunesponsorships@fortune.com
For Press Inquiries:
Patrick Reilly
Tel: 917-379-3555
E-mail: patrick.reilly@fortune.com
Amy Galleazzi
E-mail: amy.galleazzi@consultant.fortune.com