Our People and Teams

Paula Schneider
President and CEO

Paula Schneider is president and CEO of Susan G. Komen®, responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operation of Komen’s research, community health, public policy advocacy and global programs. Schneider brings a personal perspective to Komen’s mission as a breast cancer survivor whose mother died of metastatic breast cancer.
Learn more about Paula now.

Ed Dandridge
Chair of the Board of Directors

Ed Dandridge is a recognized business leader with a 30+ year track record of joining executive management teams of leading global companies at critical points of transition, working closely with CEOs and boards of directors to help reshape their market positioning and reputation among key stakeholders.
Learn more about Ed now.

Lori Maris
SVP Community Development & Operations

As senior vice president, affiliate network for Susan G. Komen®, Lori Maris provides guidance and direction to the Komen global headquarters team and local Affiliate leadership in matters related to governance, financial compliance/reporting, organizational development and structure, event planning and operations, mission delivery, fundraising and day-to-day Affiliate operations.
Learn more about Lori now.

Eunice Nakamura
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Eunice Nakamura serves as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and is responsible for the Legal, Audit and Risk functions. Eunice previously practiced at a Dallas law firm, representing corporations and organizations of all types and sizes. She has also served as Vice President of Legal for a large national hotel company overseeing compliance and litigation.
Learn more about Eunice now.

Catherine Olivieri
SVP Human Resources

As vice president, human resources for Susan G. Komen^®, Catherine Olivieri oversees the people-related programs and policies to connect and align business to people strategies throughout the organization. This includes talent acquisition, talent management, employee benefits, compensation, employee relations, succession planning and organizational development. She assures that Susan G. Komen complies with requirements of ERISA, EEO and all federal, state and local statutes in support of the world’s largest breast cancer organization.
Learn more about Catherine now.

Ria Williams
Chief Financial Officer

As chief financial officer for Susan G. Komen®, Ria Williams is responsible for all financial matters affecting the world’s largest breast cancer organization, including the oversight of Komen’s finance and accounting systems. Williams will guide financial strategy for operations at Komen’s headquarters as well as its global network of Affiliates.
Learn more about Ria now.

Victoria Wolodzko Smart
SVP Mission

As senior vice president of mission for Susan G. Komen^®, Victoria leads a team of scientists, public health professionals, educators, and administrators in developing and executing Komen’s investment to fulfill our vision, working to end breast cancer in the U.S. and throughout the world through groundbreaking research, education, screening, and treatment programs in more than 30 countries.
Learn more about Victoria now.

Renée Baker is head of Advisor Inclusion Networks at Raymond James, providing corporate leadership and support for the firm’s financial advisors networks within the Private Client Group. In her role, she focuses on increasing representation and retaining diverse advisors. Previously, she served as chief marketing officer for Carillon Tower Advisers, a subsidiary of Raymond James. She has extensive financial services and marketing experience across a variety of channels and geographies. She earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from Rutgers University, a Master of Business Administration from The Pennsylvania State University, and a doctorate in Business Administration from Wilmington University.

Traci Otey Blunt is Founder & Principal of Blunt Group Strategies. Traci is a highly skilled and respected communications and public affairs executive with over 25 years of experience leading professional sports, entertainment, corporate and political image, public relations, and advocacy campaigns.  As a communications strategist, crisis manager, political operative or presidential adviser, Traci leads transformations that meet, and exceed, the expectations of her clients. Whether influencing public policy, developing and implementing consumer and political messaging, or striving to further social justice and racial equity, Traci leads conversations that make change happen.

Traci most recently led corporate communications at the National Football League (NFL) as SVP, Corporate Communications for nearly three years. Prior to the NFL, Traci worked for 10 years alongside Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television and The RLJ Companies as EVP of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs. During her tenure, she was named President of Urban Movie Channel, the first subscription streaming channel showcasing Black film and television and EVP, Corporate Affairs at RLJ Entertainment.

Michelle Bottomley is the Chief Executive Officer of the Modern Growth Exchange, a tech-enabled growth acceleration business. Immediately prior, Michelle served as Chief Marketing Officer for New York Life, Staples, Mercer and Barclaycard. She started her career on the agency side in client and agency leadership roles at Bronner Slosberg Humphrey (currently Digitas), Epsilon and Ogilvy. A fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors, Michelle has served on the boards of Bose Corp and currently serves on the board of directors for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Prophet, a business transformation consultancy. Bottomley has taken courses toward a Ph.D. in Economics from Boston University (ABD), after completing a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Economics from Northeastern University.

Boris Dolgonos is a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, the global law firm, where his practice focuses on capital markets transactions.  He also advises U.S. and non-U.S. companies on corporate governance, securities laws, stock exchange rules and regulations, and public reporting. Boris is a member of the Advisory Committee of the CONNEX Support Unit, which was conceptualized by the G7 Nations and launched by the German Government to support resource-rich developing countries in negotiating complex commercial contracts, particularly in the extractive industries.  He is also on the Board of Directors of Silkroad, the musical organization that seeks to promote multicultural collaboration and bridge differences through music.  In addition, Boris was the Co-chair of the Board of Directors of the International Senior Lawyers Project, a nonprofit organization that provides legal advice to emerging governments and civil societies on economic development, natural resource governance, and community inclusive development.  Boris is a graduate of Harvard College and Virginia Law School.

Julie Gruber is Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Gap, Inc. Julie leads the Legal, Compliance, ER, Asset Protection, and Global Security functions for Gap Inc. As Corporate Secretary, she is a trusted advisor to the board and works closely with the Chairman of the Board and the CEO.  Julie’s teams protect the people, property, reputation and information of Gap Inc.’s employees, customers and communities. Julie is a graduate of the University of California’s Hastings College of Law and received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Yale University. Julie serves on the Executive Board of LifeMoves – Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness.

Julia Harris is the President of Ronin Holdings where she focuses on investments, operations, and philanthropy.

Julia was previously a Brand Manager at Lion Capital, a consumer-focused investor, and prior to that, she worked at Beach Point Capital, where she focused on investor relations. 

Julia began her career at Reservoir Capital, and later worked for Clearlake Capital. During her tenure at these firms, she focused on operations, marketing, and investor communication.  

Julia received her BA in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Gail Heimann is President and CEO of Weber Shandwick, a leading global communications network that delivers next-generation solutions. Gail oversaw the development of the firm’s evolved service delivery model, designed to drive the kind of deep integration it takes to solve for clients. Gail has accelerated innovation and activation across the firm. She has helped to build brands and burnish reputations for organizations across the industries – from technology and finance to food & beverage and healthcare.

Under Gail’s leadership, Weber Shandwick has won nearly 100 Cannes Lions in partnership with leading brands. She has served on three juries at the Cannes Lions International Festival-of-Creativity: President of the PR jury, 2012; a member of the inaugural Glass Lions jury, which celebrates work that breaks through gender bias and stereotypes, 2014; and a member of the Titanium jury, 2018. In 2020, Gail won PR Agency Head in Campaign’s inaugural U.S. Agency-of-the-Year awards. In 2019, she was honored twice by PRWeek as US Agency Professional of the Year and Global Agency Professional-of-the-Year. Gail and her husband have two daughters and live in New York.

LaQuenta Jacobs serves as the Global Head of Inclusion, Equity and Diversity at Kimberly Clark, providing cultural leadership that cultivate K-C’s equity strategy, Prior to joining K-C, she served as XPO’s Chief Diversity Officer, providing cultural leadership and advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion.  She initially joined XPO as head of human resources for the company’s last mile business unit.  In prior roles, LaQuenta led Human resources and organizational development initiatives for global public companies, including Delta Airlines, The Home Depot, Turner Broadcasting and Georgia-Pacific. LaQuenta is a passionate business leader with deep experience in cultural transformation. In addition to providing HR business partnership and strategic guidance for diversity, equity, and inclusion, she has worked across a variety of HR disciplines, including talent acquisition, talent development, organizational design, compensation, change management and employee relations, this experience has shaped her passion for helping organizations cultivate cultures of equitable access for all.

Jerri Johnson began her volunteer efforts with Komen in 2003 and most recently with the Los Angeles County Affiliate as board president. She is a 21 year survivor of stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer and thriver living with metastatic disease. Jerri is an operations executive with over 25 years of experience in the start-up, turnaround, and improvement of organizations in national and international settings. She has demonstrated success in building and leading top-performing teams focused on exceeding organizational goals. She is currently employed with Sony Pictures Entertainment as a VP of Workforce Management Technology.  Prior to joining Sony Pictures Entertainment, she was an executive at The Walt Disney Company and Partner at Ernst & Young leading the ecommerce practice and strategic global accounts. Jerri has a Bachelor of Science in Business from Miami University.

Christina Minnis is global head of Acquisition Finance and co-head of the Americas Credit Finance Group at Goldman Sachs.

Christina joined the firm in 1998 as a vice president in IBD, where she focused on leveraged finance deals. She was named managing director in 2004 and partner in 2008.Prior to joining the firm, Christina was with BT Alex Brown where her last position was managing director in Corporate Finance.

Christina is a member of the Yale Development Council and Yale School of Management Advisory Board. Christina earned a BA in Economics from Yale University and an MM from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Luke Sauter is vice president, chief of staff to the CEO at Walgreens, based in Deerfield, IL. Previously, he was vice president of specialty pharmacy strategy, responsible for leading the development of Walgreens enterprise specialty pharmacy strategy and overseeing the patient care, advocacy and product functions for oncology, HIV, organ transplant, chronic inflammatory disease, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis and fertility. Prior to that role, he was chief administrative lead for Walgreens’ digital pharmacy transformation where he was accountable for the oversight of professional support functions including finance, project management, legal, human resources, communications, board of director reporting and technology vendor negotiations. He’s also held a variety of finance roles with increasing responsibility, most recently having served as finance officer overseeing Walgreens’ pharmacy and retail health businesses. Luke received a B.S. in accounting from the University of Illinois and is a Certified Public Accountant.  He is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Nansemond Indian Tribal Association.

Kristen Maple Racich is a Partner and Chief Impact Officer for Lord Abbett, a leading asset manager managing $250 billion in assets and serving clients worldwide. Kristen is responsible for creating an environment that upholds Lord Abbett’s principles-based, performance-oriented, and purpose-driven culture to ensure the peak performance of the firm. She is actively involved in all five of the firm’s leadership and governance committees, maintains a strong focus on enterprise leadership and culture initiatives, and leads the firm’s Human Capital and Sustainability teams. Kristen currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading non-profit in the fight against breast cancer. She is also a member of the Women’s Forum of New York and G100 Women’s Network. Kristen earned a BS in business administration from the University of Delaware. She currently resides in Chatham, NJ, with her husband Jon and their two children, Max and Ava.

Valerie Rainey
As Chief Financial Officer of ICMS, Valerie Rainey is responsible for the strategic growth of the business, including finance, accounting and business operations. She brings more than 25 years of business and financial leadership experience to iCIMS, with an extensive background with both publicly traded and private equity-backed companies, specializing in developing and executing inorganic and organic growth strategies, international expansion and leading global teams.

Before joining iCIMS, Rainey served as CFO of Upserve (a Vista company), a market-leading cloud restaurant POS system. She previously served as CFO at CMA CGM America, one of the world’s largest shipping companies, and INTTRA, Inc., a leading SaaS company facilitating global trade. Prior to joining INTTRA, Rainey was at Pitney Bowes as the CFO of IMEX. Before joining Pitney Bowes, she was with the AICPA as vice president of operations and vice president of marketing, customer services and strategic alliances.

Since 2022, Rainey has been serving as a Board Member of Envoy Global, a global immigration services provider to 1000+ clients from high growth tech to Fortune 50 and a recent winner of the Chicago Innovation’s Technology-Enabled Award.

Rainey was recognized as a leader in finance by NJBIZ in 2021 and also received the 2019 Silver Stevie Award for Female Executive of the Year.

Rainey holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.B.A. from Fordham University.

BJ Schaknowski is the CEO of symplr, a leading healthcare operations software and services company.   BJ is a seasoned software industry executive, with over 20 years of experience in leadership roles across a wide variety of operating functions. Before joining symplr, BJ served as the Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Vertafore, the world’s leading provider of insurance technology. He held numerous senior and global leadership roles earlier in his career at LexisNexis, CA Technologies, Intuit, and Sage Software.  BJ brings his dedication to creating balanced value and outcomes for employees, customers, and shareholders to the symplr community. He earned a BA in Communications from the State University of New York at Geneseo and his MBA at the University of Georgia – Terry College of Business. BJ served in the United States Marine Corps infantry as an enlisted reservist for 8 years. He lives in Denver with his wife, Heather, and two children.

Robyn Shepherd is a Partner and the Head of Corporate Engagement at Bridgewater Associates, a premier asset management firm, where she oversees public affairs as well as the initiatives for sustainability, social responsibility, and diversity and inclusion.  She previously served as Chief of Staff to the CEO. Robyn joined the firm in 2004 as a Senior Investment Associate and took on several key roles on the investment and client teams, covering the firm’s international clients and later as the Head of Client Service Analytics. She began her career in asset management with private equity analyst positions at HarbourVest Partners and Lime Rock Partners. The Hedge Fund Journal recognized Robyn as one of the “50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds” in 2020 and she was named the 2021 “Women of Excellence: Trailblazer” by Seramount.  Robyn received her BA in economics from Brown University.

Sean Slovenski is recognized as a healthcare industry innovator. Whether as the CEO of a joint venture between Intel and GE, leading   innovation at Humana, founding and selling his own company in behavioral health or more recently serving as the President of Health & Wellness for Walmart, Sean has impacted almost every sector of healthcare. Sean has the honor of being named Healthcare Leader of The Year by the US Chamber of Commerce in 2015 and in 2019 as the 7th most influential person in healthcare out of the top 100 by Modern Healthcare Magazine. Sean resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife, a breast cancer survivor, and his daughter. 

Lydia The is Vice President of Strategy & Growth at Eli Lilly, a leading global pharmaceuticals company with the mission of creating medicines that make life better for people around the world. She is in the Corporate Business Development function where she is responsible for potentially transformational transactions. 

Previously, she was a Partner in McKinsey’s Life Sciences Practice. She was the US lead for the McKinsey Cancer Center, which is responsible for the firm’s work on oncology for biopharma, provider, nonprofit and regulator clients. She was also the McKinsey lead for the Bloomberg International Cancer Coalition, co-led by the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Asia Society, which has the mission of strengthening international clinical trial collaboration. 

Lydia received her Ph.D. in Molecular & Cell Biology at UC Berkeley, where she was supported by a National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship.

Nancy G. Brinker, Founder

Nancy G. Brinker is regarded as the leader of the global breast cancer movement. Her journey began with a simple promise to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything possible to end the shame, pain, fear and hopelessness caused by this disease. In one generation, the organization that bears Susan’s name has changed the world. Learn more about Nancy now.