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Michael A. McKay
Michael McKay is a communications consultant, well-known across Geneva’s, international community, and a recognized voice on World Radio Switzerland where he conducts insightful ‘The McKay interviews' with prominent guests on leading issues.
Over his extensive fifty-year career, Michael has built a notable corporate client list which includes HSBC, Trafigura, JT International, Intertrust Switzerland, UBS, Nomura, Bank Vontobel, EHL, ITU, Airports International Council Europe (ACI), Dow, International Trade Centre at UN Geneva, DuPont, and Nestlé to name a few. His roles as both a conference moderator and speaker have taken him as far afield as London, China, Turkey, Spain, British Virgin Islands and Indonesia.
In addition to being the former Chairman of the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce Geneva, he has been a visiting lecturer and speaker at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, University of Geneva, University of Fribourg and NATO Advanced Research Workshops.
Michael was born in Jamaica, raised and educated in England and moved to Switzerland in 1984.
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Patty Azzarello
Executive, bestselling author, speaker and CEO/Business Advisor
Patty Azzarello is an executive, bestselling author, speaker and CEO/Business Advisor. She has more than 25+ years of experience working in high tech and business. She has held leadership roles in General Management, Marketing, Software Product Development and Sales. She has been successful in running and transforming large and small businesses and has significant international management experience.
Patty Azzarello became the youngest general manager at HP at the age of 33. She ran a $1B software business at the age of 35. And she became a CEO for the first time at the age of 38 (without turning into a self-centered, miserable jerk).
Patty was featured in Forbes magazine in a column called "Women We Love."
Patty’s prior roles have included: Vice President and General Manager of HP OpenView, Chief Marketing Officer for Siebel Systems, and President and CEO of Euclid Software.
Patty Azzarello is the founder of Azzarello Group, which works with CEOs and leadership teams to help their businesses (and people) get better at what they do. She is the author of the bestselling books: “RISE: 3 Practical Steps to Advancing Your Career,” “Standing Out as a Leader (and Liking Your Life),” and “MOVE: How Decisive Leaders Execute Strategy Despite Obstacles, Setbacks, and Stalls.”
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Rebecca Bentley
Vice President, Global Public Affairs
Rebecca Bentley is Vice President of Global Public Affairs for Dow, a global materials science company with $45 billion in 2023 revenue and nearly 36,000 employees spanning nearly 100 sites across 31 countries.
Rebecca leads Dow's Public Affairs team worldwide, a team of more than 200 professionals globally who manage a diverse range of governance and enterprise-level issues. Her leadership portfolio includes executive and employee communications, media relations, financial communications, corporate governance, and M&A activities, as well as geographic, business and marketing communications. She also oversees the Company’s global philanthropic activities.
Rebecca is a member of the Company’s Operations Leadership Team, which is accountable for the financial and operational performance of all of Dow’s businesses, functional and regional operations. She serves as an executive sponsor of the Company’s Environmental, Social and Governance Committee and is a member of Dow’s executive Sustainability Committee and Climate Steering Team.
Bentley joined Dow in Plaquemine, Louisiana in 2002 and has held a variety of positions since that time. During her tenure she has managed multiple enterprise-level issues including the financial media strategy for Dow’s multi-year transformation, which included the divestiture of $13.5 billion of non-strategic assets; the creation and restructuring of multiple significant joint ventures, including Sadara (Dow’s $20 billion joint venture with Saudi Aramco), Dow Corning and MEGlobal; multiple widespread corporate restructuring programs; and the merge-and-spin transaction with DuPont – representing a combined market cap of $130 billion at announcement.
Prior to joining Dow, Bentley held Public Affairs roles with Georgia Gulf Corporation and International Paper Company.
Rebecca serves as Chair of Dow PAC – Dow’s U.S.-based employee political action committee and is a member of the Dow Company Foundation board of directors. She is the executive sponsor of RISE – Dow’s employee resource group serving team members with less than seven years of service in Dow. In addition, she is a member of Communications 50, the Arthur W. Page Society, and the United Way of Midland County Board of Directors. In 2014 she was named to PR Week’s “40 Under 40” MVP’s in the communications industry.
Bentley holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from the Manship School at Louisiana State University, with emphasis in Public Relations, Marketing and Economics.
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Deanna Bratter
Vice President, Global Head of Sustainability & ESG
Deanna Bratter joined Crocs, Inc. in 2021 as Vice President, Global Head of Sustainability & ESG. Deanna is responsible for driving the company toward its aggressive goal of achieving net zero by 2030, and enhancing commitments and impacts across environmental sustainability, social responsibility and corporate governance (ESG). Deanna came to Crocs, Inc. from Danone North America where she was Vice President of Sustainable Development/One Planet. One Health. In that role, she led the organization’s strategy and progress to addressing climate change, advancing responsible sourcing, restoring natural ecosystems, improving sustainable packaging, and supporting people and communities. Deanna holds dual bachelor degrees from the University of South Florida and has obtained certifications from the University of Denver in Sustainability Leadership and Implementation and Harvard Business School in Sustainability and Corporate Performance, in addition to completing Six Sigma Management and GRI training.
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Marco ten Bruggencate
Commercial Vice President Packaging & Specialty Plastics EMEA
Marco ten Bruggencate is the Commercial Vice President for Packaging and Specialty Plastics for EMEA, and is based in Horgen, Switzerland. He is also a vocal advocate for inclusion and diversity and is Co-Chair in Dow’s Women’s Inclusion Network.
Marco joined Dow in 2000 in the role of Commercial Manager, Spray Polyurethanes within PU Systems House. In 2007, he became Strategic Marketing Manager for Dow Building Solutions, before being appointed Product Director in 2011. As part of that role, he became the Chairman of the European Extruded Polystyrene Insulation Producers Association, EXIBA and represents Dow on the Board of Directors of the Joint Venture, Arabian Chemical Company Ltd, (Saudi Arabia).
In 2012, Marco assumed the role of Business Director EMEAI for Dow Building Solutions and in 2014 was appointed Global Business Director for Dow Construction Chemicals. In 2016, he became the Global Business Director of Dow Building & Construction and was then responsible for Global Strategy for the Polyurethanes Portfolio before assuming his current role.
Marco earned his Masters degree in Business Economics at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.
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Raquel Fortes
Global Business Director, Dow Construction Chemicals
Raquel Fortes is the Global Business Director of the Dow Construction Chemicals business segment. She is responsible for the growth and profitability of this $1 billion industry-leading portfolio of high-performance products and solutions to meet the evolving needs of the building, construction and infrastructure industries.
Prior to her current responsibilities, Fortes served as Global Product and Marketing Director for the Methylene diphenyl diisocyanates (MDI) and Polyurethanes Systems businesses, an industry-leading portfolio of technologies that contribute to a more energy-efficient, healthier, and sustainable society.
Fortes gained her vast experience from a variety of business and technical roles throughout her career, spanning marketing, sales, new business development and technical service for several Dow businesses, including Polyurethanes, Industrial Solutions, Wolf Cellulosics and Packaging and Specialty Plastics. She has also received the prestigious Dow Pinnacle Award for commercial excellence.
Fortes also serves as Global Chair for RISE, Dow’s employee resource group, which focuses on attracting new talent and integrating employees with up to eight years of service to the company. In 2021, she was recognized by her colleagues for her ongoing contributions in inclusion and diversity with WIN Champion of Inclusion Award. During a placement in North America, Raquel served as leadership sponsor for small sites and the virtual Global African American Network (GAAN).
Fortes is currently based in Switzerland but has spent part of her career in USA and Spain.
Fortes holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwood University in Midland MI, USA and a Master of Science degree in Chemistry from the Rovira I Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain.