World-class Speakers

Diana Chapman Walsh is president emerita of Wellesley College, trustee emerita of Amherst College, and a member of the governing boards of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the Mind and Life Institute, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Walsh was the twelfth president of Wellesley College from 1993 to 2007 and the fourth alumna to head Wellesley, a leading college for women and one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges. Her leadership style is rooted in a network of resilient partnerships and anchored in the belief that trustworthy leadership starts from within.

Before assuming the Wellesley presidency, Dr. Walsh was Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, where she chaired the Department of Health and Social Behavior. Prior to joining the Harvard faculty, she was a University Professor at Boston University and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the School of Public Health. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she writes, speaks, and consults regularly on a range of issues related to higher education and leadership.

Micheal Flaherty is the president and co-founder of Walden Media. Walden’s mission is to rekindle curiosity and recapture imagination through the development and production of family films and literature. Walden has financed and produced films including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; Charlotte’s Web; Bridge to Terabithia; Holes; Because of Winn-Dixie and Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D. Walden has also co-published a number of award-winning books, including Mike Lupica’s Comeback Kids series and the New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor winner Savvy by first-time author Ingrid Law.

Part of Walden's mission is to create innovative educational programs, lesson plans and events. Hundreds of thousands of students have participated in these events, including an international effort to read Charlotte’s Web aloud, and another to collect toys for Toys for Tots, both of which resulted in the breaking of world records. Walden also has hosted an interactive writing workshop with Louis Sachar and a national robotics competition with James Cameron.

Flaherty serves on the board of Rachel’s Challenge, a program created in memory of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine shootings. He is also a member of the Global Advisory Council of Vision360, an organization dedicated to supporting and founding churches across the country.

Flaherty lives in Lexington, Massachusetts with his wife, Kelly; his son, Christian; his daughters, Eileen and Reagan; and his dog, Jumbo.

Ewan Copeland is Vice Chairman of Citibank’s Global Corporate Bank and is currently based in Hong Kong. Copeland serves as the Senior Executive for Citibank’s Corporate Banking initiatives and senior client contacts. His focus is on implementing Citi’s Corporate Bank strategy throughout emerging markets, and leveraging the network of international bankers.

Copeland is a Citi veteran with over 38 years in a variety of senior roles throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. In his previous role, he was the Global Industry Head covering the Consumer, Retail and Healthcare sectors from London. He has also worked in Korea (1984-1987) and in Hong Kong (1992–1995). He serves on the Board of Governors of Amcham in Hong Kong and as a Deacon in Union Church.