The Alexander Group is pleased to announce that Margaret Anderson has joined the firm as Managing Director.
Anderson brings more than three decades of leadership, strategy and advisory experience spanning health care, life sciences, public policy, professional services and not-for-profit organizations.
In her new role, Anderson will help broaden The Alexander Group’s relationships with senior executives, boards, and organizations across a range of sectors. She will also help identify and develop executive search and advisory opportunities, drawing on her extensive leadership experience and network.
“Margaret is an outstanding addition to The Alexander Group,” said John Lamar, Managing Director of The Alexander Group. “She has spent her career working at the intersection of health care, life sciences and public policy, advising senior leaders at some of the country’s most respected organizations, and brings an unusually broad perspective to our firm. In addition, she has coached executives and served on not-for-profit CEO search committees, giving her firsthand insight into the challenges boards face when selecting their next leader.”
Prior to joining The Alexander Group, Anderson spent almost a decade as a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting, working across federal health, not-for-profit and life sciences organizations. She also served as Chief Marketing Officer for Deloitte’s Federal Health Sector.
Previously, Anderson was Executive Director with FasterCures, a Center of the Milken Institute, leading the organization’s strategy, thought leadership and programs, and represented FasterCures on numerous boards and advisory groups. Anderson also served as a Board member and Acting President & CEO of Melanoma Research Alliance.
“I am excited to join The Alexander Group, a firm whose reputation has been built on trusted relationships and recruiting exceptional leaders,” said Anderson. “I have spent my career helping leaders and boards through pivotal moments in their organizations. I look forward to bringing that experience and my network to The Alexander Group and helping clients identify the leadership they need for what comes next.”
Anderson is also the founder of Golden Road, LLC, where she advises and coaches accomplished leaders navigating career and organizational transitions. She is currently a UC Berkeley School of Public Health Impact Fellow, focusing on the economic impact of paid family leave, and is writing a book on the arc of a woman’s career. Anderson is based in Washington, DC.
Host: Jane Howze, Managing Director, The Alexander Group Guest: Janet Foutty, Former Executive Chairman, Deloitte Series: Impact & Insight, The Alexander Group
Episode Summary
Janet Foutty spent 30 years at Deloitte, ultimately serving as its executive chairman, before shifting her post-Deloitte career toward board work and women’s health advocacy. In this episode, Janet joins Jane Howze to explain why research funding directed at women’s health totals just 2% of all research dollars, how a system historically designed and led by men treated women as “just small men” in medical research, and why she remains optimistic that momentum — including in menopause care and autoimmune research — is starting to close the gap.
Key Takeaways
Q: What percentage of research funding goes to women’s health? A: According to Janet Foutty, research dollars directed at the three categories of women’s health — conditions that only impact women, conditions that disproportionately impact women (such as Alzheimer’s, depression, and autoimmune disease), and conditions that affect women differently (such as heart disease) — total just 2% of overall research funding.
Q: Why has women’s health been so underfunded? A: Janet points to two primary drivers: the healthcare research and investment system was historically designed and led by men, creating an unintended bias that treated women as biologically equivalent to men in clinical contexts; and it wasn’t until roughly 30 years ago that U.S. legislation required equal participation by women in clinical trials — legislation that, she notes, has been only lightly enforced since.
Q: How much shorter is women’s “health span” compared to their lifespan? A: Janet cites data showing that while women live longer than men on average, they spend seven to ten more years in poor health — and that decline often begins in midlife rather than only at the end of life.
Q: What is Janet Foutty optimistic about in women’s health right now? A: She points to two specific areas of momentum: the de-stigmatization of menopause, paired with growing investment in menopause-related medical education and consumer solutions; and deepening research into the sex-based differences underlying autoimmune disease, including work she’s observed at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology in San Diego.
Q: What role can employers play in advancing women’s health? A: Janet points to two levers: shining a spotlight on the conversation the way mental health was destigmatized in the years following COVID, and pushing for fairer reimbursement structures within employer-driven healthcare systems for conditions that impact women.
Full Conversation
Early Signs of Leadership
Janet didn’t set out with a plan to lead Deloitte — she describes herself in her early career as more drawn to “followership,” helping shape ideas and bring people along, than to formally seeking leadership roles.
Janet Foutty: “I did like helping shape the conversation, help people get excited about an idea… I always wanted to have people along with me.”
Seeing the AI and Technology Shift Coming
Janet’s career path through enterprise technology consulting, then Deloitte’s government business, gave her an early view into how deeply technology — and eventually AI — would reshape business. She credits her focus on data as a consistent through-line, well before AI became central to the broader business conversation.
Leaving Deloitte Without a Plan
Janet says she left Deloitte at the end of her elected term as chair without a defined next step. Most inbound opportunities were adjacent to her past work in professional services, law firms, and government contracting — which pushed her to be deliberate about choosing a different path rather than defaulting to “more of the same.”
Janet Foutty: “I had to be much more deliberate… do I really want to do something different?”
Finding Her “Major and Minor”
Janet describes organizing her post-Deloitte time using a “major, minor, and extracurricular” framework: women’s leadership remained an extracurricular, while enterprise technology/AI workforce issues and women’s health became her two primary focus areas.
A Personal Connection to Women’s Health
Janet had breast cancer in her late 30s and says she had exceptional access to resources during treatment — access she recognized not all women have. That experience, combined with prior work with the nonprofit Bright Pink on early cancer prevention and detection, shaped her decision to focus on closing gaps in women’s health funding and research.
Janet Foutty: “I realized that early prevention and detection… was something that not all women had the privilege that I did to navigate.”
Defining the Three Categories of Women’s Health
Janet breaks women’s health into three categories: conditions that only impact women (breast and ovarian cancer, pregnancy, menopause); conditions that disproportionately impact women, such as Alzheimer’s, depression, and autoimmune disease, where women make up more than 70% of those affected; and conditions that affect women differently, such as heart disease and heart attack.
Why the Research Gap Exists
Janet attributes the funding gap to two root causes: a healthcare research and investment system historically designed and led by men, which led to an unintended assumption that women were biologically “just small men”; and the late and inconsistently enforced requirement for equal representation of women in clinical trials, established roughly 30 years ago. She also notes that including women in clinical trials carries added cost — for example, mandatory pregnancy testing for women of childbearing age — which has historically discouraged their inclusion.
The Investment Gap Beyond R&D
Beyond research and clinical trials, Janet points to a parallel gap in venture capital investment, driven by a historical perception that women’s health was a “niche” category rather than a market representing more than half the population.
Signs of Momentum and Optimism
Janet describes herself as fundamentally optimistic, citing growing attention to the “health span versus lifespan” conversation and the potential for AI to help close decades of underinvestment. She points to Women’s Health Access Matters (WAM), a nonprofit that has built the economic case for investing in women’s health, as a source of continued optimism.
Where the Science Is Moving Fastest
Janet highlights two specific areas of active progress: the de-stigmatization and increased investment in menopause care and education, including a project she’s involved with to educate medical students and residents on menopause; and deepening research into sex-based differences in autoimmune disease, including work underway at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology in San Diego.
The Employer’s Role
Janet draws a parallel to how mental health became destigmatized in the workplace following COVID-19, arguing that women’s health can follow a similar trajectory through visible leadership, education, and reimbursement reform within employer-driven healthcare systems.
What Still Needs to Happen
Janet closes by emphasizing that despite growing attention, investment in women’s health remains “wildly underscaled.” She argues the broader healthcare ecosystem needs to understand that investing in women’s health delivers both improved health outcomes and measurable economic returns.
Janet Foutty: “When women are healthy, that our society writ large is healthier.”
Pull-Quote Highlights
“The reality is those years of poorer health start for women sometimes in early life, but certainly in midlife.” — Janet Foutty, Former Executive Chairman, Deloitte
“Women are not just small men.” — Janet Foutty, on historical bias in medical research
“Investing in women’s health is not niche.” — Janet Foutty, citing research from Women’s Health Access Matters (WAM)
Stats & Data Points
Research funding directed at women’s health totals approximately 2% of overall research dollars
Women spend 7 to 10 more years in poor health than men, on average, despite living longer overall
Women make up more than 70% of those affected by conditions like Alzheimer’s, depression, and autoimmune disease
Equal participation by women in U.S. clinical trials was only legally required roughly 30 years ago
Women’s Health Access Matters (WAM) published its foundational business case for investing in women’s health approximately six years ago
Guest & Host Bios
Host: Jane Howze is Managing Director of The Alexander Group, an executive search firm specializing in senior leadership placements for elite law firms, professional services firms, and life sciences organizations.
Guest: Janet Foutty is the former Executive Chairman of Deloitte, where she spent 30 years, including leading Deloitte’s technology and government businesses before being elected chair of the firm. She now focuses on board service, enterprise technology and AI workforce issues, and women’s health, including involvement with the Milken Women’s Health Care Initiative and Women’s Health Access Matters (WAM).
Host: Jane Howze, Managing Director, The Alexander Group Guest: Katherine Lambert, Executive, Alzheimer’s Association; The Alexander Group Alumni Series: Impact & Insight, The Alexander Group
Episode Summary
Katherine Lambert, a former Alexander Group team member now serving as an executive with the Alzheimer’s Association, joins Jane Howze to mark Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Katherine explains how Alzheimer’s diagnosis has evolved from autopsy-only confirmation to FDA-approved blood tests, why annual NIH research funding has grown from roughly $500 million to nearly $4 billion over the past decade, and how a new infusion treatment is showing promise in slowing disease progression when caught early. She also shares practical guidance on brain health, risk factors, and where to find help.
Key Takeaways
Q: How common is Alzheimer’s disease? A: According to Katherine Lambert, Alzheimer’s affects one out of nine adults over 65 and one-third of adults over 85 — a prevalence comparable to breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.
Q: How has Alzheimer’s diagnosis changed over the past decade? A: A decade ago, an accurate diagnosis was largely only possible through autopsy, with clinicians relying on symptoms and, later, invasive lumbar punctures. Diagnostics progressed to non-invasive but expensive PET imaging, and in the past year and a half, the FDA has approved blood tests for Alzheimer’s — dramatically improving accessibility.
Q: Is Alzheimer’s hereditary? A: Less than 5% of cases involve a dominantly inherited gene that guarantees onset at a predictable age. For the general population, a gene called APOE4 — inherited from one, both, or neither parent — increases risk but does not guarantee the disease. Lifestyle intervention can meaningfully offset genetic risk factors.
Q: Is there now an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s? A: Yes. An FDA-approved infusion drug (referred to in the episode by its brand name, Leqembi) works on the underlying biology of Alzheimer’s and slows disease progression when used in the earliest stages. It is currently in additional clinical trials to test whether it can prevent symptoms in people who carry the underlying biology but are still asymptomatic.
Q: What can people do today to reduce their Alzheimer’s risk or support someone affected by it? A: Katherine points to the U.S. POINTER clinical trial, which found that people following a structured program of diet, exercise, social engagement, and cognitive stimulation had brains that measured chronologically almost two years younger than a self-guided comparison group after two years. She also recommends the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 helpline (1-800-272-3900), workplace brain health assessments, and the Association’s community walks, held in more than 600 communities nationwide.
Full Conversation
From Youth Nonprofits to the Alzheimer’s Association
Katherine Lambert spent most of her nonprofit career working with youth and children before her father’s mild cognitive impairment diagnosis drew her toward the Alzheimer’s Association, where she has now served for more than a decade.
Katherine Lambert: “So many families we’ve walked this journey with, so much progress that it keeps me intrigued and engaged every single day.”
A Decade of Diagnostic Progress
When Katherine started, an accurate Alzheimer’s diagnosis was largely confirmed only through autopsy. The field has since moved through lumbar puncture testing, non-invasive but costly PET imaging, and — within the last year and a half — FDA-approved blood tests.
The Funding Behind the Breakthroughs
NIH research investment in Alzheimer’s has grown from roughly $500 million a year just over a decade ago to nearly $4 billion annually today, a shift Katherine ties directly to the pace of recent breakthroughs.
Prevalence and Disparities
Alzheimer’s affects one in nine adults over 65 and one-third of adults over 85. Women are disproportionately affected both as patients and as caregivers; the African-American population is affected at twice the rate, and the Hispanic/Latino population at one and a half times the rate, of Caucasian older adults. Research into menopause and female hormones as contributing factors is ongoing.
The U.S. POINTER Study on Lifestyle Intervention
A multi-site clinical trial — including a location in the Houston area — compared a structured intervention (diet, exercise, social and cognitive stimulation) against a self-guided approach. After two years, the structured group’s brains measured chronologically almost two years younger than the self-guided group’s.
Katherine Lambert: “The older I get, one or two years — that wouldn’t have sounded exciting in my 30s. But in my 50s, I’d love to go back a few years and be as sharp as I was then.”
Distinguishing Forgetfulness From Cognitive Impairment
Katherine explains that ordinary forgetfulness — losing your keys, blanking momentarily — is generally not concerning if you can backtrack and recall the context. Warning signs are behaviors that are unusual for that specific person, such as a lifelong skilled cook suddenly struggling with a familiar recipe.
A New Infusion Treatment and Its Limits
The infusion drug referenced in the episode targets and clears amyloid plaque before it forms clumps and tangles, and is currently most effective in the earliest stages of the disease. Barriers to access include long neurologist wait times, the need to be near an infusion center, and, until recently, a lack of insurance coverage — an issue the Alzheimer’s Association successfully advocated to change for Medicare, with private insurers following.
Katherine Lambert: “It is game-changing in it… but there are not as many people on it as we would like.”
Advocacy and Research Funding
The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research and recently brought 1,000 volunteer advocates from all 50 states to Washington, D.C. Current advocacy priorities include Medicare coverage for the new FDA-approved blood test.
Music, Dance, and Brain Health
Katherine cites music and dance therapy as effective tools for calming agitation and re-engaging nonverbal patients, and highlights dance in particular for combining physical activity, social interaction, and cognitive engagement (remembering steps and sequences) as a risk-reduction activity.
Where Alzheimer’s Research Is Happening
Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, originated the U.S. POINTER study and is a hub for risk-reduction and lifestyle-intervention research, though Katherine notes that meaningful work is happening at research centers across the country.
How Listeners Can Help
Katherine points listeners to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 helpline (1-800-272-3900), staffed by licensed clinicians; corporate brain health wellness assessments and lunch-and-learn sessions; and the Association’s community walks, held in more than 600 communities nationwide.
Pull-Quote Highlights
“There now are options, and I think there are even more coming in the coming years, that can really change how we proceed with this.” — Katherine Lambert, Executive, Alzheimer’s Association
“Anything we’re doing to stretch our brain and do that differently… has a protective quality to it.” — Katherine Lambert, on daily brain-health habits
Stats & Data Points
Alzheimer’s affects 1 in 9 adults over 65, and 1 in 3 adults over 85
Annual NIH research investment has grown from approximately $500 million to nearly $4 billion over the past decade
Women are disproportionately affected as both patients and caregivers
African-American adults are affected at 2x the rate, and Hispanic/Latino adults at 1.5x the rate, of Caucasian older adults
In the U.S. POINTER trial, the structured-intervention group’s brains measured nearly 2 years younger, chronologically, than the self-guided group’s after 2 years
Fewer than 5% of Alzheimer’s cases involve a dominantly inherited gene
1,000 Alzheimer’s Association volunteer advocates from all 50 states attended a recent D.C. advocacy forum
The Alzheimer’s Association operates walks in more than 600 communities nationwide
24/7 helpline: 1-800-272-3900
Guest & Host Bios
Host: Jane Howze is Managing Director of The Alexander Group, an executive search firm specializing in senior leadership placements for elite law firms, professional services firms, and life sciences organizations.
Guest: Katherine Lambert is an executive with the Alzheimer’s Association and a former member of The Alexander Group team. She has worked in the Alzheimer’s space for more than a decade, focusing on research funding, diagnostics, and advocacy.
Related Resources
Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline: 1-800-272-3900
Alzheimer’s Association community walks (available in 600+ communities nationwide)
U.S. POINTER study (Wake Forest University)
This episode discusses Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving. If you or someone you know is navigating a diagnosis, the Alzheimer’s Association helpline above is available 24/7.
Host: Jane Howze, Managing Director, The Alexander Group Guest: Dawn Lafreeda, Largest Single-Owner Franchisee in Denny’s History Series: Impact & Insight, The Alexander Group
Episode Summary
Dawn bought her first restaurant at 23 using credit cards, tips, and a $10,000 loan from her mother — before women could reliably get business loans. Today she is the largest single-owner franchisee in Denny’s history, operating 62 restaurants that serve more than 2 million diners a year. In this episode, Dawn tells Jane Howze how she scaled from one restaurant to a peak of 92, survived 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, and why she now serves as executive producer of the documentary Show Her the Money, which examines why women receive only 2% of venture capital and private equity funding.
Key Takeaways
Q: How did Dawn finance her first restaurant without a business loan? A: In the early 1980s, women routinely could not get business loans. Dawn applied for every credit card offer she received in the mail, pulling $5,000 at a time across multiple cards. Her business partner secured a small loan from a family member, and Dawn’s mother loaned her under $10,000. The first restaurant was bought entirely on credit cards, tips, and family loans.
Q: How did she grow from 5 restaurants to 62? A: Dawn scaled in stages rather than all at once. She prioritized buying existing restaurants with trained staff already in place over building new locations from the ground up, since existing restaurants cash-flowed faster and didn’t require hiring 100 people at once. She didn’t bring in executive leadership (a director of operations, a controller, an HR person) until she passed 20 stores — before that, she and her business partner ran the day-to-day operations themselves.
Q: What is the biggest advantage of owning a franchise versus an independent restaurant? A: Lenders extend more comfort to franchisees because the franchisor has an interest in keeping locations open. As Dawn explains, if a franchisee fails, brands like Denny’s will work to find a replacement operator so the lender gets repaid — a safety net independent restaurants don’t have. Franchises also provide built-in operational support: design teams for remodels, corporate-driven menu development, and standardized recipes and food costing.
Q: What was the hardest period in her 40-year career? A: Dawn cites three major crises: 9/11 (which caused a 30% overnight sales drop from restaurants near airports and set her back seven years financially), the 2008 financial crisis (which froze her ability to refinance debt or close deals for four to five years), and the COVID-19 pandemic, which was the worst of the three — she had under 24 hours to close all 92 of her open restaurants and lost $1 million in food inventory overnight.
Q: What percentage of venture capital and private equity funding goes to women-led businesses? A: According to Show Her the Money, the documentary Dawn executive produced, women receive only about 2% of venture capital and private equity funding, compared to roughly 8% for men-led businesses.
Full Conversation
From Waitress to Restaurant Owner
Dawn grew up with limited financial resources and decided by age 10 that she would own her own company. She started at Denny’s as a hostess, negotiated her way into a server role to earn tips, and bought her first restaurant at 23 in a small West Texas mining town that Denny’s corporate didn’t want to convert.
Dawn Lafreeda: “I knew that if I was ever going to become anything, I would have to do something on my own… I never wanted to have to worry about money.”
Financing Without a Business Loan
As a woman in the early 1980s, Dawn could not secure conventional business loans. She financed her first restaurant purchase through credit cards, tip savings, and small family loans.
Dawn LaFrieda: “So no, we didn’t get any loans.”
The Random Encounter That Taught Her to Borrow Money
In 1986, a stranger overheard Dawn being denied financing for a $3,500 fax machine and offered to personally loan her money at a high interest rate, gradually increasing the loan size as she repaid — from $10,000, to $25,000, to $100,000 — to help her build a credit history.
Dawn Lafreeda: “That man that I met really taught me how to borrow money… after we get to where I’ve loaned you $100,000 and you’ve paid me back, you’re going to be able to borrow money a lot easier.”
Scaling From 5 to 62 Restaurants
Dawn grew her portfolio in deliberate stages, buying existing restaurants with staff already in place rather than building from scratch, and waiting until she passed 20 stores to bring in executive leadership (a director of operations, a controller, an HR professional).
Surviving Three Major Crises
Over her 40-year career, Dawn navigated three industry-altering shocks:
9/11 (2001): A 30% overnight sales drop from restaurants located near airports, which she says set her business back seven years.
The 2008 Financial Crisis: She was mid-flight closing an eight-restaurant acquisition in Kansas City when her bank called to halt the deal due to “material adverse conditions.” Refinancing and new deals were frozen for four to five years.
COVID-19 (2020): She had under 24 hours to close all 92 of her open restaurants, lost $1 million in food inventory overnight, and kept employees on payroll during the shutdown.
Dawn Lafreeda: “I called my lender and I said, I am going to be 10 days late on my payments because my sales are down 30%… My lender came to me and said, Don, you are the kind of client we love to have.”
The Post-Pandemic Shift in Customer Behavior
Dawn notes that remote work and the rise of third-party delivery have permanently changed her business — one of her restaurants now does 62% of its business through pickup and delivery, making it difficult to know the age or profile of her customer base the way she once did.
Executive Producing Show Her the Money
Dawn serves as executive producer of the documentary, which highlights that women receive only about 2% of venture capital and private equity funding, versus roughly 8% for men. She agreed to join the project after a stranger overheard her discussing her hesitation on a flight and confirmed the statistic was accurate.
Dawn Lafreeda: “It’s true… women only get about 2%… I think it brings about huge awareness and shows people that we have to invest in women.”
Philanthropy and Community Involvement
Dawn and her team focus giving on a small number of organizations for greater impact, including No Kid Hungry (in partnership with Denny’s Corporate, where Denny’s is the second-largest corporate donor), the Denny’s Mobile Relief Diner (which fed first responders and flood victims in Kerrville, Texas), Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and ProStart, a program training young culinary students for the restaurant industry.
Pull-Quote Highlights
“I never wanted to have to worry about money.” — Dawn Lafreeda, Largest Single-Owner Franchisee in Denny’s History
“That man that I met really taught me how to borrow money.” — Dawn Lafreeda, on the mentor who financed her early growth
“Nobody does it alone.” — Dawn Lafreeda, closing remarks
Stats & Data Points
Dawn owns 62 Denny’s restaurants today, serving more than 2 million diners annually
At her peak, she operated 92 restaurants simultaneously; she has owned roughly 120 over her career
9/11 caused a 30% overnight sales decline at her airport-adjacent locations
The COVID-19 shutdown forced her to close 92 restaurants within 24 hours and cost $1 million in lost food inventory overnight
One of her restaurants does 62% of its business through pickup and delivery
Women receive approximately 2% of venture capital and private equity funding, versus roughly 8% for men (per Show Her the Money)
Denny’s is the second-largest corporate donor to No Kid Hungry
Guest & Host Bios
Host: Jane Howze is Managing Director of The Alexander Group, an executive search firm specializing in senior leadership placements for elite law firms, professional services firms, and life sciences organizations.
Guest: Dawn Lafreeda is the largest single-owner franchisee in Denny’s history, operating a portfolio of restaurants across the country. She has served on the Denny’s brand board, received more than 70 industry awards, and is executive producer of the award-winning documentary Show Her the Money, which examines the gender gap in startup funding. She has also appeared on seasons one through three of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch.
Related Resources
Show Her the Money: available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime; more information at showherthemoneymovie.com
No Kid Hungry, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, Big Brothers Big Sisters, ProStart — Dawn Lafreeda’s supported nonprofits
More than 30 years ago, we began exploring behavioral assessments as a way to add another dimension to our executive search process. Experience, accomplishments, technical expertise, and references have always been essential components of evaluating executive talent, but we were looking for a tool that could help us better understand how executives were likely to communicate, make decisions, respond to stress, and fit within a leadership team and organizational culture.
We never viewed a behavioral assessment as a substitute for the judgment and experience gained through decades of executive search. Rather, we viewed it as another objective perspective and one that could complement and enhance the insights developed through in-depth interviews, reference checking, and our understanding of both the candidate and the client’s culture.
After evaluating virtually every major behavioral assessment on the market, we chose Personalysis and more than three decades later, we’re still utilizing it. There were several reasons it stood out to us, and they are the same reasons we continue to recommend it today.
It’s intuitive.
The color-based framework sticks. People remember colors far more readily than letter codes or personality labels, which means the insights stay useful long after the assessment itself is finished.
It’s accurate.
Across more than thirty years of executive search and leadership consulting, we’ve found it consistently reliable in showing how someone prefers to communicate, decide, respond under stress, and contribute to a team. Just as important, it describes people objectively and generously — leading with natural strengths and preferences rather than sorting anyone into a rigid category.
It’s accessible.
Personalysis is practical and cost-effective, which puts it within reach of organizations of any size. Many comparable tools aren’t.
It works at the team level.
Combine individual assessments into a team profile and leaders can see how the group as a whole is likely to communicate, solve problems, and respond to change. The team graph surfaces collective strengths, blind spots worth watching, and real opportunities to collaborate better.
Thirty years on, our conclusion hasn’t changed. Personalysis helps individuals understand themselves. It helps teams work together. And it gives leaders one more meaningful perspective when the decision in front of them is about people. That’s why it remains an integral part of our executive search and leadership consulting practice.
We continue to highlight the speakers and topics that resonated with Managing DirectorJane Howzeat the Milken Institute Global Conference. Famous faces and relevant topics such as aging and health, the importance of an investor knowing the team behind a business, and AI’s impact on the music industry are among the panel discussions Howze attended at the conference.
Breakthroughs Reshaping Aging and Longevity
Scientific and technological advances are transforming our understanding of health, aging, and human biology in ways unthinkable just a decade ago. Regeneration, rejuvenation, peptides, reprogramming, and AI-enabled precision health now shape the longevity narrative, championed by voices ranging from fringe biohackers to wellness influencers to world-class physicians and scientists. Yet, this expansion of approaches, claims, and products has made it difficult for markets and consumers to discern what is ready for broad application from what is still emerging. New speculative interventions can also take the focus away from those proven to extend healthy life. As capital flows into the longevity space, how can markets distinguish promise from hype and translate credible science into investable, scalable solutions—while also clarifying what individuals can safely apply today?
American Medical Association’s CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, put it plainly: the U.S. medical system is built to treat illness, not prevent it. Doctors are paid when patients are sick.
By the Numbers
85% of hospital visits are age-related
24% of Medicare goes to kidney disease
16% Alzheimer’s risk reduction possible with lifestyle changes
Panelists pointed to a growing movement toward whole-body medicine: approaches that examine the interconnected systems driving chronic disease rather than chasing individual symptoms.
“To date, there is not one drug approved for longevity. We are treating everything around aging — but not aging itself.”
Alzheimer’s: A Case Study in What’s Possible
A new clinical trial was highlighted as a signal of what prevention-focused medicine can achieve. Participants can now access free risk assessments for Alzheimer’s. Data shows lifestyle interventions alone can reduce risk by 16 percent. Panelists also pointed to an emerging diagnostic: a brain cholesterol test, still in development, that could function like a standard lipid panel but for neurological health — and could be available for under $150.
The challenge, panelists acknowledged, is the pipeline. Decade-long clinical trials are incompatible with the pace at which longevity science is advancing. Rethinking trial design may be as urgent as the research itself.
The Behavior Change Imperative
The panel’s most actionable message was also its most fundamental: the biggest levers for longevity aren’t pharmaceutical. They’re behavioral.
Exercise.
Consistent sleep.
Targeted supplementation, including B-complex vitamins. And regular lab work to catch problems before they become diagnosed.
Backing What’s Next: A Conversation with Serena Williams
With 23 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals behind her, Serena Williams channeled her competitive edge into venture capital, founding Serena Ventures.
Williams came to venture capital the way most great investors do — not through a credential, but through curiosity. She started as an angel investor, writing early checks and learning the business from the inside out.
That practice took years to build. Before taking on institutional capital as a general partner, Williams spent significant time cultivating relationships which meant getting to know other investors, understanding how they thought, and building access to the kind of deal flow that only comes from trust. “VC is a game of who you know,” she noted. The work of becoming a great investor, she made clear, happens long before a term sheet is ever signed.
Williams doesn’t wait for opportunities to come to her, instead she studies markets, seeking out leaders building in spaces she believes in, taking the time to understand the human being behind the business.
She looks for founders with staying power, who possess the ability to navigate the inevitable hard stretches of building a company, hold a team together, and make sound decisions under pressure.
Scaling the Global Music Economy
From streaming milestones to expanding global audiences, the music industry is a dynamic, interconnected business. The music business has always been shaped by technology, but the panelists at this year’s Milken Institute Global Conference made clear that the current inflection point feels different. Data now drives nearly every decision, from A&R to release strategy. And yet, as one panelist put it, no algorithm has figured out how to manufacture a chill down your spine.
“Data is essential, but it doesn’t replace goosebumps” was the prevailing sentiment in the room. The ability to move a listener — really move them — remains the irreducible currency of the art form, even as spreadsheets increasingly inform which artists get signed, which tracks get pushed, and which markets get prioritized.
Wyclef Jean drew perhaps the sharpest line of the discussion. His declaration — “before there was AI, there was I” — cut to the heart of what’s at stake for artists watching machine-generated music edge into the mainstream. The implicit challenge: if listeners found out their favorite song was written by an AI, would it hit the same way?
Teddy Swims offered a more pragmatic view. For him, AI isn’t a threat. It’s a tool he uses to assist in his creative process. The time he saves using AI allows him to dedicated more time to touring and interacting with fans.
The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) serves the community of people affected by an autoimmune skin disease called alopecia areata that results in hair loss and emotional, psychological distress.
Alopecia areata causes hair loss on the scalp, face, and sometimes on other areas of the body, affecting as many as 6.8 million people in the U.S., with a lifetime risk of 2.1%. The types of hair loss can be patchy (alopecia areata), complete loss of hair on the scalp (alopecia totalis), or, in extreme cases, the entire body (alopecia universalis). NAAF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981.
NAAF’s work with and for the community of people affected by alopecia areata – including the family, friends, medical professionals, research scientists, biopharmaceutical developers, and government representatives who care about them – is informed by a Vision that articulates organizational aspirations and five Core Values that guide their work to carry out NAAF’s Mission.
Vision: An empowered community with a choice to embrace or live free from alopecia.
Mission: NAAF drives research to find a cure or acceptable treatment for alopecia areata, supports those impacted, and educates the public about the disease. Values – Helping the alopecia community lead their lives with GRACE.
Growth: Create and nurture positive change for the future of our community
Resilience: Enhance the ability to mentally and emotionally cope with adversity
Advocacy: Wield influence to create awareness and affect real change
Compassion: Listen to understand and demonstrate care through meaningful support
Empowerment: Build strength and confidence through connections, tools and resources
Governance: NAAF is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, with advice from Research Advisory Councils and leading Key Opinion Leaders.
NAAF consistently meets or exceeds the rigorous standards of excellence for good governance and transparency set forth by the National Health Council, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, and Candid. Programs –NAAF staff members serve constituents in three primary program areas: patient and community support, awareness & advocacy, and research to find treatments or cures.
Staff Team Culture Statement
The NAAF staff is a community-centered team that values integrity and respect in all our interactions. We actively collaborate to leverage our diverse strengths and perspectives. We have high aspirations for ourselves, our team and our community. We are bold and resourceful, approaching challenges with courage. We care deeply about our work and the people we serve. Our remote workplace thrives through accountability and responsiveness. We are committed to learning, to being proactive, and to remaining nimble so we can adapt quickly to changing circumstances and new opportunities. Our commitment to this team culture empowers our success and brings joy and meaning to the work we accomplish on behalf of our community.
The Position: President & Chief Executive Officer (Remote)
The President & CEO has full responsibility and accountability for NAAF’s success. This executive will provide leadership, working in partnership with the Board of Directors, to formulate and pursue the Vision and Mission of NAAF, as expressed through annual and strategic plans. They will provide overall direction of internal and external policy and program development and oversee all NAAF operations.
The President & CEO will serve as the chief spokesperson for NAAF and primary liaison with outside stakeholders. This executive will also be responsible for developing key revenue streams to support approved programs, in partnership with NAAF’s growing development team. The President & CEO holds office at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. This executive will have the power to designate, appoint, or remove agents or employees of NAAF.
Specifically, they will:
• Lead NAAF with a clear vision, mission, values, strategies, and goals. Serve as the “face” of the organization and the main advocate for patients with alopecia areata, community members, and key industry stakeholders.
• Lead development of NAAF’s 3-Year Strategic Plan in collaboration with the Board of Directors, Executive Team, and with significant input from the medical, scientific, and NAAF community at large. Ensure execution of each plan to achieve agreed-upon outcomes and metrics.
• Develop growth strategies for NAAF at the national level; in partnership with the Board, determine NAAF’s role internationally, as the largest alopecia areata patient advocacy organization in the world.
• Take primary responsibility for setting strategy around fundraising and new revenue streams, in conjunction with the Chief Growth Officer (CGO). Directly responsible for fostering relationships with large donors, industry partners, and major corporations.
• Provide visionary leadership and collaboration for NAAF’s growing development programs, including growing the Walk for Alopecia into a multi-million-dollar annual event and increasing the number of donors making higher dollar gifts to NAAF.
• Provide visionary leadership and collaboration with NAAF’s Chief Mission Officer (CMO) to set strategy around research and development, in conjunction with the NAAF’s medical and scientific Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), industry partners, and pharmaceutical companies to ensure that safer, more affordable, accessible and acceptable treatments continue to be available in the near future.
• Participate as an alopecia areata KOL at various meetings, forums, panels, and webinars, largely in partnership with pharmaceutical companies and medical groups.
• Travel and represent NAAF at various medical-related meetings, e.g., NHC, AAD, EADV, as appropriate and in conjunction with appropriate staff.
• Lead an Executive Team made up of a Chief Operating Officer (COO), CGO, and CMO, overseeing the strategy and execution of each functional area of the organization. Oversee and approve all hires; mentor, motivate, coach, develop, and inspire all staff. Provide positive leadership, direction, and guidance. Create and nurture an environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging where all staff feel like they are appreciated, valued, and inspired to be the best versions of themselves, perform at a high level, and realize their full potential. Embrace and embody the values reflected in the Staff Team Culture Statement (below).
• Provide strategic direction on awareness, advocacy programs, and invest in growing NAAF’s new advocacy structure and achieving key advocacy metrics.
• Responsible for the overall operation of NAAF, including implementing policies and practices to strengthen the internal organization of NAAF. Ensure compliance with all NAAF’s established policies and procedures.
• Accountable for financial results, compliance, and overall financial management with oversight from NAAF’s Finance Committee, Chair, Finance Committee, and Board of Directors. Develop and monitor the annual budget and routinely report to the Board and Finance Committee regarding the state of NAAF’s finances, operations, and programs.
• In conjunction with the COO, prepare all materials for the Board of Directors. In conjunction with the CMO and CGO, prepare for and participate in Research Advisory Council meetings, Industry Partner Program (IPP), and research-related meetings, assisting the Mission team as needed and required.
• Partner with Board Chair and Executive Committee on Board Development to increase and empower the Board’s role in governance, networking, and revenue generation.
• Provide strategic direction, planning, and oversight of the annual NAAF Conference, including input on key presenters and sponsors and other related matters with the CMO and COO.
• Execute such other general responsibilities as may be delegated by the Board, Finance, Governance, and Audit Committees.
• Regular travel is to be expected: attendance at events, meeting with donors, presentation & speaking engagements, etc.
The new Chief Executive Officer will ideally have 15+ years of experience in health-related association management or related activities. They will be an inspirational and strategic leader with expertise in negotiating, consensus-building, and problem-solving.
This executive will have excellent analytical, communications, and interpersonal skills and established writing and public speaking ability. The new CEO will be highly motivated and creative, with a solid work ethic, sound judgment, and ability to handle pressure well. Persistence, persuasiveness, and perseverance are essential. A good sense of humor is a plus.
They will have an open, collaborative, and “roll-up-the-sleeves” management style that focuses on developing, engaging, and empowering colleagues and the broader NAAF community. This executive will also possess well-developed leadership, communications, teambuilding, and influencing skills; unquestioned integrity; and the experience, confidence, and stature to effectively lead an organization.
Other qualifications include:
• CEO or “ready now CEO” of similar sized or larger non-profit organization. Track record of effectively leading through growth and change.
• Successful track record in creating and implementing successful fundraising strategies, including ownership of individual solicitations, grants, sponsorships, and contracts, and ideally, strong familiarity with growing successful peer-to-peer programs.
• Strong track record leading, motivating, and engaging a team where all staff feel appreciated, valued, engaged, and are operating at their very best.
• Experience working on public policy initiatives with national health-related organizations.
• Experience effectively interfacing with, and deriving strategic and program objectives from researchers, physicians, and professionals with technical expertise.
• Track record of successfully interfacing with a diverse volunteer Board of Directors.
• Strong experience and knowledge of the US healthcare industry, including profit and not-for[1]profit organizations.
• Willingness and ability to travel (primarily nationally) as necessary to develop relationships with corporate, pharma, and health industry leaders, the NAAF staff, and the larger alopecia areata community.
• Comfortable with Microsoft office suite and familiarity with utilizing CRM programs such as Salesforce.
• An undergraduate degree is required; an advanced degree such as an MBA, MS or related graduate degree is preferred.
Since our founding in 1984, our firm has conducted dozens of COO searches for the nation’s leading law firms. Over that time, one truth has become clear: the search doesn’t end when the candidate accepts the position. Running a large law firm today is complex. The modern COO must lead international management teams, safeguard client data, ensure operational resiliency, and navigate a dynamic regulatory and political landscape.
When a law firm hires a new COO, the first 100 days are critical to establishing credibility, building trust, and laying the foundation for long-term success. We asked four sitting COOs at Am Law 100 firms to share advice for law firm chairs and managing partners on how to set a new COO up for success. All these COOs were highly complimentary of their chairs for a smooth introduction and orientation to their firms.
Their collective wisdom can be distilled into six key actions.
Signal Visible Support from Day One
Every COO we spoke with emphasized how important it is that chair and firm leadership visibly endorse the new hire—both publicly and privately.
Dave Boden, COO of Haynes Boone, described how his chairman’s strong support gave him immediate credibility among partners and allowed him to do his job effectively. Boden suggests that a chairman’s support should show up in firmwide announcements, an introduction at partners’ meetings, and ideally a personal message (video or in person) reinforcing the COO’s qualifications and the chair’s confidence.
Create a Structured, Thoughtful Orientation
Don’t leave onboarding to chance.
Victor Nuñez of Cooley described a multi-week orientation program that included office visits, participation in board meetings, and scheduled introductions to key partners and business professionals. That blueprint was developed jointly by HR and senior leadership to make sure no relationship was overlooked. Whether formalized or not, the early months should map out key meetings, topical briefings, and office visits.
Facilitate Relationship-Building Across the Firm
Speed matters in establishing trust.
Brian Gross of Morrison & Foerster emphasized that his earlier interviews across the firm gave him insight into the partnership’s mindset even before day one. For firms that ran a leaner search, replicate that exposure after the hire: identify the 20–30 partners whose support is critical and make sure the COO meets them early, ideally in person. As part of that, the chair can accompany the COO on initial office visits or roadshows to accelerate buy-in. It is equally important for a new COO to meet not only their direct reports, but also the team underneath their direct reports. As one COO commented, “It’s important to meet the people who are doing a lot of the hard work.”
Set Communication Rhythms and Clear Boundaries
Agreeing on communication protocols from the start is essential.
Weekly one-on-ones with the chair, informal check-ins, and periodic strategy dinners help keep the COO plugged into firm leadership. Equally important: clarifying decision-making authority and escalation protocols. For example, Rob Brown of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton made the point that a clear mutual understanding between the COO or Executive Director and the Chair/Managing Partner on where the Chair wants to be involved in joint decisions very much helps to build mutual trust and understanding. The absence of that clear framework can slow down critical decision-making and create organizational confusion.
Balance Patience with Momentum
Early listening is critical.
Several COOs described their first months as a “honeymoon period” spent observing, asking questions, and building informal influence. Boden, for instance, used that time to gather observations and perspectives from his chairman, laying the groundwork for future initiatives. That said, some COOs cautioned that waiting too long may not be ideal—early personnel moves, or other changes might be necessary. The key is to pace change carefully and communicate the rationale clearly to partners.
Include Coaching and Team Building
Many firms, especially those hiring a first-time COO or someone from outside the legal industry, find it beneficial to engage an experienced coach. A coach who has held a COO role within a law firm can help the new leader grasp the nuanced dynamics of firm operations and avoid common pitfalls.
In our work, we often pair coaching with a facilitated team-building session for the COO and their direct reports. Using Personalysis, a well-known personality-based assessment tool, we explore how each team member makes decisions, communicates, and contributes. From these results, we produce a team profile that helps everyone understand how to collaborate more effectively, providing the COO with early insights into leading their team. Direct reports frequently tell us this exercise helps them adapt more quickly and fosters early trust.
The Payoff
When onboarding is handled intentionally, the results speak for themselves: stronger alignment between leadership and partners, smoother decision-making, and a COO freed to focus on strategy rather than credibility-building. As one COO put it, “If you don’t have the partnerships, confidence, and solid channels of communication, you’re crippled from the start.”
For firms preparing to welcome a new COO, taking these six steps—visible support, structured orientation, relationship-building, clear communication, paced change, and coaching/team-building—can transform a promise-filled hire into a transformational leader.
The days of questioning the importance of Artificial Intelligence are over. Staying competitive and ahead of the curve means delving into AI from both leadership and technological perspectives, and knowing where to start is crucial. From boutique law firms to AmLaw legacies, AI is transforming how leadership approaches all aspects of law firm operations.
Rethinking Leadership Roles
Larger firms such as Cooley and Milbank are AI pioneers, establishing internal workflows and protocols, while also serving their clients’ AI needs. Smaller and regional firms are also adapting, incorporating AI into their practice and adding leaders to the executive roster to implement and execute AI. And while technology is intrinsically tied to AI, staying competitive requires executive talent with a broader, more adaptive skill set – prompting firm leadership to ask the following:
Who should lead this transformation?
Should that person have a JD?
Where in the org chart do they belong—IT, strategy, operations?
Managing Director John Mann has his finger on the pulse of the fast-changing needs of boutique and regional firms, finding that AI leaders may not be who you think.
“What’s particularly interesting is that, more often than not, the person leading the AI function within a law firm comes from a legal background,” Mann said. “In my research and conversations, the consistent feedback is that it’s critical for AI leadership to have a legal background, typically a JD, or experience at another law firm. This isn’t about a Chief Information Officer simply implementing off-the-shelf AI tools. Law firms recognize that to remain competitive, especially midsized firms, they must strategically harness AI, because the larger firms are already doing so.”
Survey Says Yes to AI—But With Caution
A 2025 survey of more than 2,800 legal professionals by the Federal Bar Association tracked the changes in AI adoption by lawyers in firms of various sizes.
Respondents from firms with 51 or more lawyers reported a significant 39% adoption rate of generative AI. By contrast, firms with 50 or fewer lawyers had adoption rates at half that level, with approximately 20% indicating the implementation of legal-specific AI within their practices.
In the survey, respondents indicated that the bulk of AI usage falls into business operations, with 54% of legal professionals using AI to draft correspondence, 14% using it to analyze firm data and matters, and 47% expressing interest in AI tools that assist in obtaining insights from a firm’s financial data.
Thomson Reuters surveyed more than 2,200 legal professionals and C-level corporate executives regarding their acceptance and usage of AI and compiled the results in the 2024 Future of Professionals Report. Respondents have warmed to the technology, raising expectations for its use.
77% of respondents believe AI will have a high or transformational impact on their work by the next five years. That’s an increase of 10 percentage points over the 2023 report’s responses.
72% of legal professionals surveyed in the report view AI as a force for good in their profession.
Half of law firm respondents cite exploring and implementing AI as their highest priority. In addition, they believe AI can help address other priorities, such as enhancing customer satisfaction and improving operational efficiency.
Despite the growing AI implementation, Mann finds law firm leadership is staying vigilant and intentional with AI use, especially when attorney-client confidentiality is concerned.
“The AI landscape is still the Wild West,” Mann said. “I recently had a conversation with a managing partner of a 50-attorney firm, and he said they have restricted the use of AI tools for client matters because of the potential breach of attorney-client privilege. Bottom line? They implemented a policy restricting the use of AI in any client matters.”
New Technology, New Strategies
Firms are looking beyond the IT department for the strategic role, prioritizing an executive’s legal experience and deep understanding of technology to drive efficiency, reduce billing bottlenecks, and enhance client outcomes.
Whether a firm labels the role Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Data and AI Officer, or Director of Innovation, there are consistent requirements for each, including 10 or more years of experience in legal operations, professional services innovation, or technology consulting and a proven ability to lead cross-functional innovation or technology initiatives in a law firm or professional services environment.
Ultimately, AI and its presence within law firm structure and leadership are making their own rules, challenging norms and definitions at every turn.
“AI is coming up as its own function and is not tethered to any one functional area,” Mann said. “There’s the tech piece of course, but there’s also strategy and a need for understanding and expertise in the practice of law. The question many firms are asking is, ‘How can we operate more efficiently to drive greater revenue and profitability?’ And for most, the answer increasingly points to leveraging AI to get there.”
Not-for-profit leaders are accustomed to doing more with less. Still, waves of economic uncertainty, coupled with the rapidly evolving AI landscape, are forcing even the most seasoned leaders to reevaluate and redefine past methodologies and strategies.
Today’s leaders recognize that the decisions they make will have a lasting impact on their organizations’ mission, funding, and strategy. Maximizing the relationship between a Chief Executive Officer and their board, implementing AI literacy, and sharpening fundraising focus are essential for the sustainability and growth of an organization.
Benefits of a Strong Board
The partnership between a CEO and their board is one of shared commitments and a well-crafted strategy. A CEO should be able to lean on their board and, at times, be prepared to hear difficult truths. Board members bear a responsibility to engage with the organization, its executive team, and other key stakeholders.
Organizations that invest in building effective boards often see more stable funding, stronger staff retention and morale, greater influence in their sector, and more substantial donor confidence.
Modern board governance is evolving as the demand for more strategic, diverse, and accountable board members increases. In practice, this translates to broader board representation in terms of age, experience, and diversity. Clearly defining board roles and term limits lays the foundation for continued growth.
“Nonprofits transform their trajectory when boards adopt some of the discipline and accountability models of the corporate world. When CEOs and boards align on clear roles and a shared strategy, they drive greater impact and long-term growth,” said John Mann, Managing Director, The Alexander Group.
Engaged Boards Elevate Fundraising
The top line for fundraising and development activities is always at the forefront of not-for-profit organizations. Cultivating a more engaged board is an effective way for nonprofits to enhance their fundraising efforts, and that starts with empowerment and clear expectations.
Start by setting clear expectations, providing training, and fostering a culture of accountability. A well-informed, mission-driven board can unlock new funding opportunities, leverage its networks, and serve as influential ambassadors for the organization. When donors feel connected and the board is fully invested, fundraising efforts become more strategic, sustainable, and successful.
Embracing AI
From predictive fundraising to automated grant reporting, AI is rapidly changing nonprofit operations. According to the 2024 Nonprofit Standards Benchmarking Survey, 82 percent of organizations have implemented AI technology. AI is quickly becoming a valuable tool in the not-for-profit sector, enhancing an organization’s ability to anticipate donor needs and recommend targeted actions.
Strategic CEOs understand the urgency of thoughtfully investing in AI across everything from software to leadership positions, such as Chief Innovation Officer. Smaller organizations are forming committees that may include board members to explore how to use AI synergistically with various functions.
Employing AI to do everything from the tedious to the time-consuming leaves staff open to connect in a more meaningful way with the organization’s donor base. Forward-looking not-for-profits are using AI-assisted donor segmentation, chatbots for volunteer engagement, and automated analytics for board reports, building AI literacy among their team members.
Digital fundraising solution OneCause works specifically with not-for-profits and found organizations are most successful when leaning into AI from a solid foundation of personal connectedness. In 2024, 75% of organizations hosting in-person events met or exceeded their fundraising goals, and 76% of those using hybrid models also achieved their targets.
Mission-Minded, Future Focused
It’s a challenging time for the modern non-profit CEO/Director, but within this sea change lies opportunities to serve and grow the organization’s mission.
The mission is the motivator.
“Every nonprofit begins with someone on a mission. To grow the organization, the mission must resonate with others, and someone must articulate the mission in such a compelling way that others embrace it and are willing to support it, not just with their hearts and their volunteer time but also with financial donations,” saidAmanda K. Brady, Chief Client Officer/Managing Director. “Whether it is the Founder, a CEO, or a development leader, someone must craft and evangelize a message that brings others into the community and keeps them engaged. It is an existential imperative. In today’s times, leaders must seek, embrace, and utilize innovative tools that build on the organization’s mission.”
