Mark Thompson is a globally recognized authority on CEO succession, executive readiness, and high-stakes leadership transitions. He has led more than a hundred board-level engagements to prepare C-suite successors. He is the founding chairman and CEO of the Chief Executive Alliance and the CEO Leadership Plan Review. Previously, he served as chief executive of the CEO Academy, a SHRM company, in partnership with Wharton and McKinsey. He is coauthor of Admired, a New York Times bestseller; Success Built to Last; and Now . . . Build a Great Business.

Byron Loflin is a two-time CEO who currently serves as the Global Head of Board Advisory at Nasdaq and is the former CEO of the Center for Board Excellence, now a part of Nasdaq. With more than two decades of experience advising corporate boards, CEOs, and executive teams, Loflin is globally respected for his pragmatic approach to board leadership, integrity, and strategic alignment. He has interviewed over a thousand CEOs and board members and continues to pioneer tools and frameworks that elevate board effectiveness, helping organizations strengthen their oversight and strategic impact.