DirectWomen Announces Its 2026 Award Honorees

FOR RELEASE: May 26, 2026
CONTACT: Shawn Taylor Kaminski, skaminski@directwomen.org, 708-244-9006

DirectWomen Announces Its 2026 Award Honorees

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NEW YORK — Honoring individuals and corporations that have broadened the variety of voices in corporate boardrooms, DirectWomen announces its 2026 award honorees. The award recipients will be recognized at the Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award Luncheon on October 9, 2026, in New York City.

“Our 2026 honorees are transforming corporate leadership,” said Shawn Taylor Kaminski, Executive Director, DirectWomen. “Their leadership reflects a fundamental truth: companies are strongest when boards bring together differing perspectives, judgment, and strategic business insights to drive long-term success.”

Committed to increasing the representation of women lawyers serving on corporate boards, DirectWomen has honored individuals and corporations at its Award Luncheon since 2007. This year’s honorees include:

Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award Honoree Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, Director, 
Bayer AG, Mondelēz International, and Allwyn North America, Inc. and Founder and CEO, 
Food Systems for the Future

Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award Honoree Suzanne Rich Folsom, Director, 
Defense Metals Corp., ECORE International, and Encyclopaedia Britannica and Former Senior
Vice President and General Counsel, Philip Morris International Inc. and United States Steel 
Corporation, and Academi LLC

This award honors women lawyers who have served with distinction as directors of public companies and exemplify the life and legacy of Sandra Day O’Connor, paving new paths for the women who follow them.

DirectWomen Distinguished Alumna Award Honoree Teresa Mosley Sebastian, Director, 
The AES Corporation, Peckham Industries Inc., and Assemble Sound LLC and President and CEO, 
The Dominion Asset Group. This award is presented to a DirectWomen Board Institute Alumna 
who exemplifies the talents and accomplishments of our alumnae through her service on a large 
corporate board.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Board Award Honoree Broadridge Financial, a global technology leader 
with trusted expertise and transformative technology, helping clients and the financial services 
industry operate, innovate, and grow. Led by CEO Timothy C. Gokey, the company has demonstrated 
a strong commitment to bringing varied voices into the boardroom. Notably, the Broadridge board of 
directors is comprised of 50 percent women directors, including Board Chair, Eileen K. Murray, and 
Independent Director Annette L. Nazareth, a lawyer and DirectWomen Board Institute Alumna.

“This year’s honorees have made lasting contributions to corporate governance, and we are proud to celebrate them,” said Lily Yan Hughes, Chair, DirectWomen’s Board of Directors. “They are proof that when accomplished women lawyers bring their expertise and business acumen to the boardroom, companies and shareholders are better for it.”

A national nonprofit organization, DirectWomen’s flagship program is its Board Institute, which annually positions 16-18 board-ready lawyers for corporate board service. To date, DirectWomen has celebrated 223 board seats obtained by Board Institute alumnae and serves as a resource for companies seeking qualified, CEO-endorsed director candidates.

For more information about this year’s honorees and the 2026 Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award Luncheon, please visit www.directwomen.org.

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About DirectWomen

As a national nonprofit, DirectWomen’s mission is to increase the representation of women lawyers on
corporate boards. DirectWomen identifies leading women lawyers who can provide the experience,
independence, and business judgment required for corporate board effectiveness. Through its various
programs, DirectWomen develops and positions women attorney leaders for board service. It also serves
as a resource for companies seeking qualified board candidates. DirectWomen is a registered 501(c)(3)
charitable organization.