Pathway to the C-Suite

What does it take to make it to the C-suite—or onto a board?  Ready to accelerate your career trajectory? Join us on November 12 for a high powered panel discussion where you’ll discover;

• How to build and amplify your personal brand (online and offline) to attract leadership opportunities

• What differentiates top candidates in the eyes of search committees and boards

• Partnering with executive recruiters to land high-impact roles, including board roles

• The labyrinth of career development and promotion within larger companies

• Navigating career transitions at the executive level including joining corporate boards

Research shows the average executive transitions every five years. Even if you're not actively searching, building your executive readiness today positions you for tomorrow's opportunities. Ambitious professionals who understand that strategic career management is an ongoing discipline, not a last-minute scramble, should attend.

Featured Expert Panelists

This exclusive panel brings together the leaders who know what companies and boards are really looking for. You'll hear directly from top executive recruiters at Egon Zehnder and Spencer Stuart, Madrona’s Head of Talent who recruits as well as advises start-ups on their organizational design and talent development, and an HBS Career Coach who understands recruitment from the candidate’s perspective.

• Mike Dickstein, Senior Partner, Spencer Stuart

• Sara O'Gorman, Leadership Advisor, Egon Zehnder

• Shannon Anderson, Director of Talent and Investor, Madrona

• Moderated by HBS Executive and Career Coach Anne Marie Checcone

Whether you're actively pursuing your next role or planning for the future, Pathway to the C-Suite delivers the insider insights you need to accelerate your executive trajectory

Who’s Invited:

• HBS alumni (all programs)

• Ivy++ (Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, MIT, etc.)

• Harvard undergrad/grad alumni

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Time: 6:00pm – 8:30pm

Place: Columbia Center 701 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, 40th Floor

Price: $30

This event is open to all HBS Alumni, Partners and your Friends.

Our Expert Panelists and Moderator

Mike Dickstein, Senior Partner, SpencerStuart, leads the firm’s Global Software Practice, Global Sales Officer Practice and is a core member of the CEO, Board and Private Equity Practices. He also leads the Seattle office for SpencerStuart. Before joining SpencerStuart, Mike had a long career with operating roles in the tech industry along with many years as a strategy consultant with McKinsey.

Shannon Anderson is Director of Talent and Investor at Madrona, where she partners with founders and executives to build leadership teams across high-growth startups. A career recruiter turned venture investor, she has guided hundreds of professionals through executive and board transitions — from scaling Microsoft in the 1990s, to founding a national search firm, to shaping Madrona’s talent playbooks today. Shannon is known for helping leaders amplify their personal brands, work with executive recruiters, and navigate complex career moves with confidence. Recognized by founders as the “Lioness in the Jungle,” she brings sharp, practical insight to executive careers.

Sara O’Gorman is a founding member of Egon Zehnder’s Seattle office, where she partners with clients in consumer/retail and financial services, as well as family businesses, on CEO succession, executive development, and exec and Board placement. Her diverse career experience – including corporate venture, start-up leadership, retail operations and consulting – allow her to effectively connect dots and talent across sectors and company stages. Sara is a proud alum of University of Michigan and Harvard Business School, and mom to three kids.

Anne Marie Checcone is an executive and leadership coach with Harvard Business School and the founder of Brass Ring Advisory. She specializes in executive readiness, leadership through change, and complex mid- to late-stage career transitions. Anne Marie draws on two decades of operating experience in senior product leadership roles at Meta, Amazon Web Services, and several early-stage SaaS companies. Her coaching is outcome-oriented and pragmatic, helping leaders clarify objectives, make intentional tradeoffs, and achieve impact in high-growth, high-stakes environments. She earned her MBA from HBS in 2004.

Finding the 40th Floor: on the ground floor (aka 5th Ave street level), look for the HBS club sign and representative who will usher you to the 40th Floor Sky Lobby where the event will take place

Parking: the easiest most accessible parking is in the Columbia Center's parking garage, but the parking is relatively expensive (e.g. ~$20).  If you're looking to save some money and don't mind a <5min walk, past attendees have used the following locations

• Diamond Parking immediately across the street (https://maps.app.goo.gl/TTy315Gy5NCu9Dcr6) 

• Butler Garage two blocks away as some of the cheapest parking in the area (https://maps.app.goo.gl/wx7wyaveTX8VXWuz5)

• SeaPark Garage adjacent to Columbia Tower, Seattle Court parking where there's typically availablity after working hours (https://maps.app.goo.gl/LESDFFw86qWFffwQ9) 

Event Contacts

‬Kyle Buffenmyer - kylebuffenmyer@gmail.com - ‪+1.717.201.0064