PALEY INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL SUMMIT

Frank A. Bennack Jr. is executive vice chairman of Hearst, one of the nation’s largest private companies engaged in a broad range of publishing, broadcasting, cable networking and diversified media and business-to-business information activities. He is also chairman of the company’s executive committee, a director of Hearst and a trustee of the Hearst Family Trust, established under the will of William Randolph Hearst. In addition, he sits on a number of corporate committees and the Hearst Foundations board, where he has served for nearly half a century. 

Bennack served as Hearst’s CEO for more than 28 years. He directed the company through an unprecedented period of growth from when he began his first tenure as CEO in 1979 through June 2013, when he stepped down—increasing revenues 14 times and growing earnings more than 30 times, through investments, acquisitions and startups. Today, Hearst comprises some 360-plus businesses and 25,000 employees. 

Under his leadership, the company launched three leading cable networks with its partner ABC (now the Walt Disney Company), A&E, HISTORY and Lifetime and invested in the ESPN family of networks, now in 190 countries and territories. On Bennack’s watch, Hearst marched toward diversification and global expansion, including its purchase of global ratings agency Fitch Group. Bennack was also instrumental in the decision to create what today is Hearst Television,Inc., one of the nation’s largest non-network-owned television station groups, which operates 33 television stations. During his tenure, Hearst launched such magazines as Country Living, Food Network Magazine, HGTV Magazine, Marie Claire and O, The Oprah Magazine.

His influence on corporate boards of directors—many lasting decades—has impacted the worlds of finance, at J.P. Morgan Chase and its predecessor companies Chemical Bank, Manufacturers Hanover and Chase; retail, as an outside director of Allied Stores, which became a part of the modern-day Federated/Macy’s Inc. and was the parent company of Brooks Brothers, Jordan Marsh, Stern’s and Le Bon Marché; and pharmaceuticals, as a director of Wyeth, formerly American Home Products, which was acquired by Pfizer in 2009. 

Bennack is currently a director of Ralph Lauren Corporation. He is chairman of Hearst Magazines UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst. Bennack is also a governor and chairman emeritus of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and its Healthcare System, a managing director of the Metropolitan Opera of New York, chairman emeritus of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and chairman of the Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television & Radio). He was the 1992–93 chairman of the Newspaper Association of America (formerly the American Newspaper Publishers Association). 

Jeremy is responsible for strategy, vision and operating execution at Circle. He brings more than two decades of experience building and leading global internet software platforms, including founder and CEO of Brightcove, technologist and entrepreneur in residence at General Catalyst, CTO of Macromedia, and co-founder and CTO of Allaire Corporation. In 2026 he was named to the TIME100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Gary B. Bettman has served the National Hockey League as Commissioner since February 1, 1993, and has guided the world’s top professional hockey league through three decades of growth and advancement on and off the ice. Record revenues, record attendance and numerous fan-friendly and community-minded initiatives are just a few of the ways Commissioner Bettman has brought the NHL to a broader audience, through more media platforms, than at any time in League history. In recognition of his many contributions to the game, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2018.  

By negotiating another long-term Collective Bargaining Agreement with the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA)—over a year in advance of the current CBA’s expiration—and long-term, multi-billion-dollar national broadcast rights agreements in the United States (Walt Disney Company/ESPN and Warner Media/TurnerSports) and Canada (Rogers Communications) plus innovative digital rights agreements with Disney Streaming Services and ESPN+ in the U.S. and Rogers in Canada, Commissioner Bettman has fostered unprecedented economic stability for the League’s Member Clubs. League revenues have increased more than tenfold during Commissioner Bettman’s tenure and franchise values have increased exponentially. 

Last year, alone, Commissioner Bettman devised and executed an unprecedented hybrid transaction that established the Utah Hockey Club as the NHL’s newest franchise – further strengthening the League. And his vision drove the League’s spectacular return to best-on-best international play with the 4 Nations Face-Off, which captured the imagination of sports fans worldwide. 

Amid the global pandemic, Commissioner Bettman worked with the NHLPA to extend the CBA – guaranteeing extended labor peace—and to craft a Return to Play plan that enabled the NHL to safely return to the ice, complete the 2019-20 season and award the Stanley Cup. The following year, with COVID restrictions still in place, Commissioner Bettman oversaw temporary realignment and deployment of a schedule that included exclusively intradivisional games, enabling the 2020-21 season to be played and the Stanley Cup to again be awarded. 

On the ice, the NHL’s competitive balance might be unrivaled in professional sports thanks to the strongest Collective Bargaining Agreement in sports. The refinement and the implementation of rules designed to accentuate the speed, skill and creativity of the players has resulted in an offensive renaissance and enabled younger players to thrive.  

A calendar of innovative signature events – including iconic outdoor games (the NHL Winter Classic, the NHL Stadium Series and the Heritage Classic) – has driven fan engagement and sponsor participation to unprecedented levels. The most recent of these were among the most ambitious – two outdoor games in one month in the state of Florida – the NHL Winter Classic in Miami and the NHL Stadium Series in Tampa. 

These achievements were recognized with three Sports Business Awards accorded by the Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily in 2014, with Commissioner Bettman being named Sports Executive of the Year; the NHL being named Sports League of the Year, and the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic—which attracted a crowd of over 105,000 to the University of Michigan’s “Big House” stadium on New Year’s Day—being named Sports Event of the Year.  

Advancements in the game under Commissioner Bettman include the implementation of overtime and the ‘shootout,’ which eliminate tied games during the regular season. The League’s introduction of the two-referee system revolutionized hockey officiating around the world. Other innovations include the development and advancement of video review (since replicated by the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association), emergency on-ice trauma care and elevation in the study of injuries.  

In addition, Commissioner Bettman created the first Department of Player Safety in pro sports. The Department is entrusted with the continued consideration of suggesting proposed changes to rules and equipment that will make the game safer for the players. The NHL also was the first sports League to explain player supplementary discipline rulings in videos available to all through the League’s digital outlets—an advancement that has been hailed throughout the sports world.  

Commissioner Bettman has positioned the League to be at the forefront of technological advances that enhance fans’ connections to the game. Under his leadership, the League has built the most advanced technology solutions in sports including NHL EDGE, the League’s groundbreaking Puck and Player Tracking technology, and the award-winning Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards (DED) system. 

Commissioner Bettman also has focused attention on the League’s international makeup and appeal. He was instrumental in the inclusion of NHL Players at five consecutive Olympic Winter Games, beginning in 1998 at Nagano, Japan, and the return of the World Cup of Hockey tournament in September 2016. Beginning this season, when NHL Players will stock the rosters at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games and then in February 2028, when the NHL and NHLPA will stage a World Cup, the League will commit to a calendar rotation that sees NHL Players competing in best-on-best international tournaments every two years. 

As a further testament to the League’s international appeal, NHL games are televised in more than 160 countries and covered on NHL.com in multiple languages—Czech, Finnish, French, German, Slovak, Swedish, and Spanish—in addition to English.  

In keeping with the Commissioner’s commitment to serving fans, the NHL Network provides viewers in the U.S. with on-site coverage from the League’s signature events as well as daily programming that features game highlights and analysis every night of the season. In addition, during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons and playoffs, the League partnered with Amazon Prime Video and Box-to-Box Productions to produce FaceOFF: Inside the NHL, a widely-acclaimed documentary series that revealed the personalities of many of hockey’s brightest stars. 

Charity, community service and growing the game also have been at the forefront of Commissioner Bettman’s tenure. Hockey Fights Cancer has raised millions in support of cancer research and awareness – and marked its 25th anniversary this past year by partnering with The V Foundation. Mr. Bettman also prioritized grass-roots initiatives that bring hockey to youngsters. These programs include “Hockey is for Everyone,” a part of the NHL Foundation, the NHL’s charitable and community relations organization and a major component of the League’s youth hockey programming. In furtherance of “Hockey is for Everyone,” the NHL joined the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to fund a full four-year college scholarship for outstanding scholar-athletes from its inner-city hockey programs for at-risk youth. 

Commissioner Bettman’s continued focus on ensuring that the NHL is welcoming, inclusive and accessible was highlighted in 2013 by the League signing an historic partnership agreement with the “You Can Play Project,” which is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation. 

NHL Green, another of Commissioner Bettman’s initiatives, has been recognized widely for its support of environmental causes. NHL Green received the prestigious 2011 Sport for the Environment Award from the global Beyond Sport organization. The League also was celebrated for the establishment and success of the NHL Food Recovery Program, which recovers prepared but untouched food from all 32 NHL facilities, providing hundreds of thousands of meals to local shelters across North America while diverting hundreds of tons of food waste from landfill. NHL Green was named winner of the 2013 Communitas Award for Leadership in Ethical and Environmental Responsibility. NHL Green also released the 2014 NHL Environmental Sustainability Report, the first of its kind by a major professional sports League, which highlighted the numerous programs, benchmarks, and successes that have increased the League’s overall sustainability. In 2014, the Green Sports Alliance, a non-profit organization with a mission to help sports teams, venues and Leagues enhance their environmental performance, honored the NHL with its Environmental Leadership Award.  

For all of these achievements and many more, the Sports Business Journal in 2023 presented Commissioner Bettman with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. 

A native of Queens, NY, Mr. Bettman also served 12 years with the National Basketball Association. Prior to that, he worked in the Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn law firm.  

Commissioner Bettman graduated from Cornell University and the New York University School of Law. He and his wife, Shelli, have three children—Lauren, Jordan, and Brittany—and eight grandchildren. 

Andreas Dracopoulos is Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), a private, international philanthropic organization that supports organizations and projects worldwide aiming to achieve a broad, lasting, and positive impact for society at large. The Foundation has supported more than 3,100 grantee-partners around the world, nonprofit organizations that exhibit strong leadership and sound management, since its establishment in 1996 at the passing of Andreas’s great uncle, Stavros Niarchos.

Dedicated to the work of philanthropy in both his public and private life, Andreas is a Trustee of NewYork–Presbyterian, and The Paley Center for Media in New York and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. At Johns Hopkins University (JHU), where he was a Trustee from 2012 to 2024 and continues as a Trustee Emeritus, Andreas is Co-Chair of the SNF Agora Institute’s Board of Overseers and serves on the Advisory Board of the Berman Institute of Bioethics. He serves as a Board of Advisors Trustee at the New York Public Library (NYPL), where he served as a Trustee from 2003 to 2010. Since 1997, he has served on the International Council for the Museum of Modern Art in New York. From 2009 to 2018 he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., and he served on the Board of The Dalton School in New York for all but two of the years between 2010 and 2022. 

He has also provided longstanding personal support to many projects, mainly in the areas of education, arts and culture, and medicine. Among these activities, he provided the founding grant to establish the Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS and supported the creation of the Dracopoulos-Bloomberg Bioethics iDeas Lab at JHU’s Berman Institute of Bioethics, where he also endowed the directorship. Through his personal grantmaking, he continues to support the important work of a variety of nonprofit organizations. 
 
He has been honored to receive a number of recognitions for his work. In 2026, he was honored by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the New York City Police Foundation. In 2025, he was honored as the inaugural PAC NYC Icon of Impact, and as a Changemaker by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. In 2023, he received The Rockefeller University’s 2023 Enlightened Philanthropy Award, and in 2022, the New York Landmarks Conservancy honored Andreas as a Living Landmark for his notable contributions to New York City. In 2021, he was invested as Archon Grand Orator (Megas Rhetor) by archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. The same year, he was made an Honorary Battalion Chief by the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), the organization’s highest civilian honor, which followed an honor by the FDNY Foundation in 2017. In 2018, H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic awarded Andreas the rank of the Grand Cross of the Order of Honor, which was preceded by the Hellenic Republic awarding him the rank of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Phoenix in 2012. In 2017, Andreas received a humanitarian award from the New York Stem Cell Foundation. In 2016, the Republic of France awarded Andreas the rank of the Officer of the Legion of Honor. In 2015, the Child Mind Institute honored him for his longstanding commitment and support in providing mental health resources for children. Furthermore, in 2015, Andreas received the Person of the Year award from the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce and was honored during The National Herald’s 100th anniversary celebration for his contributions to promoting and supporting Greek education. In 2012, the NYPL honored him for his personal contributions to the Library’s educational programs. 
 
Andreas was born and raised in Athens, Greece, and graduated from Athens College. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In July 2024, Andreas received an honorary doctorate from the departments of Medicine and Nursing at the University of Athens. Andreas also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from JHU in 2023 and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver in 2021. A lifelong fan, Andreas joined Leeds United Football Club’s Board of Directors in 2026. He is married and lives in New York City.

Mike Fries is Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Global, a world leader in converged broadband, mobile and video communications and an active investor in cutting-edge infrastructure, content and technology businesses through its $3 billion growth platform. Liberty Global delivers next-generation products through advanced fiber and 5G networks in four core European markets, providing 80 million connections across Europe and the UK. Its businesses operate under some of the best-known consumer brands, including Virgin Media-O2 in the UK, VodafoneZiggo in The Netherlands, Telenet in Belgium and Virgin Media in Ireland. The joint ventures in the UK and the Netherlands generate combined annual revenue of over $18 billion, while remaining operations generate consolidated revenue of more than $4 billion. Through its substantial scale and commitment to innovation, Liberty Global is building Tomorrow’s Connections Today, investing in the infrastructure and platforms that empower customers and deploying the advanced technologies that nations and economies need to thrive.  

As a member of the management team that founded the Company over 30 years ago, Fries launched the company’s international expansion with operations established in 50 countries around the world during that time frame, including 20 in Europe, and has overseen over $200 billion in historical transactions while serving in various strategic and operating capacities since that time. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company in 2005 and serves as a member of its two-person Executive Committee along with Chairman, Dr. John C. Malone.  

Fries is Chairman of Sunrise Communications AG, a leading communications company in Switzerland that serves over 6 million mobile, broadband, video and voice subscribers and generates over $3 billion of annual revenue. Fries is also Executive Chairman of Liberty Latin America, a leading communications company with operations in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and other parts of Latin America that serves 12 million broadband, video, voice and mobile subscribers and generates $4.5 billion of annual revenue. Both Sunrise and Liberty Latin America were spin-offs from Liberty Global. Fries also serves on the corporate boards of Grupo Televisa and Lionsgate Studios. 

Fries is an engaged industry and community leader. He serves as board member for GSMA and Cable Labs, is a trustee & finance committee member of The Paley Center for Media and an ICT Governor of the World Economic Forum. He is Honorary Co-Chair for the Biennial of the Americas and is Trustee Emeritus and former Chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Recognition for his achievements includes EY Entrepreneur of the Year in Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications and inductions into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Cable Hall of Fame, which recognize pioneers and leaders in the media, communications and cable industries. Mike holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, where he is a Trustee Emeritus, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University, where he is a member of the Board of Overseers for the Business School. 

Serving as the Global Chairman of PwC, Mohamed leads an integrated Network Leadership Team which brings together more than 364,000 people across a network of firms in 137 countries and territories. 

For more than 20 years, Mohamed has assisted clients in identifying value and orchestrating large-scale business-led transformations, encompassing strategy through to tangible outcomes. 

Prior to becoming Global Chairman, Mohamed Kande served as the US & Global Advisory Leader at PwC. He also served as the CEO of the combined PwC consulting businesses in the US, Mexico and Japan. 

During his time as Global Advisory Leader, Mohamed played a pivotal role in steering the network’s alliance strategy and has served as the executive sponsor for key capability investments such as Gen AI, managed services and business model reinvention.

Rich Kleiman is co-founder and CEO of Boardroom, a sports and entertainment company that includes the flagship media network, Boardroom.TV. Founded in 2019 by Kleiman and Kevin Durant, Boardroom covers the business of sports and entertainment, with a special focus on the ways that athletes, executives, musicians, and creators are moving the business world forward. Other projects under the Boardroom umbrella include the critically acclaimed scripted series SWAGGER in partnership with Imagine Entertainment and Apple TV+, the Academy-Award-winning short film Two Distant Strangers (Netflix), and Emmy-nominated documentary NYC Point Gods (Showtime). In March 2025, Kleiman and Boardroom announced Boardroom Members Club, an exclusive membership community designed to provide unparalleled networking and experiences for professionals across industries.

Kleiman and Durant are majority owners of Major League Pickleball’s Brooklyn Aces and have made minority investments in Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, National Women’s Soccer League’s Gotham FC, Premier Lacrosse League, Athletes Unlimited, League One Volleyball, and TMRW Sports.

Kleiman has been Kevin Durant’s manager since 2013, as well as co-founder in 35V, which houses over 100 early stage investments across sports, technology, finance, media, and more.

Kleiman serves as the Executive Director of the Durant Family Foundation (fka Kevin Durant Charity Foundation), helping underserved and low-income families and youth across the globe. He also sits on the Board of Directors at New Heights Youth, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to sports-based youth development and education in New York City.

Previously, Kleiman helped launch Roc Nation Sports, where he served as Vice President of the agency founded by Jay-Z. Kleiman started with Roc Nation in 2008 as a music manager representing Mark Ronson, Solange, Meek Mill, Wale, and many others.

Philippe Krakowsky serves as Co-President and Chief Operating Officer of Omnicom, previously serving as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Interpublic Group. During his tenure at IPG, he served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Strategy & Talent Officer, and CEO and Chairman of IPG Mediabrands. He is widely recognized as the architect of IPG’s acquisition of Acxiom, significantly strengthening the company’s data, identity, and technology capabilities. Philippe is based in New York and holds a degree from Harvard University.

Ynon Kreiz is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mattel, a leading global play and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, UNO, American Girl, and Thomas & Friends. He joined the company as Chairman and CEO in 2018.  

Mr. Kreiz has led a multi-year transformation strategy at Mattel. Since joining the company, he has strengthened its leadership across key toy categories and expanded its brands into new entertainment verticals, including film, television, consumer products, digital games, live events and experiences, and publishing.  

Under Mr. Kreiz’s leadership, Mattel’s first theatrical release, Barbie became the #1 global box office film of 2023 and Warner Bros. Pictures’ highest-grossing movie of all time. The Barbie movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Mattel continues to build a robust film slate with Masters of the Universe and Matchbox scheduled for global release in 2026.   

During Mr. Kreiz’s tenure, Mattel has been recognized for its workplace culture and employee well-being by Forbes, TIME, Fast Company, the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America, and the Great Place to Work Institute, among others.  

Mr. Kreiz has extensive experience as a corporate leader in the entertainment industry, with a track record of scaling content and brands globally. During his career spanning more than 30 years, he has successfully managed and invested in international enterprises that have pioneered new business models at the intersection of media and technology. 

Prior to Mattel, Mr. Kreiz was Chairman and CEO of Maker Studios, a global leader in short-form video content and one of YouTube’s largest multichannel networks, which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of Endemol Group, the world’s largest independent television production company and owner of global franchises such as Big Brother and Deal or No Deal. Earlier in his career, he was a General Partner at Balderton Capital (formerly Benchmark Capital Europe), specializing in early-stage media and technology investments.  

Mr. Kreiz began his career as co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Fox Kids Europe NV, which developed and owned pay TV channels across Europe and the Middle East. The company was acquired by The Walt Disney Company.  

Mr. Kreiz holds a BA degree in Economics and Management from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He serves on the Board of Directors of Warner Music Group and the Board of Advisors of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Mr. Kreiz is a member of Business Roundtable and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was named in 2024 one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in the World and Entertainment Person of the Year by Cannes Lions.

Dr. John C. Malone is Chairman of the Board of Liberty Media Corporation, Liberty Broadband Corporation, GCI Liberty, Inc. and Liberty Global plc. From 1996 to March 1999, when Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) merged with AT&T Corp., he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TCI. Previous to that, from 1973 to 1996, Dr. Malone served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TCI. Additionally, Dr. Malone is Chair Emeritus of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., a director emeritus of Liberty Latin America Ltd., and Chairman Emeritus of the Board for Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.

Born in 1941 in Milford, Connecticut, Dr. Malone was a Phi Beta Kappa and merit scholar at Yale University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Economics in 1963. He also received a Master of Science in Industrial Management from Johns Hopkins in 1964 and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Operations Research from Johns Hopkins in 1967. He has received two Honorary Degrees for Doctorate of Human Letters; the first from Denver University in 1992 and the second from Johns Hopkins University in 2012.

Dr. Malone began his career in 1963 at Bell Telephone Laboratories/AT&T in economic planning and research and development. In 1968, he joined McKinsey & Company and in 1970 he became Group Vice President at General Instrument Corporation (GI). He was later named President of Jerrold Electronics, a GI subsidiary.

He served as Director of the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) from 1974 to 1977 and again from 1980 to 1993. During the 1977-1978 term, Dr. Malone was the NCTA's Treasurer.

In 1983, Dr. Malone received the NCTA Vanguard Award, one of the highest honors in the cable television industry. He has received many other awards and honors which include: TVC Magazine Man of the Year Award - 1981; Wall Street Transcript's Gold Award for the cable industry's best Chief Executive Officer - 1982, 1985, 1986 and 1987; Wall Street Transcript’s Silver Award in 1984 and 1989; Women In Cable's Betsy Magness Fellowship Honoree; University of Pennsylvania Wharton School Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center Award of Merit for Distinguished Entrepreneurship; American Jewish Committee Sherrill C. Corwin Human Relations Award; Communications Technology Magazine Service and Technology Award; Bronze Award - 1993 Financial World CEO of the Year Competition; The Hopkins Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1994 and in 2004 the Hopkins Medal, the school’s highest award. He is also recognized as a Yale Sterling Fellow (Harkness Circle) and in May of 2016 he was awarded the Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award. In October of 2016, Dr. Malone was honored by the Television Academy with the Charles F. Jenkins Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award. On January 9, 2017 he received the Citizen of the West award which is an honor bestowed upon him through the National Western Association in Colorado. 

Kevin Mayer is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Candle Media, a next-generation media company and home to category-defining brands including Hello Sunshine, Moonbug Entertainment, Faraway Road Productions, Exile Content Studios, ATTN:, and Westbrook Media. Mr. Mayer is also Co-Founder and Managing Director of Smash Capital, a later-stage investment firm focused on private, high-growth consumer internet, software, and technology companies with the potential to create lasting brands.  

Mr. Mayer is a former long-serving top executive at The Walt Disney Company, where he oversaw its Direct-to-Consumer businesses which included streaming platforms Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. Mr. Mayer architected the development and successful rollout of Disney+ that today has over 150 million subscribers globally. In his capacity as Chairman, Direct-to Consumer and International, he also led global advertising, content sales, channel sales, as well as studio distribution and marketing internationally, managing over 25,000 employees around the world and over 60% of Disney revenues. Prior to that role, Mr. Mayer served as Chief Strategy Officer for Disney, where he was responsible for positioning Disney for the impact of advancing technology and evolving consumer behavior. This work led to the most strategic transactions in media history, as Mr. Mayer oversaw and executed the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, BAMTech, and 21st Century Fox.  

After Disney, Mr. Mayer served as CEO of TikTok and COO of its parent company, ByteDance, driving one of the greatest disruptions in social media history and helping to steer one of the world’s largest social entertainment platforms with over 1 billion users.  

Mr. Mayer is an advisory board member at Salesforce. He is on the board of Tinuiti, a private performance marketing agency, as well as Beachbody, a leading online/connected fitness company.  

Mr. Mayer holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, MS in Electrical Engineering from San Diego State University, and MBA from Harvard University. 

Crystal McCrary is an award-winning filmmaker, television producer, author, and entrepreneur. She began her career practicing entertainment law with the New York City firm Paul Weiss before leaving to pursue a full-time career in writing, producing, and directing. Since that time, she has published two New York Times best-selling novels Homecourt Advantage and Gotham Diaries and written the critically acclaimed non-fiction book Inspiration: Profiles of Black Women Changing the World. She also produced the independent film Dirty Laundry. For six seasons, Ms. McCrary served as executive producer for the NAACP Image Award nominated bet series Leading Women and Leading Men. Ms. McCrary also created, produced, and directed the Nickelodeon sports series Little Ballers and Little Ballers Indiana. Additionally, Ms. McCrary directed ten short films on the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. In 2022 she directed a short film about the life and career of Kenneth Frazier, former CEO of Merck. She recently co-founded Get To Yes, a full-service production company creating scripted and non-scripted content at the intersection of culture, sports and the socio-political landscape. Current GTY projects include documentaries on the Olympian Allyson Felix, The Drug in Our Pocket, and Fatherless No More and Driven By Destiny about the NASCAR racer Dystany Spurlock. To commemorate Ariel Investments 40th anniversary, she directed a documentary on the journey of John W. Rogers Jr. and Mellody Hobson in building the first black-owned mutual fund firm in the country.    

In 2023, Ms. McCrary along with her son Cole Anthony launched the sports tech platform GameUp which is a resource for families to help navigate the highly fragmented youth sports landscape with the mission of becoming the amazon of youth sports.   

Ms. McCrary has appeared on numerous networks from CNN to MSNBC as a cultural, legal, and political pundit as well as co-hosted ABC’s The View. She currently sits on the Board of The Paley Center for Media. Ms. McCrary has received honors and distinctions including being honored by The Children’s Defense Fund, Precious Dreams Foundation, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and Urban Tech for her contributions to youth and the arts. She was also named to Crain’s 40 under 40 Young Professionals list. 

Ms. McCrary lives in New York City with her husband, Lazard president, Raymond J. Mcguire, and their son Leo. Their two older children Ella Anthony is a 2026 graduate of Harvard College and their son Cole Anthony just completed his sixth year in the NBA. Ms. McCrary received her B.A. From the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctor from American University and New York University.

Alexis Ohanian is a tech founder and venture capitalist. He is the Co-Founder and former Executive Chairman of Reddit, which he started in 2005, left in 2010 and then returned to lead the turn around in 2014 before resigning in protest in 2020; it's currently valued at $30B+. In 2020, he founded Seven Seven Six, a new firm built like a technology company that deploys venture capital with over $1.3B in assets under management. He is the founding control owner of Angel City Football Club and Los Angeles Golf Club, and the founder of ATHLOS. Alexis is also an investor in Chelsea FC Women, winner of six consecutive WSL titles. In 2022, he launched the 776 Foundation to support marginalized individuals and announced a $20M commitment to climate action through his new 776 Fellowship Program. He's written a national bestselling book, Without Their Permission, and also created the Business Dad podcast to interview fathers about what it means to be a dad in today’s world balancing family and career. 

Faiza Saeed is the Presiding Partner of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. She has spent her career at Cravath, advising on M&A, corporate governance and crisis management, with a focus in the media, entertainment, and biotech sectors. She serves as a Trustee of The Paley Center, NewYork-Presbyterian, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Asia Society, the New York Police Foundation and the William Nelson Cromwell Foundation, and on the Boards of Directors of the Partnership for New York City and The Paley Foundation. She is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations and The Economic Club of New York. Ms. Saeed is a recipient of the Paley Center’s highest honor, The Paley Honors Award, the Foreign Policy Association’s highest honor, the Foreign Policy Association Medal, the American Jewish Committee’s Judge Learned Hand Award and the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Judge Simon Rifkind Award, and she was named one of the Asia Society’s Game Changers of 2019. Earlier in her career she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and her B.A. in Economics and Molecular Biology with Highest Distinction from the University of California at Berkeley. 

David is chairman of the Board of Directors and chief executive officer of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Previously, he served as the firm’s president and chief operating officer from January 2017 to September 2018. Prior to that, he was co-head of the Investment Banking Division from July 2006 to December 2016, and earlier in his career, he was global head of the Financing Group. He joined Goldman Sachs as a partner in 1999.

David is chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hamilton College. He also serves on the boards of The Robin Hood Foundation, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the Paley Center for Media and the US Olympic & Paralympic Foundation.

David earned a BA in Political Science from Hamilton College.

Dystany Spurlock is a history-making professional race car driver and motorcycle drag racer who has quickly become one of the sport’s most compelling new talents. She is climbing NASCAR’s developmental ladder with remarkable success, delivering eye-opening performances in Late Models, the ARCA Menards Series East, and the national ARCA Menards Series.  

In March 2026, Spurlock made her ARCA East debut at Hickory Motor Speedway, becoming the 1st Black woman to compete in the series—and finishing an impressive seventh. Less than a month later, at Kansas Speedway, she made an even bigger statement, starting dead last in 29th place, she scored a top-10 finish, in her national ARCA Menards Series debut while once again making history as the 1st Black woman to compete at that level.  

Raised in Virginia in a close-knit family, Dystany learned early to challenge expectations. Long before the roar of engines and starting lights, she was already breaking barriers by playing high school football, demonstrating the fearlessness and determination that would later define her racing career. At 17, she discovered motorcycle drag racing—and quickly proved she belonged.  

Spurlock built her reputation in motorcycle drag racing added another milestone, becoming only the 2nd Black woman to compete in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle category in June 2025.  

Spurlock’s background also includes open-wheel competition. She raced Formula 4 full-time in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series.  

Dystany is a proud big sister, a devoted daughter, an outdoor adventurer who loves riding horses, ATVs, and snowboarding—and the proud owner of Drago, her two-year-old Cane Corso who’s nearly as fearless as she is.  

Off the track, her impact is just as powerful. She regularly speaks at schools and youth organizations, mentors young people from underrepresented communities, and supports youth racers through her What’s Your Dystany Foundation 

In April 2026, Dystany Spurlock made history as the 1st Black woman in NASCAR’s nearly 80-year history to compete in one of the sport’s three national touring series, making her debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  

Spurlock is the only black woman in the world racing in professional motorsports.  

Dystany Spurlock is more than a standout athlete and driver on the rise—she represents progress in action—and to little boys and girls, she’s a real-life superhero. 

Host, She Pivots the Podcast; Co-Owner, Gotham FC  

Emily Tisch Sussman is the creator and host of the award-winning podcast She Pivots, co-owner of Gotham FC and the New York Giants, a Tony-nominated producer, and mother of three. Passionate about amplifying women’s voices, she serves as a convener of women and an investor in women-led ventures, harnessing her platforms to change narratives, empower women, and expand opportunity. 

Emily launched She Pivots after leaving her role as VP of Campaigns at the largest Democratic think tank in Washington, D.C., reframing her own idea of success and spotlighting others who’ve transformed challenges into opportunities. She has interviewed leaders and cultural icons including Vice President Kamala Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ilana Glazer, Shay Mitchell, Bobbi Brown, Brooke Shields, and Fran Drescher. 

Emily co-owns Gotham FC, the 2025 and 2023 NWSL Champions and the 2025 Concacaf W Champions Cup Champions. She has produced Broadway hits including  Shucked and How to Dance in Ohio, as well as the Off-Broadway production JOY: A New True Musical. Deeply engaged in her community, Emily champions women, education, and the arts. Emily chairs the Ross School board, serves as a member of Swing Left’s board of directors, and co-founded her local Moms Demand Action chapter. Emily holds a J.D. from Cardozo School of Law and is a member of the New York Bar.

Hiroki Totoki is President and CEO of Sony Group Corporation. Totoki began his distinguished career at Sony Corporation (currently Sony Group Corporation) in 1987 and advanced through key leadership roles across the company’s diverse portfolio. In 2001, he co-founded Sony Bank, one of Japan’s first internet banks. He then took on leadership positions at Sony Communication Network Inc. (currently Sony Network Communications), where he played a key role in the internet service and entertainment businesses in 2005. In 2013, he returned to Sony Corporation as Senior Vice President in charge of Corporate Planning, Finance and Strategy divisions, and became President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications in 2014. He was appointed Sony’s CFO in 2018 and subsequently served as President, COO and CFO. In 2025, Totoki was named Representative Corporate Executive Officer, President and CEO of Sony Group Corporation, marking a pivotal step in his sustained stewardship of the company’s evolution. As President and CEO, he is leading Sony’s strategic emphasis on entertainment and intellectual property, aligning the company’s long-term “Creative Entertainment Vision.” 

Strauss Zelnick founded ZMC in 2001.  Mr. Zelnick has a long history of leading media and communications enterprises and is deeply involved in originating investments, advising executives and guiding the strategic and operational initiatives across all portfolio company investments.  Mr. Zelnick currently represents ZMC on the board of World Choice Investments. He serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Previously, Mr. Zelnick was on the boards of Cast & Crew Entertainment Services, L.L.C., Alloy, Inc., Education Networks of America, Inc, and Naylor L.L.C.  He also served as Chairman and CEO of Columbia Music Entertainment, Chairman of ITN Networks, Chairman of Direct Holdings Worldwide and OTX.

Prior to forming ZMC, Mr. Zelnick was President and Chief Executive Officer of BMG Entertainment, at that time one of the world’s largest music and entertainment companies with more than 200 record labels and operations in 54 countries.

Before joining BMG Entertainment, Mr. Zelnick was President and Chief Executive Officer of Crystal Dynamics, a producer and distributor of interactive entertainment software. Prior to that, he spent four years as President and Chief Operating Officer of 20th Century Fox, where he managed all aspects of Fox Inc.’s worldwide motion picture production and distribution business.

Previously, Mr. Zelnick spent three years at Vestron Inc., two as the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Zelnick also served as Vice President of International Television Sales at Columbia Pictures.

Mr. Zelnick holds a BA from Wesleyan University, as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School and a JD from Harvard Law School.