Our People

The ConantLeadership Team

Founder & CEO: Douglas R. Conant

Douglas R. Conant is an internationally renowned business leader, New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, and social media influencer with over 40 years of leadership experience at world-class global companies. For the past 20 years of his leadership journey, he has honed his leadership craft at the most senior levels—first as President of the Nabisco Foods Company, then as CEO of Campbell Soup Company, and finally as Chairman of Avon Products. In 2011, he founded ConantLeadership—a mission-driven community of leaders and learners who are championing leadership that works in the 21st century. Today, Doug, among his other board commitments, also serves as Chairman of CECP and as Chairman of the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance. Learn more about Doug here.

Chief of Staff: Mara Katsikis

Mara is an enthusiastic developer of people and a seasoned leader of high-performing small business teams. She delights in helping contributors to grow their skill sets and thrive in a fiercely complex marketplace. With a background in negotiation, public relations, business development, human resources, and training and development, she is the perfect “Jack(ie) of all trades” to steward the small but hearty leadership team to ongoing growth. She is responsible for contributing to the management of all organizational operations including strategic planning, board of director work, finances, marketing, speaking engagements, publishing efforts and the advancement of a substantial not-for-profit agenda. Email Mara.

Executive Administrator: Diana Hansen

Diana is so essential to the day-to-day operations at ConantLeadership that she has earned the alternate job titles of “Chief Logistical Officer,” “Right-Hand-Woman,” and “Planning Goddess,” depending on the scheduling, business, and administrative challenges of the day. With a long career supporting executives at the highest levels of Fortune 500 companies, Diana is tenacious, detail-obsessed, creative, whip-smart, and clairvoyant. She anticipates and addresses what is needed to support and advance the operations of the enterprise oftentimes before the company (or even CEO) is aware. It’s no surprise that her professional excellence has been recognized throughout the industry: She is a distinguished winner of the 2022 Admin Awards, the highest honor in the administrative profession. Email Diana.

Editor in Chief & Director of Content: Amy Federman

Amy is the steward of ConantLeadership’s entire suite of high-impact leadership content and she is co-author with Doug Conant of the Wall Street Journal bestseller, THE BLUEPRINT. She is a highly experienced writer, fastidious editor, seasoned digital marketer, and a social media infatuate. Passionate about leadership, learning, and language, she is honored to apply her expertise to bringing “leadership that works” to life throughout our content platform and leadership programming. Working in close collaboration with Doug, Amy guides the content strategy and helps execute and deliver an engaging portfolio of leadership resources for a modern audience. Amy also leverages her experience in social media, digital communications, content marketing, and community management to activate, inspire, measure, and grow the ConantLeadership community: a mission-driven community of leaders and learners who are championing leadership that works. Email Amy.

Social Media Specialist: Maurice Thompson

Maurice is an innate marketer who enjoys watching and analyzing the marketing behind commercials and brand stories. With over a decade of experience, he has the unique ability to examine all aspects of an organization through a marketing lens. He is skilled at search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing, digital marketing, and web content development for organizations of all sizes, and he expertly leverages these skills as ConantLeadership’s social media specialist. From bungee jumping to skydiving, Maurice loves thrill-seeking and traveling, and believes that heart palpitations are the true spice of life.