Committee of 100

Next Generation Leaders

Class of 2026 Orientation

Thursday-Saturday, May 7-9, 2026 | New York City

 

Thursday, May 7 Schedule

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

Facilitated by Paul Cheung, President, Committee of 100

Sponsored by Win Son, with special thanks to Johnny Din (Class of 2016) for making this possible.

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

Before you lead others, you need to know yourself. This session walks you through three practices: choosing a community agreement to carry through the program, naming your superpower and your kryptonite, and working toward pono, the Hawaiian concept of living in balance and equity with yourself.

Facilitated by Paul Cheung, President, Committee of 100

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

A resume is a record of facts. Dates, titles, accomplishments. It tells people what you have done. It does not tell them who you are, what shaped you, or why you lead the way you do. Authentic leadership starts with knowing the difference. In this session, you will identify the inflection points in your journey: the personal moments, the cultural crossroads, the professional turning points that changed how you saw yourself and the world around you. Not the highlights. The moments that required something of you. The ones that left a mark. You will examine how each one shaped your instincts, your values, and the kind of leader you have become.

Facilitated by Danny O’Neil

Daniel O’ Neil is a veteran sports writer, an accidental radio host and someone whom Shaquille O’Neal once joked was his “misspelled brother from another mother.” Danny has covered three Super Bowls, served as one of 50 voters for the NFL’s annual MVP award and for eight years hosted a weekly interview segment with coach Pete Carroll in Seattle.

As a newspaper reporter, he covered the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA and the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL before moving into radio full-time. He served as a drive-time radio host for the ESPN affiliate in Seattle before moving to New York in 2019. In addition to working on his own editorial projects, Danny is now a content strategist and ghostwriter who works with executives and aspiring thought leaders, using his storytelling skills to broaden their reach and deepen the level of connection across a variety of digital platforms.

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

Sponsored by Junzi Kitchen, with special thanks to Seamon Chan (Class of 2018) for making this possible.

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

Knowing your story is one thing. Telling it is another. In this session, you will learn to tell your story in your own voice. Not a polished version of someone else’s voice. Yours. We will walk you through the fundamentals of vocal presence, from tone and pace to the way your body carries your words, so that your story lands the way it deserves to. When you learn to trust and love your own voice, you gain something that goes beyond personal impact. You gain the ability to give voice to others. We will give you a road map to own the voice that is uniquely and only yours.

Facilitated by Niala Boodhoo

Niala Boodhoo is an award-winning journalist, podcast host, and moderator based in Washington, DC, with more than two decades in American and international media. She hosts the Friday News Roundup on NPR’s 1A and serves as Events Host and Executive Producer at Religion News Service. This June, she is launching Oh God, Now What?, a weekly podcast and Substack distributed by PRX.

She has moderated at the United Nations General Assembly, where she interviewed Malala Yousafzai, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the 2026 Democratic National Convention, and the UN Climate Talks in Dubai. A Knight-Wallace Fellow, she has reported for Axios, Reuters, WBEZ/Chicago Public Media, and The Miami Herald. She is a Board Member and Vice President Emerita of the Asian American Journalists Association.

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

Location: BNP Paribas, NYC Office 787 7th Ave. (btwn. 51st and 52nd St.) MPR Room, 9th Floor

Attire: Business

Hosted by BNP Paribas

Special thanks to Won Palisoul (Class of 2024) and Chen Rao (Class of 2023) for organizing this event!

All Committee of 100 members and Next Generation Leaders are invited to an engaging fireside chat with Committee of 100 member Joyce Chang, Chair of Global Research at J.P. Morgan’s Commercial and Investment Bank; Jitania Kandhari, Head of Macro and Thematic Research for Emerging Market Equity and Deputy CIO of the Solutions and Multi-Asset Group at Morgan Stanley; and Shamaila Khan, Head of Fixed Income Emerging Markets and Asia Pacific at UBS Asset Management. The evening will begin with a fireside chat, followed by a networking reception, offering an opportunity to welcome the Class of 2026 NGLs and engage with the Committee of 100 and BNP Paribas communities.

Program

  • Welcoming Remarks by Laila Arolkar, Co-Chair of Asian ERG, BNP Paribas
  • Opening Remarks by Suresh Subramanian, Managing Director, Regional Head of Transaction Banking Americas, and Executive Sponsor, BNP Paribas and Paul Cheung, President, Committee 100
  • Introduction of Moderator by Won Palisoul (NGL Class of 2024), Asian ERG Representative, BNP Paribas
  • Fireside Chat moderated by Wendy Francis, Head of Learning and Development and REACH ERG Representative, BNP Paribas. Speakers: Joyce Chang (Committee of 100 member), Chair of Global Research, J.P. Morgan; Jitania Kandhari, Head of Macro and Thematic Research for Emerging Markets Equity and Deputy CIO of Solutions and Multi-Asset Group, Morgan Stanley; Shamaila Khan, Head of Fixed Income Emerging Markets and Asia Pacific, UBS Asset Management
  • Closing Remarks by Chen Rao (NGL Class of 2023), MixCity ERG Representative, BNP Paribas
  • Networking Reception

 

About the speakers

Joyce Chang is Chair of Global Research for J.P. Morgan’s Commercial & Investment Bank, with 36 years of experience across macro, cross-asset, fixed income, emerging markets, and geopolitical research. Since joining in 1999, she has held senior leadership roles including Global Head of Research, Fixed Income Research, and Emerging Markets Research. Previously, she was a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch and Salomon Brothers. Chang earned 25 #1 Institutional Investor rankings and was inducted into the Fixed Income Analyst Society Hall of Fame in 2014. She serves on multiple nonprofit and academic boards, is a member of leading policy organizations, and has been recognized among top women in finance by Barron’s and American Banker. She holds an MPA from Princeton and a BA from Columbia.

Paul Cheung is President of Committee of 100, where he promotes Chinese American civic participation and U.S.–China dialogue. He has 25 years of experience in media innovation, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership. His career includes leadership roles at the Center for Public Integrity, Knight Foundation, NBC News, The Associated Press, The Miami Herald, and The Wall Street Journal, where he advanced digital transformation and inclusive journalism. Cheung also serves as an advisor and board member for organizations including Hacks/Hackers, The Literacy Lab, the Institute for Independent Journalists, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Wendy Francis is Head of Learning & Development for the Corporate and Institutional Bank (Americas) at BNP Paribas. She leads initiatives to build a culture of continuous learning, strengthen leadership capabilities, and support talent development across the organization. Her career spans human resources roles in financial services, including positions at J.P. Morgan Chase, Credit Suisse, and Citi. Francis holds an MS in Human Resources Management from the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy. Based in New Jersey, she is an avid traveler with a global outlook.

Jitania Kandhari is Deputy CIO of Solutions and Multi-Asset Group, Lead Portfolio Manager for the Passport Equity Strategies, Head of Macro and Thematic Research for the Emerging Markets Equity at Morgan Stanley. With over 25 years of investment experience, she specializes in global macroeconomics, market analytics, and thematic investing, and was named one of Citywire’s Top 20 Female Portfolio Managers in the U.S. She began her career in India and previously held roles at ABN Amro, First Global Securities, and Kotak Securities.

Shamaila Khan is Head of Fixed Income Emerging Markets and Asia Pacific at UBS Asset Management and a member of its Fixed Income Investment Forum, where she chairs the Emerging Markets sub-committee. She joined UBS in 2023 after leading Emerging Markets Fixed Income at AllianceBernstein and previously serving as Managing Director at TIAA-CREF. With experience since 1998, she specializes in corporate and sovereign emerging-market debt. Khan has contributed to global publications, conferences, and media, and has received multiple industry honors, including recognition among top professionals in emerging market debt.

Suresh Subramanian leads Transaction Banking Americas at BNP Paribas’ Corporate and Institutional Banking division, overseeing strategy, products, and sales. He is active in industry initiatives across trade and payments and previously served as Chairman of the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade. Subramanian also sits on the board of BNP Paribas Asset Management North America and holds multiple leadership roles within the firm’s regional and global committees. He is Executive Champion of the Asian Business Networking Group and holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and a BCom from Bombay University.

Friday, May 8 Schedule

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

Most people chase the most impressive name in the room. That is the wrong starting point. The right mentor is not the most powerful person available. It is the right person for where you are right now, and those are rarely the same thing. In this session, you will shift the question from “who should I know” to “what do I actually need.” You will map your current leadership gap against four types of guidance: technical expertise, political navigation, visibility access, and personal sustainability. That clarity changes everything. It turns mentorship from a networking exercise into a purposeful relationship with someone who addresses what you are working through right now. From there, you will be matched with a Committee of 100 members and NGL alumni who are positioned to move the needle on what matters most to you at this moment in your journey.

Facilitated by Alex Cena

Alex Cena is Chief Programs Officer at LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), where he oversees the delivery of community and corporate leadership development programs. He has more than 11 years of experience in the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American community, specializing in diversity and inclusion work and community organizing.

His career includes opening the first Asian Pacific Islander American student center in the southeastern United States at the University of Florida, co-creating the first Asian American youth summit in the Washington, DC area, and serving as Center Director for Higher Achievement. He also serves as Board Treasurer of the Asian American Justice+ Innovation Lab.

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 330 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business Casual

You set the agenda. Based on what has surfaced across the program, this session hands the room back to the cohort. Participants pitch topics they want to explore, challenge, or get real peer input on. The group self-selects into conversations, and the discussion goes where the room needs it to go. No prepared presentations, no panels. Just senior peers working through what matters most, together.

Facilitated by Paul Cheung, President, Committee of 100

More details will be shared via email.

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 308 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business casual

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 308 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business casual

Every leader in this room has a moment where identity and ambition collided, where the path forward required a choice about who you were willing to be. This series of short, candid talks invites alumni to share that moment: the crossroads, the cost, and what it clarified. Honest stories from leaders who have navigated the intersection of identity, power, and purpose, and what they carried forward from it.

Alumni speakers:

  1. Celia Au (Class of 2022), Actress and Producer
  2. Bryan Chen (Class of 2016), Founder and Principal Consultant, BYC Healthcare Consulting
  3. Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng (Class of 2023), Professor of International Education, NYU Steinhard
  4. Chen Rao (Class of 2023), Vice President, Global Markets ALM Treasury, BNP Paribas

Location: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, City University of New York. Room 308 (219 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018)

Attire: Business casual

As U.S.-China relations continue to evolve amid strategic rivalry and cautious diplomatic re‑engagement, this briefing will assess the current state of the bilateral relationship and the signals emerging from senior‑level engagement. The discussion will touch on strategic, technological, and regional dynamics—from summit diplomacy and AI governance to Taiwan, third‑country spillovers, and global economic realignment—while also considering what this moment means for institutions and emerging leaders engaged in U.S.–China affairs.

Moderated by Kyle Hutzler (Class of 2025), Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Policy and Strategic Competitiveness, JPMorganChase

Speakers:

  • Rorry Daniels, Chief Operating Officer, Schwarzman Scholars
  • Jing Qian, Vice President and Managing Director, Center for China Analysis, Asia Society

 

Location: Lucid Studio Meatpacking District (2 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014)

Attire: Business Casual / Happy Hour Chic

All Committee of 100 members and NGLs are invited to join us for a networking reception to welcome Class of 2026 NGLs, reconnect with old friends, meet new people, and exchange ideas across industries and experiences.

Sponsored by Lucid Motors

Saturday, May 9 Schedule

Location: Dim Sum Palace, 334 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Location: 20 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020

Enjoy an exclusive, complimentary private tour of Christie’s 20th/21st Century auctions preview led by Christie’s International Director for Impressionist and Modern Art and one of the world’s foremost specialists working with Chinese and Chinese American collectors. Following the tour, guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments in the café or continue exploring the galleries at their leisure. Register early to secure your spot—space is limited.

Special thanks to Shirley Hon (Class of 2025) for arranging this special tour!

Location: Midtown Manhattan

Wind down the day with coffee, drinks, dessert, or a walk around Midtown Manhattan. Possible options include Valerie’s for cocktails, The Hugh food hall for a variety of food/drink choices, or a stroll through Rockefeller Plaza, Fifth Avenue, or Bryant Park. Activities will be determined based on group preferences on the day of.

(At participants’ own expense. )

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