Faculty & Fellows

The Founding Fellows

Every strong professional community begins with a group willing to build something new.

The Founding Fellows are the visionary academic leaders who helped shape the first CAO Academy experience and establish the foundation for what has become the CAO Fellows Network.

They were more than the Academy's first participants. They brought their real leadership challenges into the room, tested ideas and tools, challenged one another's thinking, and helped define what executive academic leaders need from a professional community built specifically for them.

Their leadership continues beyond that first Academy. As the network grows, Founding Fellows help maintain the peer-to-peer culture that distinguishes the CAO Fellows Network: candid conversation, practical problem-solving, trusted relationships, and a willingness to share both expertise and experience.

Founding Fellows also serve as ambassadors and contributors to the broader community—welcoming new Fellows, participating in peer convenings, contributing to publications and thought leadership, and helping shape future Academy experiences.

They didn't simply attend the first CAO Academy. They helped build the community that came next.