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Lou Brien
Strategist/Knowledge Manager, DRW
March 2023 marks an anniversary for Lou; it was forty years ago, in 1983 when he first began in the financial markets. Back then Reagan was President, Volcker was Fed Chair, Gandhi was Best Picture, and Michael Jackson’s Thriller was the top of the pops. Those icons are gone, but Lou is still at it. More than half his career has been spent with DRW, where he first arrived in 1999. Lou is a generalist in regards to market and economic analysis. He keeps a close eye on the Fed, but also spends a lot of time trying to figure out the next move for the economy. Lou graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1978. Interestingly his degree is in American Studies, far removed from his career in finance. But he figures that his forty year “apprenticeship” in the markets has been a useful training and an ongoing education.
Cheyenne Hopkins
Managing Director, Financial Services Public Affairs, FTI Consulting
Cheyenne Hopkins leads the FTI Financial Services Public Affairs campaigns that helps financial firms navigate regulatory and legislative change, transactions that require regulatory approval, and investigations and enforcement actions. With nearly two decades of experience, Ms. Hopkins has developed financial communications campaigns, stakeholder engagements, media relations and public affairs strategy for leading financial services firms. Ms. Hopkins’ Financial Services Public Affairs team that develops strategic campaigns for digital asset firms, payments companies, housing finance, fintechs, trade associations, insurance companies, consumer lending, and banks. Prior to FTI Consulting, Ms. Hopkins served as a Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Strategy for the Bank Policy Institute, a trade group representing the 40 leading national banks. She previously was Senior Vice President of Financial Services Policy at Edelman, where she developed communications strategies for crisis situations, executive engagement, and third-party stakeholder plans for top financial services firms. Ms. Hopkins spent over 14 years as a financial services reporter for top tier media outlets, including Bloomberg, American Banker and Reuters. She served as a Treasury Department and regulatory reporter prior to, during and post the 2008 financial crisis. Ms. Hopkins holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in journalism and political science.
Gabby Kusz
CEO, Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association
Gabriella Kusz serves as CEO of the Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association, a global voluntary self-regulatory association for the industry. Prior to this role, she served as the Principal for Strategic Initiatives at the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) where, in addition to other areas, she supported the profession’s leadership and innovation in the digital era. Her background has largely included working in international financial sector and economic growth including working with the World Bank Group Governance Global Practice where she was responsible for leading the Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting (CGFR) workstream for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and advancing the dual goals of the World Bank: poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
Madhavi Botla
VP, Institutional ESG and Governance Sales, ISS
Madhavi Botla is Vice President, ESG and Governance Investor Solutions Account Executive for Mid-Americas Accounts. Based in Chicago, she manages key accounts for ISS in governance and ESG solutions, consulting with her account base regularly on their strategies and how ISS and ISS ESG can suit their voting, stewardship, regulatory, compliance, ESG integration and/or impact investing needs. She has over 20 years of experience in research sales and financial service sales. Prior to rejoining ISS in 2019, she had independent research sales experiences in policy, global macro, energy, equity fundamentals and technicals, and forensic accounting at Height Financial, Medley Global Advisors, William O’Neil, CFRA, and Riskmetrics. And prior to this, with fixed income sales and trading at Bloomberg and at Fifth Third Securities, beginning her career as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley. Madhavi is on the Leadership Committee for 100 Women in Finance in Chicago, serves as a mentor for Women in ETFs, and is on the Events Committee for Women Investment Professionals in Chicago. Madhavi holds a MBA degree from The Ross School of Business at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a BS degree in Biology with a Minor in Art History from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
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