Ken sets the overall direction of The Vanguard Network (TVN) and how it operates to benefit members and clients.

 

He launched TVN in 2014, and nurtured its growth from periodic meetings of healthcare leaders to today's organization supporting multiple networks of C-suite leaders, a robust roster of webinars and other digital content, leadership development programs, and insightful advisory services.

 

Ken graduated from Amherst College and attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Ken lives in the East Village in New York City and enjoys the excitement of backcountry skiing.​​​

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Andres oversees key Vanguard programs including New Leaders, Next Gen GC, and the Risk Management Network, ensuring they align with Vanguard’s mission to elevate C-suite leaders.

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He brings over five years of experience in innovation consulting, strategy, and stakeholder engagement, having led global initiatives for several Fortune 100 companies.

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Andres holds a BA in International Business from UC San Diego and dual MSc degrees in International Business and Marketing from Hult International Business School. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he recently returned from Chicago and enjoys long hikes with his German Shepherd.

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Garrick is responsible for leading and facilitating programs for General Counsels and their teams with a focus on lawyers as leaders.​

 

He has over 20 years of experience in corporate, management consulting, peer networks, executive coaching and leadership development.  ​

 

A graduate of Wake Forest University with a BS in Business, he also earned a JD/MBA from Northwestern University.  Garrick lives in Atlanta, GA with his family and is always searching for the best slice of pizza.  ​​​​​​

Jamie is responsible for the overall quality and direction of Vanguard content, including blog posts, interviews, and newsletters.

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He has over 25 years experience in  media, having held senior editorial posts at NewsCorp, Time Inc., Microsoft and Condé Nast, where he won a National Magazine Award for General Excellence as the editor of Style.com.

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Jamie has a BA in English with French from the University of Sussex and an MA in Comp Lit from the University of Southampton, and has also studied at the Sorbonne and St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. He lives in New York City with his wife Ida and moonlights as a singer/songwriter with a monthly residency at legendary NYC club KGB.​

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Tony leads operations, member services, and partner relations.

 

He has 30+ years of experience heading up operations and customer relations in eleven for- and non-profit organizations on three continents, many of them startups, and 6 of them as owner/founder.

 

Tony has an MA in French and German from St. Andrews University in Scotland. He divides his time between the East Village in New York City and the 13th district in Paris. For many years Tony ran Kents Cavern in Torquay, England's most important archaeological site and a top tourist attraction. He was recognized as a leading 'gracious host' in NYC as the owner of the French restaurant Jarnac.​

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Aileen is senior leadership communication coach to The Vanguard Network and creator of the Gonsalves Method, developed from her career as an actor and director with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She helps leaders connect authentically, read the room, and hold any audience with impact—in person or virtually. Aileen works with executives across industries and political leaders, including her coaching for the UK Green Party.

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She is one of the principal coaches for The Vanguard Network’s Pitching to Win program.

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Author of Shakespeare and Meisner, she is writing her second book, The Gonsalves Method (Bloomsbury). She has taught at RADA, led programs at leading drama schools, founded Butterfly Theatre Company, and is Associate Director at Kali Theatre.

Dick leverages five decades of corporate and legal experience to provide valuable insights as an advisor to Vanguard's members and clients. 

 

He has worked as a Chief Legal Officer (CLO), General Counsel (GC), or Associate General Counsel (AGC) for public and private corporations; as a senior counsel for prominent US law firms; and led business teams at Ball, Maytag, and Hoover.

 

Dick has a JD degree from Northwestern and is past president of the Conflict Resolution Alliance in Hawaii and still actively arbitrates/mediates business disputes. ​

Connor is responsible for project management for Vanguard's wide array of events. He also directly assists the COO, Tony, with various internal initiatives.

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With 8 years of experience in consulting, sales, and startups, Connor has a proven track record of delivering value to his customers, clients, and projects.​

 

Connor holds dual degrees in Business Management and Management Information Systems from Grand Valley State University. Connor lives in Detroit with his family. ​​

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Zarah leads the company’s marketing, overseeing social media and content strategy to ensure consistent brand messaging, community engagement, and digital growth through targeted campaigns.

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With 10+ years in digital marketing as both a professional and freelancer, she brings expertise in advertising, content creation, and graphic design, delivering effective and visually engaging campaigns.

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She holds a BS in Information Technology from Laguna State Polytechnic University in the Philippines and is also an artist, creating live paintings at weddings as a passion project.

Richard is a Senior Advisor to The Vanguard Network, where he provides executive coaching for clients and consults with senior leaders on how to create a high-performance organization. 

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He brings more than 25 years of experience in strategy, global operations, and organizational excellence, with particular expertise in leadership development.

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A graduate of William & Mary with a BS in biology, he also earned his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Based in Westchester, just north of New York City, Richard lives with his dachshund, Bacon, and enjoys biking and hiking in the great outdoors of New York state. 

Hope is responsible for providing high-level administrative support to our CEO Ken Banta. She is also responsible for overseeing and planning events, driving new business, and strengthening Vanguard's unique culture.​

 

She has 10 years of experience supporting C-suite executives and 6 years managing corporate events. She graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a BS in Political Science.

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She lives in Brewster, NY about an hour north of NYC. She is passionate about cooking and enjoys hosting dinner parties for her family and friends. ​​​​​

Ken is responsible for creating videos and podcasts from Vanguard events and also moderates Forums and other meetings.  

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He spent 20 years in radio and television newsrooms. He then went on to teach full-time at the University of Minnesota for 7 years and currently runs his own media production company.  

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After two years at Marquette University’s School of Journalism, he transferred to the University of Maryland and earned a BA in Radio/TV/Film. Ken lives outside of St. Paul, Minnesota and plays golf (badly) whenever he gets the chance.

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