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Joanna Rees stands at the intersection of brand innovation, venture capital, and corporate governance, bringing transformative insights to public and private company boards. She currently serves on the board of FICO, Inception Fertility and Illumyn. At FICO she Chairs Leadership Development and Compensation and additionally serves on Nominating & Governance and the Executive Committee. FICO has achieved top ten total shareholder return on the S&P 500 during her tenure on the board. Joanna brings deep expertise in scaling high-potential companies and navigating complex market dynamics.
As Chairman of West Global, a premier brand and strategy firm, Joanna has guided the strategic evolution of industry-defining companies including Twitter (now X), Square, Ro, NewFront and Impossible Foods. Her unique perspective stems from a multifaceted career spanning brand management and venture capital. She started her career at Benton & Bowles followed by leading multiple brands at Danone. She founded VSP Capital after working in investment banking at BA Securities and Vrolyk & Co. Her strategic vision and tenacious execution were instrumental in launching Endeavor Catalyst, a groundbreaking impact investment fund, as part of the non-profit Endeavor Global. Endeavor Catalyst has over $500 million under management.
She is a World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow and an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow, where she also serves as a Senior Seminar Moderator. Joanna's influence extends beyond the boardroom. Her civic leadership includes a mayoral candidacy in San Francisco and as a Senior Partner at The B Team, driving sustainable business practices globally. Her current nonprofit board portfolio includes The Representation Project, Endeavor Global, and Illumyn Impact reflecting her commitment to driving social impact.
Joanna holds a BS in Psychology from Duke University where she was an NCAA Division I athlete in gymnastics. She holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University.
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