Networking Events

Prev Month	View Month	Search	Go to Month	Next Month

Houston Chapter In-Person Event | You're a Director Now, It's Different

Calvetti Ferguson/TC Energy Bldg
700 Louisiana St., 1st Floor
Houston, TX 77002

Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM CDT

Category: Houston

You're a Director Now, It's Different

Overview

The panel will discuss the differences between the role of management and the role of a director, with a focus on the transition from being a manager to being a director.

Registration

$35 Member Registration
$45 Non-Member Registration

Parking

Visitor parking will be validated only in the TC Energy Building garage. The entrance is at the corner of Capitol and Smith streets.

Register

Thank you to our National Sponsors!

Thank you to our Chapter Sponsors!

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

Panelists

Victoria Lazar
President & Board of Director
Construction, Science & Engineering

Victoria Lazar is a highly accomplished business executive with a proven record of success leading companies through turnarounds and transformations. She has served as a Director, Chief Legal Officer and Board Secretary for multiple global organizations. She counts among her accomplishments leading Bristow Group’s Chapter 11 emergence, concluding a spin transaction to create two publicly traded companies (TechnipFMC and Technip Energies) whose performance has each exceeded shareholder expectations, integrating two of the world’s largest oilfield services companies (GE Oil & Gas and Baker Hughes), preparing the spin of GE Healthcare from GE, and concluding key divestitures to maintaining EDS’ viability before it was acquired by Hewlett-Packard. She has worked in a variety of industries, with executive roles in energy, aviation, technology and real estate.

She is currently the President and a Board Director of Construction, Science & Engineering, a closely held residential real estate leasing firm, and on the Advisory Boards of InnoVent Renewables and Board Match-Up. Most recently, she was the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary for TechnipFMC (NYSE: FTI, formerly Paris: FTI), a $10b leading technology provider to traditional and new energy companies, where she guided FTI through its spin of Technip Energies, successful conclusion of three global anti-corruption enforcement actions, and initiation of an $800m shareholder distribution program. Before joining TechnipFMC, she was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Bristow Group, where she led the company through its efficient emergence from a Chapter 11 restructuring and merger with ERA, to form the world’s leading industrial aviation company.

Before joining Bristow, she progressed through various executive general counsel roles at General Electric. Victoria played a leading role in creating a $20b oil and gas division within GE, and ultimately, in GE’s $32 billion merger with Baker Hughes, and preparing for GE Healthcare’s spin from GE. During her twelve years with EDS, she helped complete $4b in domestic and global deals and form an entrepreneurial company devoted to human resources business processes. She began her professional career at BakerBotts, specializing in global capital markets, international commerce and M&A transactions, and played a crucial role in EDS’ split-off from General Motors, a $25billion transaction. She is conversant in several languages, including Russian, which allowed her to spend a portion of her career in the BakerBotts Moscow office.

Victoria has a strong commitment to community. She has co-chaired the Law Initiative for the United Way since 2022. She is a past President and Board Member of the Texas General Counsel Forum, and on the leadership committee for 5050 WomenOnBoards. She is on the Executive Committee of the Alley Theatre, the country’s largest regional theater, and has co-produced plays in Houston and New York. She has a B.A. in Government from Cornell University and a J.D., Law from the University of Chicago Law School. She and her husband Alex have two children, Lily and Abigail.

Jorge Machnizh
Oil & Gas Industry Technology Executive

Jorge Machnizh, an accomplished, high integrity and widely recognized global Oil and Gas Industry technology executive. Previous roles include president and CEO of Datagration Solutions Inc. a SaaS software provider leader in Knowledge Automation and analytics using machine learning and AI to improve Oil and Gas production and ESG worldwide. Prior position as Chairman President & CEO of Sigma Cubed Inc. leader and pioneering GeoEngineeringTM services and technologies in the Unconventional Oil and Gas market.

Prior served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Paradigm Geotechnologies, leader in subsurface software and consulting services with offices in 24 countries worldwide. Prior to serving at Paradigm Mr. Machnizh held the position of President of Imaging Systems Group and COO of ION Geophysical. Previous Mr. Machnizh held positions as Vice President of North American and Latin American for Halliburton Landmark, and Regional Manager for Schlumberger Geco-Prakla.

A common theme throughout his carrier is the ability to introduce technology innovations to practical commercialization. Born in Argentina to an Italian Geophysicist father and Argentine mother, he lived throughout the world during his formative years. Mr. Machnizh is multi-cultural, and multi-lingual, a global traveler to more than 60 countries, he has done business extensively throughout the world. Mr. Machnizh majored in Geology at the University of California Irvine, completed post graduate courses in Geophysics in addition to Executive Development courses at Columbia University in Sales and Marketing. Mr. Machnizh published multiple business and technical articles and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and Private Directors Association (PDA).

Martha Gurwit
CEO & Corporate Board Member

Martha Gurwit is CEO, corporate board member, and former Capital Markets professional with expertise in strategic planning, corporate finance, and debt capital markets. Having spent her career in NYC on Wall Street, she has experience positioning companies in the markets and raising debt to support strategic growth. Her experience spans numerous industry sectors and all sizes of companies. She has a strong professional network and is a mentor and investor for women owned start-up companies.

Moderator

Cary Luhn
Partner
Calvetti Ferguson

Cary is the Partner in Charge of Accounting Services at Calvetti Ferguson and leverages over 20 years of experience in external audit, internal audit, and controllership to empower early and mid-stage companies. Her passion lies in guiding these businesses, particularly those in the technology sector, to build robust accounting functions that become strategic assets.

Before joining Calvetti Ferguson, Cary was the Controller for a $1 billion division of a $20 billion manufacturing and distribution company. This experience honed her ability to navigate complex financial systems and translate them into clear and actionable insights for diverse stakeholders.
At Calvetti Ferguson, Cary goes beyond the numbers. She collaborates with clients to design and implement efficient close processes and build reporting packages tailored for internal use, investors, boards, and third parties. Her expertise also extends to assisting businesses in selecting and implementing appropriate ERP software while optimizing and automating accounting and business processes.

Beyond her technical skills, Cary is a dedicated mentor who fosters the professional growth of junior team members. Committed to professional excellence, Cary is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Texas Society of CPAs.
Cary is a Tennessee native with a Bachelor's degree and Master of Accountancy from the University of Tennessee. Though a loyal supporter of her alma mater (Go Vols!), her husband went to the other UT in Austin, so she is always reminding her two teenage boys which UT is best.

Please Note: Prospects (Non PDA Members) may only attend two events per calendar year.