Startup Launchpad: Future of Retail

Christine Healey de Casanova

Christine has helped professionals around the world communicate with more impact for over 15 years. In addition to English, she speaks Spanish and French. She calls upon her language skills and cultural sensitivity as she coaches executives for Exec-Comm’s global clients. To date, Christine has trained professionals on five continents, in 20 countries, and in three languages. Her clients include: HSBC, Abbott Labs, Citi, Metlife, and JPMorgan. Christine became a partner in 2008 and serves as Exec-Comm’s Global Head and Chairwoman of Asia.

Before joining Exec-Comm in 2001, she worked as an executive with Leach & Garner Company. There, she worked with the company’s French satellite office, served Canadian clients, trained new hires, and acted as company liaison to Italian vendors. Prior to that, Christine conducted international market research for European companies in the prepress industry and trained new staff with a Boston firm.

Christine graduated with a double major in French and Italian studies from Dickinson College. As part of her studies, she attended Université de Toulouse - Le Mirail and taught at Sup'Aero, a prestigious engineer's school in France. A New England native, then long-time Manhattan resident, she now lives with her husband and daughters in Westchester. She travels to Chile regularly to visit her in-laws, where she enjoys the people, language, scenery, and delicious food. Christine is proud to support and advise nonprofits that work to better the lives of women, girls, and families around the globe; especailly close to her heart are Mercado Global and Shanti Bhavan.

Jay Sullivan

Jay Sullivan is the Managing Partner at Exec-Comm, and leads the firm’s Law Firm Group. He is an award-winning author and columnist, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Law Center. His book, Simply Said: Communicating Better at Work and Beyond, was released by John Wiley & Sons in 2016.  As a contributing writer for Forbes.com, Jay brings relevant and timely advice on enhancing one’s communication skills to the business community.

Whether working with groups or in one-on-one coaching arrangements Jay helps professionals have greater impact by teaching them to focus on the needs of their audiences. Jay works closely with the learning and development professionals at many global law firms and financial services firms to customize communication skills solutions.

Jay joined Exec-Comm after nine years as a practicing attorney. He received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1989. That year, Jay was named among the first class of Skadden Fellows by the Skadden Foundation. As a Skadden Fellow, Jay acted as in-house legal counsel at Covenant House, a crisis shelter for runaway and homeless teenagers. Following his Fellowship, Jay spent seven years practicing insurance law on behalf of Lloyds of London.

After graduating from Boston College in 1984, Jay spent two years in the Jesuit International Volunteer Corps, teaching English. His book about that experience, Raising Gentle Men: Lives at the Orphanage Edge, was named the 2014 Best Book by a Small Publisher by the Catholic Press Association. Jay was a featured columnist on communication skills for the New York Law Journal, and has been published in Readers Digest, Catholic Digest, Parents Magazine, The Golfer, and The New York Times.