Thoughtful Advisors | Distinguished Moderators | Inspiring Speakers | Peergroup Impact

Mark J. Finlay, Executive Director and CoHost of the diplomatique™ roundtable series, is no stranger to the world of diplomacy and peacemaking - in theaters of conflict and boardrooms alike - having been much involved in the peace and post-conflict transformation process in his native Northern Ireland. 

Mark and Karen, his wife of 30-years, and their daughter Grace (27) are all citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, and of Ireland - a product of the family's commitment to peace and role as ambassadors of reconciliation.

For the last decade Mark has served as a Special Advisor to significant members of the US Congress, and a confidant to leaders in capitals around the world.

Mark is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and held principal and senior executive roles in the regeneration and development of cities and communities in multiple jurisdictions, often undertaken in Public Private Partnership (PPP).

One such PPP that Mark was responsible for involved the redevelopment of the UK's once Top-Secret HMS Rosyth, former nuclear submarine base - now home port of the nation's air craft carriers fleet, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. 

Mark subsequently held public office as a Commissioner of the Port of Belfast and has advised on port development and global supply chain operations from the Americas to eastern Europe.

Mark is a professional advisor, author of public policy, speechwriter and regular media commentator and public speaker who has spoken in numerous global cities to large and more intimate audiences alike.

Sam Brownback served as Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom from February 2018 to January 2021. He served as Governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018.

Prior to that he represented his home state as a United States Senator and Member of the House of Representatives. While a member of the Senate, he worked actively on the issue of religious freedom in multiple countries and was a key sponsor of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

Prior to his public service, Ambassador Brownback practiced law and taught agricultural law at Kansas State University. He earned a B.S. from Kansas State University and a J.D. from the University of Kansas.

Ambassador Brownback currently serves as co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit and is a Senior Fellow at Global Christian Relief. He is also chairman of the National Committee for Religious Freedom.

He may be, The Honorable, Ambassador, Governor, Senator, Congressman Brownback to many, but he is a loving husband, father and grandfather to his wife Mary, their five children and ten grandchildren.  

General Julie Bentz, or "General Julie" as she is affectionately known to many, was Director for Strategic Capabilities, National Security Council, The White House from May 2009 - Aug 2014.

She was responsible for writing presidential policy, coordinating interagency dialogue, informing presidential budgetary decisions and building consensus on interagency initiatives in programs that develop United States strategic capabilities to meet 21st century requirements. 

General Julie previously worked with Homeland Security Council where she helped to establish a joint domestic nuclear detection office within the Department of Homeland Security.

She also served as Vice Director for Plans and Programs Vice Director for Plans and Programs at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. 

Julie A. Bentz was born in 1964 in Jordan, Oregon to Ron and Barbara Bentz. Her father was a deacon at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and served the local Catholic Community. In 1982 Julie first joined the ranks of military establishment by attending Oregon State University with the support of an ROTC scholarship.

She graduated from OSU in 1986 with a BS in Radiological Health. From there she was deployed to Landstuhl, Germany as a Nuclear Science Officer, and her first years in service as part of the U.S. military team were spent responding to the Chernobyl disaster.

Julie earned an MS in Health Physics in 1996 and a Ph. D. in Nuclear Engineering in 1999, both from the University of Missouri.

To add further to her qualifications, Jule received an MS in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University, National War College.

In 2016 General Julie was the choice of the Congressional CoChairs of the National Prayer Breakfast to join the Head Table with President Obama and to lead prayers for our nation. Julie has subsequently spoken and led prayers at prayer breakfast gatherings in Berlin, Germany and around the world.  

Colin Bloom was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by His Majesty King Charles, on the recommendation of Former Prime Minister Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP.  

This honor was bestowed in recognition of Colin's political and public service, having most recently held the role of Expert Adviser on faith to the British Government.

Colin has served as an advisor and consellor to several British Prime Ministers, including Lord David Cameron, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss. 

As Faith Engagement Adviser Colin authored The Bloom Review into how best the UK government should engage with faith communities.

His review recognises the significant contribution of faith groups to community life across the UK in numerous ways, and the impact of faith on every aspect of society. It also identifies where government departments lack confidence in engaging with people of faith and faith-based providers, sometimes limiting the potential of this impact.

Colin made recommendations to the Government about how it can best celebrate and support the contribution of faith groups, break down barriers and promote acceptance between faiths, and promote shared values while tackling cultures and practices that are harmful.

In addition to the aforementioned roles, Colin has served as Executive Director of the Conservative Christian Fellowship and a Director of Christians in Politics.

We are honored to have the prayerful support, encouragement and advice of a celebrated husband and wife team - the serially successful TV Producer Mark Burnett and his award-winning television and stage actress, producer and author wife Roma Downey. 

Mark and Roma have been friends and guides since they appeared together as keynote speakers at the 2016 National Prayer Breakfast at which diplomatique ™ Executive Director Mark J. Finlay served as Special Advisor to the Congressional CoChairs, Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04) and Juan Vargas (D-CA-52). 

Mark Burnett is a British Television Producer and author who was Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group, prior to its acquisition by Amazon. He created The Apprentice, Shark Tank, and produced Survivor, The Voice amongst many others international hit TV shows. Indeed, series produced by Mark have been nominated for a total of 151 Emmys and he has personally won twelve Emmy Awards, five Producers Guild of America Awards, ten Critics' Choice Awards, and ten Peoples' Choice Awards. 

For five consecutive years, Mark was included in the Variety500, an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry. 

Under Mark Burnett's leadership, MGM expanded its cable TV business and he and his wife Roma Downey co-created and produced the Bible and A.D., the feature films Son of God, Ben-Hur and many others. Mark is also an accomplished writer and has authored ten books.

Roma Downey OBE is an award-winning Irish film, television and stage actress, producer and author. For nine seasons, Roma played Monica in the CBS hit-television series Touched by an Angel, and the leading role of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the Emmy award-winning NBC mini-series A Woman Named Jackie. 

Roma is also an accomplished executive producer in both television and movies arenas, and, with her husband Mark, produced the Emmy-nominated mini-series The Bible – in which she appeared as Mary, mother of Jesus watched by over 100 million people in the United States.

Roma hails from the north of Ireland and, as a proud Derry woman, has done much in service of the Arts, Drama and Community for which she was recognized with an OBE, the Order of the British Empire.

In recent weeks Roma has again risen to prominence on our nation’s TV screens staring on Amazon Prime as Elizabeth Baxter in The Baxters, a moving and heartfelt family drama described as a ‘Hope Opera’ that mirrors the challenges and triumphs of families everywhere. 

Rev Dr Helen Easterling Williams, EdD, is one of our nation's preeminent thinkers and practical leaders in the field of education. We are blessed to count on Helen's wisdom and insights at a time when confusion reigns, both nationally and globally, exacerbated by the powerful forces of social media and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Helen is a former Dean of Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) and is a lifelong educator, who has served over three decades in higher education leadership. Presently, she serves as Pepperdine’s vice chancellor for advancement and professor of education. Among her many notable  accomplishments are the establishment of the university’s first PhD program (Global Leadership in Higher Education), the Optimal Engagement and Immersion Pedagogy (OEIP), along with the technological advancement of twenty-one counseling clinic rooms throughout Southern California.

In the late 1980s, Helen founded Health Education & Welfare International, a firm that provides consultative services designed to improve the health, education, and welfare of individuals, faith-based organizations, higher education institutions, and elementary and secondary educational organizations.

Helen previously held the deanship at the School of Education at Azusa Pacific University where she established the Emerging Technology Center and developed an international visiting scholar program. Her passion for reaching back into the community led her to pilot the African American Scholars Program for 11, 12, and 13-year-old African American males. These young scholars lived on campus, participated in hands-on workshops in math, science, and technology, and enjoyed enriching cultural outings that fostered positive identity and responsibility for their families and their communities. She also served as a professor of doctoral studies in the School of Education.

Helen also served as the Senior Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware. There she transformed the first-year conditional admission University Parallel Program into a preferred two-year program with an admission waiting list. This transformation led to the program being granted associate of arts degree status. Key to this growth was the development of an electronic registration process, an academic probation review process, an Apple Computer Center, and a Careers in Arts and Entertainment Program. 

During her tenure in the community college, Helen piloted the first Young United Nations program, and a Gospel Choir. She served on the Delores J. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution Recidivism Board, the People's Settlement Association Board of Directors, and the Board of Trustees for the Tower Hill School.

Helen earned her bachelor's degree in speech correction with a minor in biology from Jersey City State College, a master's degree in speech and language pathology from Towson State University in Maryland, and a doctor of education degree in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. She is a graduate of the University of California- Berkeley Academy of Leadership in Higher Education and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management Executive Program in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy program. She has written articles and presented on topics such as K-12 education, international education, technology, and technology integration for teacher candidates. 

Helen is an American Council on Education Fellow, a John A. Widtsoe Scholar, and a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. She is also an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church serving presently at First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles, California. 

Rev. Dr. Helen Easterling Williams is the mother of two daughters: Shawniqua Williams Roberson, MD (son-in-love Albert) and Camille Marie Evans, Esq., the proud grandmother of Joseph, Joshua, and Joelle, and a beloved mentor to countless young men and women throughout the world.

Alfred F. Fasola has unparalleled experience of both the private and public sectors. 

Al served two Governors of the State of New Jersey – as Deputy to the Commissioner of Insurance under Governor Brendan Byrne, and Director of the OMB (Office of Management and Budget) under Governor Thomas Kean.

He is a renowned 'turnaround' specialist and led the transformation of Purolator Corporation ($1.6B NYSE), Gateway Food Markets (London Exchange, £9B), Herman’s Sporting Goods, Pilot Freight Carriers, Circle Express, and was the Lead Director of RCN Corp. (RCNC-NASDAQ). 

Al is currently Chairman of Health ImpactUnited, a VPEG affiliate. 

He has been an avid investor and entrepreneur in the fields of renewable energy and emerging technologies over the past ten years and has also served on several innovation boards including Steel City Re LLC and C. Huygens LLC. 

With one foot in politics and government and the other in the C-Suite of dozens of companies, in the US and UK, he is a trusted source in both public and private sectors in managing and avoiding crises as well as Board-level issues around fiduciary obligations and duties of care.

Al is a published author and has lectured at the Yale MBA program, as well as Duke Global Capital markets on the subject of Sarbanes Oxley. He completed undergraduate studies at DePauw University and graduate studies at Seton Hall University.

In addition to his corporate roles, inspired by his faith as a follower of Jesus, Al is a passionate supporter and Chairman of the Panta Pride Foundation that seeks to empower the people of Liberia, West Africa to achieve self empowerment and economic stability.

James "Jay" Helvey co-founded Cassia Capital Partners, LLC, a registered investment advisor and has served as a managing partner since its formation in 2011. From 2005 to 2011, Jay was a partner and the Risk Management Officer for CMT Asset Management Limited, a private investment firm. 

From 2003 to 2004, Jay was a candidate for the United States Congress in the 5th District of North Carolina. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cygnifi Derivatives Services, LLC, an online derivatives services provider, from 2000 to 2002. 

From 1985 to 2000, Jay served with J.P. Morgan & Co., in a variety of capacities, including as Vice Chairman of J.P. Morgan’s Risk Management Committee, Chair of J.P. Morgan’s Liquidity Committee, Global Head of Derivative Counterparty Risk Management, head of the swap derivative trading business in Asia and head of short-term interest rate derivatives and foreign exchange forward trading in Europe.

Jay graduated magna cum laude with honors from Wake Forest University. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Cologne in Germany and received a Master’s degree in international finance and banking from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, where he was an International Fellow. 

Jay is a Director and serves on the Audit Committee of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, a publicly traded and independent bottler of Coca-Cola Company products, Verger Capital Management LLC, Piedmont Federal Savings Bank (Audit Chair), and has also served on the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest University and the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Jay was a Director of Pike Corporation, an energy solutions provider, from 2005 to 2014, where he served as Lead Independent Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Compensation Committee.

Lord Wei of Shoreditch entered the House of Lords, in the Palace of Westminster in the United Kingdom in 2010 as the youngest ever member life peer not from an aristocratic background. 

He started out as a McKinsey & Company consultant specialising in technology, before shifting into venture capital, social enterprise, and then into policy development. Currently serving as a Life Peer in the House of Lords, his professional interests include leadership and entrepreneurship, real estate, healthcare transformation, technology investment, social innovation, impactful venture, and the role of enterprise in development, both in the UK and globally.

As an international strategy consultant and executive with venture capital experience, Lord Wei has co-founded a succession of successful businesses and nonprofits. 

He is a technology expert, social innovator, and adviser to foundations, family offices, and institutions on how to make a scalable impact, particularly on harnessing the potential of future generations. 

He co-founded the Shaftesbury Partnership, and Teach First (an initiative that changed how the UK recruits teaching staff), and founded Future Leaders, Maker Life, and many other social and impactful ventures. He is currently serving as a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission for Racial Justice. 

Lord Wei is a former adviser at Absolute Return For Kids, a current member of the House of Lords Science and Technology. Committee, and a former member of the House of Lords EU Internal Affairs Committee. 

He ​was ​a​ fellow of the Young Foundation, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Previously, Lord Wei advised Her Majesty’s Government on social policy, working with then Prime Minister David Cameron, now Lord Cameron.

Today he sits on the advisory boards of a range of primarily impactful companies, in sectors ranging from supply chain tech, to education and investment. 

He is a Member of the Advisory Board of Future Planet Capital (an investment platform), an impactful venture fund harvesting and scaling up global University originated innovation to tackle big global challenges.