Risk Management Fundamentals: Building an Enterprise Risk Management Framework

Katina Thornock serves as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for Providence, one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems in the U.S. comprised of over 120,000 caregivers serving in 51 hospitals and 1,085 clinics and providing a range of health and social services across five states. Since joining Providence, Katina has focused on building and centralizing enterprise-wide strategy on litigation and other adversarial proceedings, proactive exposure mitigation, and providing key strategic advice and guidance to executives across Providence’s healthcare system. She also serves on the Department of Legal Affairs Leadership Committee.

Prior to joining Providence, Katina served as Director, Managing Corporate Counsel, Litigation at Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, Washington where she led the team responsible for complex commercial, real estate, intellectual property, general liability, and Americans with Disabilities Act litigation on behalf of the enterprise. Katina was a key advisor to internal business units at Starbucks, including Risk Management, Store Development and Global Operations. Prior to joining Starbucks, she gained extensive litigation experience at the Reed McClure and Cozen O'Connor law firms and in the Prosecuting Attorneys Offices of King and Pierce Counties. Katina graduated from the University of Washington and Seattle University School of Law. She was a 2014 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow and currently serves on the boards of Washington Alliance for Better Schools and Seattle Children’s Theatre. She is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession and is regularly featured on local and national platforms elevating those issues.

Katina lives in the Seattle area with her husband and three sons. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time outdoors with family and friends.

Bianca M. Forde, Esq. is the Head of Ethics & Compliance – Americas at Otis Elevator Company. In that role, she oversees enterprise risk management, investigations, regulatory matters, and training/awareness.

Bianca’s compliance philosophy emphasizes corporate cultural values, and she works to execute innovative, data-driven solutions that continuously improve corporate culture and empower all colleagues to choose the right course when ethical quandaries arise. As a former federal prosecutor in the nation’s capital, Bianca handled a wide variety of cases at the local and federal levels, including sex and domestic violence offenses, homicide, violent street crimes, public corruption, and civil rights matters. Her personal and professional observations led her to author the book, Prosecuted Prosecutor: A Memoir & Blueprint for Prosecutor-led Criminal Justice Reform, in which Bianca provides incisive instruction on how to reimagine and redefine the prosecutor’s role in the U.S. legal system. Prior to serving as a federal prosecutor, Bianca represented global entites and Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes, complex legal disputes—domestically and abroad.

Bianca is the 2023 winner of the Compliance Innovator of the Year Award, sponsored by Compliance Week. She is also a 2021 recipient of the Duke University Alumni Association Changemaker Award, conferred upon those who made extraordinary contributions toward the advancement of, amongst other things, social justice. Bianca has appeared as a legal analyist on platforms such as the Black News Channel, Court TV, the Grio, and Washington D.C.’s WJLA. She received her bachelor’s degree from Duke University, and her Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School, and currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and 11-month old son.

As the General Counsel at FHI 360, Kathy Stroker leads the organization’s legal and corporate affairs function and is responsible for legal, governance and regulatory matters worldwide. Stroker joined FHI 360 with more than 20 years of private-sector and public-sector experience, including with three foreign affairs agencies – the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State and the Peace Corps. At the Peace Corps, Stroker served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, with responsibility for global operations and programs, policy, health services, volunteer recruitment, global security, and the agency’s budget. Stroker had previously served as the Peace Corps’ Chief Legal Officer.

Prior to the Peace Corps, Stroker was Deputy Assistant General Counsel at USAID, where she advised senior USAID officials at headquarters and globally on matters such as terrorist vetting, foreign litigation, diplomatic immunities, contractor disputes and conflicts of interest.

Before joining the government, Stroker was a senior associate at the international law firm Dechert LLP, where she advised on a wide range of matters and represented clients against allegations of criminal and civil misconduct. Stroker has also served as a federal law clerk in Philadelphia and as a lecturer in law at the University of Paris. She began her legal career as an associate with Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington, DC.

Stroker is an active member of the District of Columbia bar and a Board Member of the Society of International Development Washington Chapter (SID-W). She has an undergraduate degree in political science from Yale University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin and is fluent in French.

Pallavi Mehta Wahi is the Managing Partner of the Seattle office and Co-Managing Partner of the United States for K&L Gates. She is a member of the Firmwide Management Committee. Pallavi frequently represents clients in complex commercial litigation matters and works closely with many Fortune 50 corporations and other companies worldwide, representing their interests with an emphasis on corporate and technology issues. She has argued before various tribunals and courts in hearings and at trial with success. She has represented clients across the country in multiple jurisdictions in commercial and intellectual property disputes. She also acts as the trusted advisor and litigator for several clients across a wide range of jurisdictions, countries, and business matter areas. She represents some of the largest household brands in the world on a regular basis as their trusted advisor.

Pallavi is ranked in Chambers USA for Litigation: General Commercial in Washington State. She also has been named to the Washington Super Lawyers list for Business Litigation for many years; the “IP Stars” list published by Managing Intellectual Property in the U.S. and Washington State categories; and recognized in Best Lawyers in America in the Commercial Litigation and Litigation – IP categories. She has also been recognized by the Legal 500 US for commercial litigation. She is has been included in “The A-List: International,” a list of the top India-focused lawyers at international law firms for many years, compiled by The Indian Business Law Journal.

Pallavi has also been named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in the U.S. by editors and writers across The Business Journals’ network of more than 40 publications. For many years, she has been honored with inclusion in the Puget Sound Business Journal's “Power 100,” a spotlight on the 100 most influential business leaders in the Puget Sound area. The Puget Sound Business Journal also recognized her as a “Woman of Influence” and a member of the first-ever group of 40 Under 40 “All-Stars.” She was also selected as one of the Most Influential People of 2021 by Seattle Magazine.

Pallavi was also named to the fifth annual “Power List” by Lawyers of Color which recognizes the most influential minority attorneys and allies in the nation. She was included in the inaugural “Nation's Best” List, also published by Lawyers of Color, which recognizes noteworthy accomplishments and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. She was selected by the National Diversity Council as one of Washington's “Top 15 Business Women” and selected to the Indian Corporate Counsel Association's “Most Trusted Corporate Lawyers” list. She is also a past recipient of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award from the King County Bar Association.

Pallavi is an experienced and well-known litigator in the local and national arena and business community. In 2022, she was appointed to the Seattle Branch Board of Directors of The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to represent the interests of the 12th Reserve District and help the Board fulfill its policy and operational responsibilities. She is currently serving as the Chair of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Board and is a passionate advocate for the Seattle business community and the people and companies who help it thrive. She is also an active member of the International Women’s Forum.