Peggy Troy, the president and chief executive officer of Children’s Wisconsin, will be honored as BizTimes Media’s 14th Woman Executive of the Year.
Troy will be recognized at the annual Women in Business Symposium, to be held on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at the Brookfield Conference Center. Click here to register.
Troy, who started her health care career as a nurse, because the first female president and CEO of Children’s Wisconsin in 2009. She will retire at the end of this year and will be succeeded by Gil Peri, president of Riley Children’s Health in Indiana.
Troy joined Children’s as a pediatric nurse in 1975.
Today, Children’s Wisconsin has more than 6,500 employees in Wisconsin.
Troy is also a member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee and serves on the boards of Zurn Water Solutions Corp., Marquette University, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, QuadMed, Teach for America and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center.
Past BizTimes Media Women Executive of the Year honorees include:
- 2023 – Cathy Jacobson, former Froedtert Health CEO
- 2022 – Christine Pharr, retired president of Mount Mary University
- 2021 – Kathy Koshgarian, president and COO, The Dohmen Company Foundation
- 2020 – Patty Cadorin, senior advisor, BMO Harris Bank
- 2019 – Mary Lou Young, former CEO of the United Way of Milwaukee & Waukesha County
- 2018 – Juli Kaufmann, president, Fix Development
- 2017 – Wendy Baumann, president and chief visionary officer, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.
- 2016 – Paula Pennebaker, president and CEO, YWCA Southeast Wisconsin
- 2015 – Eve Hall, former president and CEO, African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin
- 2014 – Nan Gardetto, founder, owner and CEO, Baptista’s Bakery, Inc.
- 2013 – Maria Monreal-Cameron, former president and CEO, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Wisconsin
- 2012 – Gail Lione, former executive vice president, Harley-Davidson, and former president of the Harley-Davidson Foundation
- 2011 – Cynthia LaConte, president and CEO, Dohmen
In addition to recognizing Troy, the Women in Business Symposium will also include several speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.
Keynote presenter Jenny Just will speak about her experience co-founding PEAK6 in 1997 and later launching Poker Power in 2020. PEAK6 is a multibillion-dollar financial services firm that started as a proprietary options trading firm in 1997. Just co-founded Power Poker with her daughter in 2020. Power Poker is an app designed to teach woman the game of poker and empower their decision-making skills.
The Women in Business Symposium will also include a panel discussion of women leaders from various background discussing their professional journeys. The panelists include:
- Gaurie Rodman, vice president of real estate strategy and development, Direct Supply
- Melissa Allen, president, Maures Development Group
- Candace Spears, founder and CEO, Floor23 Digital
- Lyssa Olker, design principal, HGA
Following the panel discussion, attendees may attend breakout sessions to discuss various topics such as: mental health, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and technology.
The presenting sponsor for the Women in Business Symposium is U.S. Bank. Additional sponsors include Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols S.C. and Summit Credit Union. Supporting sponsor is Myklebust, Horne & Fies. Event partners include Annex Wealth Management, TEMPO and Professional Dimensions.
