by Eva Glassman | Jul 16, 2026 | Blog, Featured
Diane Domeyer Kock is President and Founder of DDK Consulting, a firm supporting women-owned businesses and helping to close the wealth gap for women. Before “rewiring” to found DDK Consulting, Diane led a multi-decade career at Robert Half, a global staffing company, where she built her expertise in growth strategy, business transformation, the future of work and career journeys. Diane has made several career pivots during her tenure at Robert Half, all of which intentionally supported important chapters in her personal life, and consistently chases work that taps into her “zone of genius.” Outside of work, Diane enjoys spending time with her family and participating in cycling adventures around the world. Diane has been a member of C200 since 2026.
Eva Glassman: What is your current role?
Diane Domeyer Kock: Currently, I am the President and Founder of a very small consulting firm, DDK Consulting. Before that, my professional career included 25 years as an executive with Robert Half, a global staffing company, as a transformation expert and growth strategist for emerging business lines. There, I was able to build expertise in the areas of the future of work and career journeys, while learning to run very large businesses from an operations perspective.
After 32 years with the same company, I decided it was time for a “rewirement” and made the intentional decision to commit my time, talent, and treasure to helping close the wealth gap for women. I do this by building upon those 30 years of expertise at my former company, but also investing in women-owned businesses, seeking board roles with women-owned businesses, and consulting for growth strategy to help them grow and expand.
EG: What has the transition been like from a multi-decade career at a global company to starting your own firm? What past experiences have played an important part in developing this new chapter of your career?
DDK: Career journeys are interesting. When you are young and set out on your professional career journey, there’s an expectation that careers are linear. But what I have learned and continue to learn is that career journeys can be very unpredictable. When you look back at the decisions to make a new career shift or pivot, it changes your life, but your life also informs what your journey will be.
While I was fortunate to be with one company for a very long time, I held many different careers opportunities there, and I can look at almost each of those career pivots and tie them to things going on in my life. For example, I was fortunate that my husband was a stay-at-home dad—at a time when that was very uncommon. That gave me the freedom to have a very aggressive global travel schedule. When my third child was born, even though my husband could do ponytails with the best of them, I wanted to be home for my three girls. So, I wrote the job description for a new role at the company that got me off the road. I did that role until the youngest was in kindergarten. When I was able to pivot and do something that required more travel again.
As my girls grew older and headed into their own maturity, I wanted to be home again; as a mom, you want to be there when your daughter has her first period and not in a hotel thousands of miles away. I again pivoted to a new job with much less travel but learning a new skill. I was fortunate to be with a company that allowed for career sequencing, ensuring the job fit with the demands of my personal life.
The last big pivot was my decision to leave and start my consulting firm. As a woman over 50, I had a lot of life challenges come together when I was at the peak of my career: aging parents, caretaking for my spouse who was having surgery, launching adult children. I suddenly lost a best friend of 40 years. I was going through menopause. Suddenly, it just wasn’t working for me anymore—so I decided to pivot.
I was very intentional about my last move to leave the company. Over the course of about 18 months, I carefully contemplated whether it was time to leave and how to do so gracefully. Instead of just retiring from my role, I made a recommendation for the company to restructure for efficiency and to eliminate my job, giving me the freedom to help in the transition and move on.
Now, I am in a chapter of my career that has a lot more freedom. I choose what I do, what I don’t do, whether it’s true to my mission, whether it’s true to my zone of genius. I’m less beholden to an organization at a time when life transitions are pretty significant.
Looking back at my career, my philosophy is that that careers are journeys that weave in and out of life dynamics. Also, your definition of what success is changes overtime, especially in later chapters.
EG: Tell me about your journey to C200. What drew you to the organization, and what are you most excited about as a new member?
DDK: There’s tremendous power in women coming together who have diverse but shared experiences. I had previously been very involved in a lot of industry organizations but had long searched for a true peer-based executive organization. A lot of them are very focused on women executives acting as mentors—which I think has tremendous value—but being a woman executive of the top can be very lonely. It’s very transformational, in my opinion, to be with a peer group of women where you can be authentic and continue to grow together.
I used to belong to another executive women’s group, which was a transformational experience. However, I want to build upon that by being with executive women at a higher level, who are truly at the top of their game. I’m looking for community, connections, personal growth, and content that can help you be the best you can be—not just professionally, but holistically. And that’s why I joined C200.
EG: Throughout your career, what has your experience been like finding other professional women to connect with?
DDK: I was very fortunate to be with an organization that really supported women at every phase of their journey and where women were very well represented amongst the executive ranks. I will say, however, when I was a young executive there, it tended to be more male dominated. But that changed over time. And while the organization really supported those career pivots for me, they were based on the needs of my family. That was a great example of how they have supported women.
But there was still a lot of need to build upon that support. It wasn’t until 2020 that we created a global executive women’s network, of which I was the executive sponsor. It took almost 25 years until we formalized our employee resource group for women—and it quickly became our most successful employee resource group.
It’s really important to continue to advocate for support, because it’s a challenge for women to navigate our careers, integrating everything. In the late 1990s, I was fortunate to be recognized as one of the most influential women in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was a young woman executive at the time, and the way I reacted to the recognition showed my naivety. I was a bit like, “I’m not big on gender. Why do we have an award like this for women, when we’d be up in arms if they had the same award for men?” What I understand now is that there are unique challenges for women, and it’s significant to recognize those who have overcome those challenges and achieved great success, so we can share those learnings with each other.
EG: What does being a “woman in business” mean to you? How does that impact the way you work and lead?
DDK: I think we have a responsibility—not only to hold ourselves to a standard of success, but to lead authentically and bring our natural inclinations to drive success and support all levels of diversity. It’s important that we resist trying to fit the way we lead into an existing mold. If we lead authentically, it’s proven that we will have not only better business results, but also pave the way for all diverse groups to be heard, recognized, and successful in the workplace.
In my opinion, there are four pillars women need in order to feel authentically successful and fulfilled. The first is professional growth; you need to always build upon your expertise. The second is health and wellness, which can be very challenging to balance professionally. The third is community and caregiving, which women in particular bear more of a burden. The fourth is financial wellbeing—which is more than “financial security” early on in your career, but later, it might look like building wealth or passing it onto your children. Tending to each pillar is important for long-term fulfillment.
EG: Outside of work, what do you like to do for fun? How do you like to spend your free time?
DDK: Aside from spending time with my five children and now grandchildren, I love blending my love of travel with my passion for cycling. In addition to participating in RAGBRAI, a 500-mile ride that brings us back to our Midwest roots, we have completed cycling adventures in Ireland, France, Germany, and Switzerland. This year, we will be doing so in Tuscany.
EG: What is your advice to aspiring women business leaders to advance their careers?
DDK: Pay attention to that which gives you energy. I mentioned the “zone of genius” earlier. When you are in your zone of genius, it gives you energy. It furthers your success, it gives you fulfillment. It’s like you’re in the zone, or your flow state. Pay attention to what that is, especially as you navigate different career decisions. Are you considering a role simply for more money or a new title, or is it truly going to help you tap into your zone of genius? If something taps into my zone of genius, I’m guaranteed success. I’m guaranteed fulfillment. It takes a little while to figure out what that is. You probably know which things you have done in your career already that drain your energy, but then there are the things that really get you in the zone—that’s your zone of genius. Paying attention to how you can incorporate that into your day-to-day roles to ultimately find satisfaction and fulfillment.
People always say, “Do what makes you happy,” but I think it’s more than that. We all have intrinsic gifts, some that we’re not even aware of, but if you listen to your physiological response to the work that you do, you’ll know the things that you’re ultimately destined for.
C200 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate, support, and advance current and future women entrepreneurs and corporate profit-center leaders. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the individuals quoted or featured and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of C200.
by Eva Glassman | Jun 23, 2026 | Blog, Featured
C200 is honored and thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2026 Luminary Awards!
We want to thank our Members and the Luminary Awards Committee for an engaging nomination and voting process. We are excited to continue this wonderful tradition that celebrates and funds the advancement of businesswomen around the world.
Our Luminary Award categories are: Entrepreneurial Champion, Corporate Innovator, Voices That Change The World, and Lifetime Achievement. More information about the history of our Luminary Awards and how awardees are nominated and chosen can be found here.
Without further ado, here are the winners of each award:
Entrepreneurial Champion: Maxine Burton
This award is given to entrepreneurial leaders who have championed or created a new product or service with global implications. Their companies have a minimum financial measurement of $20 million in annual revenue, as dictated by C200 US membership criteria. Their companies also have a rapid and continuing growth since their launch. Awardees show a commitment to advancing all women in business.
Maxine H. Burton is the founder, president, and chairman of the board of burton + BURTON®, headquartered in Georgia, over forty years ago. The company is one of the world’s largest supplier of balloons and gift products, employing a staff of over three hundred and enjoying a global customer base. Maxine actively travels the globe and works tirelessly in conjunction with in-house artists to guarantee all products are on-trend and ensure customer satisfaction. As the founder, Maxine was a trailblazer who has paved the way for women to overcome barriers and flourish in the business world.
Maxine’s remarkable career has been marked by numerous awards and honors highlighting her success in the balloon and gift industry. Maxine was the first woman in the state to receive the Spirit of Georgia Award. She was also honored with the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® award for the Retail and Wholesale Category in the Southeast Division of the United States. She received The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World by The Star Group and, shortly thereafter, received the Alan J. McDonald International Entrepreneur Award from the Society of International Business Fellows.
Over the course of Maxine’s career, four elected governors have appointed her to serve on various Georgia state boards. She served on the Georgia Ports Authority, on the Georgia Council of the Arts, and she is currently serving on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Maxine is an active member of the Chief Executives Organization (CEO), Coalition for Responsible Celebration (CRC), and The Committee of 200, as well as other industry and leadership organizations. Maxine approaches these positions with the purpose of helping elevate each organization or committee and continuously providing support in propelling its mission forward.
Receiving the C200 Luminary Award is a tremendous honor because it comes from a community of accomplished women leaders who understand the challenges, risks, and rewards of entrepreneurship. I founded burton + BURTON® with a simple idea and a determination to build something that would stand the test of time. That makes this honor especially gratifying, as it reflects not only the growth of the company over the past forty-four years, but also the impact it has been able to make along the way. This award is particularly meaningful to me personally because it recognizes the values that have guided me throughout my career: creating opportunities for others, supporting our customers’ success, and helping more women realize their potential as business leaders.
Corporate Innovator: Sandra Beach Lin
This award is given to corporate leaders who have innovated the strategy of the corporation for which they lead and have impacted their value significantly. Awardees are considered leaders in their industries, and their companies have a minimum financial measurement of $250 million in annual revenue, as dictated by the C200 US membership criteria. Awardees show a commitment to advancing all women in business.
Sandra Beach Lin is a distinguished corporate leader whose career spans general management, operations, and global business leadership across the chemicals, materials, and industrial sectors. As the retired President & Chief Executive Officer of Calisolar, Inc., she led the company through the solar industry’s technological transformation. Earlier, as Corporate Executive Vice President of Celanese Corporation, she directed a portfolio of global Specialty Materials businesses, driving advanced materials innovation. Her executive career also includes senior leadership roles at Avery Dennison Corporation, Alcoa, and Honeywell International, where she built a reputation for operational excellence and strategic growth.
Ms. Beach Lin serves on the Boards of Directors of American Electric Power, Avient Corporation, Trinseo Plc, and Ripple Therapeutics, and previously served on the boards of WESCO International and Interface Biologics. She is also a Founder and former Co-Chair of Paradigm for Parity®, a coalition dedicated to closing the corporate leadership gender gap.
In recognition of her board leadership, she was named to the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship 100 in 2013, is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow, and received the Dallas Business Journal’s Outstanding Directors Award in 2014.
Ms. Beach Lin holds a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of Toledo and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. She is a member of the Committee of 200, the International Women’s Forum, and the Dallas Assembly, and serves on the board of the Achievement Foundation, supporting Junior Achievement USA. A former Executive Board member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, she was named a 2024 Woman of Achievement.
It is a true honor to be recognized by my C200 sisters, with whom I’ve spent countless hours over the years discussing business challenges, opportunities, and life as women in the corporate world. This award means even more coming from a community that has shaped my own growth as a leader. I deeply value the sisterhood and friendship I’ve found in C200 and as I continue through this phase of my corporate journey, I’m grateful to be celebrated by women I so admire.
Voices That Change The World: Ann Drake
The recipient of this award has made advancing women a lifetime commitment. This new award recognizes women who have made and continue to make advancing women their mission and who have demonstrated that they are a true visionary in the manner and impact they are achieving. These visionaries look beyond their own business and have a vision for how women make an impact to make the world a better place.
Ann Drake is President and Founder of Lincoln Road Enterprises, an operational philanthropic organization focused on elevating women’s leadership and creating a future in which women are at the forefront of improving the world we live in. Before launching Lincoln Road, Ann was Chairman and CEO of DSC Logistics, an innovative supply chain and logistics management partner to some of the world’s leading companies. While at DSC, Ann founded AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education), which became the preeminent community for senior women in supply chain.
Ann is also the President and Chair of the Women’s Leadership Center at Williams Bay. Designed by internationally renowned architect Jeanne Gang, the center encourages innovation by bringing together accomplished women in an extraordinary retreat and conference space dedicated to generating fresh thinking and accelerating the impact of women leaders.
Ann has been honored with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Kellogg, the Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the Schultz Award for advancing women in transportation and logistics from the McCormick School at Northwestern. She has been inducted into the Chicago Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement Chicago.
Ann serves on the Kellogg Global Advisory Board, the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Board of Directors, and on the Boards of Trustees for the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and the Chicago Architecture center. She is a member of the Civic Committee Transportation Task Force, an affiliate of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
I’m delighted and honored to receive this award from C200. This is an organization where I’ve always felt supported and encouraged and where I learned important lessons about the power of women working together. Our voices are needed in the world right now, so let’s all keep raising them and speaking up about what matters. And thank you!
Lifetime Achievement: Tena Clark
This award is given to women who have successfully led or founded, grown, and advanced a company that is consistent with C200 membership criteria. Awardees have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the next generation of women throughout their professional career and personal endeavors.
Tena Clark is an award-winning visionary leader, songwriter, producer, author, and philanthropist whose career has spanned entertainment, media, business, and social impact. As Founder and CEO of Dunaway Gardens, Clark is leading the transformation of a historic 376-acre property in Georgia into a world-class destination where art, nature, wellness, education, and hospitality converge. Scheduled to open in early 2029, Dunaway Gardens will feature a luxury resort, historic gardens, spa, outdoor amphitheater, screening room, event center, fine dining, an organic tea farm, and innovative arts and educational programming designed to nurture creativity and community for generations to come.
For twenty nine years, Clark was also the Founder & CEO of DMI Music & Media, a pioneering entertainment and marketing company that has spent more than two decades helping some of the world’s most recognized brands connect with audiences through the power of music, storytelling, and live experiences. Clark recently sold DMI to a public company in Canada.
Throughout her distinguished career, Clark has worked with some of the most influential artists and cultural icons in the world, including Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, President Barack Obama, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Maya Angelou and even NASA. A Grammy Award winner and respected creative force, Clark has built a reputation for bringing together art, culture, and purpose to create lasting impact. In 2027, Clark will be inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is a passionate advocate for women and social justice, using her platform to elevate underrepresented voices and create opportunities for future generations. Clark wrote and produced the theme song, “Break the Chain” for the organization One Billion Rising – a movement to end violence against women and girls, and it has become the most globally performed song in history. Most recently, Clark wrote the anthem “We Are Here” for the National Women’s History Museum.
Clark currently serves on the boards of the National Women’s History Museum, as well as the advisory boards of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industries Institute, and the Grammy Museum. Her leadership, innovation, and commitment to cultural impact have established her as one of the most influential female executives and changemakers in America today.
Receiving the Luminary Award is an honor I never could have imagined, and I am incredibly grateful for this recognition. For more than two decades, C200 has been one of the most meaningful influences in my life, shaping me not only as a business leader, but as a person. To stand alongside the extraordinary women who make up this organization is truly humbling. While I am deeply honored by the award, it is the friendships, mentorship, and sisterhood I have found through C200 that mean the most to me and will remain my greatest gift from this community.
Join us in supporting our 2026 Luminary Awardees and C200’s mission to inspire, educate, support, and advance current and future women entrepreneurs and corporate-profit center leaders.
Congratulations to Maxine, Sandra, Ann, and Tena for this remarkable achievement. We’re proud of the work you each have done over the course of your careers and the influence it has had for women in business worldwide.
Celebrate with C200!
Our award recipients will be honored and celebrated on the evening of Friday, October 9, 2026, at our Luminary Awards Ceremony during the Gala Dinner at our 2026 Annual Conference in Dallas, TX. Individual tickets, tables, and sponsorship opportunities for the Gala Dinner are available for purchase at our Conference website.
Click here for more info.
Note: If you have registered for the 2026 C200 Annual Conference, your registration includes a ticket to our Gala Dinner.
Donate to C200!
Your support of our award recipients raises critical funds for C200’s larger mission and vision to advance businesswomen worldwide. Together, through the celebration of these incredible women, we can make a big impact in the business landscape by creating more opportunities, spaces, and time for women in business to connect with, inspire, and help one another succeed in male-dominated spheres and set examples for the next generation of women leaders.
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