Meet Our CEO
Mary Kennedy Thompson
Chief Executive Officer
With more than 30 years in franchising, Mary Kennedy Thompson has led businesses and franchise of all sizes. She has extensive experience in global expansion, high growth organizations, integrations, and leadership.
Prior to starting at BNI® in 2024, Mary served as Chief Operating Officer at Neighborly®, the world’s largest home services company, where she worked since 2006.
Mary’s tenure at Neighborly included roles as Executive Vice President and President of Mr. Rooter®, their largest brand. Read more...
Mary’s career began as a multi-unit franchise owner at Cookies by Design, where she excelled in market penetration and sales, eventually becoming the brand’s President at the corporate headquarters after successfully selling her locations. While a multi-unit franchisee, she joined BNI as a Member in 1994.
Mary served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Logistics Officer. She has received numerous accolades, including the IFA’s William Rosenberg Foundation Leadership Award, The Bonny Levine Award, and the Crystal Compass award. Mary is a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and currently serves as a Board Member and Chair Elect of the IFA.
Mary’s passion for helping business owners aligns with BNI’s mission to support its Members and franchisees, marking her appointment as CEO as a transformational opportunity for BNI.
Executive Leadership Team
Our Executive Leadership Team leads and executes BNI's vision. These are passionate individuals who help craft the plan to grow BNI.
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Elitsa Bryant
Associate General Counsel
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Dave Collins
Chief Operating Officer
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Tim Cook
Sr. Director of Product Management
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Cindy Foultz
Sr. Director of Human Resources
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Rob Gorecki
VP of Product
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Stephen Schwartz
Chief Technology Officer
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Claire Sherman
Sr. Director, Global Strategy & Communications
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Michael Utt
Chief Financial Officer
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Michael Walchonski
Chief Development Officer
Global Leadership Team
Our Global Leadership Team is a group of people dedicated to Changing the Way the World Does Business®. This is the team that shapes the future and drives BNI's mission.
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Dr. Ivan Misner
Founder and Chief Visionary Officer
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Graham Weihmiller
Chairman & Executive Chairman
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Mary Kennedy Thompson
Chief Executive Officer
Senior Leadership Team
Our Senior Leadership Team helps drive our global impact and key initiatives, supporting our BNI Directors and Members around the world and ensuring a positive BNI experience.
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Agustina Cánepa
Director of LATAM Operations
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Nancy Deva Priya
Director of Operations, APAC
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Sean Fernandes
Managing Director, Scion Social
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Pedro Ferraz
SVP of Global Technology
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Paul Hutcherson
Sr. Director of Global Technology
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Thomas Locke
Director of Global Financial Strategy
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Brooks McClary
Sr. Director of Sales Performance
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Dr. Steven Renz
Global Director of Learning and Development
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Todd Rimer
Global Director, Talent Acquisition
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Bethany Rippy
Sr. Manager of Global Communications
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Meena Srinivasan
Chief Digital Officer
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Sam Upton
Global Controller
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Harmony Widman
Vice President of Global Integrations
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Joseph Ho
President of Asia Pacific
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William D. Reno
President, Franchise Operations
The Senators
One of BNI’s Strategic Advisory Groups, the Senators are an elite group of long-standing, tenured BNI leaders whose passion, experience and expertise help drive the organization forward.
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Andy Hart
Ireland
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Gilly Lawson
UK
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Marc-William Attie
France
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Norm Dominguez
USA