Women's Leadership Conference 2025

Dr. Rebecca Cunningham began her appointment as the 18th President of the University of Minnesota system on July 1, 2024. 

As President, Dr. Cunningham is committed to working closely with the U of M community and Minnesotans broadly to shape a strong vision for the five-campus system and execute innovative strategies that achieve excellence in fulfilling the University's three-part, land-grant mission of teaching, research, and outreach. President Cunningham also has a faculty appointment in the School of Public Health's Division of Epidemiology & Community Health. 

Dr. Cunningham most recently served as the Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Michigan, where she was responsible for fostering excellence and upholding the institution's public mission in research, scholarship, and creative practice across three campuses and a health system. 

During her leadership tenure, the University of Michigan expanded its annual research portfolio to a record $1.86 billion. Dr. Cunningham also led the design and implementation of the first comprehensive review of the University of Michigan's research, scholarship, and creative practice enterprise[INSERT HERE]a collaborative strategy aimed to bolster discovery and impact, accelerate knowledge translation, support entrepreneurial activity, expand statewide economic development, advance undergraduate student success, and strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Dr. Cunningham joined the University of Michigan in 1999 as an emergency medicine physician, with faculty appointments in the Medical School and the School of Public Health. Over the course of her career, her research has focused on public health and injury and violence prevention, with scientific collaborations that span engineering, communications, transportation, and public policy. In 2019, Dr. Cunningham was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. And in 2023, Crain's Detroit Business recognized Dr. Cunningham as a "Notable leader in Higher Education" 

Dr. Cunningham holds a bachelor's degree from Fairfield University and a medical doctorate from Jefferson Medical College. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Health System and a postdoctoral research fellowship with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 

Jacqueline Williams-Roll is the Chief Human Resources Officer with responsibility for the development of people and organizational strategies to enable the growth of General Mills. Her goal is to inspire General Mills' talent and teams to thrive and deliver while building a culture of inclusion and belonging where everyone has a seat at the table. In addition to leading global human resources, she also has responsibility for Corporate Communications. 

Jacqueline joined General Mills in 1995 as an Associate Human Resources Manager and has held human resources leadership roles in Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, and Talent and Organization Effectiveness. She recently led the development of "Work with Heart," a future way of working that is focused on results, not facetime, and recognizes that when employees are at their best, General Mills is at its best. In 2019, she oversaw the industry-leading expansion of U.S. leave benefits, which include 18-20 weeks of paid maternity leave and 12 weeks of paid paternal leave (for dads, partners, and adoptive parents). 

A large part of her tenure at General Mills was spent working on businesses outside of the United States, where she led human resources for Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, and served as Vice President of Human Resources for the international segment. Before joining General Mills, she held sales and management roles with Jenny Craig International. 

Williams-Roll serves on the board of the Human Resources Policy Association and on the advisory board for the Council of Inclusion and Diversity. She is also a member of several other leading HR organizations, including the Center on Executive Compensation and the Peer Roundtable for CHROs. Locally, she serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Minnesota Foundation and also serves on the Carlson School HR Advisory Council. 

Jaqueline holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Master's degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. She resides in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN, with her family, including two energetic and beloved Portuguese Water Dogs.