Women's Leadership Conference Speakers

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 working closely with the U of M community and Minnesotans broadly to design and implement a bold new vision that effectively positions the five-campus system for continuous success.

President Cunningham is focused on prioritizing an accessible, world-class education for students and advancing the University’s powerful mission to enhance the health, safety and prosperity of people across the state, nation and world.

President Cunningham maintains a faculty appointment in the School of Public Health’s Division of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Before joining the University of Minnesota, Dr. Cunningham served as the Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Michigan, where she was responsible for expanding its annual research portfolio to a record $2 billion. At Michigan, Dr. Cunningham led a universitywide strategy that bolstered discovery and impact, accelerated knowledge translation, supported entrepreneurial activity, expanded statewide economic development, advanced undergraduate student success, and strengthened diversity, equity, and inclusion.

President Cunningham was elected in 2019 to the National Academy of Medicine.  In 2023, Crain’s Detroit Business named her a “Notable Leader in Higher Education.” And in 2024, Twin Cities Business recognized President Cunningham as a member of its TCB 100 cohort, which recognizes people in and around the Minnesota business community who are likely to make news and drive change in the year ahead.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University and a medical doctorate from Jefferson Medical College. President Cunningham completed her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Michigan.

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.