McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character Hosted by the Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character Hosted by the Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership Breadcrumb academics departments behavioral sciences and leadership mcdonald conference for leaders of character Behavioral Sciences & Leadership (left) MENU Behavioral Science & Leadership Home Majors & Minors Internships Research Faculty & Staff About the McDonald Conference The McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character (MCLC) is an elite leadership experience that brings together top undergraduate student leaders from around the world and pairs them with distinguished senior leaders who serve as mentors. This dynamic, team-based event is designed to strengthen leadership skills, sharpen critical thinking, and foster collaboration while tackling real-world global challenges.Hosted annually by West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership (BSL) and the West Point Leadership Center (WPLC), MCLC offers participants an immersive, short-duration program that emphasizes experiential learning and strategic problem-solving.Founded in 2012, MCLC was envisioned as the premier transformative leadership experience for emerging global leaders. Thanks to the generosity of its founding benefactors - the Honorable and Mrs. Robert McDonald - and support from the Garrison and Sharman families, the conference has grown into a hallmark event. Since its inception, more than 700 students and senior leaders have engaged in meaningful dialogue and collaboration on timely, relevant themes that impact the world today. 2026 McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character Mark your calendar for the next conference Conference Benefactors Bob McDonald MCLC Founding Benefactor 8th Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs Retired Chairman, President, and CEO, Proctor & Gamble Robert A. “Bob” McDonald was nominated by then-President Barack Obama as the eighth Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) and was confirmed unanimously by the Senate on July 29, 2014. Secretary McDonald led VA in its ambitious transformational journey to a world-class service provider and the No. 1 customer-service agency in the federal government to give veterans consistent, high-quality experiences.Before joining VA, McDonald was chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble Co.(P&G).He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1975. Diane McDonald MCLC Founding Benefactor Diane (pronounced Dee-Ann) was born in Pittsburgh, PA. Upon graduation from Chatham College, she taught elementary school and coached high school sports, where her passion was working with children.After her husband left the military and joined P&G, they had the opportunity to live abroad - in Canada, the Philippines, Japan, and Belgium. At each location, Diane played a leadership role in the P&G community, in her children’s schools, and in their activities. When they returned stateside, Diane co-chaired the Procter & Gamble Transferees, Inc., a non-profit support group for spouses, partners, employees, and families. "You can only live honorably and lead honorably if you're a leader 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Someone is always watching, so you always need to work hard to make a positive difference in the lives of others." Notable Past Speakers Jane Nielsen, 2025 keynote speaker, is the chief operating officer of Ralph Lauren, a role she has held since 2019 after joining the company as chief financial officer in 2016. Reynold Hoover, 2025 keynote speaker, is the CEO of LA28, the Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. Leslie T. Fenwick, Ph.D., is Dean Emerita and a tenured professor of education policy at Howard University. Dr. Robert Higgins is the president and chief academic officer of Rush University, and chief academic and clinical officer and senior vice president at Rush University System for Health. Praveen Jagwani has 32 years of experience in banking and investment management. Based in Singapore, he has been in his current role for 16 years and has the mandate to build a global franchise for UTI’s India centric asset management. David Niekerk retired in 2016 as the Amazon Culture and Employee Engagement Leader with a deep focus on building and growing the Amazon fulfillment, customer service, supply chain, technology and logistics organizations. David Rawlinson II became president and CEO of Qurate Retail, Inc., in 2021. In this position, he leads a select group of six leading retail brands – QVC, HSN, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill and Grandin Road. Holly Ridings is the Gateway Program deputy manager, sharing responsibility for implementing the program's goals and objectives, ensuring consistent exploration strategy, and delivering technical and programmatic requirements. Christopher Rotolo is vice president of Global Talent for MiTek, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway Company. He is charged with helping drive business growth with people and technology at the center. Angela Sun is a principal at the Hyland Group, where she invests in and advises early-stage to growth companies and family offices. She is experienced in private, public, and nonprofit sectors. COL Everett Spain is a professor of management and serves as a senior advisor to the Army Talent Management Task Force. He teaches and writes on leader development, character development, and talent management. H. Patrick “Pat” Swygert is president emeritus of Howard University and the State University of New York at Albany. He is the former executive vice president of Temple University. Follow Us on Social Media Contact Us The McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character is sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Science & Leadership. Contact BSL Getting to West Point Identification requirements to enter West PointDirections to West PointMap of West Point Accommodations and Attractions Dining options on-postLocal attractionsHudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce (Peekskill area)Town of Highlands Chamber of Commerce