Annual Veterans Day Event
Stay tuned for information about the 13th Annual Veterans Day Event in November 2025.
Since 2015, Thayer Leadership has partnered with Nasdaq Marketsite to co-host an annual Veteran’s Day Symposium in New York City. This event recognizes the value of veterans and shares best practices for how organizations can support the military, veterans, and their families. It is so important to honor our veterans, but it is also imperative to hire, support, and train. Using the 13 categories of support identified by Thayer Leadership in 2016, each year tackles a different category as the theme to guide the event agenda. This highly-anticipated event brings together military and corporate leaders to share, network, and inspire each other on how to best support veterans and military families. Ringing the Opening or Closing Bell at Nasdaq is a memorable part of this event.
Photo credits: Nasdaq Inc. and Keirnan Saxe.
2024 Veterans Day
In 2024, we hosted our 12th Annual Veterans Day event at the crossroads of America in Times Square, New York City, at the Nasdaq Marketsite. The Nasdaq Opening Bell Ceremony spotlighted the 2024 Patriots in Business Award honorees - Werner, USAA, First Command, RecruitMilitary, and Scrum Inc. - and celebrated the importance of Veterans Day. A robust panel discussion moderated by Dan Bigman, Editor and Chief Content Officer at Chief Executive Group, touched on each honoree's experiences and best practices for leadership succession planning by tapping into the military talent in their organizations. The event concluded with an inspiring keynote speech by Brigadier General (Ret.) Maureen LeBoeuf, Ed.D. about her family's extensive connection to the military and how veterans are well suited to step into any leadership role upon transition or retirement from the military.
2023 Veterans Day
CSX and Salute Mission Critical were honored with the 2023 Patriots in Business Award by Chief Executive Group and Thayer Leadership. This set the stage for a rich panel discussion about how to capitalize on military talent within your organization with Bryan Tucker, VP of Corporate Communications at CSX, Erich Sanchack, CEO of Salute Mission Critical, Bret Lowry, Managing Director at Academy Securities, and James Hendon, Commissioner of NYC Department of Veterans’ Services.
2021 Veterans Day
In 2021, Thayer President, Dan Rice, spoke about the importance of Veterans Day and alongside Children of Fallen Patriots Founder, David Kim, shared how organizations can better support Gold Star Children, children whose parent made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Lieutenant General Darryl A. Williams, 60th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, followed with an inspiring message about how West Point and the Army identifies, builds, and tests leaders who excel and the next generation of leaders. His message set the tone for a robust panel discussion with Ben Biles, CEO, American Veterans Group, PBC, Chris Cortez, Vice President of Military Affairs, Microsoft, and Dan Goldenberg, VP Corporate Social Responsibility, Activision Blizzard, who shared tangible ways organizations can capitalize on military talent. Prior to the panel, USAA, Bristol Myers Squibb, Greencastle, and Principle Services, were recognized for their veteran and military initiatives as the 2021 Patriots in Business Award Honorees, presented in partnership with Chief Executive Group. 33rd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and Thayer Faculty, GEN (Ret.) Dennis Reimer, concluded the event with an impactful keynote speech, sharing how leaders can find their purpose and leave a legacy.
2020 Veterans Day
In 2020, the 60th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, Lieutenant General Darryl A. Williams set the tone of the day by welcoming everyone and touching on the importance of Veterans Day. A conversation with Mike Krzyzewski (aka: Coach K), Men's Basketball Head Coach for Duke University, followed, where he shared how to lead and motivate teams through challenges using his military training at USMA and time as Head Coach of USA Men's Basketball Team and at Duke University. Major General (Ret.) Linda Singh, Ph.D., CEO of Kaleidoscope Affect LLC and Leader-in-Residence, Towson University, Ken Lamneck, President and CEO, Insight, and Dan Streetman, CEO, TIBCO Software, Inc., joined us for a panel discussion centered around Veteran Support Initiatives. The event concluded with a fireside chat between Thayer President, Dan Rice, and Thayer faculty, Brigadier General (Ret.) Bernie Banks, Ph.D., focused on diversity from the military to the boardroom.
2019 Veterans Day
In 2019, Thayer founder Bill Murdy moderated a panel with United States Military Academy Superintendent, LTG Darryl Williams and United States Naval Academy Superintendent VADM Sean Buck. The trio discussed the challenges and opportunities at our military academies, their personal leadership advice, and how corporations can develop future leaders by bridging the gap between the military and civilian sectors. The panel concluded with a fun fast-round of questions about the upcoming Army-Navy football game. The event continued with the U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper ringing the closing bell and remarking on the significance of Veterans Day. The Superintendents joined Esper at the podium and presented him with a signed Army-Navy football.
2018 Veterans Day
In 2018, the Nasdaq Opening Bell was rung by LTG Darryl Williams, US Military Academy at West Point Superintendent. Following the opening bell, Chief Executive Group Editor in Chief, Dan Bigman, led a leadership rountable discussion centered around how today's executives can develop the next generation of America's business leaders. View the video recap here.
“It is so important to honor our veterans, but it is also imperative to hire, support, and train veterans," stated Dan Rice, President of Thayer Leadership. “There are so many issues related to veterans' employment, and companies that have embraced veterans' hiring have found that they are better companies overall.”
2017 Veterans Day
In 2017, the roundtable discussion on veterans hiring was led by Hiring Our Heroes President, Eric Eversole, with robust discussion about the state of the veterans hiring environment and unique challenges facing veterans’ families. The Nasdaq Closing Bell was subsequently rung with 50 Chairmen, CEOs, and Presidents who raised their hands pledging to hire more veterans for their companies during the next year.
2016 Veterans Day
In 2016, Thayer identified categories of support that companies can provide to veterans and their families, encouraging all companies to adopt or enhance their Veteran’s Initiatives and to share them using #vetsdayceochallenge. In partnership with the Association for Talent Development, Thayer also published a special supplement of TD Magazine, sharing best practices from organizations that are trailblazers in recruiting, developing, and supporting veterans and active duty military.
