The Board of Directors

Eric Thiem President

Eric is a Director of Solution Consulting at Salesforce and one of driving forces behind TrailblazeMS.  His commitment to finding a cure for MS stems from his deep connections within the MS community.  He is passionate about leveraging corporate partnerships and innovative events to accelerate research and make a lasting impact.

Edgar Deguia Treasurer &

Chair of the Finance Committee

Edgar A. DeGuia led the global treasury and investment finance function at General Mills from 2020-2023. He had responsibility for managing capital structure strategy, global risk and insurance coverage, cash management, intercompany financing, foreign exchange, interest rate risk, and more than $10 billion in pension and retirement benefit plans.

Prior to joining General Mills, Edgar spent several years at Dean Foods where he served as VP, Treasurer and Head of Investor Relations. He also worked across dozens of manufacturing plants in their supply chain finance organization. He began his career in investment banking and his experiences have focused on corporate finance, capital markets, and corporate restructuring.

Edgar received his A.B. in Economics and Public Policy Studies from Duke University and his M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University (Cox) School of Business. He currently resides in Dallas, TX. "

Jessica Bowers Secretary

Chris Malico Chair, Events

A detail-oriented experiential marketer with over 10 years of experience, specializing in event management.

An out-of-the-box thinker who is passionate about creating unique activations and campaigns that tells a memorable brand story.

Has a long history of working collaboratively with cross-functional teams by using clear, prompt communication to execute any project through to completion.

Past events and brands include New York Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, Patrón, Hasbro, Jim Beam, and Mobile World Congress. 

Jay Thayer Chair, Marketing & Communications

With more than 25 years of experience in the software industry, I have crafted my skills in executive engagement, thought leadership, and communications. Before founding Jay Thayer Consulting, I worked at Salesforce for 20 years, serving in professional services, education, and executive engagement roles as the company skyrocketed from 500 employees to more than 70,000. For the last 10 years, as the Vice President of Executive Engagement at Salesforce, I led a team of experts who collaborated with senior executives and their teams to design and deliver high-touch, relevant programs and engagements that position them with their executive peers.

Zack McKelvey Chair, Partnerships

Zack has 20 years of experience in various facets of the pharmaceutical industry, working as a chemist, engineer, consultant, project manager, and account manager. Zack is excited to use his scientific experience to build meaningful relationships between trailblazems and those pursuing treatment for MS.