Harry Kraemer, Jr. is an executive partner with Madison Dearborn Partners, a private equity firm based in Chicago, Illinois and a Clinical Professor of Leadership at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He has been named Kellogg School Professor of the Year for the Fulltime program as well as for the Executive MBA programs in Chicago, Miami and Hong Kong.
Harry is the author of four bestselling leadership books:
From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership
Becoming The Best: Build a World-Class Organization Through Values-Based Leadership
Your 168: Finding Purpose and Satisfaction in a Values-Based Life
Your Values-Based Legacy: Making a Difference at Every Age and Phase of Life
Harry’s classes include: Values-Based Leadership, Leading a Global Company, Corporate Governance and Mergers & Acquisitions. He is a regular contributing author for “Forbes”.
He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Baxter International Inc., a $12 billion global healthcare company. He became Baxter’s chief executive officer in January 1999, and assumed the additional responsibility of chairman of Baxter’s board of directors in January 2000.
Harry joined Baxter in 1982 as director of corporate development. His twenty-three year career at Baxter included senior positions in both domestic and international operations. In 1993, he was named senior vice president and chief financial officer, responsible for financial operations, business development, global communications, and European operations. Over the next several years, he assumed additional responsibility for Baxter’s Renal and Medication Delivery businesses. He was elected to Baxter’s board of directors in 1995, and was named president of Baxter International Inc. in 1997.
Before joining Baxter, Harry worked for Bank of America in corporate banking and for Northwest Industries in planning and business development.
Harry is active in business, education, and civic affairs. He currently serves on the board of directors of Leidos Corporation, Option Care Health, and Performance Health, and on the board of trustees of Northwestern University, The Conference Board, Endeavor Health System, and the Archdiocese of Chicago Finance Committee and School Board.
He is a member of the Dean’s Global Advisory Board of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is a member of the Council of CEOs, the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the Economics Club of Chicago. He is a past member of the Business Roundtable, the Business Council, and the Healthcare Leadership Council.
Harry graduated summa cum laude from Lawrence University of Wisconsin in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics. He received an MBA degree in finance and accounting from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 1979 and is a certified public accountant. For his outstanding leadership and service, he received the 1996 Schaffner Award from the Kellogg School of Management. Harry enjoys jogging, tennis, skiing, and reading, especially world civilization. Harry, his wife Julie, and their five children live in Wilmette, Illinois.
Bob Nardelli is the founder and CEO of XLR-8 LLC, an investment and consulting company, which he formed in 2012. He is also senior operating partner at CORE Industrial Partners and senior advisor to EY. Mr. Nardelli formerly served as advisor to Emigrant Bank and to the founder of Cerberus Capital Management L.P. (Cerberus), a private equity firm, and held several senior positions with Cerberus and Cerberus Operations and Advisory Company LLC from 2007 to 2015. Mr. Nardelli also serves as a director of several private equity firms.
He served as chairman and CEO of Chrysler LLC from 2007 until 2009, and served as chairman, president and CEO of The Home Depot Inc. from 2000 to 2007. Previously, Mr. Nardelli held several senior executive positions with General Electric Company.
Mr. Nardelli has over 50 years of global operating and financial experience, including with large publicly traded manufacturing companies.
Mr. McCuiston joined the firm in 2023 and is a Director. He assists clients with mergers and acquisitions, financings, and capital structure related projects.
Mr. McCuiston was most recently the CFO of EOS Worldwide, a high growth, private equity backed franchisor that serves more than 170,000 entrepreneurial companies around the world via the tools and concepts that make up the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®).
Prior to his role at EOS®, Mr. McCuiston was a co-founder and partner at The Firefly Group, a lower middle market investment firm headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. Mr. McCuiston previously worked for a Carmel, Indiana-based family office and in corporate development for Indiana University Health. He began his career in Indiana’s Office of Management and Budget during the administration of former Governor Mitch Daniels.
Mr. McCuiston, a native of Newburgh, Indiana, received his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University where he was a Dean’s Fellow. He received his BA from Indiana University’s College of Arts & Sciences.
Patrick Taylor is an accomplished executive in the global industrial and technology sectors, recognized for his transformative leadership and strategic vision. Most recently, Mr. Taylor served as President and Chief Executive Officer of TH Holdings, a diversified industrial manufacturing company specializing in highly engineered hydraulic, electrical, controls and service solutions for the mobile, industrial, infrastructure and oil and gas industries. He held this position from 2016 until the successful divestiture of the company in January 2025, returning greater than 5X MOIC to the shareholders.
During his tenure at TH Holdings, Mr. Taylor spearheaded a period of unprecedented growth, driving revenue and profitability increases of over 300%. He was instrumental in expanding the company’s technology portfolio, global presence, and shareholder value, notably by integrating Texas Hydraulics, Hydromotion, PHC, and Oilgear.
Prior to being named CEO of TH Holdings, Mr. Taylor served as President of Viking Pump and Wright Flow Technologies at IDEX Corporation, where he held global P&L responsibility across seven international locations and was a board member for both companies. His extensive international experience also includes leadership roles at Rockwell Automation, Meritor (Heritage Rockwell) and Belden Corporation, with a focus on strategy, operations and commercial excellence.
Mr. Taylor earned a B.S. in Manufacturing Engineering from Western Carolina University. With over 30 years of experience, he is known for his commitment to delivering industry-leading value to customers, employees, shareholders and communities worldwide.
Jim Canfield has had a life-long passion for leadership. Jim started his first business, a trucking business, at the age of 27 with his brother who was 24. Starting from one truck the first day, three years later they had 150 trucks, 250 employees in 17 locations around the southeast. They ultimately sold that company to their largest customer.
Jim went on to be part of a founding group of a company in the investment industry. The company served financial institutions eventually developing a niche in the credit union sector. Jim and his partners ended up building the largest firm serving credit unions off Wall Street. They sold that company to First Union Bank.
Still in his 30’s, Jim became the youngest chair ever hired by Vistage. He went on to run peer groups in his hometown of Memphis TN for almost 10 years. He was then asked to join the executive team of Vistage in San Diego. As Vistage’s first Chief Learning Officer, Jim was responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training all incoming chairs.
Jim went on to be to be president and CEO of another peer group company also based in the San
Diego area. Jim has trained over 500 chairs to build, lead and facilitate peer groups.
Next Jim authored the book, CEO Tools 2.0: How to Think, Lead and Manage like a CEO. Jim began to speak for Vistage and in six years did almost 500 presentations on CEO Tools for Vistage. During this time, Jim was named Speaker of the Year three times, for Vistage in Canada, for Vistage UK and for Vistage Worldwide.
Jim is now a part of Class VI Partners as part of the Class VI Pathfinder program. His new program, the Value Creation Formula, will challenge us to find new ways to build a more valuable, and more salable company.
Jim Canfield has had a life-long passion for leadership. Jim started his first business, a trucking business, at the age of 27 with his brother who was 24. Starting from one truck the first day, three years later they had 150 trucks, 250 employees in 17 locations around the southeast. They ultimately sold that company to their largest customer.
Jim went on to be part of a founding group of a company in the investment industry. The company served financial institutions eventually developing a niche in the credit union sector. Jim and his partners ended up building the largest firm serving credit unions off Wall Street. They sold that company to First Union Bank.
Still in his 30’s, Jim became the youngest chair ever hired by Vistage. He went on to run peer groups in his hometown of Memphis TN for almost 10 years. He was then asked to join the executive team of Vistage in San Diego. As Vistage’s first Chief Learning Officer, Jim was responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training all incoming chairs.
Jim went on to be to be president and CEO of another peer group company also based in the San
Diego area. Jim has trained over 500 chairs to build, lead and facilitate peer groups.
Next Jim authored the book, CEO Tools 2.0: How to Think, Lead and Manage like a CEO. Jim began to speak for Vistage and in six years did almost 500 presentations on CEO Tools for Vistage. During this time, Jim was named Speaker of the Year three times, for Vistage in Canada, for Vistage UK and for Vistage Worldwide.
Jim is now a part of Class VI Partners as part of the Class VI Pathfinder program. His new program, the Value Creation Formula, will challenge us to find new ways to build a more valuable, and more salable company.
Reese Cann is a seasoned risk management professional with extensive expertise in general and product liability, currently serving as Assistant Vice President in the Risk Control division at Travelers Insurance. In this capacity, he leads strategic efforts to assess exposures and implement control measures aimed at minimizing losses related to liability risks.
He has over twenty years of frontline experience working with mid-sized and large businesses primarily in Manufacturing, Construction, and Real Estate.
He co-leads Travelers innovation initiatives evaluating wearables, IoT applications, and other emerging technology to enhance safety and risk management practices.
Reese holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University, providing a strong foundation in technical problem-solving and analytical thinking. He carries several professional certifications: CSP (Certified Safety Professional), ARM (Associate in Risk Management), and ALCM (Associate in Loss Control Management), underscoring his commitment to professional excellence in risk control.
Known for fostering collaborative teams, Reese has been instrumental in developing and mentoring staff throughout his tenure at Travelers, ensuring they are equipped to identify and manage exposures effectively. His efforts have elevated Travelers’ risk control standards and industry practices—especially through integrating cutting-edge technology to address emerging safety challenges. In addition to domestic teams, Reese also oversees Travelers International Risk Control staff in Canada and Europe.
Tony Fagella is a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor at Raymond James where he provides investment solutions and financial advice to corporate executives, business owners and family offices.
Prior to joining Raymond James in 2016, Tony was a Managing Director and Client Advisor at Deutsche Bank. Tony began his career at Lehman Brothers in 1988 as an equities trader working with many of the firms largest clients. In 1990 he shifted to Equity Capital Markets where he advised and executed corporate buyback programs for the firm’s investment banking clients before joining the Private Client Group in 1994.
Tony has earned the Private Wealth Advisor designation from Raymond James. This designation reflects his experience in managing the financial concerns of families, individuals and organizations of significant wealth, and his mastery of methods and resources necessary to support their expansive financial interests.
Tony supports and has served on several local, nonprofit boards and foundations. Most recently he served as a board member and treasurer of the YMCA of Greenwich, where he helped lead a debt restructuring resulting in a new era of fiscal responsibility and programming. In 2014 Tony was honored with the YMCA Achievement Award for Outstanding Service.
Tony received both his BBA and MBA from Iona University in New York.
Tony Fagella is a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor at Raymond James where he provides investment solutions and financial advice to corporate executives, business owners and family offices.
Prior to joining Raymond James in 2016, Tony was a Managing Director and Client Advisor at Deutsche Bank. Tony began his career at Lehman Brothers in 1988 as an equities trader working with many of the firms largest clients. In 1990 he shifted to Equity Capital Markets where he advised and executed corporate buyback programs for the firm’s investment banking clients before joining the Private Client Group in 1994.
Tony has earned the Private Wealth Advisor designation from Raymond James. This designation reflects his experience in managing the financial concerns of families, individuals and organizations of significant wealth, and his mastery of methods and resources necessary to support their expansive financial interests.
Tony supports and has served on several local, nonprofit boards and foundations. Most recently he served as a board member and treasurer of the YMCA of Greenwich, where he helped lead a debt restructuring resulting in a new era of fiscal responsibility and programming. In 2014 Tony was honored with the YMCA Achievement Award for Outstanding Service.
Tony received both his BBA and MBA from Iona University in New York.
Within his career as CEO and as M&A advisor, Andy has deep experience in hundreds transactions, which range from strategic acquisitions of privately-held companies and corporate carve-outs to selling to strategic buyers. His deal experience ranges from $20M to $1B, with total deal experience in the billions. He has helped many business owners achieve between 40% to 100% premiums over market value for their business by helping them find the right strategic buyer.
Sean Hutchinson is a partner in the international value growth consulting firm Ready for Next, which was founded to help owners in the USA and Canada increase the enterprise value of their businesses, achieve transition-readiness, and ultimately harvest that value to fund their “third act.”
RFN’s Value Accelerator is a process-driven, structured approach to increasing earnings, reducing risk and positioning the business as best-in-class. RFN’s clients are privately held middle-market business owners in a broad spectrum of industries. Ready for Next’s success is powered by one of the best qualified and most seasoned teams of advisors in the profession, all of whom are former business owners or C-level executives.
Sean has been a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) since November 2008 (one of the first 100 to be certified), a CEPA course faculty member since 2014, has been honored by the Exit Planning Institute as Exit Planner of the Year & Leader of the Year, and was inducted into EPI’s CEPA Hall of Fame in 2024. He is recognized as one of the profession’s top thought leaders.
He is also a 3rd generation heir to his family’s 69-year-old manufacturing business, a first-hand, very personal, and humbling experience that keeps him grounded in the realities of value growth and ownership transition.
In addition to holding the CEPA credential, Sean is a Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor (CMAA) and has served on the Boards of five private companies, including 13 years for a 90% ESOP-owned enterprise. He graduated in 1992 with a Master of Arts degree from Miami University of Ohio.
Larry Reinharz has served as Managing Director at Woodbridge since 2005, bringing over three decades of experience advising entrepreneurs, middle-market business owners, and corporate executives on strategies to maximize business value. In his leadership role, he oversees new business development and has worked across a range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, business services, retail, and healthcare.
Before joining Woodbridge, Larry was a commercial lender with JPMorgan Chase and Merrill Lynch. A recognized thought leader, he regularly speaks to business groups and law firms on M&A and corporate finance, and his “Ask Larry” video series continues to educate clients both in the U.S. and internationally.
Larry earned his B.A. in political science and economics from Manhattanville College. He lives in Pleasantville, New York, with his wife and two sons.
He holds FINRA Series 24, 14, 79, 63, and 7 licenses through Woodbridge International’s broker-dealer, WG Securities, LLC.
With 18 years of experience in the insurance industry, Sarah is a seasoned insurance leader specializing in Property and Casualty insurance for portfolio companies of private equity firms. She leads the New York City Middle Market PE team and has responsibility nationally to build out the Private Equity Practice across Travelers regions and business units. She brings a proven track record of developing innovative risk management strategies and delivering tailored insurance solutions to meet the complex needs of portfolio companies. Sarah is proud of her ability to foster strong relationships with clients, brokers, and underwriters, ensuring seamless collaboration and exceptional service delivery.
Mr. May is the Founder and Managing Partner of CORE and is responsible for overseeing all activities of the firm including investment sourcing and valuation, transaction structuring, the securing of acquisition financing, and fundraising.
Before founding CORE, he spent 18 years working on transactions with several private equity sponsors principally with The Blackstone Group and H.I.G. Capital. He currently serves on the boards of the following CORE portfolio companies:
Fathom, Saylite, Cohere, Kelvix, Cadrex, 3DXTech, GEM, Century Box, and Aviation Concepts.
Mr. May graduated with Honors from East Carolina University with a business degree. He currently serves on the ECU Foundation Board of Directors including its Executive Committee and is Chair of the Investment Committee. He is also Co-Founder and
Former Chairman of the Board for Imerman Angels, a 501 (c)(3) Chicago based cancer support organization. He is also an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, and obtained his Level I Sommelier accreditation from The International Sommelier Guild.
Jonathan Sherrill is a seasoned business strategist with over 27 years of experience in the steel building component manufacturing industry. As President of Gulf Coast Supply, he led the company to significant growth and industry recognition. In 2018, he founded Quicken Steel, which he successfully scaled and exited.
Currently, Jonathan offers CEO coaching services and invests in business ventures. As a member of YPO, he is dedicated to helping business owners achieve their goals and prepare for successful exits.
Jonathan Sherrill is a seasoned business strategist with over 27 years of experience in the steel building component manufacturing industry. As President of Gulf Coast Supply, he led the company to significant growth and industry recognition. In 2018, he founded Quicken Steel, which he successfully scaled and exited.
Currently, Jonathan offers CEO coaching services and invests in business ventures. As a member of YPO, he is dedicated to helping business owners achieve their goals and prepare for successful exits.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.