Five Best Fun Cars for CEOs
The jaded attendants at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel’s parking garage have seen every luxury car imaginable. When I drove up in an Audi RS 7 sedan, with its stunning front grille, I scanned their stoic faces for any reaction, but I saw none. The next morning, when I checked out, however, I discovered they had parked it in a special area with the Bentleys and BMW 7 Series sedans. They clearly treasured it. What the attendants couldn’t possibly know is that the car, while stunningly beautiful, contains a raging inner beast. A 560-horsepower, 4-liter, V8 engine erupts whenever the driver hits the accelerator. A sports exhaust outlet opens up and the cabin is filled with a delicious roar, much like the deep bass pipes of a medieval organ would fill a cathedral. Audi claims a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 3.7 seconds.The RS 7 model, introduced in the United States in October 2013, is built by quattro GmbH, a division of Audi, much like Mercedes has its AMG and BMW has its M performance lines. It is intended to be “maximum Audi,” the company says, and it delivers just that. It may be the perfect choice for a CEO who wants four doors for family or friends, a spacious trunk and all the beautiful touches,such as the stitching on the seats and wood inlays with aluminum striping. The 20-inch gloss-black wheels are works of art by themselves.Yet it can be driven robustly when you’re in that mood. Its suspension, engine and transmission are set-up more aggressively than other Audis and it competes against the Mercedes CLS and the BMW 6 Grand Coupe. There is no manual shift, but paddles on the steering wheel allow you to drive it like a Formula One race car when you want a surge of adrenaline. This car offers a most satisfying combination of luxury, utility and performance.
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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.
