Mr. Carlton has been President of Tokai Carbon GE LLC for the last 8 years and has executed substantial growth in their US operations in Arkansas and Kentucky. Tokai Carbon GE LLC primarily produces graphite electrodes for the US steel industry, and is the US subsidiary of Tokai Carbon Ltd, a publicly traded global leader in the production of carbon and graphite materials throughout the world. Scott had extensive manufacturing experience on an international basis.
Prior to this position, Scott held the position of President of North America for SGL Carbon for over 10 years and was the Controller of SGL Carbon in Germany from 2002 to 2007. He has extensive experience in manufacturing and international business. He also serves on the board of United Fire Group, a publicly traded insurance company. He is a Certified Director by the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Ram Charan is a renowned CEO advisor, director of seven boards, and author or coauthor of 37 books (with four million copies sold), including Execution—a New York Times bestseller for 150 weeks—and six authoritative books on corporate boards on governance. His latest book, China’s 90% Model, explores how the country has come to dominate the global economy and how the US must respond. Charan earned MBA (Baker’s Scholar, with high distinction) and doctorate degrees in corporate governance from Harvard Business School. A highly renowned and award-winning teacher at GE’s Crotonville Leadership Institute and at Northwestern University, his work spans China, Brazil, Japan, Australia, India, and the US. He has worked with boards and CEOs of companies including Humana, Bank of America, and two of the four largest digital companies in China.
Recently named #3 CEO in the world by Inc. Magazine, Bob Chapman transformed Barry-Wehmiller from a struggling $20M company to a thriving $3.6B global manufacturing enterprise over 50 years—not through traditional management practices, but through “Truly Human Leadership.” In an era where manufacturing must fill 4.6 million jobs by 2028 and 50% of employees leave because of their managers, Chapman’s people-centric approach offers a revolutionary path forward. At Barry-Wehmiller, they measure success “by the way they touch the lives of people,” achieving extraordinary business results through extraordinary care for their team members. Learn how this St. Louis-based manufacturing leader built a culture where people flourish, retention soars, and business results follow.
Chapman is Chairman and CEO of St. Louis, MO-based Barry-Wehmiller, a $3.6B global capital equipment and engineering solutions company with more than 12,000 team members. He became the senior executive of BarryWehmiller in 1975 at age 30 when the 90-year-old business had $20 million in revenue, outdated technology and a very weak financial position. Despite the obstacles, Chapman applied a unique blend of strategy and culture over the next 45+ years in leading Barry-Wehmiller through more than 140 successful acquisitions. Over the past two decades, a series of realizations led him away from traditional management practices to Truly Human Leadership–a people-centric approach where his team members feel valued, cared for and integral to the company’s purpose. At Barry-Wehmiller, they have a unique measure of success: by the way they touch the lives of people. Chapman’s experiences and the transformation he championed were the inspiration behind his 2015 WSJ bestseller Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family. The book is coauthored by Raj Sisodia, founder and co-author of Conscious Capitalism. The book has been translated into eight languages and in 2025 was re-released in a revised and expanded edition with 90 additional pages of insights. In 2016, Barry-Wehmiller’s unique approach to business was featured in a case study by Harvard Business School, which is now taught at 70+ business schools around the world.
Michel Abranches is a financial services and enterprise technology leader with 20+ years of experience advising CFOs and Treasurers. He leads U.S. Operations at Monkey Tech, where he focuses on improving EBITDA quality and cash-flow integrity through Working Capital 2.0. Previously, he held advisory roles at Accenture and Gartner.
Brian Gerritsen, CPCU, ARM is an Assistant Vice President and Manufacturing Segment Leader at Travelers Insurance.
Leveraging over 20 years in the industry, he is responsible for delivering insurance products, risk reduction and claim solutions that focus on employee and product safety, unique asset protection, supply chain resiliency, and maintaining marketplace brand and reputation.
He is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine.
After starting his career in consulting with Coopers & Lybrand, Rich joined The Gund Company in 1992. Over the past 30 years, Rich has held a variety of manufacturing and administrative roles with the company and currently serves as its Chairman and Chief Operating Officer.
Most importantly, Rich is blessed to be married to Kathleen, his partner in all things. They have three adult children, Ellie, Marilyn and Krai. The opportunity to work with the wonderful people at The Gund Company continues to be one of the great joys in his life.
Why Statement
“To recognize and serve others so lives are transformed.”
Education
B.B.A. and M.B.A, University of Notre Dame
Employment
Coopers & Lybrand 1990 – 1992
Associate Consultant – Staff consultant working on operational improvement projects for Fortune 500 clients
The Gund Company, Inc. 1992 – Present
Account Manager – Sales role responsible for developing the generator insulation market
Shop Manager – Responsible for order fulfillment at the St. Louis plant
Operations Manager – Responsible for integrating acquisitions and order fulfillment across all company plants
Vice President, Operations – Responsible for integrating acquisitions and order fulfillment across all company plants and administrative functions
Executive Vice President, Administration – Responsible for the administrative functions of Accounting, Human Resources, Information Systems, and Quality
Executive Vice President, Operations – Responsible for all manufacturing and distribution facilities representing 11 plants in 4 countries
Chairman & Chief Operating Officer – Responsible for Board-level strategic initiatives primarily related to governance, acquisitions and leadership development
Professional
Board Service – Board Member for both privately held, for-profit companies as well as not-for-profit organizations
Public Speaking – Podcasts, keynote speeches, training sessions and virtual events on leadership, culture, people first, continuous improvement, and family business
Personal
Rich and Kathleen actively support a variety of non-profit organizations including:
Foster Parents (17 years) International Institute of St. Louis
St. Louis Tax Assistance Program American Red Cross
North Grand Neighborhood Services Trailnet
The Gund Company is a fourth generation family business in some ways and a sixth generation family business in other ways. As a descendant of Al Bussmann, Sr., who along with his brothers started the world’s largest manufacturer of electrical fuses, Bussmann Manufacturing in 1910, Steve has learned many lessons about running successful family businesses. The Gund Company was formed out of Bussmann in 1951 to focus on electrical insulation material technology. Steve joined his brother Rich in the business as employee number fourteen (#14) with both focusing entirely on growing their small family business. Today, The Gund Company manufactures electrical insulation components for electrical power systems equipment such as power generators, transformers, switchgear, and of course, electrical fuses. With over 1,300 teammates today at 17 facilities across 7 countries, the company has grown by more than 100 times in the last 33 years.
Board Experience
• The Gund Company, St. Louis, MO – Board Member (2001 to Present)
• TGC Jiaxing, LLC, Jiaxing, China – Joint Venture Board Member. (2010 to Present)
• Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK), Milwaukee, WI – Chairman, Supplier Council. (2011 to Present)
• Essex Industries, St. Louis, MO – Member, Board of Directors. (2017 to Present)
• Malisko Engineering, St. Louis, MO – Member, Board of Advisors (2022 to Present)
• Saint Louis University High School, Board of Trustees (2023 to Present)
• IRG Power Systems, Inc., St. Louis, MO – Member, Board of Directors. (1996 to 2022)
• John Henry Foster Company, St. Louis, MO – Member, Chairman, Board of Directors. (2016 to 2022)
• Paramount Apparel International, Bourbon, MO – Member, Board of Advisors. (2019 to 2022)
• Ferguson Roofing, Inc., Saint Louis, MO – Member, Board of Advisors. (2016 to 2019)
• PLH Manufacturing, LLC., Jacksonville, FL – Board Member (1996 to 2002)
• Washington University Operational Excellence Association, St. Louis, MO – Board Member (2009 to 2012)
Steve’s passion for sharing the hard-learned lessons of family business stewardship results in transparent and candid feedback peppered with humility and humor. Having developed a robust process for benchmarking world-class companies, The Gund Company has benefited from the generosity of those willing to share their experiential wisdom. Seeking to pay it forward, Steve contributes his experience in business model development, strategic planning, market growth models, continuous improvement systems, cultural development, and financial performance improvement.
Prior to joining the family business, Steve graduated from the University of Notre Dame and Chaminade College Prep. He studied at La Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City) while also working at Industrias Unidas, S.A. de C.V., a multi-billion dollar family business. He lives in University City, MO with his wife Stacy and his four kids, Caitlyn, Collin, Bryan, and Luke. Steve has been a guest lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University Chaifetz School of Business teaching Humanistic, Dignity-Based Leadership.
Chris Hayes is Travelers’ Risk Control Assistant Vice President for Workers Compensation Strategy & Consulting Services. Since joining Travelers in 2001, Chris has held a variety of roles where he worked as a Transportation Specialist, National Account Consultant, Training Specialist, and technical leader of both the auto and workers compensation lines. He brings nearly three decades of experience in worker safety, cost containment, and fleet safety. Chris has applied his focus on employee engagement, behavioral coaching, and safety leadership across diverse industries including manufacturing, research, wholesale & distribution, and commercial trucking. Ask him about the time he had to gather experts on anthrax; you’ll understand why this is the most fascinating job you can have.
Prior to joining Travelers, Chris worked in customer training and development of transportation safety services specific to the trucking industry. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Dickinson College and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana University. His 500-hour training in yoga and meditation instructor and advanced training in yoga for PTSD inform his three guiding principles for work and life: ahimsa (non-harm), viveka (keen discernment), and santosha (acceptance without obviating the ability to lead change).
In addition to holding two patents for integrating insurance pricing and vehicle telematics, Chris represented Travelers for ten years as a stakeholder board member for the National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence (NSTSCE), located at the prestigious Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. He strives to combine a research-backed methodology and a grounded, approachable style to his risk management consulting, always keeping the care and safety of people as the top priority.
Whether it’s working with a broad team to develop a transitional duty program for injured industrial employees or adjusting your desk, Chris loves making his job about getting folks home safe and injury free.
Sarah Jacobs is Senior Business Director at Greater St. Louis, Inc., where she leads business retention and expansion initiatives across the St. Louis region, working closely with manufacturers and corporate leaders to support investment, workforce growth, and long-term competitiveness. With more than a decade of experience in economic development, she focuses on helping existing companies scale operations, navigate infrastructure and workforce challenges, and identify opportunities for continued growth.
Prior to joining Greater St. Louis, Inc., Sarah served as President and CEO of the Coweta County Development Authority in Georgia, where she led business recruitment, retention, and expansion efforts and secured major advanced manufacturing investments including projects with Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas, Yokogawa, and Lee Kum Kee.
Sarah holds both a B.S. in Business Administration and an MBA from Maryville University in St. Louis.
Bart Kelly is a principal in the Crowe consulting services group and specializes in the manufacturing and distribution industry. Bart focuses on helping clients drive operational and business performance improvements in the areas of productivity, lead-time, and quality. He has worked with clients with operations throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, ranging in size from $10 million to $20 billion in revenues.
Bart has more than 15 years of experience and provides services in the areas of:
Additionally, Bart has led projects focused on quoting and estimating improvement, demand planning, engineering statistical inventory management, finite planning and scheduling, back office productivity, and shared services.
Wil Knibloe serves as the managing principal of supply chain at Crowe. Additionally, Wil is a leader in Crowe’s performance improvement practice with a high focus on supporting clients through supply chain strategy, strategic sourcing and logistics optimization services. Wil brings more than 20 years of experience serving over 70 clients across multiple countries and industries, including manufacturing, distribution and logistics, and construction.
Wil specializes in procurement, materials management, supplier management, strategic sourcing, and continuous improvement while helping clients to transition from traditional sourcing and procurement operations to a genuinely strategic sourcing and procurement approach.
John Kramer, Jr. is the second-generation CEO and Chairman of the Board at Cambridge Air Solutions. He’s leading the family business founded in 1963 with a bold mission that doesn’t stop at HVAC systems or operational excellence. While Cambridge Air manufactures cutting-edge, ultra-efficient heating, ventilation, and cooling technology for warehouses and industrial facilities across North America, John’s real passion is restoring glory and dignity to the manufacturing workforce.
Guided by Lean manufacturing principles, he’s built a culture where every employee is empowered to solve problems and “fix what bugs them.” The results of a continuous improvement culture transcend the factory floor—team members become better husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. The company’s rallying cry of existing to “Enrich Lives,” is intended just as much for the people who work in Cambridge’s facilities as the customers who use Cambridge equipment.
Along with being a member of the YPO, CEO and The Tugboat Institute for Evergreen companies, John actively engages across multiple manufacturing networks and has served on various boards for other people-centric and faith-based organizations:
A graduate of Wheaton College, IL, John lives in St. Louis with his wife, Sara. They have two married children and are raising Dieu Merci Kebeshe. Active members in their church, Central Presbyterian Church, John and his family are committed to bringing in the third generation of the family business while bringing glory and dignity in manufacturing.
Peter Mann is the CEO & Founder of Virginia-based Oransi, a motor technology company that has transformed from air purification into advanced manufacturing for multiple industries. In 2021, Mann led Oransi’s merger with Aviemore Technologies and purchased a 157,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Radford, Virginia, launching U.S.-based production in 2023. Previously, Mann founded and led Alen Corp., another air purification company, to a successful exit after seven years. He served as a Naval officer during the First Gulf War and later held leadership roles at Fortune 100 companies Tech Data and Dell. Mann is Chair of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers’ Air Cleaner Council and a prominent advocate for neurodiversity in manufacturing. He holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of South Florida.
Jeff McCaslin is an Industry Solution Architect and Consulting Director for Manufacturing at Oracle NetSuite, where he works with manufacturers to modernize operations, improve supply chain visibility, and scale their businesses through cloud ERP.
Jeff brings more than 20 years of manufacturing and supply chain experience, including over a decade leading NetSuite ERP implementations. He has participated in more than 100 full-cycle implementations, serving as lead consultant on more than 75 projects. Prior to consulting, Jeff held leadership roles in manufacturing and global supply chain operations, giving him a practical, operator’s perspective on the challenges manufacturers face today.”
Jim McKelvey is best known for co-founding Square, now called Block; a trustee of Washington University, now called WashU; and former Chair of the St. Louis Federal Reserve, still called The Fed.
Jim is also an artist/designer who authored the world’s top textbook on glassblowing. His industrial designs are in both the Smithsonian and Museum of Modern Art. He co-founded Third Degree Glass Factory, one of the top centers for glass artwork.
Jim’s current projects include creating the world’s first plastic-free diaper and radically increasing the speed at which drugs are tested and approved.
Jim & his wife Anna are giving away their entire multi-billion-dollar fortune.
Neema Moghadam is a Regional Vice President at Oracle NetSuite, where he works with manufacturing and product-based companies to modernize operations and scale more effectively using cloud ERP. Over more than a decade at NetSuite, Neema has partnered with executives and leadership teams to connect financial, supply chain, and operational data and help organizations make faster, more confident decisions across the business. He brings deep experience working with manufacturers navigating growth, operational complexity, and digital transformation, helping leadership teams build the systems and processes needed to support long term scalability.
Dawn Werry is a Partner at Chief Outsiders, the world’s leading fractional go-to-market firm. Chief Outsiders helps founder-led and private equity-backed mid-market companies build systems that drive steady, predictable growth.
Dawn started her career as an engineer in industrial and manufacturing companies before moving into strategy and marketing roles to better connect what companies build with how they win in the market. She has worked at multi-billion-dollar companies, founder-led and PE-backed mid-market businesses and has owned her own company.
She helps industrial companies simplify complex products, scale faster, and align teams to deliver a consistent and compelling customer experience.
Outside of work, Dawn lives in coastal North Carolina with her husband and two dogs. She enjoys being on the water, cooking, traveling, and fitness.
Jacob Wood likes to get into the trenches with his clients.
Jacob works closely with his clients – planning with them, building with them, and celebrating with them. Jacob prides himself on creating long-term relationships – not short-term sales — and his analytical skills and financial expertise allow him to function strategically as a trusted advisor.
In the last decade, Jacob has personally performed or overseen over 2,000 R&D Tax Credit studies, identifying and substantiating over $800 million in federal and state tax credits. Additionally, he specialized in creating excellent experiences for his clients and their friends, engaging hundreds of clients by direct referral. The majority of Jacob’s clients have also gone on to become multi-year partners.
Jacob is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in R&D Tax Credit Law, Canadian SR&ED Credits, Cost Segregation, and Federal Energy Incentives. He is also a SME in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, Software, and Life Sciences industries, though he confesses to a special interest in robotics and automation.
A self-described “lifelong student,” Jacob is continually sharpening his technical skills. He freely admits to loving math, reading The Economist, and considering tax law a “fun hobby.” Jacob is first and foremost a people-person, and using his knowledge to help clients in a positive, productive way is what he finds truly gratifying. A member of the Texas Bar Association, Jacob holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University.
Happily married to his college sweetheart, Jacob is a busy father of four. In his scant free time, Jacob enjoys running, cooking, and introducing his kids to classic 1980s movies.
Ron Hall is President and Chief Executive Officer at Bridgewater Interiors, LLC. Bridgewater is an automotive interiors manufacturing firm, specializing in just-in-time assembly, sequencing, and delivery of seating systems. It employs more than 2,400 people at four facilities in the U.S. Ron has been with the company in various roles of increasing responsibility since 2007, succeeding his father, company founder Ron Hall, Sr., in 2015.
A lawyer by training, Ron spent the several years of his early career as a Detroit-based corporate attorney at Dykema, PLLC, a prominent business law firm. He earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Michigan Law School, where he was a Darrow Scholar, received the Book Award for excellence in Administrative Law, and served as an associate editor on the Michigan Journal of International Law.
Mujeeb Ijaz is the founder of Our Next Energy (ONE), a Michigan-based energy storage technology company. Ijaz has over 30 years of experience developing electric vehicles and battery systems technologies, focusing on furthering the adoption of electric vehicles through advancements in battery safety, range, and cost.
Before founding ONE, Ijaz led teams at Ford Motor Co. and developed Ford’s Edge with HySeries Drive, the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 that set a land speed record at Bonneville in 2007, and the Chrysler ENVI project. Before that, he was president of A123’s Venture Technologies unit, where he and his team led the development of Li-Ion battery solutions for electric vehicles. He was also once a senior director at Apple, where he developed novel energy storage solutions.
A graduate of Virginia Tech, Ijaz holds 31 U.S. patents in the field of battery technology and energy management systems.
Carolyn Lee is the president and executive director of the Manufacturing Institute.
Ms. Lee leads the Institute in its goal of building a resilient manufacturing workforce prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Ms. Lee was named to the leadership role at the MI in 2017, and during her leadership tenure the MI has grown significantly, evolving for scaled impact nationwide across the manufacturing industry. She led the MI as it developed new programs, initiatives and events, including taking stewardship from Toyota of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education in 2019 and growing its reach; inaugurating the annual MI Workforce Summit; launching the 35×30 mentorship initiative for women and young girls; expanding the MI’s Heroes MAKE America initiative; working with the National Association of Manufacturers to develop Creators Wanted—the manufacturing industry’s largest national workforce development and education campaign; and partnering with organizations such as Stand Together Trust to create the MI’s Second Chance Hiring Initiative.
Through implementing groundbreaking programs, convening industry leaders and conducting innovative research, the MI furthers individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions to address the toughest workforce issues.
Ms. Lee was raised in a manufacturing family; as the daughter and granddaughter of manufacturers, she saw from a young age the transformative impact manufacturing can have on communities, families and the men and women who build the world around us. Now it’s what drives her values as she works to bring manufacturing’s powerful potential to more Americans, sharing the many pathways to opportunity and ensuring that the industry and America can compete in the global economy.
Prior to her role leading the Institute, Ms. Lee served for many years on the domestic policy team at the NAM. She also worked in leadership positions with the Telecommunications Industry Association and 3M and in the offices of former Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and former Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY).
As CEO and Chief Economic Competitiveness Officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and President and Chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund, Quentin implements and executes MEDC’s core mission of business development and attraction, community development, providing access to capital and enhancing Michigan’s brand with a focus on building a strong, equitable economy for all Michiganders. He manages the administration of all programs, funds, personnel, contracts, and other administrative functions of MEDC.
Quentin is a member of Governor Gretchen E. Whitmer’s cabinet and serves on the boards of the American Center for Mobility, Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute. He is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Investment Advisory Council, the University of Michigan’s Innovation Partnerships National Advisory Board, and the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions.
He was named by Financial Times as a member of the 2021 Agenda Diversity 100, Crain’s Detroit Business as one of the Newsmakers of the Year (2022) and 50 Names to Know in Government (2021), Biz New Orleans as CEO of the Year (2020) and Businessperson of the Year (2019), Consultants Connect as one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers (2020, 2019) and Ebony Magazine for its Ebony Power 100 as a Power Player (2018).
Pavan Muzumdar is the chief operating officer of Automation Alley, Michigan’s Industry 4.0 knowledge center. Blending his 20-plus years of experience in executive leadership roles with his love of financial analysis and entrepreneurial endeavors, Pavan brings a people-focused, fundamentals-based analytical approach to his work.
Pavan is an Industry 4.0 expert who is often invited to speak at conferences and is a regular participant in panel discussions related to digital transformation. Pavan has been instrumental to the success of Automation Alley’s Industry 4.0 programs and services, including taking a leading role in the creation and management for Project DIAMOnD, Automation Alley’s 3D printing network.
In addition to his role at Automation Alley, Pavan is also the founder of PCS Insight LLC, a company that teaches leaders of growing companies how to increase profits by intensifying happiness and reducing friction in the workplace, resulting in greater productivity and long-term success. Pavan is also the author of the book “Venture Perfect: The Leadership System to Maximize Teamwork and Profit in Your Business.”
He is a CFA charter holder and has master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts, and a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Bombay.
Jerry has some 20 years of experience in the robotics industry, including time at three of the world’s largest robot OEMs. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
FANUC America is a leading supplier of robotics, CNCs, and Robomachines, with more than 25 million products installed worldwide. From small shops to large assembly operations, manufacturers rely on FANUC automation to improve productivity, increase quality, maximize profits and maintain a competitive edge. FANUC offers a large selection of robot and cobot models with payload capacities from 0.5 to 2,300 kilograms. The company also offers add-ons, such as integrated vision, simulation, and IIoT monitoring to prevent downtime.
Vice President, Travelers
Keith Andersen has 30 years of property casualty insurance industry experience across multiple lines of insurance business. He currently leads the Claim General Liability product area and through close collaboration with Claim’s field management teams and business areas, is responsible for the group’s operational and resolution excellence, innovation initiatives and advancing its severity and litigation strategies.
Senior Director-Strategy – Business Analytics, Armanino
As a leader in the Consulting practice, Ryan leads Armanino’s Business Analytics and Automation group. With more than 25 years of professional technical consulting experience, he helps clients of all sizes and in every industry put technology at the front of solving complex problems. His experience allows him to analyze business operations and thoughtfully recommend tailored and scalable solutions that provide productivity and efficiency improvements while reducing data-related errors.
Ryan’s technical experience, coupled with his background of architecting solutions, enables him to understand his clients’ unique business goals and help them build a long-term strategy. Ryan is passionate about working with his team of world-class technologists to help clients move to more efficient and stable day-to-day processes.
Assistant Vice President and Manufacturing Segment Leader, Travelers Insurance
Brian Gerritsen, CPCU, ARM is an Assistant Vice President and Manufacturing Segment Leader at Travelers Insurance.
Leveraging over 20 years in the industry, he is responsible for delivering insurance products, risk reduction and claim solutions that focus on employee and product safety, unique asset protection, supply chain resiliency, and maintaining marketplace brand and reputation.
He is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine.
President North America Strategies, STS Capital Partners
Andy Harris is a proven M&A leader, CEO, active board member, and passionate advisor with 30 years of leadership experience who thrives to deliver results through M&A. As President, North American Strategies of STS Capital, Andy offers consulting to our clients and team on M&A deals while providing his expert guidance through all phases of the transaction process. In addition to performing the responsibilities of a Managing Director, Andy is responsible for expanding engagements with key strategic partners in North America to build enduring relationships for STS.
Within his career as CEO and as M&A advisor, Andy has personally led over 30 M&A 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 $670M, with total value exceeding $1.5B. 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.
Andy is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), which is a global leadership community of chief executives and business owners. He participates as a key facilitator at YPO’s annual three-day M&A Playbook symposium where he shares his thought leadership as an industry expert.
Prior to joining STS Capital, Andy was President and CEO of Accella Performance Materials from 2012-2017. He led Accella to grow in revenue by 6x and profit by 8x under 5 years through organic and acquisitive growth (14 acquisitions), culminating in a strategic sale to the Carlisle Companies.
Practice Leader, Industrial Manufacturing, Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC
Jason is a partner at Cherry Bekaert focused on growing Industrial and Consumer Goods practice. He assists the firm’s clients in their efforts to accelerate growth, optimize supply chains, truly aim for carbon neutrality, uplift their digital enterprise tools, implement AI tools and optimize their tax strategy along the way.
From 2016 – 2022, Jason was CEO and Board Member of Skullcandy, where he led a strong global team distributed in ~100 countries, competing against a few of the world’s most popular brands (Apple, Samsung, Beats, Bose and Sony). Skullcandy cultivated a gritty underdog mentality, grew Adj. EBITDA by >4x in 9 years & revenue by ~2x in 9 years, led the domestic audio market in mass market share (NPD; prices < $100), and sold ~20 million units per annum globally. In March 2022 we were honored by Walmart as their “Consumer Electronics Supplier of the Year” while at the same time winning a 2021 Utah Green Business Award and a 2021 Business Intelligence Group (BIG) Sustainability Award.
Under his leadership, Skullcandy was named by Deloitte and the Wall Street Journal as a “US Best Managed Company” in 2020, 2021 and 2022 citing its values-driven culture, data-driven leadership, strategic process, brand strength, global distribution and digital-first attack. The company was named a Top 50 “Best Places to Work” by Outdoor Magazine in November 2019.
Prior to becoming CEO, Jason was CFO of Skullcandy from 2013-2016. He als has CFO experience with Connexity, Move Networks and the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.
Partner, Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC
As a Tax Partner at Cherry Bekaert, Ron has more than 25 years of experience in the area of taxation. He serves a diverse client base including multi-national, public and closely held companies. Clients who depend on Ron’s guidance inhabit several industries including manufacturing, distribution, technology, life sciences, energy, real estate, construction, and private equity. Based in the Firm’s Raleigh office, he guides clients through several taxation matters, including international and domestic tax, provisions, FIN 48, tax controversy, federal/state tax credits, and complex transactional matters. Ron has extensive practical experience bringing value to clients.
Prior to joining Cherry Bekaert, Ron was a tax partner with an international firm for ten years, followed by several years with a regional firm. During his career, he spent seven years in a national tax role in Washington, DC, focusing on domestic and international tax issues, mergers and acquisitions and IRS tax controversy matters.
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 30s, 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 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.
Andy Harris is a proven M&A leader, CEO, active board member, and passionate advisor with 30 years of leadership experience who thrives to deliver results through M&A. As a professional who has been on both the buy and sell side of the strategic M&A process, he applies his business acumen as President, North America Strategies and Managing Director of STS Capital.
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.
Fred Hassan is Chairman of Caret Group and a Director at private equity firm Warburg Pincus. Hassan has built an unparalleled reputation as one of the world’s most successful turnaround CEOs and M&A strategists, having led three global pharmaceutical companies through transformative deals and turnarounds.
Hassan served as Chairman and CEO of Schering-Plough Corporation from 2003 to 2009, where he orchestrated one of the industry’s most dramatic turnarounds. Inheriting a company plagued by FDA investigations, SEC accounting issues, and declining products, Hassan resolved urgent legal, regulatory, and operational challenges while executing the strategic $16 billion acquisition of Organon in 2007—a deal that would prove transformative. Under his leadership, Schering-Plough’s stock rose 62% while peer companies declined 21%, culminating in a $41.1 billion merger with Merck in 2009.
Previously, Hassan served as Chairman and CEO of Pharmacia Corporation, formed through the 2000 merger of Monsanto and Pharmacia & Upjohn. Hassan joined Pharmacia & Upjohn as CEO in 1997 when the failing merger was in disarray. Through decisive leadership, Hassan transformed the struggling company, overseeing the successful IPO and subsequent spinoff of Monsanto (later acquired by Bayer for $62.5 billion), establishing Celebrex as a blockbuster drug, and growing company value from $15 billion to $52 billion before selling to Pfizer for $62 billion in 2003—with a 44% premium for shareholders.
Hassan’s M&A expertise extends beyond pharmaceutical mergers. He orchestrated the Sugen acquisition ($650 million), which yielded Sutent, a billion-dollar cancer drug. His strategic vision at Schering-Plough led to acquiring Organon’s research pipeline, which included Keytruda—now expected to become the world’s largest pharmaceutical product, annualizing $30 billion in sales as part of Merck’s portfolio.
Earlier in his career, Hassan was Executive Vice President at Wyeth and spent 17 years with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (now Novartis), ultimately leading its U.S. division. Throughout his career, Hassan has participated in six successful major mergers and integrations, developing what he calls his “turnaround playbook” focused on leading change from the top line and mobilizing frontline managers.
Hassan earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He co-founded The CEO Forum with Accenture in 2012, an annual gathering where life sciences CEOs from the world’s largest healthcare companies discuss management strategies. In 2014, CNBC named him one of the 200 people who have had the greatest influence on business over the past quarter century. Hassan is the author of “Reinvent: A Leader’s Playbook for Serial Success” and has chaired the CEO of the Year selection committee.
Hassan’s board experience includes serving on the boards of Time Warner (before its $85 billion acquisition by AT&T), Amgen, and currently serves on the boards of Precigen, BridgeBio, and Prometheus Biosciences. He also served as Chairman of Bausch & Lomb from 2010 until its sale in 2013, and as Chairman of Theramex—both turnaround situations that concluded successfully.
Louis-Albert Jolivert has over 25 years of experience in financial services and has worked in private equity, wealth management, and fixed income derivatives sales and trading. As a senior member of the Business Development Team at Align, Louis and his colleagues identify lower-middle market companies anticipating an M&A transaction and help to deliver the full resources of the firm with the goal of delivering a successful outcome to its clients.
Louis joined Align from H.I.G. Capital where he was a Director of Business Development and sourced investment opportunities for their equity and debt funds. Prior to this, Louis was a Senior Director with BNY Mellon Wealth Management and a Vice President with JP Morgan’s Private Bank. In both roles, he provided investment management advice to high-net-worth individuals and families. Louis began his career with Bear, Stearns and Co. in New York where he was a Managing Director in Fixed Income Derivatives Sales & Trading and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston College and an MBA from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business.
Goldman Sachs, Investment Banking Vice President
McKinsey & Co., Engagement Manager
Jay is the Founder and Managing Partner of Embarc Advisors. He is a former Goldman Sachs Investment Banker and McKinsey & Company Consultant who has completed over $50 billion in transactions, including marquee transactions such as the sale of Yahoo, the sale of MuleSoft, and the sale of SanDisk.
Jay founded Embarc Advisors under the “Jerry Maguire” principles, on the belief that it is possible to provide first-class financial services to clients, while simultaneously providing meaningful work experiences and a sense of enjoyment to Embarc team members. As a result of his vision, and his determination to operate with unwavering integrity, he has earned the trust of countless Founders, CEOs, and other business leaders, who have become valued Embarc clients. He has also been able to assemble an unparalleled team of some of the brightest, most passionate, and effective finance professionals.
Outside of his entrepreneurial and leadership responsibilities, Jay continues to partner directly with startups and middle-market firms as a trusted advisor in M&A, capital raise, and growth strategy. His work has been covered in Fortune, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Startup Nation, and others.
Jay’s experience spans countless industries, and he has a keen understanding of his clients’ needs as a result of the shared experience of a life of entrepreneurship. In fact, in addition to Embarc Advisors, Jay also co-founded a technology startup that raised capital from Softbank and other VCs.
Jay’s educational accomplishments include a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Based in San Francisco, California, when he’s not working or sleeping, Jay spends most of his time frequenting restaurants with good food and drinks. As a gastronome who also loves to travel, he intentionally ends up in destinations that satiate his cravings for incredible cuisine, wine, sake, and cocktails.
Jeremiah has over 24 years of experience originating, managing and executing M&A transactions. In addition to transaction responsibilities, he is a founding principal and active in management and development activities for the firm.
Throughout his middle-market investment banking career, Jeremiah has executed transactions in a variety of industries and sectors, including distribution, manufacturing, business services, healthcare services and consumer products.
Prior to co-founding Intrepid, he was a Vice President at Barrington Associates, a specialty investment bank and one of the most respected middle-market M&A advisory firms in the United States. In 2006, Wells Fargo Securities acquired Barrington to serve as the M&A advisory platform of the bank.
Jeremiah graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University where he was an oarsman on the varsity crew team. When Jeremiah is out of the office, he enjoys spending time with his family in and on the water swimming, surfing, sailing, skiing and just floating around.
Jonathan Sherrill is an entrepreneur, investor, and former manufacturing CEO who built and exited Quicken Steel in just four and a half years. With more than 25 years in metal building components and industrial manufacturing, he has led organizations through rapid growth, operational resets, and strategic exits.
Today, Jonathan advises business owners preparing to sell their companies, helping them protect what they have built and complete the exit journey with confidence. He is co-author of The Extraordinary Exit: How to Sell Your Business for Maximum Value, Protect Your Legacy, and Walk Away with No Regrets, written with sell-side advisor Andy Harris, which provides a practical roadmap for founders navigating the M&A process.
Jonathan lives in North Florida with his family and speaks nationwide to CEO audiences about exit readiness, leadership discipline, and scaling with purpose.
Mike joined Intrepid in 2022 as a Managing Director in Intrepid’s Industrials Group. He has more than a decade of experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, equity transactions, and debt capital markets financings. Mike has executed transactions in a variety of industrial sectors, including industrial automation, specialty distribution, niche manufacturing, electrical, connectivity and IIoT.
Prior to joining Intrepid, Mike was a Director in the Industrials Group at Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking, and he began his career in investment banking in J.P. Morgan’s Industrials Group in New York. Prior to banking, Mike served as a Special Forces Operator in the United States Marine Corps.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Mike currently resides in Charlotte with his wife of 17 years and his two sons. On the weekends, he enjoys spending time with family and watching his sons’ sporting events, notably, competitive swimming.
0
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.