Speakers

Lou Pritchett

Lou Pritchett rose from soap salesman to Vice-President, Sales and Customer Development for Procter and Gamble and over the course of 36 years, made corporate history as an "Agent of Change" at P&G. He stood at the vanguard of corporate futurists to challenge a hidebound corporate giant to face the future by creating the future, thus ensuring its continuing role as one of America's great corporate success stories.

It was Lou Pritchett who, in 1987, boldly engineered an adventuresome partnership between two corporate titans. Lou Pritchett talked Sam Walton, the founder and chairman of Wal-Mart, into getting into a canoe to ride the rapids of the South Fork of the Spring River in Arkansas. By the end of that white water ride, these two visionaries had agreed to change the way America did business. In 1989, Lou retired from his post at P&G to spread the Gospel of Change.

Since retirement from P&G, Lou Pritchett has become one of America's most popular speakers on customer partnering, change management and the growing importance of the human factor in the tidal wave of 21st century technology. His presentations, always delivered with humor and enthusiasm, have inspired long established Fortune 500 companies and upstart entrepreneurs alike. He has brought his message of corporate success to companies throughout the USA and around the world... big and small, old and new, to those making five million and those making 50 billion, to companies that have been around 100 days and those that have survived 100 years. Those companies had affiliated organizations and all have learned from Lou Pritchett how to survive and succeed by leading change in an unforgiving world of global economic revolution.

Robert F. Brands
Innovation Coach and Principal of Brands & Company, LLC

Robert F. Brands, Principle of Brands & Company, LLC. and Innovation Coach, “Helping leaders deliver profitable growth through sustained Innovation” and creator of Robert’s Rules of Innovation™. Robert’s expertise in bringing innovation to market is beyond compare. A stunning track record of applying innovation techniques and strategies in top-level executive positions for companies such as Rexam Plastics, Airspray, and Kohler proves that Robert delivers high-value goods. Robert leveraged his innate creativity with his years of marketing experience to “bring at least one product per year to market”, which resulted in double digit profitable growth and shareholder value.

Robert speaks to companies around the globe, sharing such topics as “Innovate to Thrive” and “Results Driven Innovation”. He covers the details of his Robert’s Rules of Innovation™, as well as how to be a proven practitioner of innovation, clear steps for implementation, and the value of hands-on experience. His message applies to all companies seeking to start or improve their innovative processes whether they are delivering a service or a product.

Penny Gillespie
Gillespie International, Inc.

Penny Gillespie is a pioneer in electronic banking and bill payment. She founded Gillespie International, Inc., in 2005 bringing a rich background in financial product development and money movement, having previously focused on multi-application smart cards, online banking, financial supply chain, and mobile commerce.

Prior to starting Gillespie International, Inc., Penny worked for five years as a senior industry analyst at Forrester Research where she appeared on ABC’s Business Now and participated in radio talk shows with CNET, CBS News, NPR, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. She has also been featured in such publications as the American Banker, Financial Times, New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. She has published over 200 articles in her areas of expertise.

Earlier in her career, Penny held a variety of positions focused on product strategy and development for Integrion Financial Network, Visa Interactive, and CyberMark (a subsidiary of SallieMae) and served in various financial and analytical roles for JCPenney. She has helped companies design and launch new products, increase their revenues and obtain funding. Penny has served on both the NACHA Council for Electronic Billing and Payment and the IFX Committee for Bill Delivery and Payment.

Penny will discuss how to find money in the financial supply chain, where millions of dollars are trapped.  Move your company from the position of declining sales, lower profit, and over worked employees to one of greater efficiency with more capital while reducing the cost of goods sold and gaining competitive advantage.  Turn traditional cost centers into profit generators. She will examine the top 6 opportunities in the financial supply chain to find cash and optimize capital.

Bill Graves
President and CEO, American Trucking Associations

Bill Graves is President and CEO of American Trucking Associations (ATA), the national trade and safety organization of the United States trucking industry. Through its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, conferences and other organizations, it represents motor carriers before all branches of the government.

Under his leadership, ATA is advancing several safety initiatives. ATA has proposed requiring that all new heavy trucks be equipped with speed limiters and supports a government proposal to test the use of onboard recorders.

In the public policy arena, he is leading a coalition that opposes the rush by state governments to lease public highways to investors who would operate them and levy and collect tolls.

In January 2003, Graves completed 22 years of public service in the state of Kansas highlighted by two terms as Governor of Kansas. He was reelected to his second term with the largest percentage of votes in Kansas history.

Under his administration, Kansas taxpayers saw the largest tax cut in state history, and many state services were streamlined.  In 1999 he signed an historic 10-year, $13-billion comprehensive transportation program into law, improving highways, railroad infrastructure, airports, and public transit service in Kansas.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Kansas National Guard, Gov. Graves oversaw the deployment of Kansas troops to Bosnia, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf, among other areas. Prior to his election as governor, he served two terms as Kansas Secretary of State.
Gov. Graves has been involved in the trucking industry his entire life. For almost 70 years, members of his family have operated trucking companies offering a diversity of services.

Among the outstanding combination of attributes Bill Graves brings to his role as President and CEO of ATA are his ability to create public policy, his administrative experience and political skills, and a life-long knowledge of the motor-carrier industry.
In addition to his duties at ATA, Gov. Graves serves on the board of the International Speedway Corporation, the leading promoter of motorsport racing in America.

Gov. Graves earned a degree in Business Administration from Kansas Wesleyan University in his hometown of Salina, Kansas and attended graduate school at the University of Kansas. Gov. Graves and his wife Linda are the proud parents of their
13-year-old daughter, Katie.

Dan North
Euler Hermes ACI Chief Economist

Dan North has been with Euler Hermes ACI (EH ACI) since 1996, using macroeconomic and quantitative analyses to help develop, price, and manage EH ACI’s risk portfolio of more than $200 billion in annual U.S. trade transactions.

Tom Hutchinson
President, Mid American Group, Inc.

Tom Hutchinson is the President of Mid American Group, a leading Employee Benefits Consulting & Brokerage company serving clients throughout the United States and Canada. Mid American Group was voted the Best Benefits Broker in 2008 and received the runner-up title in 2009 by Crain’s Business Insurance - Readers’ Choice Award.  Mid American Group was selected for offering their clients the best in “quality, service, innovation and value.”

Tom joined Mid American Group in 2002 and has over has over 29 years of business experience having held marketing & managerial positions with several Fortune 1000 corporations including: IBM, Octel Communications, and McAfee. Tom spends the majority of his time directly consulting with his clients acting as an advocate to lower their Employee Benefit plan insurance costs.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Tom graduated from Central Michigan University in 1981 where he was a member of the 1979 and 1980 Mid American Conference Football Championship Teams. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration and Economics and was awarded the Football Senior Scholar Athlete award.

Tom is a father of two children and resides in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Hobbies include physical fitness, travel, boating and reading. Tom is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and is an active member in The Executive Club of Chicago.

Thomas Tray
Director of Business Development & Senior Account Executive, Aon Trucking Practice

Tom is a Director of Business Development and a Senior Account Executive in the Aon Trucking Practice. In this role, he is responsible for the growth of the Aon Trucking Practice and the management of client relationships within the Practice.

Tom has over 25 years of insurance brokerage experience, the last 15 years of which has been devoted solely to the Transportation Industry. He has assisted large and mid-sized motor carriers in developing a comprehensive Risk Management program. Such programs might include standard designs or more complex alternatives such as captives. Tom has worked with all segments of the Trucking Industry (vans, flats, refrigerated, tanks, courier, private fleets, etc.) He also has extensive experience working on Independent Contractor issues.