Ryan Assunto

Ryan Assunto

President
National Christian Foundation Austin

Ryan Assunto is President of National Christian Foundation Austin, serving generous givers throughout Central Texas. Ryan is passionate about helping these givers experience the life-changing joy of generosity. He is focused on relationship development with individuals, families, professional advisors, and ministry leaders. Ryan is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Communications and Dallas Theological Seminary with a M.A. in Biblical Counseling. His career includes experience in vocational Christian ministry as a professional counselor and college pastor, as well as significant involvement in multiple facets of the residential and multifamily construction industries. Ryan and his wife, Allison, have lived in Austin since 2004, where they are currently busy raising three young children. They are both active in their local church and in a variety of community and international service organizations.

Jeanette Robért

Jeanette Robért

Executive Director of Expansion
Marketplace Chaplains

Jeanette has a passion to support Executive Leaders in business by providing support for them to be successful in intentionally caring for their people. From management with the Nordstrom company working across the U.S. to commercial lending engaging with numerous industries and privately held business she has established a respect and acumen for Business Leaders. In her current role as Executive Director of Expansion with the employee care service, Marketplace Chaplains she travels the country educating and serving C-Suite leaders of public and private companies as they intentionally and proactively care for their employees and families. Jeanette holds a BS in Management & Communications from Corban University, a MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources and International Business from Regent University and currently in the process of completing her DMIN with an emphasis in Leadership from The King’s University.

David Avrin

David Avrin

Customer Experience and Marketing Keynote Speaker and Consultant

Talk

“Marketing What Really Matters”

Why traditional messaging and approaches no long work with your rapidly changing customers — and what does!

In this time of historic marketplace upheaval, the cracks in traditional marketing approaches have become far more apparent. With seemingly endless buying options and the explosion of online ordering, to competition from aggressive overseas vendors, new curbside pick-up, home delivery, “Buy-with-one-click,” 24/7 A.I. ChatBots, self-checkout, virtual meetings and more, how could traditional marketing possibly still be effective?

In this eye-opening and content-rich session, Marketing and Customer Experience expert David Avrin, CSP, will offer a revealing look at our changing world, and how your customers are changing along with it. The session will help you better align your strategy and messaging with the preferences of your changing customer. David will show you how to reject “going low” and mirroring some of the worst business behavior, and  becoming more successful successful “in" this world without having to become “of" this world.

In this powerful and entertaining "Virtual-Live" session, David Avrin will cover:

• How Disruption is touching all of your customers — even if your industry has yet to be significantly impacted. (It’s coming!)

• Why your customers and clients have become more demanding and impatient, and how you can meet their needs better than your competitors.

• The important difference between marketing competence and demonstrating preference.

• How to “future-proof” your business while leaving others scrambling to catch up.

Here’s preview of David’s "Virtual-Live" presentations: https://youtu.be/VIGFnzqAgbo

Bio

One of the most in-demand Customer Experience and Marketing Keynote Speakers and Consultants in the world today, David Avrin delivers profound wisdom to clients and audiences around the world. With a surprisingly relatable, conversational and very entertaining style, David delivers profoundly insightful and hard-hitting content to business audience across a broad range of industries and categories.

His message and timely lessons on creating, delivering and promoting competitive advantages have been enthusiastically received by audiences in: Singapore, Bangkok, Antwerp, Buenos Aires, Sri Lanka, Brisbane, Johannesburg, Manila, Bangalore, Rotterdam, Glasgow, Abu Dhabi, Bogota, Monte Carlo, Melbourne, London, Barcelona and Dubai.

A former CEO group leader, and executive coach with the world’s largest chief executive organization, David has worked with thousands of CEOs and business leaders on their business brand, customer experience and competitive advantages.

David Avrin is the author of the celebrated marketing books: It’s Not Who You Know It’s Who Knows You! and Visibility Marketing!,  His latest Customer Experience book: Why Customers Leave (and How to Win Them Back) was named by Forbes as “One of the 7 Business Books Entrepreneurs Need to Read.”

Chris McCluskey

Chris McCluskey

Founder and President, Professional Christian Coaching Institute

BIO

Often cited as ‘The Father of Christian Coaching’, Chris is a visionary thought leader who pioneered this field in the late 1990’s through journal articles, conferences, keynotes, and as a founding board member of both the Christian Coaches Network and Christian Coaching Magazine.

He served as a primary consultant and contributor to Dr. Gary Collins in his ground-breaking text, “Christian Coaching: Helping Others Turn Potential Into Reality” (2001, NavPress).

In 1998, Chris transitioned entirely out of his ownership of the largest Christian psychotherapy practice in Tampa Bay (Christian Care Counseling Centers, Inc.) into full time coaching as a solo practitioner in his new business, Coaching for Christian Living, Inc.

In the year 2000, he established a Christian track at the Institute for Life Coach Training which grew over that decade into the Professional Christian Coaching Program (precursor to PCCI).

He has presented at more than 50 national & international conferences including the Christian Management Association (CMA), the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS), the Association for Marriage & Family Ministries (AMFM) and the Christian Coaches Network (CCN).

A prolific writer, he and his wife, Rachel are best-selling authors of the highly-acclaimed marriage book, When Two Become One (Revell, 2004, 2006), and have co-authored chapters in several popular Christian books. Their articles appear in numerous international magazines and on websites including ChristianityToday.com, FamilyLife.com, and Focus on the Family’s PluggedIn.com. They are frequent guests on popular Christian radio and television shows.

Chris and Rachel operate Professional Christian Coaching Institute and Coaching for Christian Living from their ranch in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in south-central Missouri where they homeschool their seven children. Chris’ passions include music, the performing arts, and nature, but most of all his family.

Dave Ulrich

Dave Ulrich

Discovering Opportunity Out of Crisis

Rensis Likert Professor of Business, University of Michigan
Co-founder, The RBL Group

Ranked #1 speaker in Management/Business by Speaking.com

Dave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at the RBL Group (http://www.rbl.net) a consulting firm focused on helping organizations and leaders deliver value.  He has published over 200 articles and book chapters and over 30 books. He edited Human Resource Management 1990-1999, served on editorial board of 4 Journal and on the Board of Directors for Herman Miller (16 years), has spoken to large audiences in 90 countries; performed workshops for over half of the Fortune 200; coached successful business leaders, and is a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academy of Human Resources. He is known for continually learning, turning complex ideas into simple solutions, and creating real value to those he works with in three fields.

Organization.  With co-authors, he has influenced thinking about modern organizations (Reinventing the Organization) by empirically showing how organization delivers 4 times business results over talent (Victory Through Organization), defined organizations as bundles of capabilities (Organization Capability) and worked to delineate capabilities of talent management (Why of Work; Talent Accelerator), culture change (GE Workout), learning (Learning Organization Capability), and collaboration (Boundaryless Organization). 

Leadership.  With colleagues, he has also articulated the basics of effective leadership (Leadership Code and Results Based Leadership), connected leadership with customers (Leadership Brand), shown how leadership delivers market value (Why the Bottom Line Isn’t), shapes investor expectations with an ability to measure leadership (Leadership Capital Index), and synthesized ways to ensure that leadership aspirations turn into actions (Leadership Sustainability). 

Human Resources.  He and his colleagues have shaped the HR profession and he has been called the “father of modern HR” and “HR thought leader of the decade” by focusing on HR outcomes, governance, competencies, and practices (HR Champions; HR Value Added; HR Transformation; HR Competencies; HR Outside In).  He spearheaded a “gift” book on the future of HR (The Rise of HR) distributed to over 1,500,000 HR professionals), in which 70 thought leaders freely shared their insights.

Greg Leith

Greg Leith

CEO, Convene

BIO

Greg Leith is the CEO of Convene. He was born in Canada and lived in all four corners of North America. His career spans over 35 years of senior leadership roles in corporate, non-profit and academic sectors. Recently, he served as Director of Strategic Alliances for 13 years at Biola University in California.

Greg has served the persecuted church with food, brought relief and long term jobs to Orissa, India, assisted mission agencies in China with strategy and helped envision a School of Journalism in Haiti. He and Shelley, his wife of 38 years, have crisscrossed Canada for over a decade speaking on marriage and parenting for FamilyLife helping thousands of marriages.

Greg was a senior executive for 20 years with the $9 billion ServiceMaster Company, serving in various leadership capacities. He was Vice President of Arrow Leadership and Director of Leadership Development for Christian Leadership Alliance, creating learning experiences for the most influential Christian organizations in the world. Married for over 38 years to his wife Shelley, he’s the father and friend to five thriving young adults.

Dee Ann Turner

Dee Ann Turner

Former Vice President, Talent and Sustainability at Chick-fil-A

Author, “Bet on Talent” and “It’s My Pleasure”

Talk

The Secret Sauce of Legendary Service

You’ll discover…

• How to create a remarkable culture that leads to legendary customer service

• Select, sustain, and steward talent

• How the phrase, “It’s My Pleasure came to be!”

Bio

Dee Ann is a 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Prior to retirement in 2018, she was Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability. Selected as the company’s first female officer in 2001, she was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A’s well-known culture and talent systems. During her long career, she worked closely with Chick-fil-A’s founder, S. Truett Cathy, and other key leaders as an architect of their organizational culture. Turner was responsible for thousands of selections of Chick-fil-A Franchisees and corporate staff members. Additionally, she led Talent Management, Staff Learning and Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Culture and Engagement. Most recently, Dee Ann launched and led the Sustainability function focusing on Chick-fil-A’s strategy to implement sustainable practices at the $11 billion company.

Today, she leads her own organization, Dee Ann Turner, LLC, writing books, speaking to over 50 audiences per year and consulting and coaching leaders globally. She is the author of the best seller, It’s My Pleasure: The Impact of Extraordinary Talent and a Compelling Culture. Her latest book will be released in September 2019.

She is a graduate of Clayton State University with a degree in Management. She also completed executive education courses at Emory University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School. She is a 2009 alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.

Dee Ann has been married her husband, Ashley for 35 years and they are the parents of three grown sons. She has served numerous non-profit boards in the past including The Kenya Project, Eagle Ranch and Proverbs 31 Ministries. She has also served on the board of advisors for Lubbock Christian University and First Care Clinics. When she is not traveling, she can often be found on her Peloton bike in her home outside of Atlanta or on her stand up paddleboard at Lake Hartwell in northeast Georgia.

Dr. Paul White

Dr. Paul White

Effectively Communicating Appreciation to Your Remote Team Members

Psychologist and Author

BIO

Psychologist and author Dr. Paul White “makes work relationships work”. He’ll help your business to:

• Create positive workplace relationships and improve staff morale.

• Eliminate the cynicism, sarcasm and lack of trust associated with traditional employee recognition programs.

• Overcome the obstacles to help staff communicate authentic appreciation to one another.

Dr. White is a world-class expert grounded in Midwestern practicality with just the right touch of warmth and humor.  He’s helped In N Out burger, Microsoft, L’Oreal, and more. He is the co-author of three books, including The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, which sold over 400,000 copies.  He’s developed a unique way for organizations to improve staff morale, increase employee engagement, and create enhanced levels of trust. Dr. White is a graduate of Wheaton College, Arizona State University and Georgia State University. He holds a Masters of Counseling and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.

Dr. K. Shelette Stewart

Dr. K. Shelette Stewart

Principles for Creating a Divine Culture

Author, Speaker, Consultant

BIO

Dr. K. Shelette Stewart has over 20 years of leadership experience in teaching, strategic business planning, marketing, and business development with prominent academic institutions and Fortune 500 companies including Harvard Business School, The Coca-Cola Company and BellSouth Corporation/AT&T.  She is a Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Program Specialist and holds a Doctorate in Business Administration.   

A graduate of Harvard University, Shelette currently serves in a leadership role with Harvard University, overseeing strategic partnerships with global corporations for Harvard Business School. She is also the founder and principal of Stewart Consulting, LLC, a business consulting and leadership development firm serving both corporate and non-profit clients. 

Shelette is the author of the award-winning book, Revelations in Business: Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life which has been formally endorsed by several industry leaders including Dan Cathy, chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A. 

A highly sought after international speaker, Shelette has served as the keynote speaker for many leading organizations including:  Texas Instruments, Women’s Foodservice Forum, and The NOAH Leadership Training Institute in China.  She has also appeared as a guest on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Daystar Television Network – Marcus & Joni Lamb Show, and a host of other TV and radio programs. 

Shelette’s board memberships include the LEAD Program, New Hope of China (NHC), the Warren Holyfield Boys & Girls Club, and Morehouse School of Medicine – School of Public Health Visiting Committee.  She is the recipient of The YWCA of Greater Atlanta & The Coca-Cola Company Salute to Women of Achievement Award and is available for Keynote Presentations, Seminars, Workshops, and Professional Consulting Sessions nationally and internationally.  For more insights or to schedule an engagement, please visit:  www.shelettestewart.com and www.hbs.edu.

Garry Krum

Garry Krum

How Valuing People Maximizes Company Value

Founder & President, Agora Strategic Consulting Group

If you’re interested preparing your business for a future sale, you want to maximize your sale value. We’ll help you grow, strengthen and sustain your value foundation

Discover the abundant life in your work and the work of your team.

BIO

Garry Krum is the founder and president of Agora Strategic Consulting & Agora Workshops Inc. He attended New York University, Stern School of Business and has 37 years of public and private strategic and merger and acquisition experience. He lends his entrepreneurial expertise at the Colorado State University School of Business and lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. He enjoys traveling,  hiking, climbing, and skiing with his family.