SPEAKERS

Josh Linkner

Venture Capitalist and Serial Entrepreneur
To Josh Linkner, creativity and innovation are the lifeblood of all human progress. As such, he’s spent his career harnessing the power of creative disruption. His journey has been non-traditional at every step. As the founder and CEO of five tech companies, Josh built his businesses from a blank page into a combined value of over $200 million. As a hyper-growth CEO of over 20 years, he’s used innovative approaches to topple competitors, fight through adversity, and achieve at the highest levels.
  • Opening Celebration Featuring Josh Linkner – reINVENT: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation
    Monday October 14 8:00 am - 9:00 am

Mercedes Ramirez Johnson

Survivor of the Deadly Colombian Mountain Crash

In 1995, Mercedes Ramirez Johnson narrowly survived a commercial airplane crash that killed 160 people, including her parents. She presents her proprietary Second Chance Living concept, an innovative mindset and approach with a proven track record. Before becoming a speaker, Mercedes spent nearly a decade in high-level sales in the pharmaceutical and medical software industries. A record-breaking, multimillion-dollar producer, she became the youngest female and sole Latino account executive at Cerner Corporation.

  • General Session Featuring Mercedes Ramirez and 2019 Everyday Hero Winner – reFLECT: Second Chance Living
    Tuesday October 15 7:30 am - 8:45 am

Jon Acuff

New York Times Bestselling Author
Jon Acuff is the New York Times Bestselling author of six books including his most recent Wall Street Journal #1 Bestseller, Finish: Give yourself the gift of done. For over 20 years he's helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and the Dave Ramsey Team.
  • Closing Celebration Featuring UA Assistant General President Mike Pleasant and Jon Acuff – reFOCUS, reASSESS and FINISH
    Wednesday October 16 1:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Breakout Sessions

Sessions to offer insights, techniques and tools to reCHARGE your growth, reENGAGE your mind, reENERGIZE your company and continue to excel in this ever-changing industry!

reINSPIRE: Sustaining Growth Through Transformation

The world is facing unprecedented disruption from artificial intelligence, machine learning, broader shifts in technology and the way we work. Whether you approach these changes as a C-suite executive setting strategy, a middle manager making technical decisions, or a sales person positioning your product and value in the marketplace, we all need to grow at a faster rate than the external environment is growing.

In an engaging, case study-rich presentation, Peter Sheahan, CEO of global consultancy ChangeLabs™ and popular presenter at past MSCA conferences, will help you understand how to lead your organization in a rapidly changing and competitive environment, navigate the growing regulatory and disruptor challenges that put pressure on your operations, and align behind a strategic vision to find opportunity. During this year’s presentation, Peter will use real-world examples of individuals who have been able to move towards the edge of disruption and transform their teams and organizations by:

  • Telling themselves the truth and taking ownership for the changes in their industry
  • Focusing on impact by unleashing a burning aspiration to innovate, adapt and grow
  • Aligning on a shared vision of inspiration and growth

Peter Sheahan

CEO of Global Consultancy ChangeLabs™ Read the Bio

Peter Sheahan

CEO of Global Consultancy ChangeLabs™
Founder & Group CEO of Karrikins Group, Peter Sheahan is internationally known for his innovative business thinking and thought leadership. With over 120 staff, in 24 cities, across nine countries, Sheahan knows firsthand the challenges of growing a business in the rapidly-changing marketplace. Peter, and his firm Karrikins Group, have worked with some of the world's leading brands, including Apple, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Hyundai, IBM, Pfizer, Wells Fargo, and Cardinal Health. He is the author of seven books including business best-sellers Flip, Generation Y, Making it Happen, and Matter.

reDISCOVER: Exactly How to Sell–Even if you Hate Selling

Phil M. Jones, author of five international best-selling books, and the youngest winner of the coveted “British Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award” has made it his life’s work to demystify the sales process. He reframes what it means to “sell” and helps his audiences to learn new skills that reinforce confidence, overcome fears and instantaneously impact results. He is by no means your typical sales expert.

Phil is famous for his inspiring “Magic Words.” He has a highly engaging, practical approach to a subject that is often littered with hype and power-hungry “gurus.”

Rediscover exactly what it takes to develop a community of customers who continue to spend with you, refer you to others and build your reputation. Explore the winning tools and techniques that you can use to increase your confidence ahead of your sales conversations and achieve more from every interaction you have.

Phil M. Jones

Best-Selling Author Read the Bio

Phil M. Jones

Best-Selling Author
Phil M. Jones has made it his life's work to demystify the sales process, reframe what it means to "sell," and help his audiences to learn new skills that empower confidence, overcome fears and instantaneously impact their results. The author of five international best-selling books, and the youngest winner of the coveted "British Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award," Phil is currently one of the most in-demand assets to companies worldwide. He is by no means your typical sales expert. Phil is famous for his inspiring "Magic Words" and his highly engaging, practical approach to what is often a subject that is littered with hype and power-hungry "gurus."

reENGAGE: Passion On Purpose—Turning Corporate Culture Into a Competitive Advantage

Ryan Estis, has more than 20 years of experience as a top-performing sales professional and leader. He will refresh your perspective on how to cultivate a high-engagement, high-performance work culture. As we prepare for the next growth cycle in business, leaders need to understand the needs and expectations of the modern workforce. Ryan pushes back on conventional thinking with new research and case studies from category-leading companies that succeed at maximizing human potential and elevating performance.

To win in today’s market, you need a healthy organization: tuned-in employees, authentic leadership, open communication and trust. Leaders are called to cultivate the kind of workplace where people come first and performance and profit follow. Most organizations leave too many opportunities on the table and waste a huge amount of their people’s potential. This session will offer practical advice to help you reverse that trend.

Ryan Estis

Top-Performing Sales Professional and Leader Read the Bio

Ryan Estis

Top-Performing Sales Professional and Leader
Ryan Estis has more than 20 years of experience as a top-performing sales professional and leader. As the former chief strategy officer for the McCann Worldgroup advertising agency NAS, he brings a fresh perspective to business events. As a keynote speaker, Ryan is known for his innovative ideas on leading change, improving sales effectiveness and preparing for the future of work. He was recently recognized as one of "the best keynote speakers ever heard" by Meetings & Conventions magazine. Ryan delivers keynote speeches, courses and online learning with an emphasis on actionable content designed to elevate business performance. His curriculum emphasizes emerging trends influencing corporate culture, communication, collaboration, leadership, sales and brand experience. Ryan helps participants prepare to thrive in today's ultra-competitive, hyper-connected business environment.

reESTABLISH: Sustaining the Financial Health of Your Service Business

Why is it that some service businesses are able to maintain growth and profitability year over year, while others dip and spin in financial uncertainty?

The key to financial health and sustainability is knowing what financial benchmarks you should be measuring and why.

During this session, Leah Gutmann, owner of First Forward Consulting, LLC, will reiterate how setting a few key financial targets and knowing how to diagnose the results will reinforce attendee’s ability to know where to focus their efforts and how best to use their resources.

Leah currently sits on the Board of Education for the Mechanical Contractors Association of Western Washington (MCAWW), where she offers her expertise on specific industry training needs and cutting-edge trends. Those in attendance will walk away with a clear understanding that just measuring key benchmarks is not enough. Companies must be willing to implement foundational policies that will change the service culture of their business. Benchmarks are the diagnosis, and culture is the cure.

Leah Gutmann

Owner of First Forward Consulting, LLC Read the Bio

Leah Gutmann

Owner of First Forward Consulting, LLC
Leah Gutmann, owner of First Forward Consulting, LLC, specializes in a wide variety of training, program development, and consulting services. Leah is certified to deliver training on a wide variety of leadership and financial topics with a focus on the direct application of skills and abilities unique to the mechanical construction industry. She has over 12 years of experience in the design, implementation and facilitation of educational programs, classes and seminars. Her 20-year career as a CFO and Finance Manager in the mechanical construction industry has given Leah the unique ability to offer training and consulting from a hands-on, in the trenches perspective. Leah currently sits on the Board of Education for the Mechanical Contractors Association of Western Washington (MCAWW) where she offers her expertise on specific industry training needs and cutting-edge trends. She has been an integral part of building complete educational programs and specialized industry classes from the inception phase all the way through delivery.

reBRAND: Talk Like a Leader

The old adage, ‘what people perceive, is what they believe,’ has never been truer than in today’s superficial society. Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly being judged by others, often subconsciously. How you communicate in everything from casual conversations to formal business meetings can be the difference between success and failure.

During this highly interactive session, Anthony Huey, owner of Reputation Management Associates, one of the nation’s leading communications training and crisis consulting companies, will demonstrate effective ways to leave a positive perception on a wide variety of audiences you deal with every day, including customers, prospects, internal staff, boards of directors, management, community partners, the news media, elected officials, investors and many others. Never again miss your only opportunity to connect and leave a lasting impression that others will remember.

Anthony Huey

Owner of Reputation Management Associates Read the Bio

Anthony Huey

Owner of Reputation Management Associates
Anthony Huey is a highly-rated international speaker and communications consultant who offers session attendees pragmatic communications tools, tips and techniques they can use immediately. His career includes tenures as a news reporter, magazine senior editor, crisis management specialist, media relations consultant and executive speech coach. Anthony leads Reputation Management, LLC, one of the nation’s leading communications training and crisis consulting companies. He has presented nearly 2,000 paid keynote speeches, workshops and seminars on a number of timely communications topics that executives can incorporate into both their professional and personal lives. His direct client work includes a wide variety of advertising, public relations and communications initiatives for hundreds of trade associations, municipalities and companies, including Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Eli Lilly, Nationwide Insurance, The Kroger Company, and Procter & Gamble.

reENERGIZE: Hiring and Motivating a Top Sales Team

Carl Herman has over 30 years of experience in high tech sales and in senior sales management, including 25 years focusing on the oil and gas industry. He has held sales and sales executive positions for five high technology companies: Unisys, Oracle, Siebel Systems, KPMG Consulting and Landmark Graphics, a Halliburton Company. Prior to becoming a full time member of the Bauer College of Business faculty in June 2005, Mr. Herman served for six years as an Adjunct Professor in the Program for Excellence in Selling. Currently, Professor Herman teaches Strategic Selling in the Bauer College of Business' MBA program, as well as a number of undergraduate courses in the Program for Excellence in Selling, including Advanced Professional Selling, Customer Relationship Management and Key Account Selling. In addition, he also conducts courses in sales and customer relationship management for executive education clients.

Carl Herman

Director of Operations, University of Houston’s Sales Excellence Institute Read the Bio

Carl Herman

Director of Operations, University of Houston’s Sales Excellence Institute
Carl Herman has over 30 years of experience in High Tech sales and in senior sales management, including 25 years focusing on the Oil and Gas industry. He has held sales and sales executive positions for five high technology companies: Unisys, Oracle, Siebel Systems, KPMG Consulting and Landmark Graphics, a Halliburton Company. Prior to becoming a full time member of the Bauer College of Business faculty in June 2005, Mr. Herman served for six years as an Adjunct Professor in the Program for Excellence in Selling. Currently Professor Herman teaches Strategic Selling in the Bauer College of Business' MBA program, as well as a number of undergraduate courses in the Program for Excellence in Selling, including Advanced Professional Selling, Customer Relationship Management and Key Account Selling. In addition, he also conducts courses in sales and customer relationship management for Executive Education clients.

reIMAGINE: How to Enhance Your Recruiting Pipeline

Your business relies on the best people to get the work done. As generations change, we need to rethink our methods to get people to join our business. Join Jon Finch, Vice President of Training, Milwaukee Tool, and Tim Herbert, Lead Organizer, Washington State Pipe Trades, to discuss how you can proactively target and engage your future workforce. During this session, you will refresh your recruiting perspective and leave with actionable steps to increase your hiring potential.

Focus topics:

  • Re-INVIGORATE your candidate pool–where to target
  • Re-DESIGN your recruiting pitch–how to tell your story
  • Re-ENGAGE your connection strategy–solutions to increase your impact and network reach

Jon Finch

Vice President of Training, Milwaukee Tool

Jon Finch

Vice President of Training, Milwaukee Tool

Tim Herbert

Lead Organizer, Washington State Pipe Trades

Tim Herbert

Lead Organizer, Washington State Pipe Trades

reASSESS: Liability and Risk Management of Healthcare Facilities

Does your firm participate in new construction, renovation and maintenance of healthcare facilities? Does your firm perform or have service contracts with any of these? Does your firm work on cooling towers, ice machines, or humidifiers in hospitals, skilled nursing homes or critical access hospitals? Install or renovate plumbing, medical gas piping or fire protection systems?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this session will provide you with crucial information to help your customers and your workers be in compliance with new mandates. Every healthcare facility is required to create a water management team compliant with ASHRAE 188-2018. Every water management team requires involvement by mechanical service contractors. Participants will learn Legionella intervention and how to manage the liability by adding value and support to their customer’s water management teams.

Chris Carter

Vice President of Service, Murphy Company

Chris Carter

Vice President of Service, Murphy Company

Kurt Steenhoeck

UA International Representative

Kurt Steenhoeck

UA International Representative

Rich Benkowski

UA Training Specialist

Rich Benkowski

UA Training Specialist

Russ Borst

Vice President of Service, Hurst Mechanical

Russ Borst

Vice President of Service, Hurst Mechanical

reEVALUATE: Tenets of Personal Finance

Ensure your financial future and gain a better understanding of how your money can provide you with the best return. Innovest Vice President and Certified Financial Planner® Jared Martin will outline aspects of personal finance and ways to reinforce your finances through estate planning, education planning, insurance, health care, investing and retirement planning. Jared will identify best practices and implementation process improvements that can maximize efficiencies for retirement. At Innovest, Jared provides consulting services to committees, boards and individuals. He also manages the relationships between service providers and plan sponsors and provides ongoing vendor management for Innovest’s clients. After the session, attendees will be able to better put together the pieces of their personal finance puzzle.

Jared Martin

Innovest Vice President and Certified Financial Planner® Read the Bio

Jared Martin

Innovest Vice President and Certified Financial Planner®
Jared is a Vice President and consultant at Innovest Portfolio Solutions,  Jared is a member of Innovest’s Retirement Plan Practice Group, a specialized team that identifies best practices and implements process improvements to maximize efficiencies for our retirement plan clients. At Innovest, Jared provides consulting services to committees, boards and individuals.  He also manages the relationships between service providers and plan sponsors and provides ongoing vendor management for Innovest’s clients.  He also leads many special projects for our retirement plan clients. Jared holds an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation and having successfully completed this course of study, he uses his expertise to ensure that Innovest institutional clients are following a prudent investment process utilizing the Uniform Fiduciary Standards of Care.

One Day Optional Bonus Program

reACT-reDEPLOY-reBUILD: Leading High-Performing Teams Featuring Colonel (Ret.) Thomas Henry Magness, P.E.

Sunday, October 13 – 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Cost: $450/Person

High-performing teams reach this measure of success when they have a solid foundation of productive communication, create innovative solutions and consistently achieve great results. The leaders charged with maintaining this level of excellence have a unique challenge to keep the well-oiled machine communicating, creating and achieving. To achieve and sustain this level of performance from both the team and the leader, Colonel Tom Magness, embraces the notion that daily training builds confidence and competence when operating in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, while providing essential skills and knowledge—resulting in readiness. Based on the principles learned from this concept, this special session led by Colonel Magness will help you gain a better understanding and help elevate your organization’s purpose resulting in a common shared vision of success or end-state.

The session will draw on examples from military, sports and corporate America to highlight the value and best practices in communicating leader’s intent and how two way communication develops ownership of the mission as well as future team empowerment. Discussion will also focus on the significance of early leader development and how to motivate developing leaders. Participants engage in hands-on practical exercises, small group discussion and lively dialogue spotlighting critical issues identified by the client hoping to elevate their teams to this level.

Since first entering the U.S. Army as a cadet at the United States Military Academy, Colonel Magness has been a leadership “work in progress.” He has led military organizations from Platoon to Brigade. His unique background combines his service and education as a professional engineer with the confidence and professional development that comes from being an “Airborne Ranger!”

As a commander (CEO) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he has completed numerous projects as part of multi-billion dollar construction programs. Following retirement, Colonel Magness served as COO for a $300M international construction company until leaving to start his own company, teaching high-impact leadership strategies across the country.

Attendee Value and Takeaway:

  • Identify common attributes in leading high- performing, cohesive, mission-focused teams and their application to business teams
  • Examine the factors that enable synergy within a team
  • Discover the direct correlation between communication of commander’s intent and empowerment

Explore the value of the Army’s after-action review process as a means of communication, encouraging innovation and learning from challenges.

The cost for this special program is $450 and includes breakfast, lunch and a copy of Colonel Magness’s book “Leader Business.”

Colonel (Ret.) Thomas Henry Magness, P.E.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander, CEO and Leader Read the Bio

Colonel (Ret.) Thomas Henry Magness, P.E.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander, CEO and Leader
Colonel Magness has over 26 years of practical leadership experience both in traditional military units and non-traditional, civilian-based, bottom line-focused construction organizations. He served in leadership assignments around the world, culminating as a commander for a $5B engineering and construction program in Afghanistan. He has served as commander (CEO) for five different organizations, all with diverse responsibilities and missions. He served for 4 years as a teacher/coach/consultant at the U.S. Army’s National Training Center, mentoring military leaders on fundamental elements of leadership.

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