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All conference events were held in person at the InterContinental San Diego on February 12-14.

All sessions are listed in the Pacific Time Zone.

Monday, February 12
Tuesday, February 13
Wednesday, February 14

8:00 AM, Feb 13

  • 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Breakfast

Who should attend? All Attendees

Join us for breakfast to fuel yourself for an energetic day of learning and networking!

Sponsored by

9:00 AM, Feb 13

  • 9:00 AM – 9:50 AM

Keynote – Future of Technology

Who should attend? Leaders of Strategy and Technology

Is it even possible to keep up with the pace of change in today’s business world? Strong leadership is key—because of the heavy impact of technology, CTO’s must be front and center in leading business strategy and their C-suite peers need to partner with and support their CTO’s. And what about your board of directors? How can we equip them to lead and provide meaningful contributions to the strategic plan? Discover ways to assess today’s fast-moving technology in order to make solid business decisions quickly—and with confidence.

  • Strategic Growth: Trend Hunter | MDC Connect

Sponsored by

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Neil Headshot

Neil Hoyne

Chief Strategist

Google

9:50 AM, Feb 13

  • 9:50 AM - 10:15 AM

Welcome and Annual Meeting

Who should attend? All Attendees

Welcome to San Diego! We are excited to see our owners, speakers, sponsors, and guests. Buckle up! Over the next day and a half, we will share what MDC is doing around innovation, research, projects, and solutions. Plus lots of networking opportunities with other MDC owners over great food, drinks, and sunshine!

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Jeff-Headshot-24

Jeff Kline

President & CEO

MDC

James Headshot

James Nastars

Meritrust Credit Union

President & CEO,
MDC Board Vice Chair

Jeff Meshey Headshot

Jeff Meshey

Desert Financial
Credit Union

President & CEO,
MDC Board Member

10:15 AM, Feb 13

  • 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM

Networking Break

Who should attend? All Attendees

Practice channeling your inspiration into action and go grab a snack or more caffeine. We’ll see you back after the break!

Sponsored by

10:45 AM, Feb 13

  • 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM

MDC's Strategic Execution Office (SEO)–Ideation into Action

Who should attend? All Attendees

Our keynote focused on the pace of change–MDC feels the pressure too! How do we gather, prioritize, and execute on projects? What changes have we made to keep up with how fast things are moving? And how can you get involved in MDC’s exciting work?

Michelle-headshot-24

Michelle Mozzar

AVP, Head of Strategic Execution Office

MDC

Alex Headshot 24

Alex Johnson

Business Consultant

MDC
Peck

Brenton Peck

Director

Financial Health Network

Robyn LaChance Headshot

Robyn LaChance

EVP/Chief Administration Officer

Sound Credit Union

11:00 AM, Feb 13

  • 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

MDC Project Update: Gen AI

Who should attend? Leaders of Strategy, Innovation, and Technology

Learn about the latest developments and trends in Gen AI since our time together in August and MDC’s AI Innovation Lab in December. What kind of conversations should CU execs be having with each other, their boards, their teams, and their members about AI? Explore the future of AI, its real-world applications, and the work MDC is doing in this fascinating area.

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Ian-Headshot-24

Ian Beacraft

CEO and Chief Futurist

Signal & Cipher

Jim Ganger

Jim Ganger

SVP/Chief Retail Officer, Relationship and Service Experience

SPIRE Credit Union
Sarah-2024

Sarah Lietz

CXO

MDC

12:00 PM, Feb 13

  • 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Lunch

Who should attend? All Attendees

Join the group for lunch and mingle with other owners and attendees. Enjoy! 

Sponsored by

1:00 PM, Feb 13

  • 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

MDC 360 | Shaping the Future…Together

Who should attend? Leaders of Strategy

During this session, we will share some of our insights into our evolving environment, including critical factors influencing our industry such as competition, consumer trends, demographics, industry performance, KPI’s and incentives, and what it all means to MDC.

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Jeff-Headshot-24

Jeff Kline

President & CEO

MDC
Sarah-2024

Sarah Lietz

Chief Experience Officer

MDC

1:30 PM, Feb 13

  • 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

MDC Project Update: Mission Audacia

Who should attend? Leaders of Strategy, Innovation, Member Experience, and Technology

Formerly known as Credit Union of the Future Project, this initiative has been renamed Mission Audacia. Three workstreams are here to report their progress and insights.

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Jeff-Headshot-24

Jeff Kline

President & CEO

MDC

Jamie Headshot

Jamie Harrison

Chief Growth Officer

Meritrust Credit Union

Sarah-2024

Sarah Lietz

Chief Experience Officer

MDC

Headshot Kris

Kris Kovacs

CEO

Constellation Digital Partners
Steve Headshot

Steve Williams

President and Partner

Cornerstone Advisors

Headshot TJ

T.J. Wyman

Chief Digital Officer

Coastal Credit Union

2:15 PM, Feb 13

  • 2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Express Break

Who should attend? All Attendees

Refuel with a splash of coffee or snack on the way to your breakout sessions!

2:30 PM, Feb 13

  • 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Breakout Session – MDC Project Update: North Star

Who should attend? Chief Strategy Officers and Strategic Planning Leaders

In conversations with MDC owners, we have identified a recurring theme around strategic planning—there is a lack of tools, trends, market data, facilitators, and content to support the professionals in our industry tasked with leading strategic planning efforts. We have partnered with Paterson Center on a new project called North Star focuses on coming alongside MDC’s CSOs to address that void. In this breakout, Stacey Pearson will share what we’ve been up to!

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Jess Headshot

Jessica Archer

Vice President

Paterson Center

Stacey-Headshot-v2

Stacey Pearson

Partner

Paterson Center

2:30 PM, Feb 13

  • 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Breakout Session - Marketing and the Machine

Who should attend? Leaders in Marketing, Sales, Retail

The rapid evolution of AI is reshaping the marketing industry in profound ways. Delve into the possibilities and hurdles posed by this technology and its far-reaching effects on the future of marketing.

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Headshot Sean 2

Sean Watson

SVP of Special Projects

Trend Hunter
Butch Headshot

Butch Jerinic

Senior Facilitator

FutureThink

2:30 PM, Feb 13

  • 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Breakout Session – MDC Project Update: Instinctive Banking

Who should attend? Leaders in Technology, MX, Digital

As we continue to develop our Instinctive Banking project, the team recognizes that AI capabilities are advancing at breakneck speed. To make sure we infuse the latest AI advancements into our design and thinking, we have constructed this session to highlight powerful examples of where AI is being used today. As a group, we’ll then use these examples to inspire application to Instinctive Banking and Member Experience in general—including how it relates to Mission Audacia.

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Kurt-2024-Headshot-1

Kurt Schroeder

CXO

Remarkable MX

Project Lead

MDC
Alex Headshot 24

Alex Johnson

Business Consultant

MDC

Ian-Headshot-24

Ian Beacraft

CEO and Chief Futurist

Signal & Cipher

3:15 PM, Feb 13

  • 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM

Networking Break

Who should attend? All Attendees

We hope you enjoyed the breakouts. Take a power walk, re-caffeinate, and we’ll see you back after the break!

3:45 PM, Feb 13

  • 3:45 PM – 4:15 PM

MDC Project Update: Balance Sheet Marketplace

Who should attend? Leaders in Strategy, Finance, Investments

Credit unions are not all alike, but typically when there are “too many” or “too few” loans, most of the large credit unions are in the same place at the same time. This project is exploring ways to smooth out the deposits / loans cycle and remove balance sheet constraints when making decisions that impact our members. This quick session will provide you with an update on our exciting progress on both the loans and deposits side.

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Jeff-Headshot-24

Jeff Kline

President & CEO

MDC
 
Headshot Vincent

Vincent Hui

Managing Director

Cornerstone Advisors
 
Charles Headshot

Charles Vice

Director, Financial Technology and Access

NCUA
 

4:15 PM, Feb 13

  • 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM

Tackling AI-Driven Fraud

Who should attend? Leaders in Strategy, Technology, MX

AI is revolutionizing industries and changing the world we live in. But it’s imperative to address the growing concern of AI-driven fraud and explore strategies for safeguarding trust and integrity in this rapidly evolving landscape. How are fraudsters getting better at their craft? What kind of technology is right around the corner and what does that mean for NEW fraud opportunities? In this future-focused session, we will delve into the multifaceted world of fraudulent activities empowered by AI and what we can do to defend ourselves.
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Sam-2

Samantha Radocchia (aka Sam Rad)

Futurist - Anthropologist - Entrepreneur

Radical Next
Vincent Hui Headshot

Vincent Hui

Managing Director

Cornerstone Advisors
 
nick headshot

Nick Evens

CEO

Curql
 

5:00 PM, Feb 13

  • 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Cocktails and Networking Reception

Who should attend? All Attendees

Join us for cocktails, apps, and more mingling with fascinating people all while taking in the beautiful bay views! This evening is a great opportunity to take your teams out following the reception. The Owner Meeting resumes tomorrow morning with breakfast at 8:00 and speakers starting at 9:00.

Sponsored by

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MDC's 2024 Winter Owner Meeting

Next Day On-Demand Available Now

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Neil Hoyne

Chief Strategist

Google

SPEAKER'S BIO

Neil Hoyne is the Chief Strategist at Google and the best-selling author of “Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers’ Hearts.” Mr. Hoyne was a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School and presently serves on the Board of Trustees for Purdue University Global. He has received multiple patents for his work in marketing attribution and customer analytics, has been published in notable outlets such as Harvard Business Review, and has keynoted hundreds of events in more than two dozen countries.

After earning degrees from Purdue University and UCLA, Hoyne returned to academia in 2018 as a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a board member on the Purdue University Global Board of Trustees, and serves as an advisor to private equity and investment funds, including CapitalG: Alphabet’s independent growth fund, which has helped to scale companies like Airbnb, Stripe, Duolingo, and more.

Jeff Kline

President & CEO

Members Development Company

SPEAKER'S BIO

Jeff Kline has been the President/CEO of MDC since 2007 and has been in the credit union industry for more than 30 years.

Jeff started his career as a CPA at KPMG Peat Marwick and then went to work for a client, US Central Credit Union. He has worked at several other credit unions as an EVP of Finance and Technology, an EVP of Retail and Strategy, and as a CEO.

James Nastars

President & CEO,
MDC Board Vice Chair

Meritrust Credit Union

SPEAKER'S BIO

Meritrust has been a member of MDC since 2014 and has seen the power of active collaboration with leaders in the credit union industry. MDC helps us honor our mission and remain relevant to our members and our community. James has been President/CEO of Meritrust since 2013 and has over 30 years’ experience in financial services. James is committed to both the credit union industry and the greater Wichita community. Within the credit union industry, he serves on the Boards of MDC and CUNextGen. In the community, James serves on the Boards of Kansas Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Greater Wichita Partnership, Wichita State University Barton School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board, Wichita State University Foundation & Alumni Engagement National Advisory Board, and the Kansas State University Institute for Personal Financial Planning. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. James and his wife, Cynthia, enjoy traveling and spending time with their four children.

Jeff Meshey

President & CEO

Desert Financial Credit Union

SPEAKER'S BIO

Jeff Meshey is the President and CEO of Desert Financial Credit Union, where he has dedicated his talents and leadership for over 28 years. He is a certified public accountant and launched his career with Ernst & Young, specializing in audits of financial institutions. His tenured career at commercial banks, savings banks, and credit unions was solid preparation to lead an $8 billion organization that’s built a culture of performance and philanthropy. Alongside his role at Desert Financial, Jeff serves as a Board Member of MDC and as currently the Nominating Committee Chairman. His commitment to service is evidenced by his involvement in various organizations. He sits on the Board of the Valley of the Sun United Way, where he chairs the Tocqueville and Major Gifts Committee, demonstrating his passion for philanthropy and social impact. Additionally, Jeff contributes his expertise to the Arizona Educational Foundation as an Advisory Board member and serves as Chair of the American Heart Association’s HeartWalk Committee. His dedication to the community is further exemplified by his status as a Life Member of the Fiesta Bowl Committee. Jeff was honored as a Most Admired Leader by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2019. Outside of his professional endeavors, Jeff finds joy in exploring the world through travel, trying to perfect his golf swing, cheering on the Arizona State Sun Devils, and immersing himself in the activities of his children and grandchildren.

Michelle Mozzar

AVP / Head of Strategic Execution Office

Members Development Company

SPEAKER'S BIO

Michelle is the AVP, Head of Strategic Execution Office at Members Development Company. In her current role, she is responsible for leading project strategy and delivering innovative research and solutions to MDC owners. Prior to joining MDC, Michelle served as Vice President for Treasury Implementations at Wells Fargo. She has worked in financial services for over 20 years in multiple leadership capacities, including strategic planning, project management, leadership development, training, and operations.

She holds a doctoral degree in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University.

Alex Johnson

Business Consultant

Members Development Company

SPEAKER'S BIO

“I love credit unions and their dedication to members and communities. Having the opportunity to work for an organization that supports credit unions and their ability to serve well into the future is so meaningful. I’m energized by thoughtful conversation and can’t wait to share these with our credit union owners.”

Alex joined MDC in the Strategic Execution Office in April 2023 and has a decade of experience in the financial services industry with a background in marketing, community relations, and member experience. She’s experienced in driving process improvements and managing a wide variety of projects that support overarching business objectives. Alex is a proud Boise State University graduate with a BBA in Marketing – Go Broncos!

Brenton Peck

Director

Financial Health Network

SPEAKER'S BIO

Brenton Peck is a Director on the program team at the Financial Health Network. Leveraging his previous roles at the Financial Health Network as a Consultant and Relationship Manager, Brenton helps organizations structure and execute projects that are designed to improve the financial health of their business and their members.

Mr. Peck has a strong passion for helping his clients define their financial health strategy, assess the rapidly changing marketplace, and develop high-quality products and practices. He has held positions at the Filene Research Institute, J.P.Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo. Brenton graduated from Illinois State University and earned an MBA from the Dunham School of Business at Aurora University. He also holds a PMP® certification and is an active member of his town’s Finance Committee.

When not at the Financial Health Network, Brenton enjoys hiking, boating, beach volleyball, and 400-level seats at Wrigley Field. He lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois with his wife, Bridget, their son, Madden and daughter, Ashlyn.

Robyn LaChance

EVP/Chief Administration Officer
Sound Credit Union

SPEAKER'S BIO

Robyn LaChance has been living, breathing, and building organizational culture for more than 20 years. As EVP/Chief Administration Officer at Sound Credit Union, she is a big picture thinker who blends her experience with strategic planning, project management, marketing and communications, and member experience to vision for the future and chart courses leaders and teams can get excited about and follow.

When she isn’t developing strong teams and brand experiences, she can be found fixing and flipping houses with her husband, shouting from the sidelines at her kids’ sporting events or crafting sassy t-shirt slogans with her Cricut.

Ian Beacraft

CEO and Chief Futurist
Signal and Cipher

SPEAKER'S BIO

Considered one of the top voices in AI and the future of work,, Ian Beacraft is a trusted advisor to the world’s most innovative companies. The founder and chief futurist of Signal and Cipher, Ian leads a strategic foresight agency that guides brands through the rapidly changing technology landscape and finds meaningful routes to innovation that impact the bottom line, inspire cultural change, and create new products and services.

Previously responsible for P&L’s and innovation departments at the largest agencies in the world, Ian is known for making bleeding-edge technology understandable and monetizable even when best practices are scarce. Brands he has advised over the last decade include CapitalOne, CIT, Samsung, Intel, Coca-Cola, Google, and Microsoft.

Jim Ganger

SVP/Chief Retail Officer, Relationship and Service Experience
SPIRE Credit Union

SPEAKER'S BIO

Born and raised in the Midwest, Jim recognized at a young age he wanted to use his talents to help others. His service began with the United State Air Force where he was awarded the honor of Superior Performer by the Inspector General United States Air Force. This prestigious award is reserved for only the top 1 percent of airmen.

At just 23 years of age, Jim began his career working in the insurance industry. This experience propelled him to his current role where he continues to serve others. Over the past 25 years in the credit union industry, Jim has worked as a financial advisor, national sales manager and is currently the Chief Retail Officer and Senior Vice President of Relationship and Service Experience at SPIRE Credit Union. Overseeing 22 branches, the Member Experience Center and the Wealth Management department, Jim works endlessly to improve the lives of others.

Jim also seeks opportunities to get involved within the community. In 2016-2017, he was selected as the Minneapolis Aquatennial Captain. Jim was also instrumental in the development and launch of the NetGiver App, a donation platform that allows credit union members to give to charitable causes with zero fees to organizations and donors. Currently he is serving as the Vice Chair of the DARTS Board of Directors and most recently, joined the Saint Paul Police Foundation Board of Directors. Residing in St. Paul, Jim can often be spotted cheering on one of our Minnesota sports teams alongside his son, Mikey.

Sarah Lietz

CXO

Members Development Company

SPEAKER'S BIO

Sarah Lietz is the Chief Experience Officer for MDC. She is responsible for several strategic initiatives, MDC’s SEO and Events teams, and several numerous R&D projects.

She joined MDC in 2005 after serving for two years as a corporate project manager for CUNA Mutual Group (now TruStage). Prior to working with CMG, she spent eight years in product development in the telecom industry, focused primarily on introducing new Internet-related products to the marketplace. She has also held positions with the Chicago office of KPMG Peat Marwick, a global consulting and accounting firm.

Sarah volunteered on the board of directors of Firefly Credit Union in Minneapolis/St. Paul for nine years, including four as Board Chair. Sarah earned her MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a BS from Illinois State University.

Jamie Harrison

Chief Growth Officer

Meritrust Credit Union

SPEAKER'S BIO

As Meritrust’s Chief Growth Officer, Ms. Harrison drives sustainable growth by aligning strategy, innovation, and collaboration across the organization. In her current role, she leads new customer acquisition and deposit growth strategies, market expansion strategies, marketing/communication and brand equity initiatives, customer loyalty and experience programs, community partnership/engagement efforts, and governmental affairs. She has been with Meritrust since 2005 and in the credit union and banking industries for more than 25 years.

Ms. Harrison earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wichita State University and her MBA from Newman University, and she is Design-Thinking certified from MIT and Stanford University. She also completed CUES CEO Institute 1 from Wharton School of Business and CEO Institute 2 from SC Johnson College at Cornell University.

Ms. Harrison’s leadership has been recognized in the community and the industry with the following honors:

  • 2012 Wichita Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Class
  • 2015 AMA Marketer of the Year Award
  • 2017 Wichita Business Journal Women in Business
  • 2018 Leadership Kansas Class
  • 2019 Wichita Business Journal Women Who Lead – Financial Services
  • 2019 CUNA’s Credit Union Rock Star for Innovation and Creativity
  • 2022 Wichita Business Journal’s Hall of Fame – 40 Under 40
  • 2023 Wichita Business Journal’s Hall of Fame – Women in Business

Within the local community, she serves on the WSU Barton School Marketing Advisory Board, Widener Global Leaders Program Board, the Wichita Chamber Board, the Greater Wichita Partnership Strategy Team, and as a mentor for several community groups.

Ms. Harrison is passionate about her family – 4 kids and 3 grandbabies, helping others live their best lives, problem-solving for business and innovation, traveling, English bulldogs and trees – all the trees.

Kris Kovacs

CEO

Constellation Digital Partners

SPEAKER'S BIO

Kris Kovacs is the President and CEO of Constellation Digital Partners in Raleigh, NC. He led the largest single round capital raise in credit union history. The $32.5M capital raise was the foundation for launching Constellation Digital Partners. As the CEO, Kris is leading the company as they create a revolutionary open development platform for secure financial services. Their patented platform represents a disruptive business model that challenges decades of legacy business practices and promises industry changing advancements in online and mobile banking.

Prior to this role, Kris spent 25 years with some of the largest and most technologically advanced credit unions in the country with C-level roles in Operations and Technology. He is also a Certified Innovation Executive (CIE).

Steve Williams

President and Partner

Cornerstone Advisors

SPEAKER'S BIO

As a co-founder of Cornerstone Advisors, Steve Williams serves as President and Partner with Cornerstone where he leads firm growth and thought leadership efforts while remaining actively involved with major clients in the areas of strategy, technology, and performance improvement.​

Steve has assisted hundreds of banks and credit unions in their efforts to become highly efficient, top-performing financial institutions. An experienced private banker with a commercial and consumer credit background, Steve’s more than 25 years of experience in the financial services and consulting industries have provided him with a deep working knowledge of bank operations and delivery systems, particularly in lending processes. He is an experienced facilitator for management retreats and board planning sessions and is in great demand as a speaker at industry conferences and seminars. ​

Steve is among the authors of The Cornerstone Performance Report, an annual benchmarking study for mid-size banks and credit unions. He writes regularly for GonzoBanker, Cornerstone’s blog, and has been published in numerous industry periodicals, including American Banker, Bank Director, BAI Banking Strategies, and CU Management. ​

Steve serves as a faculty member at the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Management Institute of the Credit Union Executives Society. He taught at the National School of Banking and the CUES School of Product and Channel Management.​

Steve holds a master’s degree in finance, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., and a bachelor’s degree in business journalism from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Ariz.​

T.J. Wyman

Chief Digital Officer

Coastal Credit Union

SPEAKER'S BIO

T.J. Wyman currently serves as Chief Digital Officer for Coastal Credit Union located in Raleigh, NC. He has over 25 years of financial institution experience ranging from Retail, eCommerce, Lending, Insurance, Investment, Trust and IT. Prior to his current role, Wyman served as Coastal’ s Chief Retail Officer where he was responsible for Coastal’ s new branch strategy, traditional teller branch transformation to PTM Technology, online account opening, Mortgage lending, ATM servicing and Coastal’ s real estate agency. He has also served as Vice President of Information Technology, Vice President of Coastal Federal Financial Group, LLC and as Coastal’ s Vice President of Insurance, Investment and Trust group. Beyond Coastal, Wyman is a Credit Union Development Educator, currently serves as a Board of directors to First Tee-Triangle, Board Chair of Coastal Federal Financial Group and has served on numerous advisor committees in credit union industry organizations.

Jessica Archer

Vice President

Paterson Center

SPEAKER'S BIO

Jessica is a seasoned leader of the full spectrum of strategic planning, from facilitating the creation of the plan all the way through to deploying and monitoring strategic results that stick. Her specialty is inspiring transformational change and designing processes that take strategy out of a binder and into the operations of the business and the hearts of its employees.

Jessica’s professional experience includes:

  • 12 years of facilitation experience, including tenure as a licensed Paterson StratOp® Guide, facilitating strategic clarity and installing strategy management processes for clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 50 giants
  • 8 years experience as the in-house accountable party for Global Strategic Planning and Integrated Business Planning processes for a multi-million dollar consumer products company
  • Designing and improving cross-functional business processes as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in industries ranging from grocery, to consumer packaged goods, to proteomics
  • Change Management leadership, training, and speaking, supported by a Prosci Change Management Certification and a Masters Degree in Communication

Jessica is a proud Midwesterner at heart (and still regularly uses the phrase “Uff-da”), but now happily resides in Timnath, CO, with her husband and three children who collectively serve as a foster family to babies, teenagers, and every age and stage in between.

Stacey Pearson

Partner

Paterson Center

SPEAKER'S BIO

Stacey is a business strategist and a movement creator. Her mission is to partner with growing organizations to create clarity of vision and mission, align on the top strategic priorities, and accelerate forward on a unified plan. 

Leveraging 25 years of leadership experience and the Paterson StratOp® and LifePlan® Processes, she has been instrumental in driving strategic growth for multiple businesses, non profits, government entities, and higher education organizations. She served as the Director of Strategic Operations Planning at OtterBox through a time of exponential growth and transformation, leading the strategy creation, deployment, and performance management. Specializing in scaling organizations through transformational change, Stacey prioritizes caring for people and culture to foster effective leadership.

Today, Stacey is Partner and Chief of Client Services at the Paterson Center, enhancing client excellence and leading strategic partnerships in the anti-human trafficking arena. She lives with her husband, Aaron, and two daughters in Timnath, CO.

Sean Watson

SVP of Special Projects
Trend Hunter

SPEAKER'S BIO

Known as a tech enthusiast with a thirst for new information, Sean brings an enthusiasm to Trend Hunter’s content that is unmatched. After amassing an extensive background at companies like Rogers, Bertelsmann, and American Express, Sean joined Trend Hunter in 2015. He has since interviewed over 200 leaders in insight, innovation, and strategy to uncover best practices and approaches to facilitating innovation. Additionally, he has spoken at conferences like TMRE and Future Festival on topics such as technology, entertainment, media, and consumer behavior.

Butch Jerinic

Senior Facilitator

FutureThink

SPEAKER'S BIO

With a magnetic personality, hilarious sense of humor and megawatt smile, Butch Jerinic brings a lively and experiential training style to every single session she leads.

For more than 15 years, Butch has ignited teams at both startups and Fortune 500s. Her improv background at The Second City theater translates into a whip-smart approach to FutureThink’s curriculum and for such clients as Pepsi-Cola, Intel, Lockheed Martin, and Roche.

Butch is as well known for delivering (and designing) corporate learning programs that provide the ultimate ‘edu-tainment’ experience. A writer and performer, she created her own solo show “Growing Up Butch” which delighted audiences from Chicago to Los Angeles. The critically acclaimed show recounts Butch’s experience as the only one of three children in a Croatian immigrant family who turned out to be straight.

When she isn’t performing, you’ll find Butch cheering on her son’s baseball team or giving objects a second life through paint or dye. Of her many trips to foreign countries, the most meaningful was walking the 13th-century Walls of Dubrovnik in her father’s native Croatia after seeing his childhood home and meeting their relatives.

Butch earned her BA from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and studied acting and improvisation at Second City in Chicago. At the international auction house Sotheby’s, she honed improvisation skills that have made her the favorite emcee and auctioneer at her son’s annual school fundraiser. Butch can be found livin’ the dream in Chicago with her husband Mick, son Luca, and their dog Mabel.

Kurt Schroeder

CXO

RemarkableMX

Project Lead

MDC

SPEAKER'S BIO

Kurt Schroeder is the Chief Member Experience Advisor at Remarkable MX, a Member Experience advisory firm helping credit unions thrive in the experience economy. Prior to starting Remarkable MX, Kurt retired as the Chief Experience Officer at Avtex which helped organizations win through designing more meaningful experiences in every customer interaction.

With over 35 years of experience, Schroeder has a background helping diverse industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, health care, financial services, distribution, insurance, consumer packaged goods, and non-profits. He leverages this experience while helping organizations turn insight into experiences that drive growth and pioneering new methodologies and approaches in customer experience to improve how companies innovate new and better customer experiences.

Known for his outstanding organizational and consulting skills, Schroeder has a thorough knowledge of customer experience, customer loyalty, market research, go-to-market strategy, digital and social experience, sales effectiveness, and experience innovation. He has been recently quoted in The New York Times, Forbes, and CMSWire. He also speaks nationally on various customer experience topics at conferences and corporate events.

Vincent Hui

Managing Director

Cornerstone Advisors

SPEAKER'S BIO

Vincent Hui brings to Cornerstone Advisors nearly 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, where he has served as both a senior executive and an advisor to large and mid-size financial institutions.

Backed by a unique blend of strategy, operational and financial skills, Vincent leads the planning and delivery of large-scale change initiatives, linking strategic goals and priorities to operational initiatives and execution and ultimately to financial performance.

Vincent’s areas of expertise include merger and acquisition opportunity assessment and integration, strategic planning, operating model design including operational and process improvement, and system conversions.

Before joining Cornerstone, Vincent was a chief operating officer at Capital G Bank in Hamilton, Bermuda, where he was responsible for branches, deposit operations, call centers, e-banking, card services, and product management. He led several enterprise-wide initiatives in business continuity, strategic and business planning, policy and procedure development, M&A integration, and core system conversion. Before Capital G, Vincent was a senior executive at Washington Mutual/Chase, leading M&A activities and enterprise-wide operating model change initiatives. He also served as an executive in Accenture’s financial services practice, and he began his career in finance with MacAndrews & Forbes and Ernst & Whinney.

Vincent is a graduate of New York University and received a master of business administration degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Sam Rad

Futurist – Anthropologist – Entrepreneur

Radical Next

SPEAKER'S BIO

Sam Rad combines the mindsets of an anthropologist and technologist, bringing her “radical next” perspectives on what’s in store for the future.

With the charisma of a rockstar, the curiosity of an anthropologist, creativity of an entrepreneur, and the calm confidence of an ex-professional skydiver, Sam effortlessly guides organizations and individuals to thrive in times of radical and accelerating change.

Through her signature candid and clever delivery, Sam distills complex topics while leading the audience on a compelling, informative, and approachable journey of educational storytelling.