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 30’s, 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 asked to join the executive team of Vistage Worldwide in San Diego. Jim went on to be to be President and CEO of another peer group company, Renaissance Executive Forums, also based in the San Diego area.
Jim authored the book, CEO Tools 2.0: How to Think, Lead and Manage like a CEO. Jim created a workshop for the book, and in six years delivered almost 500 presentations on CEO Tools. During this time, Jim was named Speaker of the Year three times for Vistage Worldwide.
Jim is now a part of Class VI Partners with the Class VI Pathfinder program. The Pathfinder program prepares companies to maximize their value during a transition.
Cohen is the Chairman of Baird’s Global Industrial Group advising the firm’s clients on corporate finance and M&A activities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He focuses on the Industrial Technology and Test, Measurement and Automation sector, a practice that he initiated for the firm over 20 years ago and has completed over 100 transactions. Prior to his chairman role, Joel co-headed Baird’s Global Industrial Group for eight years.
Cohen brings over 30 years of extensive experience in originating and executing a broad range of strategic transactions for publicly traded, sponsor-owned and privately-owned companies. His long-term sector focus, deep domain knowledge and a broad set of industry relationships enable him to provide unique value to his clients.
Before joining Baird in 1994, Joel was a member of the Kidder, Peabody & Co. Investment Banking Group. He received his MBA with high honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Brown University. Cohen is active in his community with a particular interest in enhancing educational opportunities for children and young adults through a number of charitable organizations
Tony Fagella is a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor at Raymond James where he
provides investment solutions and financial advice to corporate executives, business owners and
family offices.
Prior to joining Raymond James in 2016, Tony was a Managing Director and Client Advisor at
Deutsche Bank. Tony began his career at Lehman Brothers in 1988 as an equities trader working with
many of the firms largest institutional clients. In 1990 he shifted to Equity Capital Markets where he
advised and executed corporate buyback programs for the firm’s investment banking clients before
joining the Private Client Group in 1994.
Tony has earned the Private Wealth Advisor designation from Raymond James. This designation
reflects his experience in managing the financial concerns of families, individuals and organizations
of significant wealth, and his mastery of methods and resources necessary to support their expansive
financial interests.
Tony supports and has served on several local, nonprofit boards and foundations. Most recently he
served as a board member and treasurer of the YMCA of Greenwich, where he helped lead a debt
restructuring resulting in a new era of fiscal responsibility and programming. In 2014 Tony was
honored with the YMCA Achievement Award for Outstanding Service.
Tony received both his BBA and MBA from Iona University in New York.
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.
Veena Lakkundi is Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development at Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK), a $9 billion global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. Veena was most recently Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of 3M Company (NYSE: MMM), a $32 billion global conglomerate operating in the consumer, safety and industrial, transportation and electronics, and health care businesses where she spent 28 years.
Over her career, Veena ascended to key leadership positions across 3M, before assuming her current role in November 2021. In her current role, she works with the executive leadership team to define Rockwell’s strategic vision and growth plans, and leads all strategic planning and inorganic development activities across the company. Veena is currently the President of ROK Star Ventures Ltd., which is the corporate venture arm of Rockwell Automation.
Previously, she was Vice President of 3M’s Industrial Adhesives and Tapes division, leading the $2.7 billion global industrial markets business with 5000+ employees from 2019 to 2020. She turned six quarters of negative revenue growth to positive in the first quarter of 2020 by driving active portfolio management, geographic diversification, manufacturing efficiency and agile product commercialization. In 2021, at 3M, she took on the additional role of interim leader of the Technology and Transformation Services organization, which includes information technology, digital strategy, and business transformation.
From 2017 to 2019, she held the position of Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. In this role, she developed and led the enterprise ethics and compliance strategy, and she built credibility with the board and executive team by raising the standards of 3M’s ethics program. Ethisphere has consistently named 3M to its World’s Most Ethical Companies list from 2014 to 2022.
She served as Global Business Director of the Industrial Business group from 2015 to 2017, leading the $650 million global Specialty Solutions tape business and delivering profitable growth, exceeding macroeconomic indicators.
Veena was previously Managing Director of 3M Indonesia, leading the region’s business growth from 2012 to 2015. She served as Global Business Director of 3M’s $1.3 billion Automotive division, and she was Marketing Operations Manager and Business Leader at 3M Separation and Purification from 2007 to 2011. She was the Industrial Business organization’s Business Development Manager in India, from 2005 to 2007, where she led the development and execution of a 10X accelerated growth plan.
She previously held the position of Marketing Manager, and she became a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt from 2001 to 2003. From 1996 to 2000, she served in several sales and technical roles in 3M’s Abrasive Systems division. She began her career at 3M in 1993 as a Product Engineer in the Personal Care business in Canada.
She is a board director and member of the audit and nominating and governance committees for Trinity Industries (NYSE: TRN) and Claroty, which empowers organizations to secure cyber-physical systems across industrial (OT), healthcare (IoMT), and enterprise (IoT) environments. At Rockwell Automation, she serves on the Rockwell Automation Charitable Corporation Board (RACC). A passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, Veena is the executive sponsor for the Cultures Connected employee resource group that is focused on creating an inclusive environment for diverse field-based employees and Lean In Circle facilitator for high potential women. She previously served on the board of the 3M Foundation.
Veena graduated from Western University (Canada) in 1993 with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering. In January 2024, she completed the CFO certification program at Columbia University.
As a certified exit planning advisor, Vincent is not just a founder and president of Prometis Partners, but a dedicated partner in your success. His career began in 1989 and has been focused on providing wealth management services to businesses and individuals. After two successful decades with Lincoln Financial Group, Vincent’s confidence in his experience led him to sell his shares and build his firm, Prometis Partners. His true passion lies in working closely with business owners on exit planning strategies, a testament to his dedication to your success. He brings his extensive experience and enthusiasm for finding solutions to each new challenge, ensuring that your exit planning journey is guided by the best in the field.
Vincent’s commitment to continuous learning and professional development is not just a testament to his dedication, but a reflection of his commitment to delivering optimal solutions to business owners. This commitment is evident in his extensive list of certifications and designations. He has successfully completed advanced education through the Exit Planning Institute, Value Builder program, Pinnacle Equity Solutions, and the Business Enterprise Institute and Institute for Success. These courses have equipped him with the knowledge and skills to help business owners increase the value of their business and successfully transition out. Vincent is a Certified Business Exit Consultant (CBEC®), Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®), CVGA® Certified Value Growth Advisor, and a Certified DISC+ Coach (CDVC®). These designations reflect his educational background, leadership skills, and strong commitment to delivering optimal solutions to business owners.
Vincent’s true gift lies in his ability to motivate and guide, providing his clients with the necessary long-term impetus to reach their goals. Vincent’s process is not just a plan, but a well-thought-out and properly executed strategy that considers all factors, all interested parties, and the personal goals of the owners. This strategy is designed to accommodate the business, its shareholders, and potential buyers, providing reassurance and support throughout the transition process. He has been an active member of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI) since 2012 and has subsequently been inducted into the circle of excellence. The EPI provides comprehensive practice development tools, education, and ongoing support networks to business owner advisors. Vincent is also the founding president of the EPI West Michigan Chapter which provides education to professionals and business owners on value acceleration and transition planning, further demonstrating his commitment to supporting and guiding others.
Additionally, Vincent shares his experience and positive outlook with others as a national speaker on exit planning. He also leads round-table discussion groups with business owners to explore the issues that they face selling or transferring their companies and to determine how to best approach their individual situations. He is adept at motivating a team or organization to work together to meet group goals and works well under pressure and with time constraints.
Mr. May is the Founder and Managing Partner of CORE and is responsible for overseeing all activities of the firm including investment sourcing and valuation, transaction structuring, the securing of acquisition financing, and fundraising.
Before founding CORE, he spent 18 years working on transactions with several private equity sponsors principally with The Blackstone Group and H.I.G. Capital. He currently serves on the boards of the following CORE portfolio companies:
Fathom, Saylite, Cohere, Kelvix, Cadrex, 3DXTech, GEM, Century Box, and Aviation Concepts.
Mr. May graduated with Honors from East Carolina University with a business degree. He currently serves on the ECU Foundation Board of Directors including its Executive Committee and is Chair of the Investment Committee. He is also Co-Founder and
Former Chairman of the Board for Imerman Angels, a 501 (c)(3) Chicago based cancer support organization. He is also an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, and obtained his Level I Sommelier accreditation from The International Sommelier Guild.
Mr. McCuiston joined the firm in 2023 and is a Director. He assists clients with mergers and acquisitions, financings, and capital structure related projects.
Mr. McCuiston was most recently the CFO of EOS Worldwide, a high growth, private equity backed franchisor that serves more than 170,000 entrepreneurial companies around the world via the tools and concepts that make up the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®).
Prior to his role at EOS®, Mr. McCuiston was a co-founder and partner at The Firefly Group, a lower middle market investment firm headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. Mr. McCuiston previously worked for a Carmel, Indiana-based family office and in corporate development for Indiana University Health. He began his career in Indiana’s Office of Management and Budget during the administration of former Governor Mitch Daniels.
Mr. McCuiston, a native of Newburgh, Indiana, received his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University where he was a Dean’s Fellow. He received his BA from Indiana University’s College of Arts & Sciences.
Clara has experience advising on cross-border and domestic transactions, including auctions, mergers, equity and asset sales, as well as on general corporate governance and securities matters. Her domestic and international practice spans a number of sectors, including financial services, energy and industrials and manufacturing. Clara also keeps the firm’s U.S. M&A group apprised of the latest legal and market practice developments, and manages the technical legal training of the practice’s clients and lawyers.
In 2023, Clara was named a Top Woman in Dealmaking by The Deal and an Emerging Leader by the M&A Advisor. She was also named to the M&A Advisor’s “40 under 40” list for M&A and was listed as a “Rising Star” for M&A by Euromoney 2022.
Jonathan Sherrill is a seasoned business strategist with over 27 years of experience in the steel building component manufacturing industry. As President of Gulf Coast Supply, he led the company to significant growth and industry recognition. In 2018, he founded Quicken Steel, which he successfully scaled and exited.
Currently, Jonathan offers CEO coaching services and invests in business ventures. As a member of YPO, he is dedicated to helping business owners achieve their goals and prepare for successful exits.
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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.
