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Larry Kihlstadius with Kinetix HR

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Larry Kihlstadius

 

Larry Kihlstadius / Kinetix HR 
Solutions Czar

Larry is responsible for the solution generation of new clients for Kinetix. Kinetix is the leader in recruiting driven by cutting edge recruitment marketing. Kinetix is at the forefront of developing talent once hired. Larry has led sales, consulted, and run P&Ls at several Global 1000 companies. He is a pioneer in the Human Resources Outsourcing market and developed the first Recruitment Process Outsourcing model to become commercially viable.

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Joost Rutten with Liaison Technologies, Dwayne Hill with Ashton Woods, Millennial Author Chris Butsch and Matt Thomas with Brawl for a Cause

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Joost Rutten / Liaison Technologies

Mr. Joost Rutten has been Chief Financial Officer at Liaison Technologies, Inc. since January 19, 2017. Prior to joining Liaison, Mr. Rutten held strategic leadership positions at several organizations including SAP SuccessFactors, a leader in the fast growing Human Capital Management (HCM) cloud space which generates more than $1 billion in subscription revenue on an annual basis. As Division Chief Financial Officer, he was responsible for leading and managing the SAP SuccessFactors finance team and managing the Global SAP SuccessFactors P&L.

Mr. Rutten is the Co-Founder of Standard Tael BV. Joost worked in Corporate Banking, Investment Banking and Private Equity. Joost started his career at ABN AMRO bank as a management trainee, after which he joined ABN AMRO’s European Leveraged Finance team as an associate. In 2008, he joined the Secondary Investments Team of AlpInvest Partners in Amsterdam as an associate. AlpInvest is the world’s leading independent private equity fund of fund with over USD 50bn under management. At AlpInvest, he was responsible for executing secondary private equity transactions in Europe and the US, such as the acquisition of limited partnership interests and direct private equity portfolios. He served as Chief Financial Officer of a private equity backed start-up company in the US.

Joost holds a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Delft University of Technology. He is also a CFA charter holder.

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Dwayne Hill / Ashton Woods

Dwayne Hill serves as Division President of Ashton Woods Atlanta. He is originally from North Carolina and moved to Georgia in 1978 where he graduated with a business degree from Georgia State University. Before finding Ashton Woods, Hill held division and corporate level positions at public and private builders. He began his career at Ashton Woods in 2010 as the Vice President of Sales, later to be named the National Vice President of Sales before becoming Division President of Ashton Woods Atlanta. Hill chose Ashton Woods because of the company’s land strategy and high level of personalization offered to homebuyers.

Outside of work, Dwayne enjoys spending time with his family, including three kids and two dogs. He also enjoys off-shore fishing and classic cars.

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Chris Butsch / The Millenial’s Guide to Making Happiness

Chris Butsch is Atlanta Business Radio’s “Millennial Correspondent.” Author of The Millennial’s Guide to Making Happiness, Chris educates other generations on how to decrypt and connect with his unique generation.

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Matt Thomas / Brawl For a Cause

Matt is a @GAfollowers event manager and writer, covering special events, technology, business, food and travel. An avid startup aficionado, Matt founded Brawl for a Cause, works on @Roadie’s pit crew, and can be found sweating at the Atlanta Tech Village ping pong table.

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Jimmy Collins Author of Creative Followership

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Jimmy Collins

 

Jimmy Collins / Creative Followership
Founder and Author

Born in an unpainted share-cropper house in the middle of cotton fields, Jimmy Collins dreamed of becoming an executive. His story of the pathway he discovered for the realization of that dream is told in his book, In the Shadow of Greatness. He named that pathway Creative Followership. Jimmy is certain that anyone can use his Creative Followership Principles for their own journey to success and satisfaction.

From his first job of delivering groceries on a bicycle at 12 years old, to establishing his own business as a commercial kitchen design consultant, to his 32 year career with Chick-fil-A, Inc., he learned and applied the principles that you also can learn.

Jimmy retired from Chick-fil-A, Inc. as president, Chief Operating Officer. He describes his role there as the chief follower of the founder, S. Truett Cathy. In year 2000, Jimmy received the prestigious Silver Plate Award as Chain Fast Service Operator of the Year.

He is the founder of Creative Followership L.L.C, and an author.

 

Mack Story / Top Story Leadership

Mack began his career in manufacturing on the front lines of a machine shop. He grew himself into upper management and found his niche in lean manufacturing and along with it, developed his passion for leadership.

With more than 20 years working with and on the front lines, he brings a powerful blend of practical experience and leadership knowledge to his clients. Mack is a published author of several leadership books including: Defining Influence, 10 Values of High Impact Leaders, and Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines.

He understands that everything rises and falls on leadership.

For more detailed information on Mack and to learn about the leadership development services he provides, please click here to visit Mack’s website.

 

Ria Story / Top Story Leadership

Ria is a motivational leadership speaker, author, and a world class coach who has a unique ability to help people develop and achieve their life and career goals, and guide them in building the habits and discipline to achieve their personal view of greatness.  Ria brings a wealth of personal experience in working with clients to achieve their personal goals and aspirations in a way that few coaches have achieved.

Ria’s background includes more than ten years in administrative healthcare, including several years in management and later, Director of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs for a large healthcare organization.  Ria’s responsibilities included oversight of thousands of organizational policies, organizational compliance with all State and Federal regulations, and responsibility for several million dollars in Medicare appeals.

Like many, Ria faced adversity in life. Raised on an isolated farm in Alabama, she was sexually abused by her father from age 12 – 19. Desperate to escape, she left home at 19 without a job, a car, or even a high school diploma. Ria learned to be resilient, and not just survive, but thrive. She worked her way through school, an MBA, and eventually resigned from her career in the corporate world to pursue a passion for helping others achieve success.

Now a motivational speaker, coach, and author of 7 books, she co-founded Top Story Leadership, which offers leadership development, speaking, training, coaching, and consulting. Ria also coaches authors and speakers on writing, speaking, and more. 

Jimmy Etheredge with Accenture, Maurice Cherry with Lunch and Laura Flusche with Museum of Design Atlanta

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Accenture

 

Jimmy Etheredge / Accenture
Senior Managing Director, US Southeast Region

Jimmy Etheredge is a senior managing director at Accenture responsible for leading the company’s business in its US Southeast region, which covers 10 states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia—as well as the District of Columbia. In this role, Etheredge focuses on bringing innovation to clients, attracting top talent and strengthening the company’s impact in its local communities; he also serves as member of the North America Leadership Team and the Global Leadership Council.

Additionally, Etheredge is managing director for the company’s Atlanta office, where he provides oversight for developing local business relationships, expanding civic presence and fostering employee engagement.

Before being appointed to his current role in December 2016, Etheredge was senior managing director of Accenture’s Products operating unit in North America, where was responsible for Accenture’s business across a set of consumer-relevant industries: Retail; Consumer Goods & Services; Life Sciences; Automotive, Industrial Equipment, Infrastructure & Transportation Services; and Air, Freight & Logistics and Travel Services.

Among the other leadership roles that Etheredge has held during his 29 years with Accenture are global Customer Relationship Management lead for the Resources operating group and global lead for Accenture’s Retail Utilities practice. Etheredge spent six years based in London with global responsibilities before returning to Atlanta in 2007.

A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial engineering, Etheredge is an ardent supporter of his alma mater and a member of the Alexander Thorpe board of directors, the Hill Society and the Georgia Tech Lacrosse Advisory Board. He was honored as an inaugural inductee into the Georgia Tech College of Engineering’s Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni. An active member of the Boys Scouts of America, Etheredge sits on the Atlanta Area Council Board of Directors.

Etheredge lives in Atlanta with his wife and three children.

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Maurice Cherry / Lunch / Revision Path
Principal, Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Host

Maurice Cherry is the founder and principal at Lunch, a multidisciplinary studio in Atlanta, GA that helps creative brands craft messages and tell stories for their targeted audiences, including fostering relationships with underrepresented communities. Past clients and collaborators include Vox Media, NIKE, Mediabistro, Site5, SitePoint, and The City of Atlanta.

Maurice is a pioneering digital creator who is most well-known for the Black Weblog Awards, the Web’s longest running event celebrating Black bloggers, video bloggers, and podcasters. Other projects of Maurice’s include the award-winning podcast Revision Path, 28 Days of the Web, and The Year of Tea. His projects and overall design work and advocacy have been recognized by NPR, News One, CNN, AIGA, HOW, Print, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, and The Los Angeles Times.

Maurice is also an educator, and has built curricula and taught courses on web design, web development, email marketing, WordPress, and podcasting for thousands of students over the past ten years.

Maurice was named one of Atlanta’s “Power 30 Under 30″ in the field of Science and Technology by the Apex Society, one of HP’s “50 Tech Tastemakers” in conjunction with Black Web 2.0, and was selected by Atlanta Tribune as one of 2014’s Young Professionals.

Maurice holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Morehouse College and a Masters degree in telecommunications management from Keller Graduate School of Management.

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Laura Flusche / Museum of Design Atlanta
Executive Director

Laura Flusche has been a member of the MODA staff since 2010. Prior to joining MODA, Laura lived in Rome, Italy for fifteen years, where she was assistant academic dean of an American academic program; taught art history, archaeology, mythology, and ancient history to undergraduates; and excavated on the east slope of the Palatine Hill, near the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine.

In 2016, Laura received the Business Design and Arts Leadership Distinguished Alumni Award from the Savannah College of Art and Design where she earned a master’s degree in Arts Administration. She also holds a Ph.D. in Ancient Roman and Etruscan Art and Archaeology and an M.A. in Italian Renaissance Art. When asked about the transition from archaeology to design, she fiercely maintains that design is archaeology backwards.

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Morgan Chalk with Ronald Blue and Co.

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Morgan Chalk / Ronald Blue & Co.
Private Wealth Advisor

Morgan Chalk serves both the Professional Athlete Division and the Private Wealth division of Ronald Blue & Co. in Atlanta, Georgia and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certificant. Morgan is a registered Player Financial Advisor with the NFL Players Association.

As a Private Wealth Advisor for the Private Wealth division, Morgan integrates financial planning, investment management, and estate and philanthropic planning into a custom-tailored financial plan that helps clients accomplish their dreams and financial goals. He is responsible for bringing together the expertise necessary to effectively meet his clients’ needs and for building long-term client relationships based on integrity, confidence and trust.

As a Financial Advisor with the Professional Athlete Division, Morgan works with athletes as they build their wealth and assists them in giving generously and managing their financial resources wisely. The Professional Athlete Division of Ronald Blue & Co. employs a customized service model geared to the unique needs of the athlete in their specific sport. Services include coordination of tax and legal counsel, bill paying, cash flow management, financial and estate planning, and philanthropic strategies. Ronald Blue & Co. serves over 100 active and retired players and coaches across the MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA, NASCAR and the NCAA.

Morgan earned his BBA in Finance from the University of Georgia.

Morgan and his wife, Libby, are active members of Roswell Community Church and live in Roswell, Georgia with their two children.

 

Brian Miller with Sprint and Fred Burke with Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition

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Brian Miller and Fred Burke

 

Brian Miller / Sprint
Regional President GA, AL & TN

Brian is responsible for sales strategy, network oversight, customer service, marketing communications and general operations supporting the full portfolio of Sprint products and services from enterprise to consumer in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

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Fred Burke / Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition
Vice-Chairman

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Lara O’Connor Hodgson with NOW Corp

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Lara OConnor

Lara O’Connor Hodgson / NOW Corp

Lara O’Connor Hodgson is a founder of NOW Corp and has served as its President and CEO since its inception.

Lara has launched both product and service businesses, raised capital, and served in executive management roles with Nourish (a patented consumer product for children), Insomnia Consulting LLC (an infrastructure development company), Dewberry Capital Corporation, DCH (a $400M private equity firm in which she was a founding principal), Dunk (a performance footwear and apparel brand), and iXL, an Internet development company. With extensive experience in brand development, corporate strategy, business development, marketing, and operations, Lara has worked with companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, Keds, and others.

A member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2004 and the Leadership Georgia Class of 2005, she was recently honored by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association with the Total Person Alumnus Award and by the Georgia Tech Women in Engineering as Alumnus of the Year. Lara is a member of the Georgia Tech Young Alumnus Hall of Fame and is an internationally recognized speaker on innovation and creativity.

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Brian Peters with Citizens Bank, Jay Jhun with AIMA and RJ Harrington with Twenty and 3

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Citizens Bank

 

Brian Peters / Citizens Bank
Southeast Regional Executive

Brian Peters joins Citizens following a successful 20-year career at SunTrust, where he most recently served as Head of National Corporate Banking, leading a geographic expansion that included the opening of seven new offices. Peters has a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Business Administration (Finance) from Indiana University. He will be based in Atlanta, where he has served clients and the community since 1991.

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Jay Jhun / Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association
President

Jay Jhun was elected to serve as AIMA’s 2017 President after serving in multiple capacities as a volunteer and board member over the course of the last 6 years. An Atlanta transplant from the SF Bay Area, He has worked at some of Atlanta’s top digital marketing agencies and is now an IBMer working in the Watson Marketing group.

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Amanda Sparks / Response Mine Interactive
Director of New Client Development

RMI specializes in acquiring customers through content marketing, social media, SEO and PPC and focuses on enlarging the client bases of companies providing e-commerce, home services and health, wellness and fitness services.

Amanda Sparks’ transition into this position came at the end of three years guiding the recruiting processes of RMI. Many of the prospecting and closing techniques she employed in that capacity adapt well to identifying viable prospects and presenting them with clear, concise convincing descriptions of the benefits our services provide.

In Amanda’s free time, she volunteers as a board member of the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association to plan their social programming events.

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RJ Harrington / Twenty and 3
Lead Creative

RJ Harrington is the Lead Creative at Twenty and 3 – a one-stop creative shop, providing the services required to build alluring brands including brand strategy, photography, and graphic design. Twenty and 3 serves entrepreneurs just starting their business venture, as well as established companies wanting to elevate an existing brand. Success is achieved through simplicity, integrity and innovation.

In addition to her creative work, RJ enjoys helping both large and small audiences improve their personal brand. ‘Brand Talks’ cover first impressions, color theory, and how to magnify your strengths. These discussions improve productivity, boost morale, and encourage participants to move forward in excellence.

RJ is an advocate for community service and sits on the board of Integrity Mentors girls program and serves as a remote Triple M mentor for the Irving, Texas Independent School District. RJ is based in Atlanta and available for world-wide travel.

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Paul Johnson with Displayit, Kris Casariego with Predictable Success and Casey Graham with CaseyGraham.com

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Predictable Success

 

Paul Johnson / Displayit
Chief Marketing and Product Officer

Paul Johnson joined Displayit in 2014 as head of the Marketing Advantage team. He’s responsible for determining clients’ needs, ensuring Displayit has the right products and services, and making it easy for Displayit Clients to buy.

After working in numerous sales roles – from account manager to vice president of sales and marketing – Paul discovered that true sales success is achieved with a healthy combination of effective product management, smart marketing and consultative selling. Thus, he began his unending pursuit of the “question behind the question,” developing a knack for hearing what others aren’t saying, connecting the dots, and helping people make decisions that solve their problems.

Paul’s never met a Hawaiian shirt he didn’t like. On any given day, there’s a 76% chance you’ll see him sporting one around Displayit’s offices. After work, he enjoys playing guitar, bicycling or learning something new. Paul has a degree in electrical engineering, and once rebuilt a manual transmission with only 4 part left over.

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Kris Casariego / Predictable Success
Marketing Director

Kris is responsible for the development and implementation of the marketing strategy for Predictable Success. Before joining the Predictable Success team, she was Marketing Director for meeting facilitation training and consulting firm, Leadership Strategies, where she helped lead the company to more than 40% growth during her tenure.

With a focus on hitting goals, Kris’s areas of expertise include inbound marketing, lead generation, strategic planning and team leadership.

As a thank you for tuning in, you can save 15% on our Public Acceleration Workshop in Atlanta on May 16, 2017. Find out more here! 

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Casey Graham / CaseyGraham.com 
Founder / CEO

Casey Graham is a fired-up entrepreneur with a tremendous passion for helping other business owners. Casey’s transparency and high-energy leadership style have made him the go-to voice in the small business community. As CEO and Founder of The Rocket Company, Casey has developed the 5 P’s of a 7-Figure Business as a template of his success to share with other corporations.

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Tony Merendino with ServIT and Chris Markl with Georgia State University

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ga-state-university

 

Tony Merendino / ServIT
CEO

Tony Meredino has over 20 years of experience in Executive level positions in the arena of technology. Tony is the former owner/CEO of BMC Solution and is also a former athlete, playing NFL football with the NY Jets. Tony is a graduate of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and has recently acquired an all organic farm with is producing organic hay and organic angus beef.

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Chris Markl / Georgia State University
Visiting Instructor of Social Entrepreneurship

Chris Markl is a Visiting Instructor of Social Entrepreneurship at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Prior to joining Georgia State, he was a Social Entrepreneur Residence at Florida State University’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement. A social entrepreneur, Markl founded Kourage Athletics which leveraged the storied tradition of Kenyan runners to create authentically Kenyan running apparel. Kourage sold products to over 20-countries and worked with Kenyan Olympians. Markl also founded and led two charity cross-country bicycle rides. Outside of entrepreneurship experience he has worked as an economic analyst in emerging economies.

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