Gesmer Updegrove
7:30 – 9:00 am

Sponsored by:

Adversity’s Opportunity: Thriving as Today’s Indispensable Advisor!

This economy has surely challenged businesses and advisors alike, resulting in many advisors playing defense, positioning only to survive through this downturn. Yet, history repeatedly bears out that in adversity, the seeds of opportunity are sown.  Thus, it’s time for advisors to take this opportunity to re-think their strategy and position themselves not only to survive, but actually to thrive through this cycle. This panel discussion will explore strategies and tactics for stand-out advisors to consider as they lead their clients to take the helm and steer to success in the midst of adversity.

Key themes to be addressed by the panel include:
• Setting an example for clients to follow by stepping out of our comfort zones as advisors. 
• Exploring the power of a proactive versus reactive approach to identifying and seizing the opportunities hidden amid the negative headlines and difficult challenges of the day.
• Discovering evolutionary approaches to overcoming the status quo, and why this environment can be your defining moment as an advisor.
• An advisors toolkit for innovation: Being hopeful, knowledgeable, nimble and courageous.

The Forum will be moderated by Brian Layton, Vice President of Bernstein Global Wealth Management who will be joined three panelists bringing diverse and complimentary backgrounds and professional advisor skill sets to this forum.  This promises to give rise to an interesting, energized conversation with a goal to share actionable strategies for advisor attendees to put to work immediately in their practices.

Panelists

Katharine White, MSN, President and Founder of Lighthouse Performance Strategies, Inc.

Katharine heads a practice dedicated helping business leaders/owners to establish and refine ideal strategic and tactical processes to drive transition excellence from start-up through exit planning. Guided by a fast-track managerial science innovation she co-developed, her approach is aligned with Lean Principles and McKinsey’s transformational change research to uniquely address business complexities associated with communication, collaboration, accountability and performance sustainability. Katharine is a Certified Coach, executive consultant, clinical psychotherapist, entrepreneur, seasoned C-Suite executive, and a former SVP Organizational Development, VP Quality in the healthcare field.

Richard C. Kimball, Senior Director of The Bigelow Company LLC

Dick has served as a Senior Director of The Bigelow Company LLC for over twenty years, a private investment bank focused exclusively on creating and capturing stockholder value for highly successful Owner-Managed enterprises. Dick has managed numerous client relationships in distribution, technology, and service industries for U.S. and foreign clients. Prior to joining Bigelow in 1972, Kimball served in a number of sales, marketing and consulting positions with Universal Packaging, Unilever, and The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Department of State.  He has also served as Director, and Executive Vice President of Rock of Ages Corporation (NASDAQ-ROAC), Concord, NH, the nation’s leading quarrier, manufacturer, and worldwide distributor of specialty granites and granite products.

Hollis Chase, Founder & President, Chase & Associates

An expert facilitator and business development specialist, Hollis Chase brings more than 25 years of experience assisting professional services firms, with a special emphasis on the legal market, in expanding client opportunities, implementing sales strategies and solving organizational issues that impact the growth of their businesses and practices. She also provides business transition services to firms to address issues such as succession planning, exit strategies and positioning for growth or sale. Prior to founding Chase & Associates, Hollis held senior level positions in sales and marketing management, product development and organizational development with leading organizations in technology, manufacturing, and higher education.

Register:
Members: No fee, however, seating is limited so reservations are required.
Public: $40; pre-registration required.