Happy Saturday and welcome to CEO Speaks for Saturday, October 28, 2023.
As we light the way forward, and gear up for all that lies ahead, following one our most storied TMA Annual Conferences in our 35 year history, I want to take the time this Saturday to remind one and all, of everything that is happening throughout TMA nation that will set the stage for 2024, and all the promise and TMA imagination that holds.
Lighting the way forward starts with leaders who define today and will create the foundation for what lies ahead in our evolving story of TMA Tomorrow.
Starting with our 2024 TMA Global President, Allen Wilen, CTP who over the course of the last 16 years has served in high-profile TMA leadership roles including chapter president of TMA New Jersey, Chair of the Certification Oversight Committee, and most recently having served for two years as Vice President of Finance and as a member of the TMA Global Operations Committee. Allen will be the second Certified Turnaround Professional to have been appointed Global President in the last four years, the last being Matthew English, CTP. Congratulations Allen. We look forward to the vision and passion we know you will bring to this role.
The women of TMA have never shined brighter and as TMA Lights the Way, it is a momentous time for our organization as we celebrate the appointment of women to the highest levels of TMA global leadership.
Congratulations to Rachael Smiley, who has been appointed TMA Global’s first president-elect, and who will be our sixth women president following Jane Mitnick and our first TMA Dallas Fort Worth President, a chapter where Rachael served as president, which coincided with my first year as TMA CEO, where I first met her. Since then, it has been an honor to have been a part of her leadership ascension with fortitude, tenacity, and passion, which has led to where she sits in TMA Global leadership today.
In another TMA first, Janine Figueiredo, former TMA New York City President, and who has served in multiple TMA Executive board roles for many years, has been named our first Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, having been a part of that committee since it was a presidential working group, and having been instrumental in the creation of the soon to be published TMA Global DE&I playbook. We look forward to Janine’s leadership as we light the way forward to be more inclusive in our profession and organization.
And Jane Mitnick, who will assume the role of TMA Global Chair in our first year after sunsetting the TMA Immediate Past Chair role. We are forever grateful for Janey’s leadership, mentorship, and support of TMA in so many defining ways, and like all of our leaders, but particularly our women leaders, a hearty thank you to Janey for always leading by showing how we are better together and TMA proud.
Likewise, we are TMA Proud of TMA Europe President Eva Ringelspacher, who has been named Vice President of International Relations. Eva not only exemplifies the best of who we are at TMA but in her board roles for TMA Deutschland and as TMA Europe President, pioneered TMA’s Network of Women development and growth for TMA Europe as well as TMA Deutschland and Austria.
Eva follows Vlad Nastase, EACTP in this role, who as a fierce advocate of the TMA international community, during his two-year tenure, championed our growth in Europe and South America, headed our first global international committee, and was an integral part of the inaugural TMA International Global Symposium held in Hamburg Germany earlier this year.
Vlad, who also is an EACTP, is one of six certified turnaround professionals who will serve on our Board of Trustees. He along with Brian Gleason, CTP, who will serve in his second year as Vice President of Education, Frank Turner, CTP who will serve both as President of the Certification Oversight Committee and VP of Certification along with Steven Agran, CTP, Michael Jacoby, CTP and Jay Krasoff, CTP.
And speaking of education and certification, kudos to Brian Gleason, CTP, VP of Education, and the Education Oversight Committee for continuing to refine and define meaningful, actionable, and practical webinars that continue to attract a growing and diverse audience, as was the case this past week when we presented a Turnaround Square Webinar: Tech and AI in Turnaround.
The program, moderated by Ken Yager, founder and president of Newpoint Partners and who was joined by panelist Reena Bajowala of Greenberg Trauig, Robert Hill of Holland & Knight, Pratyush Lal, of FTI and Eric Vandevelde of Gibson Dunn, spoke to an emerging AI reality of grappling with its unintended consequences and the stresses that will emerge as a result for many businesses.
A testament to the real and practical, webinar participant Wendy Sowinski in a testimonial she shared said ‘This is an amazing discussion. There are so many points for consideration. I don’t need CPE, but I still like to keep up on the latest trends that impact the spaces that my clients should be mindful of.’
Our next Turnaround Square webinar will be held on December 13 and will tackle important and evolving issues around workplace wellness and mental health in a program entitled “Workplace Wellbeing: Building Resilience and Thriving in Your Practice,” where our experts will speak to proactively building career long resiliency and preventing burnout as turnaround professionals.
Lastly, today I am excited to share a bit about the TMA Distressed Investing Conference that will be held February 6 – 9, 2024 at the Encore at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, where this year we will Ignite our members with opportunities where connections spark deals in one of the most volatile economic cycles in many years. With the conference taking place just a few days before the Super Bowl, the energy and experience will be at an all-time high. TMA encourages you to register early so you will have access to our special room block before it sells out, and given the popularity of this conference, it certainly will. TMA DIC registration is expected to open November 1st, so be ready and excited to Ignite the opportunities of this defining and always popular conference experience.
Everywhere you look, TMA Lights the way. From leadership to real and relevant programming and the excitement that lies ahead as we look forward to the 2024 TMA DIC, we continue to create with vision, passion, and thoughtfulness member value that supports what makes us #bettertogether and #tmaproud.
As always, thanks for taking the time to listen today. As TMA Lights The Way, your input is critical, your contributions paramount, and your engagement the foundation that will create a better TMA for all of our members.
Until next time, I’m Scott Stuart. Be safe, resilient, and TMA Proud.