Happy Saturday and welcome to CEO Speaks for Saturday, December 17th, 2022.
In this last CEO Speaks of 2022, I wanted to take a few minutes to look back on a truly historic and defining year for TMA.
From Boston to Bucharest, what this year defined was innovation, dedication, great variety, and of course, that one connection that makes us 10,000 connections strong.
The year started with a TMA DIC that, notwithstanding a national COVID outbreak just a few weeks before, drew 800 of our members to our defining deal-making conference, and it did not disappoint. The afterglow from the conference was grand, and the stage was set for all that would follow.
When TMA Global President Jane Mitnick and I took to the road, we experienced our chapters, each unique and innovative in their own way, and learned from our members and leaders worldwide how to keep our great organization vital and vibrant.
We saw chapters step it up, like TMA Florida, whose statewide conference drew members from all throughout the country and offered everything from a real-time Turnaround and Transaction Award-winning case study to a keynote from a best-selling author and congressional model of honor recipient about his selflessness in saving members of his platoon in Afghanistan.
We experienced first-of-its-kind programs like the TMA Chicago/Midwest's networking capital forum that provided a unique experience bringing together capital providers from all over the country with members who came from near and far in a new way to connect and create an elevated member experience.
We were immersed in NextGen creativity in New York City, where that chapter, in one of the most unique programs of the year, brought together NextGen members, student members, and prospective members new to the industry in a night that electrified and showed that our future is bright.
TMA Rocky Mountain, now five states strong, embraced our year of Innovation through Disruption, dared to be different, and expanded its reach into New Mexico, showing that geographic distance is no barrier to TMA ingenuity.
From Southeast to Southwest, from the Mid-Atlantic to Mid-America to pure California SOCAL-NOCAL networking in Napa, there was something for everyone this year, reinforcing that the TMA member experience is varied and deep.
In the launch of a Certified Turnaround Professional LinkedIn page, we not only saw a community of CTPs thrive, but it became a platform of situational opportunities, and we showed how important our certification is and how it thrives.
Our Network of Women, both here and abroad, showed the meaning of empowerment. In a conference experience in Austin, we celebrated opportunity, the challenges women still face, and motivating moments of mentorship and support that we are so #TMAproud of.
Our TMA Long Island Chapter took women's empowerment to a new level when they established a scholarship in the name of the late Bankruptcy Judge Dorothy Eisenberg, and in this inaugural program, awarded scholarships to three outstanding women law students, further demonstrating our dedication to the women who will be the next generation of our profession and TMA.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion took center stage at the Annual in Boston with a program that showed how far we as a society have come in support of the LGBTQ and other underserved communities in a room that was filled with the most diverse gathering TMA has had to date, and an abundance of authenticity that was both moving and joyful, speaking well to where we will go next on our DE&I mission.
We grew chapters in Africa, Europe, Mexico, and South America, too, and the power of the TMA brand and what it means to be a member of our defining organization continues to elevate all over the world.
The presidents of our 15 European chapters gathered in Paris, France, for a third annual summit that this year celebrated a strong union of European chapters that are more connected with our worldwide community than ever before.
Whether it be the 300 members and industry professionals who joined for a virtual networking power hour focused on the automotive industry hosted by TMA Chicago/Mid-West, TMA Detroit, and TMA Deutschland or the gathering of over 200 members for a TMA Europe Conference this year hosted in Madrid, Spain, we seamlessly proved out what connectivity means and how TMA ingenuity and innovation made that our new reality.
We reinforced that it all starts with one connection at Annual in Boston, in the grandest of conferences that showed the very best of who we are, how we care for, support, and mentor each other and put on display the professional diversity that defines us and reinforces why TMA is essential to every professional in the corporate restructuring, reorganization and corporate health space.
Under the leadership of TMA Global President Jane Mitnick, we charted a course for our future by embarking on a year-long governance review and bylaws reform recently adopted and took on the heavy lift of a multi-year strategic plan that will take our defining organization to the next level.
From sea to shining sea and across the world, with each and every chapter visit, leadership summit, and global, regional, and country conference, I am awe-struck and inspired by the engagement and support I have personally seen and been a part of this year.
Leading our 10,000 worldwide members continues to be a great honor and absolute privilege. In return, I am rewarded with the support and engagement of the most important and distinguished professionals in the corporate restructuring, reorganization, and corporate health space.
Our future looks bright, and as we continue to embark on creating our collective story of #tmatomorrow, a heartfelt thank you for being part of this amazing journey and keeping our actionable organization essential, vital, and vibrant.
As always, thanks for taking the time to listen today. In the one connection that is you, your input is critical, your contributions paramount, and your engagement is the foundation that will create a better TMA for all our members.
Warmest of wishes to one and all for a holiday season filled with peace, happiness, and joy!
CEO Speaks returns on January 14th, 2023, after the holiday break.
Until then, I'm Scott Stuart. Be safe, resilient, and TMA Proud.