Happy Saturday and welcome to CEO Speaks for Saturday, February 11th, 2023.

Today, we reflect on one of the most engaging, connected, and defining Distressed Investing Conferences we have ever held.

With nearly 1,000 attendees, the three days of opportunity to learn, connect, engage, and really embrace our theme of being a part of something bigger took on new meaning as each of our attendees experienced TMA in an elevated way.

It started with a strategic planning workshop ahead of our joint executive board and board of trustees meeting, where our chapter presidents and board leaders engaged in an experience that will set the table for the goals we will set in this first year of strategic planning implementation that will be lead by the executive board at large member Jonathan Reimche, CTP, PwC Canada, and corporate secretary Sally Barton, KeyBank.   

As the experience of being a part of something bigger unfolded, we opened the conference with an in-person TMA Bootcamp led by TMA Immediate Past Chair Matthew English, CTP, Arch + Beam, and James Horgan, CTP, AlixPartners who lead two sessions that drew attendees from around the world including TMA Australia President Chris Martin, KordaMentha, to this now defining TMA program.

Rounding out the day with the legal tract of the boot camp, former TMA Global Chair Jeffrey Hampton, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP, and Chapter President’s Council Vice Chair Rachael Mauceri, Robinson+Cole, lead that session and rounded out another successful effort to introduce those in attendance to the world of opportunity available by becoming a certified turnaround professional.

The conference day itself had many highlights to boast about starting with the group of 10 TMA leaders from around the world, who shared their TMA story and showed all in attendance what it means to be a part of something bigger.  

What a delight to have had on the main stage bringing our conference theme to life, TMA Global President Jim Van Horn, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, TMA Australia President Chris Martin, KordaMentha, TMA UK President Paul Davis, James Cowper Kreston, TMA Mexico President Sam Suchowiecky, Hilco Global México, TMA Montreal President Pierre Marchand, MNP, Former TMA Europe and TMA Italy President Enrica Maria Ghia, GHIA Studio Legale Associato, TMA Chicago-Mid-West President and NextGener Kat Parker, HyperAMS, TMA NOW Co-Chair Rakhee Patel, Winstead PC, TMA Certification Oversight Committee Chair Brian Gleason, CTP, Phoenix Management Services, Inc., and TMA Chapter Presidents Council Chair Rob Patrick, SC&H Group.

This is what it means to be a part of something bigger with the world of opportunity represented by these leaders from all parts of the world and all segments of our defining organization. This is what it means to be a part of TMA.

From a NOW luncheon featuring women leaders of the casino industry in a panel moderated by former TMA chicago-Midwest president Angela Allen, Jenner & Block Partner, to a resounding keynote presentation by former United States Treasurer Rosie Rios which included an engaging fireside chat moderated by Global President Jim Van Horn, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, and TMA board member Pauline Chow, Birch Lake Associates, LLC, we showed how to inspire, empower and engage through TMA.

From Mega Trends 6.0 to Questions of Risk, Regulation and a Whole New Investing Environment, and three other real-time relevant education sessions in between, we brought together the best and brightest industry leaders to educate and engage in sessions that were filled to capacity and beyond, a testament to our committee who were painstakingly thoughtful about bringing to the forefront the most relevant and real topics of our day, meaningful to every member segment of TMA.

Our networking had no limits and from our opening joint reception with SFNet to our record-breaking capital forum networking reception that boasted more lenders from around the world than ever before, to an overflow closing reception at the storied East Side Lounge, we created defining moments of connectivity, reinforced long-standing relationships and brought those from near and far together like never before.  

This is what it means to be a part of something bigger, as we set the table for all that is to come in 2023. It is humbling to be at a conference awe-inspiring on so many levels.   The energy, excitement, and engagement was electrifying and those in attendance showed the world how we are better together and TMA Proud.

Now with the year off to a defining start, we look forward to all we will experience in 2023.  From our Network of Women Summit to be held in NYC in May, our inaugural International symposium to be held in Hamburg Germany In June, our NextGen Leadership Conference in Chicago in July, and our Hall of Fame Annual Conference celebrating our 35th anniversary in San Francisco in October, you can be a part of something bigger too.

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.

Until next time, I’m Scott Stuart.  Be safe, resilient, and TMA Proud.