Happy Saturday, and welcome to CEO speaks for Saturday, February 19th, 2022. Last week, nearly 700 of our members gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada, to experience TMA at its finest at the 2022 Distressed Investing Conference. Two years in the making, our Distressed Investing Conference roared back to life with great fanfare and very much living up to our theme of innovation through disruption. Not only did we surpass expectations of what this conference experience would be, but we made it even more than it was, showing the world the people and power of TMA. This #TMADIC encapsulated so much about what makes TMA stand out. It boasted more than 200 first time attendees, it featured unique and engaging education and networking opportunities, and it brought together thought leaders from throughout North America and several of our international chapters, including Brazil, France, Nigeria, Romania, Serbia, and the UK. This conference showed why TMA is a testament to what is possible. We disrupt to remain actionable. And through all we celebrate, we make possible our reality. Much of what we celebrated in this conference experience, however, started before the formal conference even began.
It started with a joint TMA Global Executive Board and Board of Trustees Meeting, where TMA Global President Jane Mitnick set the stage for an aggressive agenda this year that included an interactive session that highlighted steps being taken to advance a new strategic plan, followed by a session on trust and governance, an onboarding session to highlight the many global opportunities that exist in the organization, and rounding out the day with a social media refresh and how that empowers our brand and disrupts the traditional by those who evangelize about the innovative experiences that make TMA stand out. And under the leadership of Vice-Chair Rob Patrick, we brought together our chapter leaders from near and far to collaborate to innovate and disrupt and to share how we can be the very best for our members worldwide. Certification Oversight Committee President Brian Gleason brought together CTPs from around the globe to talk about the vision of the future of our certification opportunities, and how we will market that this year as we look to raise the bar on this coveted designation that sets TMA members apart from all others. We celebrated the accomplishments of TMA and industry luminaries, Lisa Donahue and Bill Henrich. They received honorary CTPs for their outstanding work within the restructuring community, making this designation even more distinguished. Our Network of Women, led by co-chairs Anne O’Donnell and Ebba Gebisa hosted a luncheon that celebrated the accomplishments of Cindy Chen Delano. This first-generation Asian American woman has defined a pathway and set the example for so many to follow in creating her investment firm. And we heard from an empowering Amy-Marie Merrell Executive Director of The Cupcake Girls, an organization created to help rehabilitate and support survivors of sex trafficking. And of course, we celebrated each other, whether through five standout education sessions or our Capital Forum & Networking Reception, which for the first time included asset-based lenders to the mix. Our new attendees marveled at the contacts they made. It was truly an experience that had something for everyone and left us all thirsting for more with a record 53 sponsors who saw value through and through. We disrupted, and we innovated; we collaborated and connected. We showed our pride in what it means to be part of TMA. Relationships were renewed, new ones were made, and those who were there for the first time vowed not to miss another TMA opportunity like this ever again. That is how we stood for our theme and set the tone for our year of innovation through disruption.
However, all of this does not happen without the selfless dedication of our volunteers. Those who take on the task of executive leadership, including global President Jane Mitnick, Global Chair Matthew English, Global Corporate Secretary Jonathan Reimche, and Global VP of Finance Allen Wilen, and the stellar conference committee who helped pull together this enormous conference effort in a very compressed timeframe after a two year in-person hiatus. Darren Azman, Jen Rabinowitz, Stuart Walker, Rob Baynes, Lilies Lanway, Lyle Bauck, Pauline Chow, Sue Duckett, Nick Powell, Jeffrey Krause, Katie Montague, Michael Musso, Rhett Rowe, and our current and immediate past VPs of conferences, Rachael Smiley, and Jim Van Horn. These are the visionaries who, as team TMA, were unafraid to challenge the traditional take on a vision and innovate for all who basked in the splendor of this momentous conference experience. To all of you a hearty TMA Thank You. I hope, like me, you can feel the energy that continues to grow. TMA last week set the table for the year, and there are many great opportunities on the horizon. In the coming weeks and months, global President Jane Mitnick and I will take to the road along with others from global leadership to participate in chapter and regional events worldwide. We look forward to hearing you, interfacing with you, and learning from you as we continue to raise the bar on our TMA tomorrow. As always, thanks for taking the time to listen today. In this year of innovation through disruption, your input is critical, your contributions paramount, and your engagement is the foundation that will create a better TMA for all of our members. Until next time, I am Scott Stuart. Be safe, resilient, and #TMAProud.