2018 Speakers

Anirban Basu
Chairman & CEO, Sage Policy Group, Inc.Anirban Basu is Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., an economic and policy consulting firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The firm provides strategic analytical services to energy suppliers, law firms, medical systems, government agencies, and real estate developers among others.  In 2014, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan appointed him Chair of the Maryland Economic Development Commission.  In both 2007 and 2016, the Daily Record newspaper selected Mr. Basu as one of Maryland’s 50 most influential people. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010.

Dave Sears
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Xundis Global, LLC

Dave Sears is the Co-Founder and a Managing Partner at Xundis Global, LLC, a Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Xundis provides strategic level consulting across multiple disciplines leveraging 20+ years of Special Operations Forces (SOF) experience. Sears served 20 years of active military duty within the United States Special Operations Command as a U.S. Navy SEAL officer.  Commander Sears served on multiple east coast SEAL Teams, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Joint Commands, and Headquarters USSOCOM. Commander Sears has participated in a number of conflicts and contingency operations in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Robert Sher
Founding Principal, CEO to CEO

Robert Sher is founding principal of CEO to CEO, a consulting firm of former chief executives that improves the leadership infrastructure of midsized companies seeking to accelerate their performance. Robert speaks frequently and has published extensively on the successful leadership traits and skills of leaders of midsized companies. He is a regular columnist on Forbes.com and has numerous posts on Harvard Business Review online.  He has authored two books; the first book, The Feel of the Deal; How I Built a Company through Acquisitions, and his newest book, Mighty Midsized Companies; How Leaders Overcome 7 Silent Growth Killers.

Steve Gilliland
Motivational Speaker Hall of Fame and Author of the Year

Steve built a multimillion-dollar company from the ground up on the same philosophy he expounds to his audiences. If you continually learn more about your company, your industry, your customer and yourself, you will always be a leader. You will be purpose-driven rather than process-driven, and you will make a difference. His motto is straightforward: “If you take care of people, the business will follow.” He has been recognized by Who’s Who for Speakers and Business Professionals, and The Pittsburgh Business Times named his company one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the region.

Jane Walton
President, Jane Walton Consulting

Jane Walton has been described as the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” of leadership advising. Jane is a published author, public speaker and a trained executive coach with a master’s degree in human resources management/training and development. She has developed and facilitated numerous programs for the A/E/C industry focused on leadership, team effectiveness and change management.

Jen Newman, CPSM
CEO, Ignite Coaching & Consulting, LLC

With a knack for being able to push people out of their comfort zone, Jen Newman loves helping others overcome their obstacles and fears, to discover that they can achieve any goal they set. Her passion for educating technical professionals how to engage and succeed in Business Development results in providing individuals with greater career opportunities and their firms with increased revenues. Jen utilizes her 20 years of experience to help companies and individuals who struggle with a lack of strategy, process, training and a coach in their corner through a customized approach to identifying their distinct needs through audits and analysis, and providing individualized recommendations, programs and services that deliver results.

Jim Nevada
CEO, Nevada Group

Jim Nevada is the CEO of the Nevada Group, which helps leaders to create a culture of high energy and creativity, so they can realize higher growth, profitability and long-term value. Jim has been enabling organizations across the globe to fulfill their potential by combining his creative and visionary mindset with a practical and analytical approach. He has extensive executive experience, including 20 years as Chief Financial Officer of publicly-traded and privately-held A&E firms.

Joseph Sorrentino
Managing Director, Steven Hall & Partners

Joseph Sorrentino, Managing Director, joined Steven Hall & Partners on its founding.  He previously served as Managing Director and Senior Consultant for nine years with Pearl Meyer & Partners. Joseph has over 20 years of experience consulting with public and privately held companies in the design and implementation of executive compensation and board remuneration programs with an emphasis on designing annual and long term incentive plans that align pay with performance.

Kathleen Quinn Votaw
Founder & CEO, TalenTrust

Kathleen Quinn Votaw, Chairwoman and past President of ACG-Denver, is founder and CEO of TalenTrust LLC, a Recruitment Process firm that helps companies accelerate their growth by hiring exceptional talent. Kathleen’s passion is helping companies acquire the talent to drive faster growth. It was with this in mind that she launched TalenTrust in 2003 and soon grew it into a nationwide recruitment solutions firm whose revenues increased over 130 percent through the down economy. Kathleen believes in going beyond simply placing top talent. Through their unique recruitment process, she and her colleagues at TalenTrust become strategic partners in helping companies discover, hire, and keep top talent to generate accelerated and continued growth.

Michael Herlihy, ARM, CRIS
Executive Vice President & Partner, Ames & Gough

Michael (Mike) Herlihy is an executive vice president and an equity partner of Ames & Gough.  Mike joined the firm in 1999 and manages the Boston office by overseeing sales, marketing and service to clients in the Northeast, Midwest and Western States. Mike is a recognized expert on professional liability risk management issues affecting design professionals. Mike serves on a number of industry association committees including the National ACEC Risk Management and ACEC Federal Agency Procurement Committees. Prior to Ames & Gough, Mike had a lengthy career with Lexington Insurance Company where he served as Senior Vice President of Lexington’s Construction Services Division.

Brian Aumueller
Managing Director, alliantgroup

Brian is a managing director with alliantgroup, the na-tion’s premier provider of specialty tax services. Over the last 12 months, Brian and his team have delivered over $25 million in tax credits to clients. He has more than 20 years of experience providing management consulting services to hundreds of companies – from Fortune 500 to small and mid-sized business. He was a COO at a regional consulting firm – responsible for the strategic direction of the firm and setting business strategy for its clients.

David M. Sullivan, Jr., CPA
Partner, DGC (DiCicco, Gulman & Company LLP)

Dave is a partner at DiCicco Gulman & Company (DGC), Commercial Business Group and has over 25 years of experience providing audit and advisory services to closely-held and family-owned businesses in a variety of industries. He leads their Architecture & Engineering practice and represents design firms across the country. Dave’s expertise ranges from auditing and taxation, succession planning, mergers and acqui-sitions, due diligence, internal controls and systems, to financial and tax planning.

Michael O’Brien, ASA, CM&AA
Principal, ROG+Partners

Michael O’Brien specializes in corporate financial advisory services including business valuation, fairness and
solvency opinions, mergers and acquisitions, internal ownership transition consulting, ESOPs, and strategic
planning. Michael has consulted hundreds of architecture, engineering, environmental and construction companies across the U.S. and abroad.

Ian Rusk, ASA, CM&AA
Managing Principal
ROG+Partners

Ian Rusk has spent the past eighteen years working with hundreds of architecture, engineering and envi-ronmental consulting firms, large and small, through-out the U.S. and abroad with a focus on ownership planning, business valuation, ESOP advisory services, mergers &  acquisitions, and strategic planning. Ian is a professionally trained and accredited business appraiser and holds the Accredited Senior  Appraiser (ASA) designation with the American Society of Appraisers. He also holds the Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA)  designation from the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors.

Steve Gido, CFA
Principal
ROG+Partners

Steve Gido specializes in corporate financial adviso-ry services with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. Steve has assisted architecture, engineering, environ-mental consulting and construction firms of all sizes across North America achieve their growth or liquidity goals through successful mergers & acquisitions. Steve has over 16 years of investment banking experience and holds the chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute.

Come To Network
The program will also include a wide variety of opportunities for networking, including a golf outing at the adjacent Tiburón Golf Club, a group fishing charter out of the Port-O-Call Marina, two fantastic spouse-friendly cocktail receptions, luncheon and breakfasts at the fabulous Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort — all of which are included with your registration!

Come To Grow
This invitation-only event attracts senior-level A/E firm leaders that not only come to hear the experts, but also to leverage the combined knowledge and experience of all the participants. If you plan to attend only one conference this Fall, make it the one with the best agenda— you’ll be glad you did!