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Speakers

2024 Events & Speaker Info

Members enjoy outstanding speakers at ten monthly programs from January to November, over lunch at 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., typically the 3rd Friday of each month. Our Annual Dinner is a special ticketed program held in September.  Registration for each event opens near the first of each month.

March 15

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Daniel  Seddiqui
LivingTheMap.com
"Most Traveled Person in the USA"

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Thank you to our March Sponsor, TVC Cherry Capital AirportBeing a key gateway to northern Michigan for travelers from near and far, Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) has maintained a focus on bringing those from other parts of the country to experience the sights and sounds that envelop Traverse City and the surrounding communities. TVC’s pride runs deep in being a key conduit in connecting families, friends, and businesses to their favorite destinations worldwide while providing an avenue for those that may be living elsewhere to return to a place that they still call home.

 

TVC has worked diligently with its (5) dedicated air carrier partners; American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines, to build a robust network of 18 non-stop destinations. These expanded destination offerings have resulted in TVC becoming the third largest airport in Michigan, with a record 700,699 passengers passing through its terminal in 2023. As a result, the Cherry Capital Airport continues to be a major driver of economic growth in Northern Michigan by providing world-class service and building prosperity within the region, all while continuing to be the airport of choice for all residents and visitors of Northwest Michigan.  

JOIN US on March 15 to hear Daniel Seddiqui, an American traveler and writer, whose work focuses on job-hunting and cultural analysis.   Daniel formed "Living the Map," a website (LivingTheMap.com) which raises awareness of the varying cultures, careers, and environments across the country through outreach, educational endeavors, and community building. "Living the Map" encourages people to explore the world around them, to understand and respect one another and to make continuous discoveries to better themselves. Two of his books, 50 Jobs in 50 States and Going the Extra Mile, have become bestsellers.

He’s been called the real-life Where’s Waldo and for good reason. Daniel Seddiqui has traveled the entire USA over 20 times becoming the Most Traveled Person of America. He sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, shot archery with members of the Cherokee Nation, produced music in Nashville, built furniture with the Amish, and emerged dusty from the coal mines of West Virginia, among many dozens of other immersive experiences.


Daniel's widely known for his journey of working 50 Jobs in 50 States  - an expedition he created through struggles to land a job after college.  Inspired by curiosity and the will to discover, his ambitious endeavors garnered worldwide media attention, earning titles like World’s Most Ambitious Job Seeker and named by USA Today as the Most Rejected Person in the World. 

It doesn’t stop there. Daniel has been fueled by a lifelong love of maps, seeking meaningful connection, and fearlessly tackling societal challenges, eventually charting his own course to become a multi-time international bestselling author, keynote speaker, career analyst and travel entrepreneur. His work has been featured on many mainstream media outlets; CNN, Fox News, Psychology Today, TIME, Inc., MSNBC, NPR, Today Show, Newsweek, World News Tonight, Wall Street Journal, USA Today.

April 19
Dr. John Holden
Spears School of Business
"Sports Betting. Place Your Bets!"

May 17
Atheer Kaddis
BCBSM Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer

June 21
Ron Hundzinski
Chair, Gentherm Board of Directors
ESG – Environmental, Social and Goverance - The New Equation

July 19
Lisa Trombley, Pointe Solutions LLC
Cyber Security, Economic Effects and Risk Management

August 22
Michale Antonelli
BAIRD Private Wealth Management Market Strategist and Managing Director

October 18
Jason Slade and Matt McDonough
Traverse City Freshwater Research & Innovation Center

Past Events

February

Lucy Hornby
Center for Strategic and International Studies
"China's Shadow Economy"

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In 2023, Lucy Hornby, Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies was a visiting scholar at Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, where her research focused on the revival of the Chinese state and the rise of Xi Jinping during the reform era. She lived in China for almost 20 years, working as a journalist for Reuters and the Financial Times, before returning to the United States as a 2020 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard.
 

Lucy first moved to China in 1995, teaching English in Wuhan thanks to Princeton in Asia, a program that builds bridges between the United States and Asia. She has also reported on Asian energy markets and investment for Dow Jones Newswires and on Latin American energy investment for Energy Intelligence.

A fluent Mandarin speaker, Lucy has reported from every Chinese province and region, on topics ranging from elite politics to the trade war and environmental pollution. Her coverage was honored with the 2018 Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for excellence in business reporting, among other awards, for investigations into the ownership and financing of some of China’s largest and most opaque conglomerates.

January

Edward Sands
45 Degree North, LLC
"Global Supply Chains at Risk"

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Thank you to our January Sponsor, eFulfillment ServiceYou've probably heard the old adage, “jack of all trades – master of none.” At eFulfillment Service, they do one thing: ecommerce order fulfillment. And
they do it well.  
eFullfillment Service's core focus is one of the reasons they have been called the “ultimate choice in order fulfillment,” and why the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association (MFSA) has described them as “one of the best and brightest” within their industry. Since 2001, eFulfillment Service has been consistently recognized for their friendly, flexible terms, and first-class level of service.  They were among the first internet fulfillment companies to offer retailers advanced, web-based fulfillment software that allows for integrated shipping with multiple shopping
carts.

Ed Sands retired in 2021 from his role as a Principal Director with Accenture after 37 years in Corporate America. His last role was leading a global procurement and supply chain services practice that managed over $20 billion in operating expenses for his Fortune 500 clients.

 

Following his retirement he established his own consulting firm, 45 Degree North LLC, to provide advisory services to software startups focused on Supply Chain, Finance, and Procurement technologies. In that role, he provides strategic advice as a board member and liaison to several Supply Chain technology ventures primarily targeting Retail and CPG firms.

 

Ed began his career in International Logistics eventually progressing to leadership roles at both Maersk Line and American President Lines. After 20 years in the asset-based transportation business, he transitioned to Supply Chain leadership roles with retailers Williams-Sonoma and Urban Outfitters. In both of these roles, he was responsible for managing a 60-country portfolio of logistics operations. Ed has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe and the Middle East throughout his career.

 

Ed is an active mentor with American Corporate Partners, which provides transition services to active-duty military as they plan their transition to private sector employment.

 

In addition to staying active in the supply chain industry, Ed supports his wife Nancy in her role as President of Tom’s Food Markets. They have 2 grown children who both live and work professionally in Maryland and D.C.

 

 

JOIN US to hear Ed's views on how supply chains are influenced by national security, energy, transportation costs and ultimately how these dynamics drive inflation and impacts consumers.          

Past Events

Past Events

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Photos

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