Recent Blog Posts

Stay Positive, Stay Curious, Stay Kind: How a Third-Generation Family Business Has Reimagined Its Operations — and Is Playing a Role in Bringing Manufacturing Back to the United States with Michael Araten, President and CEO of Sterling Drive Ventures

By Jeremy Weisz posted 3 hours ago
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Just as talent became a budding topic during the pandemic, supply chain issues similarly weighed heavy on people’s minds — and businesses. In this episode of The Leading Edge , you’ll hear how one company has managed its suppliers and distributors through all the twists and turns of the last two years — and what you can learn from its success. When the pandemic first hit, a report by the National Center for the Middle Market indicated that the #1 area where executives felt least effective — and least able to control — was the supply chain. Michael Araten, who runs a third-generation family manufacturing company, felt the same. With pressure to uphold a business ...
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Elevating Founders Into CEOs With Mike Krupit, Founder of Trajectify

By Jeremy Weisz posted 2 days ago
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Mike Krupit founded Trajectify, a business and leadership coaching company, in 2013 to help entrepreneurs and small businesses succeed. He has been at the helm of eight diverse startups — including Real Food Works, Novotorium, and CDNOW — and is familiar with the highs and lows of running a business. He began his career as an engineer before discovering his passion for leadership and coaching. During his 30 years of experience, Mike helped a 15-year-old telecommunications company double its revenues to $25 million and spent a decade in Silicon Valley working with two innovative businesses: Verity and KnowledgSet. He moved back to the Northeast and was a pioneer ...
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The New Rules for Success in a New Role with Rob Cross, Founder and Chief Research Scientist at Connected Commons

By Jeremy Weisz posted 14 days ago
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Succeeding in a new role today does not look the same as it did 10 or 20 years ago. Conventional wisdom says that transitioning to a new position is about making a big difference fast. But studies of the most successful transitions show that the key to long-term accomplishment is to focus on developing your network, especially the internal network of peers, superiors, and subordinates — the team that gets work done in today’s cross-functional, interconnected, collaborative workplaces. So what steps can you take to flourish in the current professional climate? Networking expert Rob Cross talks about this and more as he joins Thomas A. Stewart on The Leading Edge ...
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How Midsize Enterprises Can Fight — and Win — the War for Talent with Jeff Green, Co-Founder and Principal of PROXUS

By Jeremy Weisz posted 28 days ago
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The Great Resignation, which is still sweeping across the US, is having a big impact on the growth of companies of all sizes and in almost every industry. But midsized companies may be suffering most — because overall they grow faster than other companies, and because their HR teams are often lean and not well equipped to deal with the problem. So what can organizations do to combat this issue, attract top talent, and retain strong employees? With an extensive history as an HR executive, Jeff Green reminds organizations that “your ability to scale up and grow is tied directly to your ability to find and retain the people that you need to support that growth.” ...
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Revolutionizing the Fan Experience with Ruby Newell-Legner, Founder of 7 Star Service

By Jeremy Weisz posted 12-15-2021
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What goes into creating an exceptional customer experience? How does a positive work environment lead to a loyal fan base? Fan engagement expert Ruby Newell-Legner talks about this and more as she joins Thomas A. Stewart on The Leading Edge — a place where new ideas emerge and are sharpened, and where leaders look to find the edge that brings success for themselves, their teams, and their enterprises. Newell-Legner has consulted with and designed customized training programs for 66 professional sports teams and hundreds of facilities. With over two decades of expertise in the guest service and fan experience realm, she knows what it takes to revitalize a ...
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Work Smarter, Not Harder With Richard Polak, Global Business Advisor

By Jeremy Weisz posted 12-13-2021
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Richard Polak is a global business consultant and renowned thought leader with over 40 years of experience. He has designed world-class and HR benefit programs for multinational firms, including leading hotel chains, Fortune 100 companies, and global technology brands. Currently, Richard serves as a senior global advisor for an advocacy group that advises Congress on benefit issues, as well as other prominent associations and consulting firms. Richard has helped hundreds of companies in more than 90 countries increase productivity, improve HR Forensics, and take their businesses to the next level. Previously, he worked as the Executive Vice President/Area President ...
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The Key to Achieving Explosive Sales Growth With Mark Roberts, CEO and Founder of OTB Sales Solutions

By Jeremy Weisz posted 12-06-2021
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Mark Roberts, a current member of the AchieveNEXT Talent Management SolutionsTeam, has over 35 years of experience helping organizations drive profitable sales growth. He is the CEO and Founder of OTB Sales Solutions, where he uses a “no smoke and mirrors” approach to improve sales teams and boost profits. Mark has held senior roles in sales and marketing for SPARXiQ, The Timken Company, Gardner Denver, VMI, and Frito-Lay, among others. He is the author of Branding Backwards, the creator of the No Smoke and Mirrors blog, and a popular keynote speaker, trainer, and thought leader on LinkedIn. Mark has been awarded The Business Excellence Award from the National ...
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Cultivating a Network of Advocacy For Women in the World after Covid with Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Founder and CEO of Hewlett Consulting Partners

By Jeremy Weisz posted 12-02-2021
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What can be done in the workplace for people of color and women? How has the pandemic affected the ways and means by which women progress in their careers? To discover the key to navigating this new world of work, Thomas A. Stewart joins Sylvia Ann Hewlett — whose pioneering work on the importance of sponsorship and the effects of “on-ramps and off-ramps” on women’s careers has impacted a new generation of women and work. Dr. Hewlett has long been an expert on the ways in which women's careers are interrupted or stymied. She is a Cambridge-educated economist and expert on gender in the workplace who has worked with leading organizations including Cisco, Goldman ...
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Redefining Talent and Executive Recruiting with Bob Blumenthal, Talent Acquisition and Human Capital Strategist

By Jeremy Weisz posted 11-29-2021
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Robert (Bob) Blumenthal is an Independent Human Capital Consultant who consults for companies and investor funds on everything related to people and talent acquisition. He has over two decades of experience in leading C-suite talent acquisition and human capital strategy, and has recruited senior executives and board members for major corporations and private equity and venture-funded companies within the industrial, consumer, retail, healthcare, and technology industries. Before this, Bob began his career in sales and marketing at IBM Corporation where he was a platform speaker and motivational marketer. As a branch manager, Bob ran the number one branch in ...
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How to Win Through Customer Experience--in a World where Customers Are in Control with Douglas Longenecker, Tara Baumgarten, and Patricia O'Connell

By Jeremy Weisz posted 11-17-2021
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Customer have more power than ever--which means companies must do more than ever to understand and meet their expectations and to forge relationships that last. To get the latest insights, Thomas A. Stewart invited Douglas Longenecker, Patricia O’Connell, and Tara Baumgarten to join him on The Leading Edge — a place where new ideas emerge and are sharpened, and where leaders look to find the edge that brings success for themselves, their teams, and their enterprises. The customer experience encapsulates everything a consumer sees, feels, and touches — and it’s up to companies to design a winning experience strategy across all tiers of their organization--not ...
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AchieveNEXT Community Discussion on COVID Vaccine Mandates

By Greg Wood posted 11-16-2021
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Below is an excerpt from a recent peer discussion within the AchieveNEXT Networks - CFO Alliance and CHRO Alliance.
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Turning Your Employees and Customers Into Loyal Fans with Ruby Newell-Legner, Founder of 7 Star Service

By Jeremy Weisz posted 11-15-2021
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Ruby Newell-Legner is a Fan Experience and Employee Engagement Strategist and the Founder of 7 Star Service. She specializes in inspiring new service cultures in sports, leisure, and entertainment industries to create the ultimate fan experience. Ruby has worked with over 66 professional sports teams and several international sporting events ranging from the Olympics to the Super Bowl. Ruby has presented approximately 3,000 staff development sessions in 24 countries and has been a member of the National Speakers Association since 1995. Previously, she was a swimming coach and recreation facilities manager for over 20 years, which taught her the importance of ...
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Building a Diversity-Friendly Startup Ecosystem with Terence Craig, Startup Investor and Advisor

By Jeremy Weisz posted 11-08-2021
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Terence Craig is an startup investor and advisor with expertise in AI, SaaS, Big Data, and more. He works with organizations like Astia, The Capital Network, the Investors of Color Network, and Toyota Ventures to support diversity and boost growth. His specialty is investing in and creating opportunities for diverse teams and companies. Terence graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in information systems. He started his career as a pioneer in the technology space before taking on the role of advisor for startup entrepreneurs. Here’s a glimpse ...
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Sustained Innovation: How to Keep Those Ideas Coming with Martin Reeves, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG

By Jeremy Weisz posted 11-03-2021
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How does an enterprise turn innovation from a one-time thing into a sustained part of its business model and culture? Most businesses begin with a creative spark; a few manage to be innovative over years or decades. But only a handful have managed to keep sparking for decades. One of those is the Boston Consulting Group. Long admired as the most innovative of the great strategy consultants, BCG has kept new ideas coming for more than half a century. How? To find out, Tom Stewart sat down with Martin Reeves, a senior partner of BCG who runs the firm’s Henderson Institute, the internal think tank named for founder Bruce Henderson. A leading strategist and thinker ...
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Evolving the CFO/CHRO to the Chief Performance Officer Role

By Nick Araco posted 10-27-2021
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Amidst the “Great Resignation, the War for Talent , the “ She-cession ,” and 2022 budget planning, the role of the chief performance officer (CPO) is becoming increasingly critical. Performance is the key indicator of an organization’s health and success. With the exodus of top talent, the fight to retain and find talent across the board, and the moral imperative of cultivating a diverse workforce and inclusive culture , the CPO role is becoming a necessity in the C-suite. But who should fill the position, and what are the needed skillsets? In addition to companies hemorrhaging talent and missing the mark on meaningful DE&I initiatives, the growing ...
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FALL 2021 PEER ROUNDTABLES: Top Five Talent Takeaways

By Sophia Mikros posted 10-22-2021
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The challenges middle market companies face, the actions they are taking. Number one with a bullet : That’s where talent ranks among the challenges facing senior leadership of mid-market and emerging enterprises. Because of the “Great Resignation” and the need to staff and fund strong growth, these businesses face a shortage of qualified, available people, an insufficient internal capability to develop talent on their own, and a critical need for a new talent strategy and a differentiated, sustainable way to attract and keep the people they need. Talent far outweighs other issues like cost, supply chain, or shifting industry dynamics, with ...
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Insigniam Announces New CFO and CAO, Daniel Heller

By Sophia Mikros posted 10-22-2021
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Insigniam is pleased to announce the hiring of a new Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, Daniel Heller. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2021  -- Insigniam , an international management consulting firm that specializes in breakthrough performance, innovation, transformation, and corporate culture, is pleased to announce the hiring of a new Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, Daniel Heller. Daniel Heller joins Insigniam with 20+ years of progressive leadership experience directing corporate finance, accounting, IT/Technology, private equity, and portfolio company operations. Additionally, ...
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Enhancing Dialogue and Collaboration in the Workplace with Nancy Dixon, Knowledge Transfer Expert

By Jeremy Weisz posted 10-20-2021
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How do you encourage people to share information? In the wake of the pandemic, when collaboration among groups is more crucial than ever, is there a way to overcome the barriers to communication? Hybrid and remote workplaces are changing the ways knowledge is shared — and it’s up to leaders to find new ways to enhance connection and problem-solving within teams. One of the world’s leading experts on how knowledge is shared, Nancy Dixon knows the importance of facilitating effective communication in and between teams. With an evolving workplace, leaders are left questioning how to connect strategy with what employees know and do — at a time when “normal channels” ...
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Empowering a Relationship-Driven Team with JJ Laforet, ​​Senior Director of Operations at Good Eggs

By Jeremy Weisz posted 10-18-2021
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JJ Laforet is the Senior Director of Operations at Good Eggs, an industry-leading grocery brand that delivers sustainable and fresh products to your door. His first job out of business school was with Carpedia International, an implementation consulting firm, where he learned the skills and techniques to make businesses and company cultures better. JJ earned his BS in operations and political science from Stony Brook University and his MBA from Marymount University. He is also a former Division I lacrosse player and Division III coach, which taught him the importance of leadership, teamwork, and performance. ...
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Leading Future Generations with Dr. Yung Lie, President and CEO of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

By Jeremy Weisz posted 10-11-2021
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Dr. Yung Lie is the President and CEO of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, an organization that supports the next generation of leaders in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. She is an experienced scientist, an advocate for cancer research, and an executive board member for The Chemical Probes Portal and Health Research Alliance.  Dr. Lie began her professional journey with a degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of California, Berkeley. After earning her PhD in biological sciences from Stanford University, her passion and the thrill of discovery led her to pursue postdoctoral training at The Rockefeller University ...
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