by | | Growth, Innovation, News
COVID-19 has created a health and economic environment unlike anything we have ever experienced.
As the leadership of the mid-market, we are uniquely positioned with the knowledge and resources to ensure that our communities have jobs and a stable economy after this crisis is over. We need to join together to manage the challenges ahead.
What can we do?
As such, I am proposing that we set up a fund to help small and mid-market companies and their people get though COVID-19. I am envisioning a combination of the war bonds effort from World War II and the Farm Aid movement of the mid-80s to provide equity, debt, and/or convertible funding to small and mid-sized businesses.
We have had many discussions with business, academic, and government leaders. CEO Connection member Scott Jackson, CEO of Global Impact, can set up the infrastructure for this project in a matter of days. Now it is time to act.
You do great things on your own … We can do even greater things together!
Can you help?
Share with your network
Share this announcment on your social media pages to spread the word about this proposal.
by | | News
A message from Kenneth Beck, CEO of CEOC
Like many of you, I have been closely monitoring the Coronavirus situation. The media coverage of the virus is creating fear and panic which is having a disproportionate and perhaps premature impact on businesses around the world.
Over the past several weeks, my team and I have been talking with CEO Connection members, government officials and industry experts regarding the potential impact of the Coronavirus on mid-market companies. We wanted to know how they are handling the situation and what we can do to help them – their response was been clear: help us gain access to insightful information and strategies, particularly from other mid-market CEOs to manage both the perceived and real challenges ahead.
As a result, we are taking a number of steps to support our members immediately.
To start, we are organizing small-group video meetings to create forums for CEOs to connect, share insights, and to strategize. Here’s an overview of this program:
- Confidential, Small Group, Video Meetings. CEOC will convene a series of small, interactive, 60-minute video conference calls for our Premium members. Initially, we will host two sessions for eight CEOs each (CEOs only). This format will enable close, confidential conversation and meaningful dialogue. We will consider scaling this program to additional CEO members as well.
- Focused Agenda. The agenda for each meeting will be focused on each CEO sharing what he/she is seeing and doing in four areas:
- Individual Observations – Both in the U.S. and internationally (if applicable);
- Financial/Business Impact – Impact to operations, supply chain and financials;
- People strategy – Communication/morale/remote work strategies; and,
- Forecast/Planning – Insights about what might happen next, ways to prepare, etc.
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- Facilitated Discussions – Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie and the Chair of our Talent Management Committee has agreed to co-facilitate these meetings. With 200 operations in 86 countries, Joe has been on the front lines of the Coronavirus situation with his team since the very beginning and can share first-hand insights and strategies.
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- Timing – The first two meetings will be on Thursday, March 12th at 3 pm Eastern and Monday, March 16th at 5:30 pm Eastern. If you are interested in participating, you can register by clicking here. We will take the first eight registrants for each meeting and then go to a waitlist.
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- Preparation – As preparation for these calls, here are two useful articles one from McKinsey and one from our very own George Bradt:
In addition to these small group meetings, CEOC is taking other steps to support our members:
- Webinar – We will host a webinar for all Premium CEOC members on Monday, March 30th at 5:30 pm Eastern to review the types of strategies and insights from the small group meetings, as well as to discuss new developments. To register for that webinar, you can click on the link below.
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- Mid-Market Coronavirus Task Force – We are establishing a task force, which will: 1) Marshal the combined resources of the mid-market; 2) Share best practices; and 3) Implement any actions recommended by the membership. More to come on this shortly.
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- Mid-Market Coronavirus Hot Line – We will create a hotline for members who have specific issues they need to manage. More to come on this shortly.
Our country is at its best when faced with a common challenge. I have full faith that the government (both parties) and medical experts will put their differences aside and once again, as Americans have always done in the face of adversity, rise to the occasion to find a solution that will stop the spread of this disease. In the meantime, we as the Mid-Market business community will join together to help each other manage the challenges ahead.
You do great things on your own … we can do even greater things together!
by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
2018 Mid-Market Awards Dinner and Celebration
Another successful convention ended with another great awards dinner where we celebrated the best of the Mid-Market.
Awards Dinner Gallery
As master of ceremonies, Today Show and NBC News contributor, Dr. Madeyln Fernstrom, helped us honor the 2018 Mid-Market Award recipients:
- Micalyn Harris of ELPRO – Young Leader of the Year
- Eric Green of West Pharmaceutical Services – Social Impact Award
- Paul Decker of Mathematica – CEO of the Year
- Restaurant Technologies – Company of the Year
and
- Lulvleen Sidhu, Bank Mobile
- Jeanne Thoma, SPI Pharma
- Gina Fyfe, Integra Holdings
- Cynthia Tidwell, Royal Neighbors of America
- Elaine Osgood, Atlas Travel
The 2018 Most Influential Women of the mid-market who were in attendance.
Congratulations again to all!
by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
CEO Connection® has announced the winner of its annual Young Leader of the Year award. Each year, qualified nominees are reviewed by a committee of experts and the award is presented to the mid-market executive who, early in his/her career, has demonstrated the greatest potential for leadership and lasting impact.
This year CEO Connection is proud to recognize Micalyn Harris, CEO of ELPRO Services, Inc., as the 2018 Young Leader of the Year.
In 2009, Micalyn Harris joined ELPRO Services, Inc.—a company that designs and manufactures solutions that monitor the transport and storage of pharmaceuticals throughout the supply chain, and is the U.S. subsidiary of Swiss-based ELPRO Group. Micalyn became President and CEO of the subsidiary in 2017.
As a newly minted CEO, Micalyn leveraged her experience in organizational change and business strategy to disrupt ELPRO Services’ competitive and growing market. Micalyn completely redefined the subsidiary’s organizational and financial focus, as well as doubled staff and revenue in the short term. During her tenure with ELPRO, Micalyn has negotiated strategic selling partnerships to expand the company’s sales and service footprint in the U.S., and has spearheaded numerous continuous improvement initiatives. Locally, Micalyn leads initiatives for employee community volunteerism and is a member of the Marietta College Entrepreneurship Advisory Board.
“Within ELPRO USA, I saw the opportunity to reshape the company from the ground up,” said Micalyn Harris. “The most fulfilling part of that journey was redefining our culture and aligning with profitability. Receiving this honor has encouraged me to continue my personal and business pursuits and to take them to the next level, driving change to positively impact my community and our growth.”
Micalyn will be honored at the 2018 Mid-Market Convention Awards Dinner on September 25, 2018, at The Wharton School. Other recipients—Company of the Year, CEO of the Year, and Social Impact Award—will be celebrated at that time. The dinner will be attended by members, sponsors, and guests of CEO Connection.
For more information about the awards, please visit http://www.midmarketawards.com/about/, and to purchase your ticket to the 2018 Mid-Market Awards Dinner, visit: https://www.midmarketconvention.com/registration/.
by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
SYOSSET, N.Y., August 9, 2018/PRNewswire/ — CEO Connection® has announced its 2018 list recognizing private equity firms most effective for mid-market companies. The Top Private Equity Firms for the Mid-Market list highlights firms that invest in mid-market companies with a vision of strategic partnership, bringing them results-oriented expertise and focus on what is best for the next phase of growth.
“We believe these firms personify the spirit of the mid-market,” said Kenneth Beck, CEO of CEO Connection. “In the true symbiotic nature of the CEO Connection community, honoring them will help all of us promote the mid-market.”
Sixteen of the 2018 firms also made the list in 2017. The list was first developed in 2016 in response to membership interest in this area, namely private equity as a source of capital for mid-market growth.
The private equity firms were evaluated on five metrics: Commitment to the Mid-Market, Partnership Effectiveness, Financial Performance, Resources, and Social Impact. For the complete list, visit www.ceoconnection.com/top-private-equity-firms/.
Comprised of nearly 20,000 publicly and privately held companies, the mid-market represents an integral piece of the U.S. economy, employing more than 30 million people and generating approximately $10 trillion of the $30 trillion of annual gross receipts.
Members of the 2018 Top Private Equity Firms for the Mid-Market will be recognized at the annual CEO Connection Mid-Market Convention held in conjunction with The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Sept. 23-25. This exclusive global gathering features hundreds of CEOs, political leaders and business experts convening to discuss issues and challenges for mid-market companies. For more information and to register for the convention, visit www.midmarketconvention.com/registration.
The CEO Connection 2018 Mid-Market Convention is made possible by the interactive support of strategic partners, including ABM, Carpedia, Invest in Canada, KR Strategy, Minority Business Development Agency, Morgan Samuels, Mphasis, Prime Genesis, RSM, SAS, Sibson Consulting, Mastered in Tennessee, Wex/MasterCard, Wharton.
by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
Recognizing Women Who Influence Change, Innovation, and Standards of Excellence in Mid-Market Companies
SYOSSET, N.Y., July 24, 2018 – The Top 25 Most Influential Women of the Mid-Market 2018 has been announced by CEO Connection®, the only membership organization exclusively for mid-market CEOs. This list recognizes outstanding women in the U.S. based on their ability to influence change, innovation, and standards for excellence in companies with annual sales between $100 million and $3 billion.
List of Top 25 Most Influential Women in the Mid-Market (in alphabetical order):
- Olu Beck, Wholesome Sweeteners
- Sandra Cochran, Cracker Barrel
- Judy Faulkner, Epic Systems Corporation
- Sheila Flavell, FDM Group
- Lesa France Kennedy, International Speedway Corporation
- Gina Fyffe, Integra Holdings
- Mary Ann Heino, Lantheus Medical Imaging
- Tina Hodges, Advance Financial
- Lisa Hook, Neustar, Inc.
- Julie Howard, Navigant Consulting
- Judy McReynolds, ArcBest Corporation
- Kim Ann Mink, Innophos Holdings, Inc.
- Elaine Osgood, Atlas Travel & Technology Group, Inc.
- Winnie Park, Paper Source
- Mary Powell, Green Mountain Power
- Martine Rothblatt, United Therapeutics Corporation
- Susan Salka, AMN Healthcare Services., Inc.
- Ninfa Saunders, Navicent Health
- Karyn Schoenbart, The NPD Group
- Anne Sempowski Ward, Curio
- Luvleen Sidhu, BankMobile
- Sally J. Smith, Buffalo Wild Wings
- Jeanne Thoma, SPI Pharma, Inc.
- Cynthia Tidwell, Royal Neighbors of America
- Marita Zuraitis, Horace Mann Educators Corporation
The 2018 honoree list includes dedicated philanthropists and community leaders. Beyond their success in the boardroom, each of these women have a story to tell.
“We are honored to recognize such a prestigious group of women who have truly made an impact on their company and have given back to their community,” says Kenneth Beck, CEO of CEO Connection. “We have identified top CEOs through our Mid-Market 500 and Mid-Market 1000 lists, and are now pleased to share this new select group on the Most Influential Women’s List with the business community.”
Honorees will be recognized at the 2018 Mid-Market Convention on September 23-25 at The Wharton School in Philadelphia, PA. Referred to as the “Davos for the Mid-Market,” this exclusive global gathering brings together the leadership of the mid-market top business experts and senior government officials to help each other and change the world.
“I am excited to see the diversity of sectors that are represented on our list this year,” said Dr. Kathryn Ritchie, Founder & CEO of KR Strategy, and Chair of CEO Connection’s Most Influential Women of the Mid-Market List Advisory Board. “The breadth of impact that female CEOs are having in the mid market is broadening. It is wonderful to see the real and rich penetration of their leadership.”
For more information and to register for the convention, visit www.midmarketconvention.com/registration.
