Beyond the success or failure of specific companies or industries, the United States has an important role to play in fostering an environment where innovation flourishes. Once the undisputed world innovation leader, the U.S. is now in danger of losing that title due to both international and domestic policies. Rob Atkinson will help you explore this bigger picture and what can be done about it by sharing findings from his new book Innovation Economics.* What should the U.S. do to better support innovation in the manufacturing sector? What can U.S. companies do to help bring these changes about and to better support their product innovation cycles? Rob will share his perspective on these key questions and describe a robust national manufacturing strategy for the United States.
*All conference registrants will receive copies of Innovation Economics—Yale University Press 2012

Arguably, the single, most important driver of a company’s success is a motivated workforce, and even with high unemployment figures, competition for the best people is fierce. Co-presented by two members of the NFPA Future Leaders Network, this presentation will highlight a proven process for identifying and retaining the best talent, including specific analytical tools that will improve your retention planning.

When focusing on supply chain issues it’s easy to lose sight of the joint purpose of all involved—solving the customer’s problem. Key to honing your company’s competitive edge in the marketplace is a consistent, symbiotic relationship between all parties. Richard Kolsky’s role as Lecturer at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management allows him the opportunity to work with executives dealing with real-world scenarios every day. Those attending his classes find solid strategies they can apply directly to their businesses. Rick will share his “WIN-WIN-WIN” methodology and process to help you collaborate to deliver better value to your customers.

Additional Learning Opportunity! Richard Kolsky has agreed to offer "office hours" Friday afternoon, March 8, for private consultations. A limited number of slots are available exclusively for NFPA conference attendees to discuss distribution channel topics. These appointments can be for individuals from one company or for supply chain partners. Again, this is a unique, value-added opportunity exclusively for NFPA members attending the 2013 Annual Conference. To secure one of these limited appointments please contact Leslie Miller, (414) 778-3369.

Building a high-performance, self-sustaining culture is the foundation for company-wide success, yet to ingrain that philosophy, leadership cannot exist only at the C-level. Billy Ray Taylor brings more than 20 years of experience in all phases of manufacturing management and leadership. He has a track record of improving production efficiency and employee engagement. Billy will share his powerful stories and tell you how to drive results in your environment through both strategic deployment and tactical execution.

Jeffrey Owen Herzog joins Oxford Economics from Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), where he spent three years working in Houston as a senior economist covering the US and Canada economies. Prior to this position he gained his PhD from the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School. He also holds a MPhil in development economics and an MA in economics with 1st Class Honours, both from the University of Cambridge. He is a graduate of Yale University. Previously he served as editor-in-chief of the Cambridge Review of International Affairs, a peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of international relations and political economy. While in Houston, Jeffrey also served on the economic development advisory board of the Greater Houston Partnership, the economic development agency for the city of Houston. He has published articles in the Cambridge Journal of Economics, the International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence and the American Bankers Association Banking Journal. He is responsible for US and Canada macroeconomic forecasting.