Leadership Education to Help Senior Executives Navigate Shifting Marketplace

For today’s senior executives, it’s business as “unusual” in the modern produce marketplace. To succeed, leaders must expect the unexpected, drive innovation and collaborate on all levels. That’s why the 2013 Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Foundation for Industry Talent’s (Foundation) Leadership Symposium program features a roster of speakers designed to stretch the thinking and strengthen leadership capabilities. Ryan Estis, chief experience officer of Ryan Estis & Associates, and Joe Calloway, best-selling author and performance expert, will round out the symposium’s second day of senior leadership education. Being held Jan. 16-18 in San Diego, Calif. USA, the symposium is hosted by PMA Foundation in partnership with Cornell University and with support of presenting sponsors JVSmith Companies and National Resource Management, Inc. All proceeds from the program benefit PMA Foundation’s initiatives to attract, develop and retain talent. Estis is the former chief strategy officer for the people marketing division of McCann-Erickson World Group Advertising and currently in his consulting practice helps companies more effectively connect with employees and customers. He will open the symposium’s second day with the presentation “Lead Change by Creating Passion…on Purpose,” in which he’ll outline how passion is central to creating a high-engagement, high-performance work culture driven by exceptional leadership. Senior executives will learn from Estis how to build a “sustainable talent advantage” and how to put intangibles such as trust, personal growth and development at the forefront of their organizations. He’ll help attendees gain a new perspective on today’s workforce, employee expectations and attitudes towards work in order to empower employees to take their companies to the next level. Calloway will close the symposium on the afternoon of the second day with his talk “Harness the Power of Change through ‘Category of One’ Leadership.” As a consultant, Calloway helps companies align people, culture and strategy to improve performance and drive growth. He believes a successful leader must adopt a mindset that enables their organization to create and sustain success. In his symposium session, he’ll shift executives’ perspectives on their personal leadership style and deliver insight on harnessing the power of change for success—in other words on becoming a “Category of One” leader. Calloway will explain how creating simplicity and minimizing complexity can supercharge performance and how to focus on the most important things rather than on everything. He’ll also demonstrate how to create constructive innovation by looking outside the fresh produce industry for inspiration and new ideas. Plus, he’ll help attendees recognize the danger of complacency and barriers to continuous improvement. Each speaker will be followed by small group discussions led by professional facilitators who will be “industry prepared” to ensure attending executives walk away with relevant, actionable lessons in leadership and produce business. After each breakout session, all attendees will reconvene as a large group, along with that session’s speaker, for an opportunity to ask questions and get more information. In addition to the second day’s influential speakers, the symposium’s first day will feature Tom Koulopoulos, a leading advisor on business and technology trends, who will present “Lead Change by Leveraging the Cloud,” and Mark Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Virgin Unite Mentors, who will present “Create a Culture of Change for Success Built to Last.” The symposium also offers networking and relationship-building opportunities through small-group discussions, receptions and dinners. Learn more about the speakers, event details and apply online at www.pmafoundation.com/leadership-symposium/.