Event List
Prev MonthPrev Month Next MonthNext Month
Webinar | Transform Your Business with Independent Directors
Tuesday, March 09, 2021, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT
Category: Cleveland

08:00 AM - 09:00 AM (Pacific)
09:00 AM - 10:00 AM (Mountain)
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (Central)
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern)

Register
Zoom invitation will be shared the day before the event.

Overview

In this webinar panel discussion the Board Chairs and the CEO of three extraordinarily successful private companies – Vitamix, MobilityWorks and Seaman Corporation -- will provide a road map for adding independent directors and discuss how independent directors transformed the growth, performance, creativity, governance, and culture of their businesses. The panelist will share their insight on why they added independent directors, what they look for when choosing independent directors, the different ways in which independent directors add value and the methods they used to find qualified independent directors for their boards.

Thank you to our National and Gold Chapter Sponsors!

Panelists

 

Dr. Jodi L. Berg 
CEO
Vitamix

Dr. Jodi L. Berg is the fourth-generation CEO of Vitamix, a 99-year-young, family-owned, mid-market manufacturer of high-performance food blending equipment for the consumer and foodservice commercial markets. Dr. Berg established Vitamix as the world leader in high-performance food blending by transforming the company’s organizational structure and elevating the status of the Vitamix brand leading to organic growth of more than 400%. She joined Vitamix in 1997 with the directive to lead the company’s overseas expansion and under her leadership Vitamix products now are available in more than 130 countries around the world. She was named CEO in 2011.


Dr. Berg created a sustainable business model that enables Vitamix to nourish the zest for life by igniting the personal passion of each employee and customer while holding strong to the passion, integrity, and family values on which the company was founded. For more information, please visit www.vitamix.com

Dr. Berg received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH) and a Master of Business Administration from Washington State University (Pullman, WA). Dr. Berg’s research on purpose and employee engagement has been published, and in 2016 it earned her a Ph.D. in management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. 

 

Bill Koeblitz
Chairman of the Board
MobilityWorks

Bill Koeblitz is the Chairman of the Board of MobilityWorks, the leading producer of modified vans, minivans and other vehicles which has enabled thousands of   individuals in wheelchairs to live with independence and freedom. Bill founded MobilityWorks in 1997 with 10 employees in Akron, Ohio.  Since its founding, MobilityWorks has experienced rapid growth expanding from 1 to 93 locations throughout the country with 1,400 employees and over $500 million in revenue.  www.mobilityworks.com.

The company achieved this remarkable growth by following these basic principles:

  • Truly listen to the needs and the wishes of our customers
  • Provide them with the perfect solution just for them, their family, and their budget.
  • Serve them with respect and passionate excellence.
  • Provide peace of mind through 24/7 customer service and emergency assistance.

In 2018, Bill sold a majority interest in the company to the private equity firm, Flexpoint Ford and remains Chairman of the Board. Bill is a 1979 graduate of John Carroll University.  Prior to MobilityWorks, he was employed as a CPA with Ernst & Young from 1979 until 1984 and with MED Center from 1984 to 1997, a company he founded to focus on providing convenient and high quality medical care. Med Center was sold to a public company in1996. 

 

Richard N. Seaman
Chairman
Seaman Corporation

Richard N. Seaman is the Chairman of Seaman Corporation, a family owned manufacturer of industrial fabrics with over $200 million in revenue and sales in over 40 countries worldwide. Dick served as CEO of Seaman Corp from 1976 to 2015 increasing the Company’s size by over fifteen fold. www.seamancorp.com

The rapid growth of Seaman Corporation was driven by a number of successfully implemented business processes including:

  • A robust Strategic Planning Process that engages his management team in identifying growth opportunities and implementing successful strategies to achieve growth objectives.
  • The development of a CARE Quality Initiative process that focuses on the customer and provides best-in-class quality and service.
  • Supported implementation of LeanSigma throughout the entire organization which not only reduces waste but increases organizational capability.
  • Management succession planning that meets on a semi-annual basis and aligns management growth and development with strategic objectives.
  • A family business succession planning process that focuses on family stewardship and uses an active shareholder model to assure successful multi-generation ownership succession.
Dick published in May 2019 “A Vibrant Vision, The Entrepreneurship of Multigenerational Family Business” which shares Dick’s experiences in growing a second generation family business into a multi-million company while at the same time encouraging his children and grandchildren to become stewards of the treasure we call a family business.

Moderator

 

Jim Lemay

James C. LeMay was, for over 20 years, Senior Vice President for Corporate Development and General Counsel for Omnova Solutions, Inc., an NYSE listed global manufacturer of specialty chemicals and industrial films serving the coatings, adhesives, construction, oil & gas, plastics, and other markets. In 2020, Omnova was acquired by Synthomer PLC.

Jim’s Corporate Development responsibilities included strategic planning and organic and inorganic growth strategy development including acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions. In his General Counsel role Jim was responsible for worldwide legal affairs including corporate governance, regulatory, compliance, enterprise risk management, M&A, intellectual property, and litigation management. 

Register