Speaker Bios

Pat Williams Senior Vice President Orlando Magic Pat Williams is the senior vice president of the NBA's Orlando Magic. Also one of America's top motivational, inspirational, and humorous speakers, he has addressed employees from many of the Fortune 500 companies and the Million Dollar Round Table. He has been a featured speaker at two Billy Graham Crusades, two Peter Lowe Success Seminars as well as many university campuses. Pat is also the author of 47 books, his most recent titles being How to Be Like Women Athletes of Influence and The Ultimate Coaches Clinic. After serving for seven years in the United States Army, Pat spent seven years in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, two as a minor league catcher and five in the front office. He also spent three years in the Minnesota Twins organization. Since 1968, he has been affiliated with teams in Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, including the 1983 World Champion 76ers, and now the Orlando Magic which he co-founded in 1987 and helped lead to the NBA finals in 1995. Twenty-three of his teams have gone to the NBA playoffs and five have made the NBA finals. In 1996, Pat was named as one of the 50 most influential people in NBA history by a national publication. In his NBA career, he has traded Pete Maravich, traded for Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Penny Hardaway, and won four NBA draft lotteries, including back-to-back winners in 1992 and 1993 and most recently in 2004. He also drafted Charles Barkley, Shaquille ONeal, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney and Darryl Dawkins and signed Billy Cunningham, Chuck Daly, and Matt Guokas to their first professional coaching contracts. Nineteen of his former players have become NBA head coaches, nine have become college head coaches while seven have become assistant NBA coaches. Pat and his wife, Ruth, are the parents of 19 children, including 14 adopted from four nations, ranging in age from 21 to 34. For one year, 16 of his children were all teenagers at the same time. Pat and his family have been featured in Sports Illustrated, Readers Digest, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, The Wall Street Journal, Focus on the Family, New Man Magazine, plus all of the major television networks, The Maury Povich Show and Dr. Robert Schullers Hour of Power. In the last 12 years, he has completed 44 marathons, including the Boston Marathon 11 times, and also climbed Mt. Rainier. He is a weightlifter, Civil War buff, and serious baseball fan. Pat was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, earned his bachelors degree at Wake Forest University, and his masters degree at Indiana University. He has a doctorate in Humane Letters from Flagler University. He is a member of the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame after catching for the Deacon baseball team, including the 1962 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship team. He is also a member of the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.

Dan Sullivan Founder and President The Strategic Coach, Inc. Dan Sullivan is founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc. A visionary, an innovator, and a gifted conceptual thinker, Dan has over 30 years experience as a highly regarded speaker, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups. Dans strong belief in and commitment to the power of the entrepreneur is evident in all areas of Strategic Coach® and its successful coaching program, which works to help entrepreneurs reach their full potential in both their business and personal lives. He is author of The Great Crossover, The 21st Century Agent, The Producer Group Future, How The Best Get Better®, The Advisor Century, and Creative Destruction. He is co-author with Catherine Nomura of The Laws of Lifetime Growth. Dan is married to Babs Smith, his partner in business and in life. They jointly own and operate The Strategic Coach Inc., with offices in Toronto, Chicago, and the U.K. New workshops are also being held in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Dan and Babs reside in Toronto.

Morrie Shechtman Chairman Fifth Wave Leadership Morrie Shechtman is Chairman of Fifth Wave Leadership, a human capital development firm based in Los Angeles. He has consulted with hundreds of top executives worldwide about managing disruptive change, creating growth-oriented, self-sustaining corporate cultures, and developing leaders who broadly and deeply impact both bottom line results and quality of life. A highly sought after speaker, he has lectured on the connection between personal and professional transformation, and productivity, to audiences throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Morrie has authored two books - Working Without A Net: How To Survive And Thrive In Today's High Risk Business World and Fifth Wave Leadership: The Internal Frontier that examine the close connection between personal growth, bottom line profitability and stakeholder value. He has also co-authored a third book along with his wife and business partner Arleah: Love In The Present Tense: How To Have a High Intimacy, Low Maintenance Marriage. In terms of his professional background, he has been a university professor; a psychotherapist in hospital and private practice; a consultant to government, education, and law enforcement; and the chairman of a private sector consulting firm. He has, in addition, been a national policy advisor to the United States House of Representatives Leadership Council; a visiting lecturer for The Conference Board; and a guest lecturer for the World Bank's "World Economic Summit." His business clients have included Hewlett-Packard, The Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, McGraw-Hill, Time Warner, United Technologies, and The Young Presidents Organization. Of course, his achievements are not nearly as important as the results his clients enjoy. Morrie works with companies to help them clarify and act on core values, which ultimately serve to create a tangible and unified culture. After this self-discovery phase, he moves onto the critical elements of relationships, commitment and accountability. His goal is to create a company filled with employees who have the capacity for self-analysis and adaptive learning. Such companies-characterized by increased productivity, open and honest communication, and a willingness to eliminate dysfunctional behaviors-have a remarkable advantage in today's high-risk business environment. Morrie has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a certificate in cross-cultural studies from Leeds University in England. Additionally, he has a master's degree in cultural history from the University of Chicago, and he received his psychotherapy training and credentials from the University of Illinois. When he was in clinical practice, he achieved board certification for private practice.

L. Gary Boomer, CPA CEO Boomer Consulting L. Gary Boomer is CEO of Boomer Consulting, Inc., an organization that provides planning and consulting services to leading firms in the accounting industry. Boomer strategies chart a transformation roadmap that results in increased revenue, goal-oriented personnel and business growth. Gary was previously a partner at the regional CPA firm of Varney & Associates. Gary is recognized in the accounting profession as the leading authority on technology and firm management. For the past ten years, he has been named by Accounting Today as one of the 100 most influential people in accounting. He consults and speaks around the globe on management and technology related topics including strategic and technology planning, compensation and developing a training/learning culture. He acts as a planning facilitator, provides coaching and serves on many advisory boards. He serves on the Kansas Society of CPAs and on the accounting advisory board at Kansas State University. He is a member of The Advisory Board, a group of leading consultants to the accounting profession. He is the past chairman of the AICPAs Information Technology Executive Committee and a former member of the AICPA Council. He has also served on the AICPAs Academic and Career Development Executive Committee and the ACUTE Board of Directors. Gary is the creator of and a facilitator for The Boomer Technology Circles". Each circle is comprised of approximately 20 firms from unique geographic areas. The Circles meet three times per year and are connected through the Boomer Knowledge Network. These circles help the best firms get better! Gary is the author of Boomers Blueprint, a regular column in Accounting Today and publishes the Boomer Bulletin", a technology newsletter with worldwide circulation. In addition to accounting firm and small business consulting, he has consulted with IBM, Microsoft, Intuit, CCH, and Thomson on the design and marketing of accounting related software.

Allan D. Koltin, CPA President & CEO PDI Global, Inc. A nationally recognized speaker, author and consultant, Allan is an expert on the accounting and consulting industry, firm management, and the marketing of professional services. He has appeared on CNN, WGN, and FOX television networks and has been quoted in many major publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, The LA Times, The Chicago Tribune, Reuters NewsWires, The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service, Forbes, and Business Week. A highly sought-after speaker, Allan has spoken nationally and internationally on a wide range of marketing and practice management subjects at hundreds of conferences, including those held by the AICPA on firm management and various niche practices. He enjoys delivering keynote addresses at conferences throughout the professional services industry and is known for his engaging style, insightful observations and pithy statements. For example, in a response at the Microsoft National Conference to a question about succeeding in professional services, Allan said: "Always follow 'GAAP' if you want to be successful - Goals, Action planning, Accountability and Passion!" Allan's passion is facilitating retreats and providing strategic coaching for CEOs and partners. His specialties include leadership, management, firm profitability, and growth. Allan has written numerous articles for professional journals and business publications on management, marketing and accounting industry trends, and is the author of two books for professional services firms: Firm Merger Strategies That Work and CPAs That Sell. He also edited the AICPA's book, Marketing a Consulting Niche - Best Practices of Top Performing Firms. Allan is on the editorial advisory boards of Accounting Today, Law Firm Management, Journal of Tax Practice Management, Managing Partner Report and CPA Leadership Report. In June, 2003, Allan was inducted into the Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame by the Association for Accounting Marketing - a distinction held by only five others. In September, 2007, he was also voted by Accounting Today as one of the most influential people in the profession, a recognition he has received eight years in a row. He has also been a recipient of the NACVA Instructor of the Year Award and winner of the Journal of Accountancy Literacy Award. Previously he was recognized by the Illinois CPA Society with the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service and commitment to the profession. Allan is a founding member of the Advisory Board, a think tank to professional and financial services firms. He serves or has served on the board of directors of Outsource Partners International (OPI), BKD Financial Advisors, NACVA, and HRB Business Services, and on the AAM Advisory Council. Allan is also an active member of the CEO Club of America, National Speakers Association, Association for Accounting Marketing, Law Marketing Association, American Bar Association and Professional Speakers of Illinois. He holds a business degree in accounting and marketing from the University of Wisconsin.

Gary S. Shamis, CPA, M. Acc. Managing Partner SS&G Financial Services Inc. Gary Shamis is a Managing Partner of SS&G Financial Services, Inc. and serves on the firm's six-member Executive Committee, which leads the firm's strategy and growth. He has the overall responsibility for day-to-day management of SS&G Financial Services and its entities and locations, including Saltz, Shamis & Goldfarb, Inc. Gary has over 30 years of accounting and consulting experience. He specializes in growth strategy, strategic planning, and practice management issues. Gary sits on numerous for-profit and not-for-profit boards. Hew consults to the professional service sector through retreat facilitation, merger negotiation, and is a frequent presenter on this topic. Gary's concepts for growth and expansion are respected and emulated by both professional peers and business organizations. The firm has won numerous growth and service awards both locally and nationally. In addition to his management duties, Gary frequently speaks, all over the world, on the management of professional service organizations. Gary has been named as one of Accounting Today's most influential people in the industry multiple times and continues to be recognized for his industry insight, commitment to service quality, and leadership of the profession. Gary serves on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Accountancy, Managing Partner Report, Practicing CPA, and the Ohio CPA Journal. He is a Board Member of the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Community Federation, Better Business Bureau, Montefiore Home, Hillel at Kent State University, National Council of Non-Profit Enterprise, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, and he is a chairperson of North Coast Community Homes. In addition, Gary is also the Chairman of The Leading Edge Alliance, an alliance of over 70 major independently owned accounting and consulting firms that share an entrepreneurial spirit and drive to be the premier provider of professional services in their chosen marketplace. Gary is the founder of The Leading Edge Alliance. Gary earned his Masters in Accounting from The Ohio State University and his Bachelor of Science degree from Tulane University. He is a member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and he serves on the AICPA's Strategic Planning Committee and as the Chairman of the OSCPA and AICPA-Managing an Accounting Practice Committee.

Rebecca Ryan 2EO Next Generation Consulting Rebecca Ryan is an energetic entrepreneur and founder of Next Generation Consulting (NGC), a research and advisory firm that helps clients engage 20-40 year old employees and citizen-leaders. Rebecca launched NGC like so many start-ups in the 1990's - in her basement. Trained in economics, Ryan foresaw the steep labor cliff that is now facing thousands of companies. Namely, as Baby Boomers march to retirement, there are fewer younger workers to replace them. Peter Drucker calls this demographic crunch the "number one issue facing our companies and communities." To help their clients battle brain drain, Ryan and her NGC team have designed proprietary frameworks and tools, based on an enormous database of surveys, interviews and focus group responses with members of the next generation. Her conclusion about our future workforce? She writes in the preface to her 2007 book, Live First, Work Second: "I've learned that America's next generation is not going to grow up and behave more like our grandparents. Adjusting to a Live First, Work Second generation is one enormous roller coaster ride. Why do we do it? We do it because we need the next generation to work in our companies, buy our products, participate in our government, live in our cities, and patronize the causes we care about. We need them to bring us booze and cigarettes when we're in the old folks home. We do it because we've seen how exciting work and life can be when the next generation really shows up and throws their heart into it. The Robin Hood in each of us wants to see and support more of that. I salute you." Ryan's provocative style is welcomed in board rooms - and lunch rooms - across North America. For her evangelism and NGC's growth, Ryan was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2004 by the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. In 2006, she was named Communicator of the Year by Women in Communication (Southeast Wisconsin).

Kenneth E. Baggett, CPA Managing Principal Reznick Group Mr. Baggett is Reznick Groups managing principal. For the past four years, Mr. Baggett has steered the firm to being ranked among the top 20 largest public accounting firms in the nation. He heads up a diverse team of approximately 1,450 accounting, tax and business advisory professionals. Under Mr. Baggetts leadership, the firm has been consistently ranked among the top accounting firms in the cities where Reznick Group offices are located. During his tenure as managing principal, Mr. Baggett has effectively led the effort to revamp many of the firms quality control, independence and professional standards policies and procedures to ensure Reznick Group exceeds the highest standards of the accounting profession. As a testament to his professional dedication and keen leadership abilities, Mr. Baggett has been listed as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Accountants by Accounting Today as well as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Practitioners by CPA Magazine. His leadership ability has also been recognized through the firms ranking as one of the countrys 25 best managed public accounting firms for three consecutive years by Inside Public Accounting. As a result of Mr. Baggetts focused management, Reznick Group is poised to realize its 10-10-10-vision of becoming a top 10 firm with 10 offices in 10 years. Mr. Baggett's professional experience also encompasses a broad range of real estate/tax issues in the development and structuring of multi-family and commercial ventures. His practices offer structuring advice to developers, builders, syndicators, investment banks, corporate investors, and housing finance agencies. Additionally, he advises clients on numerous issues including extensive advice in the low-income housing tax credit area. Mr. Baggetts background is in individual, partnership and corporate taxation, as well as audit. He also represents numerous long-term healthcare facilities in the Eastern United States as well as a number of clients involved with rehabilitation and revitalization projects in various cities. Mr. Baggett is also extensively involved with representing student and military housing developments. Mr. Baggett is the President and a Board Member of the Georgia Affordable Housing Coalition. Recently, he has become a Member-At-Large of the AICPA Council. In addition, Mr. Baggett has continued to be an active member of several societies and organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Major Firms Group, Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, 18 various state Societies of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Baggett is also a Board Member of Young Audiences. He is a past president and a current board member of the Auburn School of Accounting Advisory Council as well as of the Auburn School of Business Advisory Council. In addition, Mr. Baggett is a frequent speaker on subjects ranging from individual and corporate taxation to real estate development and investment. Prior to joining Reznick Group, Mr. Baggett was a Senior Partner and served as Managing Partner with a large regional firm in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned his BA degree in Business Administration from Auburn University.

Gunther Hübner CEO Hübner & Hübner The Vienna based firm Hübner & Hübner was founded by the Hübner brothers, Gunther & Klaus. With their unique style of leadership, the firm has developed from a small family business into what is now an innovative and successful international consulting & auditing firm of 12 partners & 500 staff, operating in 10 Central European Countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Ukraine). With more and more consulting projects with other European accounting firms, Gunther has become somewhat of a guru to the profession and is often referred to as the David Maister of Europe. As a sought-after speaker and consultant, he is now in the privileged position of being able to share his ideas and experiences in leadership & management.

W. Mark Rudolph, CPA President & CEO Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C. Mark Rudolph, CPA has served as the president and chief executive officer of Yount, Hyde & Barbour since being named to the position in 2005. He provides energy and leadership to carry out the firms strategic vision, guidance to staff, principals and the management team, and direction for the firms five offices and 160 employees. He also has governance and management responsibilities as a member of the firms Board of Directors. After joining Yount, Hyde & Barbour in 1984, Mark spent the first ten years of his career performing accounting and auditing services for financial institutions. He became a principal at Yount, Hyde & Barbour in 1994. For the next ten years, he focused on providing tax and consulting services to a wide range of clients in an array of industries. He launched and headed the firms Healthcare Services Team, which provides financial and practice consulting services to physicians, dentists, chiropractors and veterinarians. He is also experienced in assisting private companies and closely-held businesses and their owners with business consulting, strategic financing, tax planning, succession planning, and mergers and acquisitions. Mark earned his Bachelors of Science Degree in Accounting from Shepherd College in 1984 and has been appointed to the Board of Governors at Shepherd University. He is actively involved in the business and civic community, serving as a member of the Handley Board of Trustees, as Past President of Winchester Host Lions Club, and as an elder at First Presbyterian Church. He also has been involved for more than 20 years with numerous youth basketball and baseball organizations in coaching and leadership roles. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants. - Former Captain of Meldrum House Golf Club - Former Director of The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland - Stood as a Conservative Party Parliamentary in the 1992 UK General Election - Number of local charities