Bob krizek, phd
Bob is an emeritus associate professor and a whisky aficionado. When he's not traveling Scotland to refine his palate and satisfy his passion for learning about the scotch industry, as a partner in Communication Resource Associates, LLC he consults with a number of local, national, and global organizations, both for profit and not-for-profit. In his consulting work his principal foci are leadership development, communicating with clarity and purpose, cross-generational communication, and storytelling. He also facilitates strategic planning endeavors quite often with the (unintended) byproduct of turning difficult conversations into learning conversations. Above all else he helps leaders and leaders-in-training understand the power of stories to inspire, engage, and motivate their associates, clients, investors, and various publics.
· Leadership Success: Believes that storytelling and leadership go hand-in-hand. Come to think of it, it could be the stories of the scotch industry that nurtures his appreciation of "uisge beatha" or in English "water of life."
· Leadership Learning Moment: Not one single moment, but over the years has come to realize that leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries often feel isolated. They all, we all, need "buddies" to listen to our ideas.
· Unique Fact: He collects vintage Rickenbacker guitars. As a teenager he played in a garage band in the Chicago area. He couldn't afford a Ric, his family couldn't afford one, so he played a bass guitar purchased at Sears. In his adult life when he could afford a Ric, he bought one. One led to two, two led to three and if you're a collector then you know the rest.
Zach Schaefer, Phd
Zach wears several professional hats that all revolve around one thing: improving communication. His consulting firm, Spark The Discussion, is a Certified Partner of The Predictive Index – Spark works with companies to connect talent decisions to business strategy by applying a data driven assessment methodology, management workshops, and consulting services. Zach is also Director of Organizational Development for The Post Sports Bar & Grill, where he oversees the creation and implementation of performance systems, employee engagement, and workplace culture. Zach’s passionate, interactive approach to working with clients combined with his expertise in coaching, team facilitation, and conflict management make Zach a top tier talent development professional.
· Leadership Success: Candid conversations about performance improvement get Zach excited...and it never hurts to have a glass of scotch in hand.
· Leadership Learning Moment: Pointed out a mistake that a CEO made during a presentation in front of a group of people. Didn’t realize that this person was a perfectionist and took small criticisms very personally.
· Unique Fact: Zach has had the honor of serving as the wedding minister for two cousins and a good friend.
Oh, and Zach thinks scotch makes everything better…
Slainte!