Walking the Walk

CEO LEADER SHIP WALKING THE WALK

CEO Leadership Forums Model How to Adapt in Uncertain Times

Seated around a conference table at the Orlando headquarters of AppleOne Employment Services, six members of the CEO Leadership Forums reflected on the Great Recession of 2008. Ultimately, they all agreed when it came to weathering storms like that one, the CEO Leadership Forums help to make the “unknown” known and arm leaders with knowledge that can help them not just survive the next recession, but thrive.

It was 2019, a full year before the COVID-19 pandemic would hit the United States and change the way the world lives and conducts business. Suddenly, the scenarios the members of the CEO Leadership Forum groups had been fortifying themselves against were confronting them head-on. The organizations quickly readied themselves to step up to the plate. Call to Action

Made up of two groups each of about 20 CEOs, partners and other leaders from across industries throughout Central Florida, the forums offer a way for leaders to come together to discuss and share their knowledge, expertise and experience.

“We had all been preparing for the next recession, but (the pandemic) hit us all so quickly,” said Nicole McMurray, regional manager of AppleOne Employment Services. “When this happened, we knew we wanted to come together because a lot of us needed information and it was coming from so many angles, but who could you actually trust? Who could you really listen to?”

In mid-March, with all the uncertainty and questions swirling around them, 25 members had a call that was half strategy, half therapy. “We all talked out how we were feeling, how we were dealing with it, and what we needed,” said Geoffrey Gallo, founder of CEO Leadership

Casey Fernandez

Glyn Griffis

Nasser Hedayat

Ron Wilkinson

Forums and senior vice president of marketing and strategic consulting for CPA firm Grennan Fender. The two groups, which usually held one event every quarter per group, realized it was time to kick it up a notch.

Over the course of three months, CEO Leadership Forums held nine webinars and planned even more. Members checked in with their community to gauge what people needed most, and then called on people with those specialties throughout the community to moderate and serve as panelists.

“We’ve had to tell good stories,” said Casey Fernandez, a client executive with HYLANT, who moderated several of the sessions. “Even in person, we’ve learned that if we do that, people will be interested and they will relate. We didn’t want a 45-minute slide presentation to put everyone to sleep.”

Adapting to Survive

“What is normal going to look like?” John Will Tenney, president and “adminator” of EmployerNomics, posed the question that represents next steps not just for the forums, but the world. “How do we get back there, and do we want to? Or do we embrace some of the change? What’s worth embracing and what’s not?”

Deciding what’s worth embracing has been a learning curve, but members of the groups agree there are some silver linings to these unprecedented changes. One was the sudden increased popularity of videoconference technology.

“What I found, out of this sudden switch to Zoom, was that I don’t have to call people up 30 minutes before a call and explain how Zoom works,” Tenney laughed. The convenience makes scheduling more meetings that are ultimately more productive a possibility.

That accessibility also means a wider reach for the group. “Beforehand, we were only able to reach our local client base, but now we don’t have the constraints that we would have if we were only offering in-person meetings,” Gallo explained, citing a client in Arizona the group worked with recently. ⊲ Geoffrey Gallo

John Will Tenney

Nicole McMurray

Russell Slappey

It seems a new type of camaraderie has been forged as everyone adapts and learns the new normal — whether that be bonding over the trials of conducting a videoconference with a houseful of kids and pets passing through, or over the process of figuring out new systems. Gallo recalled how Roy Richardson, a member of the forums and owner and president of Aurora InfoTech, spent hours helping integrate the Zoom registration process with the groups’ MailChimp email marketing platform. Another member recommended a new customer relationship management (CRM) tool to streamline the forums’ database. A resource for so many in the community, the forums proved to be pretty resourceful themselves.

The Next Steps

From protecting people’s privacy when taking temperatures, to what to do in the next phase after the federal Payroll Protection Program funds run out, leaders are still faced with plenty of questions, and Gallo and his group will be there to answer them.

From the use of breakout rooms during webinars for more interaction, to simulcasting through Facebook so that a possible limited in-person session could be streamed to a wider virtual audience, the groups are adapting every day to help as many of their members as possible.

Their work with Valencia College, a partnership pre-COVID-19 that already included on-campus sessions and the funding of a scholarship program, will expand, too. Working with Dr. Nasser Hedayat, Valencia’s assistant vice president of career and workforce education, the groups are looking into grants provided by the federal CARES Act for those pursuing an education through community colleges.

“If you have furloughed employees, employees looking to train further, people looking to gain certifications, this is a chance for CEOs to get their employees into that pipeline,” Gallo said. “What fuels us is educating people who don’t have time to learn all these aspects of business themselves, the overworked CEO.”

And while CEOs and executives have had to do a lot of unexpected learning this year, the tools and experience of the groups have proved that surviving — and even thriving — is still possible with the right help. ■ April 2: Government Give-Aways: Fact and Fiction (Moderated by Casey Fernandez): Jed Grennan, Doug Foreman, Gary Cohen, Marshall Harris April 9: Be Proactive in a Time of Uncertainty (Moderated by Ron Wilkinson): Erika Pulley-Hayes, Erik Wiener, Agnes Gregory, Roy Richardson April 16: Lessons Learned From 2008 (Moderated by Casey Fernandez): James W. Tharp Jr., Warren Dietel, Bisser Georgiev, Lee Zerivitz April 23: How to Reform, Perform and Find the Energy to Lead in Chaos! (Moderated by Nicole McMurray): Sean McDermott, Jeff Condello, Alonzo Williams, Lillian C. Moon, Sean Meder April 30: Open for Business! What’s Next? (Moderated by John Will Tenney): Lee Zerivitz, Doug Foreman, D. Paul Dietrich II, Aimee Collins Hitchner, Steve Hogan May 7: The Big Picture Ahead! (Moderated by Glyn Griffis): Scott J Brown, Jerrid P. Kalakay, Jon Molayem, John Rivers May 12: Optimizing Your PPP Loan Forgiveness and More (Moderated by Geoffrey Gallo): Jed Grennan, Agnes Gregory June 24: Tackling Risk in Turbulent Times (Moderated by Casey Fernandez): Joe Herman, Aashish “A.C.” Chauhan July 9: Selling a Business During COVID-19 (Moderated by Geoffrey Gallo): Jon Molayem and Mark Simmons

MEMBERS OF ORLANDO’S CEO LEADERSHIP FORUMS

Geoffrey Gallo, senior vice president of marketing and strategic consulting at Grennan Fender CPA firm, who has led the charge since the inception of CEO Leadership Forums Jed Grennan, managing partner of Grennan Fender CPA firm Tim Bach, president of Patterson/Bach Communications Inc. Russell Slappey, CEO and managing partner of Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services Sean Meder, vice president for commercial banking at City National Bank Nicole McMurray, regional manager of AppleOne Employment Services Lauren Arevalo, senior manager of AppleOne Employment Services Bernie Piekarski, managing partner of Piekarski Consulting LLC Steve Quello, president of CEO Nexus Ray Watson, principal of CEO Nexus Ron Wilkinson, principal of Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services Gary Cohen, CFO and consultant at Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services Chris Cucci, senior vice president and commercial banker at CenterState Bank Doug Foreman, CEO of Fringe Benefit Plans Glyn Griffis, financial advisor with Raymond James Brian Fatigati, president of ARX Payments Daryl Dixon, CEO and cofounder of VALiNTRY Services LLC Paul Dietrich, managing partner at law firm Swann Hadley Stump Dietrich & Spears Timmy Rupeiks, senior vice president of sales for VALiNTRY Services LLC Aimee Collins Hitchner, senior associate at law firm Swann Hadley Stump Dietrich & Spears John Will Tenney, president and "adminator" for EmployerNomics Alonzo Williams, president of Zerion360 Jon Molayem, president of Acquivest Financial Group Lillian Moon, partner at Akerman LLP Jessica Matthews, account executive at Paylocity Roy Richardson, owner and president of Aurora InfoTech Lee Zerivitz, president of CITY Commercial Casey Fernandez, client executive with HYLANT Risk Management & Insurance

Peter Schoemann Partner Nelson Mullins

Whether I am working with clients to understand their goals and communicating complex tax law in a way that is understandable, figuring out a way to structure deals to benefit our clients, or representing our client’s interests in negotiating a deal, it all leads to a great feeling at the end.

— Peter Schoemann

Confidence, Focus and Balance

By Meaghan Branham

Work hard for the first 20 years of your life or work hard for the rest of your life. That piece of advice, passed down from his father, has seen Peter Schoemann through his life and his career. Now, as a partner at Nelson Mullins law firm specializing in corporate and tax law, Schoemann has found that his work ethic, commitment and attitude didn’t fade after those first two decades. Instead, they became the foundation for all that came after.

Schoemann was drawn to practicing law, even at a young age. “While Hollywood glamorizes private practice, I have found that what drew me to be a tax lawyer still draws me to it,” Schoemann said. “Helping clients get their deals done.”

And it’s no accident that he finds himself at Nelson Mullins. While he started in the corporate division of Broad and Cassel in 2004, a series of changes would eventually lead that firm to become Nelson Mullins, and Schoemann was happy to stay on. Throughout his years with the firm, there has been one most important constant: “We work together to get the best deal for our clients. We are confident, but we do not have overblown egos.”

Even during the work-at-home orders implemented this year because of COVID-19, Schoemann said, everyone at the firm has worked together despite being apart. “Each of us knew what the others were working on and found ways to help. We have all maintained our focus and are coming out of it stronger than

when we went in.”

Outside of the office, that spirit of confidence, focus, balance and teamwork remains. He and his wife, Christine, along with their four children, have found strength in this spirit. “Three of my four children have kidney disease, and two of them have Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Schoemann said. The family has faced all of its challenges in one way: together.

It was together that they established and continue to run Breaking Barriers Martial Arts, where they train people with disabilities. “Two of my sons, David and Kenny, have ASD. Led by my wife, Christine, we have worked for years to create opportunities for them to grow into successful, independent adults. We have all worked together as a family to train our students, and to give them more confidence, focus and balance in their lives.” T

UP CLOSE With Chris Leggett

By Meaghan Branham

Talk of supply chains, imports, exports and the global economy has rushed to the forefront of business news cycles and board videoconference discussions since COVID-19 began sweeping the globe and turned into a pandemic. When Chris Leggett, program manager of the Central Florida International Trade Office, first imagined his career, he couldn’t have guessed he would be facing this kind of crisis. As a child spending summers traveling with his parents, experiencing vibrant cultures and seeing new places, Leggett decided he would become a diplomat. And he didn’t end up too far off. After his first job making Burgunderbraten (sausage) at the Fleischwarenfabrik Waltner (meat processing plant), thanks to a government exchange program in Germany, he decided his love of traveling would stay. But the job would have to change: “It was hard, physical work, and they had no showers on-site, so I had to travel back home on the streetcar stinking of sweat and ham.” So he continued attending university, going on to work in embassies and government with a focus on food, agriculture and trade. His career path eventually led him to Central Florida. Here, he tells us about Central Florida’s unique role in the global economy, what it looks like now, and what the new normal means for him.

What brought you to Central Florida?

My family loved it! I had achieved my childhood dream of becoming a diplomat when I worked for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian equivalent of the USDA. I had the honor of serving abroad as counsellor for agriculture for more than 10 years, first at the Embassy in Washington, D.C., and then at the Mission of Canada to the European Union. I wanted to do something new, but something that would provide stability for my sons as they entered high school and provide my wife the opportunity to pursue her career in a less transitory environment. We loved Central Florida so much, with its warm weather and fun activities, that we had bought a vacation rental in Kissimmee in 2007, and we helped my mother-in-law move here from California in 2012. It’s so much more than just sunshine and Disney to us. The people are warm and friendly. Central Florida has a dynamic, innovative economy, and Orlando International Airport puts us at the crossroads of the world.

What are some of the most important imports/exports of Central Florida?

First, when I refer to Central Florida trade data, I’m talking about the Orlando metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which includes Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Also, I am only referring to trade in goods. No data is available on trade in services because that is not tracked in the same way. And the information on Central Florida is brand new because data on imports here had never been available before.

Central Florida is an export powerhouse, with merchandise exports valued at nearly $3.6 billion in 2018. That year, we exported to 224 countries around the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Our primary markets, though, are our neighbors to the north and south, with approximately two-thirds of our exports destined to North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The products Central Florida exported that year are similarly varied. From industrial machinery ($833 million) and electronics ($681 million) to animal hair for wool ($2,473) and cereal flours ($1,052), all helped businesses create wealth and well-paying jobs here in Orlando. Automotive (vehicles and parts, $270 million), optical equipment ($264 million) and dairy and eggs ($103 million) round out the top five.

A lot of Central Florida jobs also depend on imports, whether it be consumer-ready products sold to tourists down on I-Drive or as components used to help products manufactured here keep costs down and remain competitive. In 2018, we imported products valued at $13.6 billion from 233 countries, with the largest share coming from China ($3.6 billion), Mexico ($2 billion) and Canada ($1.3 billion). Key imports include electronics ($2.3 billion), automotive ($2.2 billion), industrial machinery ($1.9 billion), pharmaceutical products ($680 million) and optical equipment ($560 million).

What has changed with trade with the outbreak of COVID-19? How will we adapt to these changes? What kinds of supply chain interruptions have we experienced?

One of the biggest changes is that people are paying a lot more attention now to international trade. On January 1, very few people knew anything much about supply chains,

but now everyone is talking about how COVID-19 has interrupted international supply chains, and everyone has an opinion on what needs to be done. And this is a good thing. It’s healthy for people to want to know not only where their food comes from, but also their products and how they are made. A wellinformed consumer will always make better decisions.

There is no doubt that international trade has been impacted by these supply chain interruptions. The biggest impact has been because of a spike in demand for certain products such as PPEs and toilet paper at the same time that production has been restricted, both at home and abroad. That’s actually probably the biggest impact: So many production facilities, primarily in Asia, had to shut down earlier this year and are just now back to producing at more normal levels that we will see shortages of many products. My younger son finally saved up for a Nintendo Switch but learned they are currently unavailable in stores until supply catches up with demand.

The other major impact has been on how people and products move. People have not been able to travel internationally to the same degree as they have in the past — and it is unlikely we will see international travel returning

to pre-COVID-19 levels for several years. So, companies have had to adapt to how they conduct international business. The reduction in air travel has also made shipping by air more challenging. Normally, 60% of air shipments move in the belly of passenger planes. With those flights grounded, shipping times and prices have both increased.

The impact on shipping by sea was similarly impacted, with shipments being held up at their origins for a variety of reasons. With fewer shipments being made, it took longer to fill cargo vessels, so shipping times increased. Things seem to be getting back to normal, but one of the key things to look at going forward will be the impact on the financial health of shipping lines, and whether any lines are forced to cease operations. I would like to highlight the contributions of some unsung heroes of COVID-19: the merchant vessel crews stranded for months at sea because they could not be rotated due to health concerns at port.

What are some policies CFITO has implemented?

The biggest change for CFITO is not being able to offer in-person services and events. Like many others, we have made Zoom our best friend! Instead of doing counseling one-on-one, I meet with people by phone and by web meeting.

We held our first webinar on May 28 on Making Your Supply Chain More Resilient. We are located at the National Entrepreneur Center in Fashion Square Mall, and even as our offices reopen to the public, we’ll continue to offer events virtually for some time. That’s for two reasons: because it’s what people seem to be more comfortable with and because of restrictions on the number of guests we can accommodate in our meeting rooms in order to comply with social distancing guidelines. In addition to learning something new, one of the benefits of these new practices is that we are able to record our events and post them on the new CFITO YouTube channel.

How have you found yourself adapting to the new normal?

I’ve had to work, like many people, and being “stuck” in the house for a period was taxing. However, even at the deepest point of this crisis, CFITO was able to stay open and I have kept busy delivering services to the community. Just instead of meeting in person, I became a big user of Zoom. I wish I had bought some of the company’s stock last year! While I really enjoy my current “commute,” I am looking forward to getting back in the office and being able to interact on a more regular basis with Central Florida businesses and entrepreneurs. T