2025 Annual Conference Executive Summit

Build the Organization of the Future: Navigating AI with Depthfinding

Sam Spurlin, Partner, The Ready

In a world changing faster than our organizations can adapt, those that thrive will be shaped not only by what they produce, but by how deeply they understand themselves and their environment. This session introduces Depthfinding—a method for navigating complexity, identifying leverage points below the surface of organizational transformation, and unlocking coherent autonomy.

About Sam: Sam is a partner and first employee at The Ready. Over the past ten years he has partnered with and advised numerous organizations on their journey toward more people positive, complexity conscious, and effective ways of working. He has worked with senior leadership teams from GE, FreshDirect, Pacific Gas & Electric, MITRE, Akamai, and others. Prior joining The Ready he consulted with David Allen on the updated edition of his bestselling book, Getting Things Done, and published with Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on the future of work and positive psychology. His general interests can best be described as the intersection of personal development and organizational design. A lifelong hockey player, he’s convinced this is the year the Red Wings regain relevance. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife.

Deliberate Calm: The Key to Adaptive Leadership and Sustained High Performance

Chad McGehee, Meditation & Mental Performance Expert, Coach, and Researcher

Learn the keys to generating deliberate calm. This equips leaders (and their organizations) with the capacity to remain calm, clear, and agile under pressure, allowing them to navigate uncertainty more effectively, optimize decision-making, and drive sustained organizational performance.

About Chad: Chad McGehee is a trailblazing performance coach and meditation expert who empowers leaders with the mental agility necessary to thrive in high-pressure environments. As the pioneering Director of Meditation Training for University of Wisconsin Athletics and co-founder of Inner Edge Meditation, Chad has redefined peak performance through scientifically rigorous mindfulness training. His influential methods have been embraced by elite athletes, FBI SWAT teams, Fortune 500 executives, and major educational institutions. Featured by ESPN, the Wall Street Journal, and NPR, Chad’s compelling approach equips leaders to sustain calm clarity, optimize decision-making under stress, and cultivate resilience for lasting organizational success.

The Old Way Doesn’t Work: Why Strategy Alone Isn’t Enough

Aric Wood, Chief Strategy Officer, Tigerhall

Traditional, top-down approaches to strategy often fail to deliver meaningful results in today’s fast-changing environment. This session challenges leaders to adopt a more human-centered, adaptive approach that drives real engagement and turns strategic vision into lasting impact.

About Aric: Aric Wood is a seasoned leader in organizational transformation, with over two decades of experience guiding Fortune 500 companies through strategic change. As the former CEO of XPLANE, a global design consultancy, he spearheaded initiatives that bridged the gap between strategy and execution, leveraging visual thinking and human-centered design to drive impactful results. Currently serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Tigerhall, Aric focuses on change activation, helping organizations embed strategic shifts into their culture and operations. His work emphasizes the importance of engaging employees at all levels to ensure sustainable transformation. Aric is the author of “The Strategy Activation Playbook”, a practical guide for leaders aiming to bring their strategies to life. With a background that includes leadership roles at Intuit and Epinions.com, as well as experience as a strategy consultant at Bain & Company, Aric brings a wealth of knowledge in business strategy and innovation. He has also led and served on multiple non-profit and for-profit Boards. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from The Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Jennifer Anderson, MS is a recognized thought leader on transformation and organizational change, inspiring leaders to execute strategy with clarity, focus and resilience. As a consultant and executive coach, she guides organizations to adapt and thrive by developing conscious leaders to create high-performing teams and intentional, human-centered culture.

With a background in organizational behavior and extensive experience as a mind-body practitioner, Jennifer brings a unique blend of science and wisdom to her work. She is the Founder of Resilience, LLC and a Co-Active coach. Jennifer holds multiple certifications including Be Well Lead Well Pulse Guide, ProSci Change Practitioner, iRest meditation teacher, and Mind-Body Practitioner.

Jennifer served as our Host at the Executive Summit.

This summit is designed for senior leaders and executives with budgetary authority and strategic oversight within their organizations. Ideal participants include C-Suite, Vice Presidents, Directors of major business units, or individuals who are accountable for driving transformation, enabling innovation, and shaping organizational direction.

These leaders are responsible for navigating their companies through complex and rapidly evolving landscapes. They are seeking new ways to unleash the full potential of their teams, lead with clarity amid volatility, and create adaptive systems that go beyond conventional strategic planning.

Participants should be:

• Decision-makers and change agents, responsible for aligning resources and talent with organizational goals.
• Forward-thinking and curious, open to exploring how emerging technologies like AI can enhance human potential.
• Invested in leadership development, both for themselves and their teams, to foster cultures of resilience, innovation, and adaptability.
• Eager to challenge the status quo, moving away from traditional, hierarchical strategy models toward more human-centered, agile approaches that deliver real-world impact.

Whether leading enterprise-wide transformation, scaling innovation, or stewarding high-performance cultures, this summit is for executives who want to not only keep up—but get ahead.

Monday, September 29, 2025 | 5:30–7:30 PM | Monona Terrace, Madison, WI

An inspiring evening of connection and conversation was had at the UWEBC Executive Reception, an exclusive gathering for senior leaders, steering committee members, Advisory Board members, keynote speakers, and UW–Madison leadership. Held the evening before our flagship Annual Conference, this event set the tone for a day of learning, innovation, and executive-level insight.

This year’s event featured opening remarks by the new Dean of our UW College of Engineering Devesh Ranjan, followed by a rich and engaging Executive Conversation moderated by renowned journalist John Stofflet and featuring powerful insights from futurist Nancy Giordano and work-design innovator Dart Lindsley. Additionally, UWEBC Director Doug Barton previewed key ideas and framed the challenges and opportunities explored in Tuesday’s conference.

Featured Speakers

Devesh Ranjan
Grainger Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison

Devesh Ranjan is the Grainger Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he leads one of the nation’s top engineering programs. A mechanical engineering scholar, he previously held faculty and leadership roles at Georgia Tech and Texas A&M, with research focused on power conversion and complex fluid flows in extreme conditions. Ranjan has received early-career awards from the U.S. Department of Energy, NSF, and Air Force, is a fellow of ASME, and was honored with its Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award. He is also a recognized educator and mentor, and holds graduate degrees from UW–Madison and a bachelor’s from NIT-Trichy.
 

Nancy Giordano
Strategist, Futurist, and Author of Leadering

Nancy Giordano is one of the world’s top futurists and a transformative voice for business leaders navigating a rapidly changing world. A seasoned keynote speaker and bestselling author of LeaderING, she helps organizations shift from outdated industrial models to inclusive, regenerative, and AI-era-ready systems. Nancy has advised two AI startups, produced immersive leadership summits, and her projects span topics from advanced tech to frozen food—all united by a desire to spark purposeful progress. All Executive Reception attendees will receive immediate access to her book.

Dart Lindsley
CEO of 11fold, former advisor to Google’s People Experience function, and Author of HBR Article Reimagining Work as a Product

Dart Lindsley offers a provocative, systems-oriented reimagining of how work is designed. As former Head of Global Process Excellence in People Operations at Google and co-author of the HBR article Reimagining Work as a Product, Dart draws on his business architecture expertise to reframe work as an intentional product crafted for the employee experience. His top-ranked podcast, Work for Humans, explores this intersection of meaning, systems, and the future of work. With a unique perspective shaped by careers in both the literary arts and tech leadership, Dart challenges conventional HR models to help organizations better serve their people.

Executive Conversation Hosts

John Stofflet
Journalist, Annual Conference Master of Ceremonies

John Stofflet is a celebrated journalist and master storyteller with a career spanning 40 countries and all seven continents. With 25 Regional Emmy Awards and deep roots in Wisconsin, John has interviewed everyone from President Barack Obama to Hollywood icons like Julia Roberts and Robin Williams. A proud UW–Madison alumnus, he brings his signature blend of curiosity, warmth, and global insight to this year’s Executive Reception. He also serves his community through board roles with the Badger Childhood Cancer Network and the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin.

Doug Barton
UWEBC Director, Reception Host and Executive Conversation Contributor

As Director of the UW E-Business Consortium, Doug Barton leads one of the nation’s foremost university-industry partnerships, engaging over 80 companies across sectors in shared learning, innovation, and strategic growth. Doug brings decades of experience from a career in industry and global speaking experiences on AI, entrepreneurship, and innovation. His role at UWEBC includes guiding the Advisory Board, spearheading member strategy, and ensuring the organization’s impact aligns with the Wisconsin Idea. Doug holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from UW–Madison’s Wisconsin School of Business.

What to Expect:

• A private, informal setting to engage with peers and thought leaders in the Monona Terrace’s Community Terrace space
• Early insights into Tuesday’s keynote themes and a glimpse into the future of our enterprises and lives
• Hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, and panoramic views of Lake Monona and Downtown Madison

Attire: Business casual

Audience: By invitation only – open to senior executives, conference speakers, Advisory Board members, and university leadership. Anyone attending the Executive Summit is also welcome to attend the Reception.