Wednesday May 13, 2015

3-8 pm Registration Open 4:00-5:15 pm PRECONFERENCE SESSION Private and Family Company Governance Basics This session will provide nuts-and-bolts information on how a board can help a private company to grow and thrive. Panelists will offer insights on determining whether a fiduciary or advisory board is right for you, the optimal number of board members, director recruitment, board composition and managing concerns about director liability. Moderator: Steve McClure, Principal Consultant, The Family Business Consulting Group Speakers: Darcy Howe, Director, Heatron, Advisory Board Member, The Bama Companies; Jim McHugh, Director, Southworth International Group Inc. and Kennebec Technologies Inc.; Dennis Cagan, Director, Copper Mobile, Acorn Technologies, Truston, HeartStories, Inc., New Law Technology, Inc. 6:00-7:15 pm How Private and Family Company CEOs Work With Their Boards What do private and family company CEOs expect from their boards, and how can the board help a CEO lead his or her company most effectively? Sitting private company CEOs will discuss their working relationships with their boards and how their boards have been a guiding force for providing discipline, accountability, strategic guidance and expertise. Speakers: Julia H. Klein, Chairwoman and CEO, C.H. Briggs Co.; Paul Bartelt, President and CEO, The Vollrath Company; Keith E. Williams, President, Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.; Secretary-Treasurer, US-China Business Council; Director, National Fire Protection Association Moderator: F. Douglas Raymond III, Partner, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP 7:15-9 pm Networking reception and buffet dinner

Thursday May 14, 2015

7:30 am Registration Open 7:30-8:30 am Breakfast 8:30-8:45 am Conference Introduction Growth, Technology and Risk: 2015 Issues and Opportunities for Private Companies Roger Nanney, Vice Chairman, Deloitte LLP 8:45-9:15 am Keynote Interview Jim Kristie interviews John “Jack” Brennan, chairman emeritus, Vanguard; Director, General Electric Company, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. 9:15-9:30 am Networking Break 9:30-10:45 am Strategy and the Private and Family Company Board What the board needs to know in order to help formulate and drive a private company’s strategy. How a board sets strategy. Company strategy is perhaps the key role a private company board plays. Does that board set strategy or oversee the company strategic plans? What’s the right balance? And how does a board’s role evolve as a company strategy is pursued over time?
Speakers: Meghan Juday, Director and Family Council Chair, IDEAL Industries; B. Joseph White, President Emeritus, University of Illinois and Director, Gordon Food Service; Howard Brod Brownstein, ​President, Brownstein Corporation; Director, P&F Industries Moderator: Scott Chase, Directors & Boards 10:45-11:00 am Break 11:00-12:15 pm Refreshing the Board Competitive circumstances change—but board membership often doesn’t. As the shifting marketplace, new technologies and globalization create new demands on management and the CEO, how can a private company ensure that its board is composed of engaged members who have the expertise and energy the company needs currently and in the future? How can the board balance new perspectives with the institutional memory and valuable insights of long-serving directors? How can a board prevent groupthink? Panelists will discuss age and term limits, board evaluations, finding new talent and new skills, and tactfully asking ineffective directors to leave. Speakers: Gerry Czarnecki, Director, State Farm Insurance, MAM Software Group, Inc.;Anthony W. Schweiger, ​CEO & Managing Principal, The Tomorrow Group, LLC, Director, Marketcore ; Steven R. Walker, General Counsel, Secretary, and Director of Board Advisory Services, National Association of Corporate Directors Moderator: John Wood, Vice Chairman, Heidrick & Struggles 12:15-12:30 pm Break 12:30-1:45 pm Lunch and Keynote Address Seth Goldman, President & CEO, Honest Tea 1:45-2 pm Break 2-3:30 pm Breakout Sessions (45 minute sessions, repeated once. Attendees may select two sessions to attend).

3:30-3:45 pm Networking Break 3:45-5:00 pm Onboarding the New Director In bygone days, a new director would serve for at least a year before being expected to contribute in a meaningful way. But today’s competitive environment puts pressure on private companies to appoint board members who can hit the ground running. This session will focus on best practices for new director orientation. What kinds of documents and training sessions should be provided to bring the new director up to speed? What is the role of the board chair, the lead director, the CEO and key managers in this process? And what can reasonably be expected of new directors?
Speakers: Bernard H. Tenenbaum, Advisory Board Member, Diesco, Woldenberg Group; Nina Henderson, Director, CNO Financial Group, Regus plc, Walter Energy; Janet Morrison Clarke, Director, Cox Enterprises, Forbes Media Holdings Moderator: Jeffry Powell, Executive Vice President, Sales, Diligent Board Member Services Inc. 6:00-9:00 pm Group Dinner Old Ebbitt Grill, a Washington, DC landmark. Cocktails on the observation deck, with panoramic views of the White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, National Cathedral and the Potomac River.

Friday May 15, 2015

7:30-8:30 am Breakfast 8:30-9:15 am Keynote Address Speaker: Lansing Crane, Chairman Canal Insurance Company, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools and Wells’ Enterprises; Former Chairman and CEO, Crane & Co. Inc.. 9:15-10:00 am Table Discussions Working to a case study, conference attendees will work in small groups to discuss potential solutions. 10:00-10:15 am Networking Break 10:15-11:30 am Private Company Governance in the Real World This session will focus on boardroom challenges—when theory meets reality. How can a board manage dissident shareholders, a rogue director or a difficult CEO? What happens when an ownership group won’t heed the board’s recommendations, or when a faction of the board members favors advice that’s off-target? Panelists will share their war stories and offer advice. There will be time for hardball questions from the audience.
Speakers: Edward D. Horowitz, Co-Founder and Board Member, U.S. Space LLC; George Isaac III, Director, Findley-Davies, The Isaac Group; Cynthia Watts, Director, Furst-McNess Company Moderator: Jennifer M. Riley, Vice President and Global Private Commercial Specialty Manager, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies Conference Close