Economic Considerations for Boards Now and in the Future

Kevin Depew

Deputy Chief Economist and Industry Eminence Program Leader

ABOUT
Kevin Depew is deputy chief economist and Industry Eminence Program leader for RSM US LLP. He works alongside the firm’s chief economist to serve as a leading voice of the middle market and U.S. economy and leads RSM’s team of 60 industry senior analysts. He is committed to identifying conditions and trends in the U.S. and global economies to help RSM’s clients prosper in an age of rapid transformation. Kevin joined RSM in 2014 and is based in the firm’s New York City office.     

EXPERIENCE
Kevin provides RSM’s clients with macroeconomic and industry perspectives and insights they need to successfully manage their middle market businesses. He helps produce several of the firm’s unique reports, including The Real Economy, the RSM US Middle Market Business Index and quarterly industry outlooks , which offer insights into issues relevant to the middle market.

In addition to working with external clients and presenting the middle market economic perspective on webcasts and at industry events, Kevin leads the firm’s Industry Eminence Program, overseeing a team of 60 industry analysts. The program enables senior analysts across key client industries to forecast industry trends, including how artificial intelligence, machine learning and data will reshape business in the short and long term.

Kevin uses and champions a data-driven approach to illustrate what’s really happening in the economy, which often means helping senior analysts challenge existing narratives that aren’t as data dependent. He feels a great sense of accomplishment when a client or colleague sees data in a new light to better understand the story it illustrates.

Kevin started his career in the early 1990s as a horse-racing handicapper in Kentucky. He became interested in financial markets and pivoted to Wall Street before finding his way to Minyanville Media, an online financial media and publishing company, where he was awarded an Emmy for his work on an animated show helping viewers better understand financial markets.

The economics team at RSM places a high priority on culture, diversity and inclusion, knowing that data shows that companies with a high level of diversity outperform those that don’t. Kevin maintains a driving passion to create an environment that thrives through diversity to make RSM the best firm it can be.

Valerie Woerner

Principal, E78 Partners Company; CEO, CEO At Your Service; Independent Board Member, Matot Inc., Capitol Theatre – Governance Chair, Ross Alumni Board of Governors and Yakima Arts Commission

An accomplished CEO, Valerie Woerner is also an experienced and collaborative Board member on the advisory board of Matot, Inc., a Chicago manufacturing company, on the board of the Capitol Theatre (governance chair elect 2022), member of the Yakima Arts Commission and the Michigan Ross Alumni Board of Governors. She is also a Private Company Director magazine 2021 honoree – “15 Directors To Watch”

Woerner served on Larson Fruit’s board and advised and mediated their 2018 company sale. In 2018 she completed Deloitte’s 7-month intensive board training. She served as board member (Finance chair) - Larson Gallery, Washington State Fruit Commission  (Audit chair) and  others. Currently a Principal at Next Level, she provides interim CEO and Board services and is CEO of CEO at Your Service.

Valerie became CEO of a manufacturing company at 30, growing revenue from $3 million to $100 million over 10 years followed by achieving outstanding results for others.  Key strategic elements creating these successes included striking vital strategic alliances, making difficult, innovative financial decisions, and driving dynamic marketing change, greatly enhancing owners’ equity. She’s also taught at two universities.

Valerie earned an MBA - Finance from Ross, University of Michigan and a BA in Psychology from Michigan.

David Shaw

Publishing Director, Directors & Boards and Private Company DIrector

David Shaw is the publishing director of Directors & Boards and its sister publication, Family Business. With more than 30 years of experience in business-to-business and consumer media markets, he has served as an editor, publisher, publishing director, group publisher and group vice president of a variety of publications, trade shows, conferences and websites.

Prior to founding GRID Media, David served as senior vice president for Phillips Business Information Inc., where he oversaw nearly 100 discrete media properties, and helped build the business from $35 million to more than $100 million in annual revenues. He is a frequent author and speaker on issues related to business-to-business media, multi-generational family businesses and private and public company governance. He is married, with two grown children, one serving in the Navy and the other in law school.