KEYNOTE
Chris McChesney
Chris McChesney is the co-author of the best-selling book in the world on strategy execution. He is the Global Practice Leader of Execution for FranklinCovey Co. and one of the primary developers of The 4 Disciplines of Execution. For more than a decade, he has led FranklinCovey’s ongoing design and development of these principles, as well as the consulting organization that has achieved extraordinary growth in many countries around the globe and impacted hundreds of organizations. Chris has personally led many of the most noted implementations of the 4 Disciplines, including the State of Georgia, Marriott® International, Shaw Industries, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company®, The Kroger® Co., The Coca-Cola Co.®, Comcast, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Gaylord Entertainment. This practical experience has enabled him to test and refine the principles contained in The 4 Disciplines of Execution from the boardroom to the front line of these and many other organizations.
Chris’s career with FranklinCovey began by working directly with Dr. Stephen R. Covey and has continued for more than two decades to include roles as a consultant, managing director, and general manager within the organization. Chris launched the first 4 Disciplines of Execution Practice in FranklinCovey’s Southeast Region, and today has seen it expand around the globe. Throughout this period of significant growth and expansion, Chris has maintained a single focus: to help organizations get results through improved execution.
Chris and his wife Constance are the proud parents of five daughters and two sons. His love of family is combined with his passion for boating, water sports, coaching, and trying to keep up with his children.
Known for his high energy and engaging message, Chris has become a highly sought-after speaker, consultant, and advisor on strategy execution. He regularly delivers keynote speeches and executive presentations to leaders in audiences ranging from the hundreds to several thousand.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution message is something that fits into every theme. Every leader has a goal that they want to achieve, but how do you focus and leverage organizational behavior to accomplish your wildly important goals despite a whirlwind of competing priorities?
Heather Blonkenfeld
RUSSELL REYNOLDS ASSOCIATES
Heather Blonkenfeld is a trusted advisor to boards, CEOs, and executive teams leading through growth and transformation. She helps organizations accelerate change through talent by aligning strategy with the leadership required to deliver it—whether through CEO and C-suite succession, executive and team assessment and development, or culture and transformation programs.
Grounded in more than two decades of consulting experience, Heather brings a unique blend of strategic insight, leadership expertise, and market fluency. Her work spans industries, with particular depth in the financial services, insurance, technology, and life sciences sectors. She plays an active role in the firm’s transformation offerings and is known for helping clients translate insight into action.
Based in San Francisco, Heather is a member of Russell Reynolds Associates’ Board & CEO Advisory Partners and contributes to the firm’s Global Assessment and Development capabilities.
She joined RRA from Kurt Salmon (now part of Accenture Strategy), where she helped launch the firm’s Strategy & Private Equity Practice and later led Global Marketing & Innovation.
Heather holds a BA in Journalism from Mills College and an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Paul Carbone
PRITZKER ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES
Paul is the Co-Founder, President, and Head of the Investment Committee of Pritzker Alternative Strategies. Paul Carbone also is the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Pritzker Private Capital (PPC). In 2012, Paul joined PPC’s predecessor company and later PPC as Managing Partner and led the Firm’s growth and development for more than ten years. Prior to PPC, Paul was the Director and Managing Partner of Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Equity Group (a buyout, growth and venture investor) after serving as Co‐Director of Investment Banking responsible for Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory practice. Previously, Paul was Senior Vice President in the Investment Banking Group at Kidder, Peabody & Co.
In 2016, Paul received the Stanley C. Golder Award from the Illinois Venture Capital Association in recognition of his contributions to the private equity industry in Illinois. Paul has served as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year regional judge as well as national judge for the Family Business category. In 2020 and 2022, Family Capital magazine named Paul one of the Top 100 most influential people among family investors and family enterprises. In 2024, Paul was named to Family Capital magazine’s FamCap 50 as one of the top investors in the world of family capital.
Paul serves on the board of trustees or directors of The University of Chicago, University of Chicago Medical Center, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Larry H. Miller Company, and Misericordia Home. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for Morgan Street Holdings and heads the Steering Committee for the University of Chicago Booth Family Office Initiative. In addition, Paul is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Paul received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and his B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, from The College of the University of Chicago.
Shailesh Kumar
THE HARTFORD
Shailesh Kumar is the Senior Economist at The Hartford’s Credit and Political Rsk division. In this capacity, he oversees the department’s Country, Credit and Economic Research team where he is responsible for providing expert geopolitical, economic and credit research to the underwriting team, oversee the division’s global credit and political risk exposures and keeping the division and senior executives apprised of developing political and economic risks and assessing pending global themes.
Before joining The Hartford, Shailesh managed the Asia political risk research and advisory practice at Eurasia Group and concurrently served as the firm’s lead analyst for South Asia. Prior to Eurasia Group, Shailesh was an economist at the US Department of Treasury where he served in various senior functions including developing the US government’s economic policies and engagement strategy with India based upon research he conducted on the region’s politics and economy, managing the “Markets Room,” a unit that monitored and forecasted global political and economic risk events for the President of the United States and senior administration officials, and developing policies for the US Treasury market including issuing government securities to finance the nation’s deficit.
Earlier in his career, Shailesh held positions at various investment banks as a global macro investment professional, where he focused on international economics and politics with respect to their implications for fixed income and currency markets. Shailesh holds a master's degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a dual bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from the Stern School of Business at New York University.