Featuring leading speakers from within and outside of the industry, the BuildPoint General Sessions bring you the latest insights into trends of today and opportunities for the future, providing you with the means to inspire innovation, leadership and growth within your own organization. Please visit frequently to see the exciting General Sessions as they are added.

Keynote
Sunday, April 18
6:00pm – 6:45pm

Title:  The Art of Leadership and the Business of Social Change
Bill Strickland
Overview
Strickland is a mesmerizing speaker who will inspire you to make a difference, in your life and in the lives of those around you. Ever-gracious, he delivers a profoundly simple, optimistic message for leaders: give people the tools they need, treat them with respect, and they will perform miraculous deeds. He also delves into his story of hope: of how a kid from Pittsburgh's ghetto would go on to lecture at Harvard and serve on the board of the National Endowment of the Arts; of his meeting with a pottery teacher who would change his life; of growing a near-bankrupt community center into one of the most acclaimed social organizations in the world. Throughout, he shares his powerful set of beliefs: for example, that we all make ourselves "poor" in one way or another when we accept that we are not smart, experienced, or talented enough to accomplish something. "A successful life is not something you simply pursue -- it is something that you create, moment by moment.

Bio:

For thirty years, Bill Strickland has transformed thousands of lives, restored our faith in ethical leadership, and reshaped the business of social change. As president and CEO of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation-- an extraordinary jobs training center and community arts program -- he and his staff work with corporations, community leaders, and schools to give disadvantaged kids and adults the opportunities they need to build a better future. (Centers are already running in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and San Francisco; many more are planned.) And for years now, in front of enraptured audiences, this MacArthur Genius has shared his unshakable message of leadership, self-worth and the intrinsic ability in all of us to achieve remarkable transformation in our lives. "Bill Strickland is a genius," says former e-Bay president Jeff Skoll, "because he sees the inherent genius in everyone."

Bill Strickland is also the author of Make the Impossible Possible, a recipient of The White House's "Coming Up Taller" Award, and the founder of the Grammy-winning MCG Jazz, the most successful jazz subscription series in America. 

General Session
Monday, April 19
11:30am – 12:15pm
Estero Ballroom B/C

Title:  Revolutions in Retailing 
Neil Stern, Senior Partner, McMillan Doolittle
Overview
Retailing has been defined by thousands of minor changes on a daily basis accompanied by significant inflection points and change that does revolutionize the business. This presentation takes a provocative look at the future and those issues that are likely to revolutionize retail’s future.

This presentation will cover both current trends that are occupying retailers’ attention today as well as a look into the future. This will include a look at current retailer strategies and the decisions they are making today in terms of new store development vs. remodeling and expected returns.

Bio:
Neil Z. Stern is a senior partner of McMillan|Doolittle specializing in the area of strategic planning and the development of new retail concepts.  Neil joined the firm in 1986 and became a Partner in 1990. Neil leads the company’s food practice.

During his career at McMillan|Doolittle, Neil has developed strategies and new concepts for a diverse variety of clients across the retail industry. Key clients have included an impressive mix of both large and small retailers, including Sears, Target, Wawa Food Markets, Harris Teeter, Winn Dixie, Price Chopper, Radio Shack, McDonald’s Corporation, Cosi, Lenox China, Land’s End, Publix Supermarkets, ChevronTexaco, Procter & Gamble, T-Mobile and Safeway. Neil’s work has also extended to numerous International engagements, working for E-mart (Korea), Carrefour, Coop Italia, Hagkaup (Iceland) and Sonae (Portugal).

Neil prides himself on long-standing relationships and repeat engagements with valued clients, many extending over five to ten years.

Along with his consulting work, Neil is also recognized as a key thought leader in the retail arena. He is editor of McMillan|Doolittle’s Retail Watch newsletter, which is widely regarded as the premier publication on new concepts and trends.

Neil has been named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 under 40 list of prominent Chicago business leaders and was also named in 2002 as one of the 40 Rising Stars in Retailing by Chain Store Age. John C. Wiley & Sons has published his first book, Winning At Retail, in 2004. Greentailing and Other Revolutions in Retailing was published in September of 2008.

Neil is an honors graduate of Columbia University and has attended Northwestern’s Kellogg MBA program. 

General Session
Tuesday, April 20
11:30am – 12:30pm
Estero Ballroom B/C

Title:  The Leadership Leap
Rick Smith
Overview
The greatest leaders understand how to maximize the performance of every individual, beginning with themselves. 

Bio:
Rick Smith is the bestselling author of The Leap: How 3 Simple Changes Can Propel Your Career from Good to Great (Portfolio), and the author of the popular blog, RickSmith.me.  He is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal and Business Week bestseller The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers, which has been sold into 13 languages and remains one of the top-selling professional career books of all time.

Rick is the creator of the Primary Color Assessment, which has received more than 100,000 pageviews since July, 2009.

He is the founding CEO of World 50, cited as one of the world’s most influential senior executive networking companies.

A leading commentator on careers and professional and personal success, Rick has been featured by more than 50 media outlets, including CNN, Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Sirius Satellite Radio, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, Fortune and Chief Executive.

A serial entrepreneur, he is currently working on the launch of several new companies. Rick currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and three children.