AC 2018 Presenters: Experts in Digital Innovation, Business Strategy, Motivation and Economics to Address GAWDA Members at the Annual Convention

John Rossman

Managing Partner, Rossman Partners
Former Amazon Executive

John Rossman is most known for launching and scaling the Amazon Marketplace business, which now accounts for over 50 percent of all Amazon units sold and shipped. He also served as director of enterprise services at Amazon.com, where he managed worldwide services to enterprise clients, including Target, Sears and the NBA.

Since leaving Amazon, he has advised clients across most industry verticals on digital strategy, operations and culture. He is now managing partner at Rossman Partners.

John is the author of “The Amazon Way: 14 Leadership Principles Behind the World’s Most Disruptive Company” and is an expert in digital innovation and helping his clients build and execute innovative business models. His new book, “The Amazon Way on IoT: 10 Lessons Every Leader Should Learn from Amazon’s Internet of Things Strategy,” came out in October 2016.

Drew Carter

President, Maritz Motivation Solutions

Maritz Motivation Solutions President Drew Carter has more than 20 years of experience in senior advisory and executive roles, driving revenue growth using technology, strategy and analytics. He’s committed to providing clients world-class solutions that deliver massive value, using behavioral sciences, decision sciences and deep operational execution expertise.

Drew has worked with some of the largest companies in North America and Europe, driving growth through loyalty, sales effectiveness and employee engagement programs, as well as mission-critical strategic planning. Drew holds a patent for marketing effectiveness measurement and optimization. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management from the University of Kansas and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Alex Chausovsky

Speaker and Consultant, ITR Economics

Alex Chausovsky is an accomplished speaker and consultant at ITR Economics. He is a highly experienced market researcher and analyst with more than a decade of expertise in subjects that include macroeconomics, industrial manufacturing, energy efficiency, automation and advanced technology trends. He has consulted and advised companies throughout the U.S., Europe, Brazil, China and Japan for the last 15 years.

Alex regularly delivers keynote addresses at leading industry events to rave reviews. His charisma, engaging personality and refreshing demeanor on stage always surpass the audience’s expectations.

His extensive consulting expertise is greatly valued by management teams of companies both large and small. ITR Economics’ clients rely on his input when developing strategic plans for the future, as he helps them plan for risk conditions and find areas of opportunity.

Dr. Rick Rigsby

President and CEO, Rick Rigsby Communications

In 2017, Dr. Rick Rigsby delivered a speech about the lessons he learned from his father, titled “The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout.” It went viral, and within days it had been viewed more than 200 million times.

Dr. Rick is president and CEO of Rick Rigsby Communications. The former award-winning journalist followed a television career with graduate school and two decades as a college professor, most of those years at Texas A&M University, where he also served as character coach and chaplain for the Aggies football team.

Dr. Rick’s dynamic presentations motivate, empower and inspire worldwide — from Africa and Asia, to the Americas, Europe and Canada. His audiences include Fortune 500 company employees, academic communities and service organization members. The internationally acclaimed speaker is a favorite among professional sports organizations, including the NFL and the PGA.

Twice named an Outstanding Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M, Dr. Rick has numerous publications. His first non-academic book, “Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout,” is a USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Amazon best seller.