PRESENTERS

Dr. Albert D. Bates
Founder and Chairman, the Profit Planning Group

Dr. Albert D. Bates is founder and Chairman of the Profit Planning Group, a research and executive education firm headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. The firm works exclusively in the area of corporate financial planning.

He makes approximately 100 presentations each year on topics such as Improving the Bottom Line, Getting Serious About Profit, Doing More with Less, and Pricing for Profit. He also provides strategic direction for the firm’s investigation into profitability research for over seventy different trade associations. Bates has written extensively in both the professional and trade press, including the Harvard Business Review, the California Management Review, and Business Horizons. In addition, he writes the quarterly Profit Improvement Reports for the firm’s trade association clients.

Dr. Bates is married and has three college-aged daughters, which is why he gives 100 presentations a year. When he is not traveling giving seminars, he enjoys tennis and skiing. He is not particularly good at either one.

Robyn Crigger
CEO, Compass Career Management Solutions

Robyn Crigger was born in West Virginia and studied Elementary Education at both Marshall University and West Virginia University, and used that training until her children were in middle school. However, when her husband Bill Crigger, who was the Human Resource Manager for the Kroger Co. Carolina District, had to manage the closing of the entire district, being displaced himself in the fall of 1988, Robyn’s career changed. The emotional impact gave Robyn and Bill a different perspective of their career paths.

From 1989 Crigger ’s career path took a Business Administration route. Her strengths in organization, communication, financial management, and marketing were all put to use when she and her husband decided to open a Human Resource Consulting firm (Compass Career Management Solutions) in the spring of 1994. A lot of their services involved “education,” which worked well with her background. Their umbrella of services include “Change Management and the Cultivation of Talent.” The newest service (for over two years) is the Executive Search Division. “We have a passion for assisting our clients move forward through transitions, and we teach them to take advantage of opportunities.”

William Garcia
President, Garcia & Associates, Inc.

William Garcia is a contract negotiator and negotiation trainer. Garcia’s corporate career experience includes direct sales and sales management; export sales to Latin America; and national sale and account management. His entrepreneurial experience includes being a founder and board member of a business-to-business global sourcing company, as well as several other smaller LLP ventures. Garcia has demonstrated experience in idea generation, capital raising, business development, and executive level team building and execution.

Frank Hurtte
Owner, River Heights Consulting

Nearly everyone involved in AHTD knows Frank Hurtte, and if they don’t know him personally, they would probably recognize him in a line-up. Standing over 6’3”, capped with a head of longish pure white hair and sporting a “jazz-piece imperial” beard, Frank looks a bit like a cross between Colonel Sander’s and Santa’s hip-cat younger brother. Hurtte is a past-AHTD President and a veteran of 30+ years in the Automation Business.

In 2005 Frank left his long time leadership position at Van Meter Industrial to launch a brand new consulting firm. Since that time, he has authored over 100 articles on management and distribution. He regularly appears in Progressive Distribution, The Electrical Distributor, Electrical Equity Magazine, HVAC-R Distribution and many others. Frank authored a book on Telesales Prospecting and expects the National Association of Wholesale-Distributors to release his second book – Distributor Specialists, A Playbook for the 21st Century - sometime early summer 2008.

Frank’s CD – “Let’s Target Some Accounts” has been distributed to over 350 organizations in five countries. At AHTD's 2008 Spring Meeting, Frank will deliver an updated and livelier version of targeting focused toward our industry.

Steve McClatchy
Founder, Alleer Training & Consulting

Steve McClatchy is an international speaker, writer, consultant, trainer and founder of Alleer Training & Consulting. Steve has spoken before thousands of audiences on the topics of time management, leadership and sales, and his client list includes the NFL, Merck, Microsoft, Disney, Comcast, State Farm, HP, Ikea, Wells Fargo, and Nestle. He is best known for his passion, sense of humor, and genuine personality. He leaves each and every audience with a wealth of knowledge delivered in a fun and interactive fashion. You will be captivated, motivated, and truly inspired by his unique and practical approach to effectiveness and success.

Greg Scheu
President, ABB Inc. - Power Products Division North America

Greg Scheu was appointed president of ABB Power Products Division North America in February 2008. He has been a member of the company's Executive Committee in North America since 2002. Prior to this appointment, Scheu served as the president of ABB Automation Products Division North America since May 2002. Scheu previously served as Global Senior Vice President of eBusiness for ABB Ltd in Zurich at the company’s global headquarters. Scheu earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Delaware.

Scheu serves on the Industrial Control board of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. He also serves on the board of NC State University engineering dept based BTE Center.