Overview
The IDFA Leadership Symposium, presented in partnership with the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional and Executive Development at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, provides a forum for rising leaders to collaborate with fellow industry change-makers, build their leadership skills, and prepare for the next step in their leadership journey. New to the conference in 2024 is the opportunity to receive the IDFA Advanced Leadership and Management Certificate.
Leading in an organization was already a challenge, but capitalizing on new opportunities, managing all facets of risk, and pivoting quickly to profitable business models is more essential than ever in the dairy industry. To take on the challenge and harvest the possibilities, today’s leader needs to move beyond management to a keen understanding of high performing leadership behaviors, their own strengths and areas for growth, and the business context where their own organization can meet the passions of the customer.
Participants will join a cross section of dairy industry peers who also want to develop elite leadership skills in an exciting, engaging, and interactive journey with top ranked faculty, industry experts, and peers who will help you explore:
- The proven, researched leadership behaviors that create personal and organization success
- What today’s customers want and expect from a business that feeds their passions for food, health, and sustainability
- How to look at and modify your organization’s business model to make sure you can pivot to success.
- Your awareness of organization context and culture, which allows you to respond more thoughtfully to rapid changes in business circumstances
- Methods to analyze performance impact and efficiencies in product sales and inventory
- End to end supply chain and purchasing excellence
- The strategic pricing process
- Why is it essential for leaders to understand good management
- What is it employees need from managers
- Leading for change in your organization and your industry
This program will be delivered in an in-person format at the University of Wisconsin–Madison led by dynamic and highly interactive instructors, several of who were formerly industry practitioners and are now highly skilled instructors. Participants will engage in lecturettes, active discussion, small breakout teams, case studies and individual reflection to make sure they are deeply immersed in the learning, and can integrate what they learn into their work environment and culture.
The IDFA Leadership Symposium is open to all levels of the industry, with a focus on mid-to senior-level executives. Registrations for this event are limited. Secure your spot today!
Presented by:
As a result of your complete attendance in the program, you will receive an Advanced Leadership and Management Certificate from the Center for Professional and Executive Development, an affiliate of the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Tuesday, June 25 (full-day)
A Strong Management Foundation – Managing People, Teams and Key Processes
Instructor: Steve King, University of Wisconsin – Madison
A strong management foundation is critical for leadership success. This session from author and instructor Steve King will ensure participants have the critical skills and tools they need for themselves and managers who report to them for leading direct reports and teams to high engagement, satisfaction, resilience, and performance. As a result of this session, you will gain insights and tools into understanding:
- What does strong management look like and why is it essential for leaders to understand?
- What do employees need? What are the six conversations that matter so you maximize performance and retain high performing employees?
- How to successfully align your team to your organization's larger business goals, provide guidance to your team on how to make and implement decisions together, and build trusting relationships both within the team and with external stakeholders.
- A set of simple yet powerful tools to manage your team to top performance.
- An easy-to-use framework for assessing team effectiveness through the use of Human Synergistics International’s Group Styles Inventory.
- How to balance requirements in order to manage individuals on the team as well as the needs of the entire team.
- How to increase your emotional intelligence to create stronger and more satisfying employee relationships that help deal with uncertainty and change.
Wednesday, June 26 (full-day)
Strategic Operations and Performance
Instructor: Tim Buhl, University of Wisconsin – Madison
In order to create, sustain, and extend competitive advantage for the long term, leaders must focus on business acumen and strategy as the cornerstones of success in business. As leadership responsibilities expand, it will be critical to understand the impact of every decision on the strategic and financial goals of an organization. The pace of business and technological change is increasing. Top managers and leaders need to bring their “A” game to every organizational decision and opportunity. This session covers:
- Purchasing Excellence – How to gain improvement in indirect spending (including capital-expenditure projects) as well as sourcing strategies, such as supplier and partnership selections.
- End-to-End Supply Chain – Demand planning and inventory management in order to manage multichannel order-fulfillment costs while ensuring profitability.
- Promotion and Pricing Management – Identifying and driving value in the eyes of the customer. Understanding the strategic pricing process.
- Key Performance Indicators – Creating metrics that represent and complement your business objectives while allowing for appropriate monitoring and improvement opportunity identification.
Thursday, June 27 (half-day)
Your Keys to Executive Leadership
Instructor: Artell Smith, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Whether you are currently an executive or aspire to that role, this session will give you the knowledge, frameworks, and tools you need to know to be an effective executive, now or in the future. Key focus areas include:
- Purposeful Leadership – Creating a deliberative approach that maximizes your strengths and passions while achieving organizational goals.
- Aligning the Organization – Utilizing strategy, culture, process, resources, and other key drivers of performance effectively.
- The Leaders Role in Driving Change – Your role and the method for leading sustainable change.
- The Ideal Change Sponsor – What do change agents and the front-line need from you?
- How to over-predict for change to ensure success!
- Development Action Planning – Creating accountability and a plan for your management and change opportunities.
60-day Post Program Support and Follow-Up
To help ensure you can apply what you learned in the program, faculty members will facilitate a 90-minute online discussion regarding the goals and application activities you developed during the program. In this session, you will share your progress and obstacles and get input, feedback, and additional ideas on how to increase yours and your organization’s effectiveness.
Agenda
*All Times Central Print Agenda
| June 5, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:00pm - 3:00pm |
Kick-Off Call
|
Virtual | |
|
Instructor: Steve King, University of Wisconsin – Madison Set expectations for the certificate program. The kick-off call will be recorded and available for participants who are not able to join live. |
|||
| June 24, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 6:00pm - 7:30pm |
Welcome Reception
|
Monona Room – Fluno Center | |
| June 25, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:30am - 4:30pm |
A Strong Management Foundation – Managing People, Teams and Key Processes
|
Room 221 – Fluno Center | |
|
Instructor: Steve King, University of Wisconsin – Madison A strong management foundation is critical for leadership success. This session from author and instructor Steve King will ensure participants have the critical skills and tools they need for themselves and managers who report to them for leading direct reports and teams to high engagement, satisfaction, resilience, and performance. As a result of this session, you will gain insights and tools into understanding:
Networking Breaks will occur throughout the day. Lunch will be held in the Executive Dining Room at the Fluno Center. |
|||
| 6:30pm - 7:00pm |
Networking Reception
|
Skyview Room – Fluno Center | |
| 7:00pm - 9:00pm |
Dinner and Fireside Chat
|
Skyview Room – Fluno Center | |
| June 26, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:30am - 4:30pm |
Strategic Operations and Performance
|
Room 221 – Fluno Center | |
|
Instructor: Tim Buhl, University of Wisconsin – Madison In order to create, sustain, and extend competitive advantage for the long term, leaders must focus on business acumen and strategy as the cornerstones of success in business. As leadership responsibilities expand, it will be critical to understand the impact of every decision on the strategic and financial goals of an organization. The pace of business and technological change is increasing. Top managers and leaders need to bring their “A” game to every organizational decision and opportunity. This session covers:
Networking Breaks will occur throughout the day. Lunch will be held in the Executive Dining Room at the Fluno Center. |
|||
| 7:00pm |
Networking Activity
|
||
| June 27, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:30am - 12:00pm |
Your Keys to Executive Leadership
|
Room 221 – Fluno Center | |
|
Instructor: Artell Smith, University of Wisconsin – Madison Whether you are currently an executive or aspire to that role, this session will give you the knowledge, frameworks, and tools you need to know to be an effective executive, now or in the future. Key focus areas include:
Networking Breaks will occur throughout the morning. |
|||
| August 21, 2024 | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 2:00pm - 3:30pm |
60-Day Post Program Support and Follow-Up
|
Virtual | |
|
Instructor: Steve King, University of Wisconsin – Madison To help ensure you can apply what you learned in the program, an instructor will facilitate a 90-minute online discussion regarding the goals and application activities you developed during the program. In this session, you will share your progress and obstacles and get input, feedback, and additional ideas on how to increase yours and your organization’s effectiveness.
|
|||
Kick-Off Call
Instructor: Steve King, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Set expectations for the certificate program. The kick-off call will be recorded and available for participants who are not able to join live.
Steve King
Steve is adjunct faculty for the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development. Prior to this role, Steve served as the president and executive director of the Center for five years.
Formerly, Steve was chief learning officer and vice president of talent management for Baxter. Prior to this position, Steve was the senior vice president of human resources at Hewitt Associates for seven years, with responsibility for all aspects of human resources for the international consulting and outsourcing firm, and he was Hewitt’s chief learning officer for three years.
Before joining Hewitt, Steve was with the Bank of Montreal’s Institute for Learning, where he was the faculty head for leadership and change management. He also held training and management development positions at CVS Caremark and BMO Harris Bank.
Steve has an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a B.A. from the University of Iowa, both in economics.
A Strong Management Foundation – Managing People, Teams and Key Processes
Instructor: Steve King, University of Wisconsin – Madison
A strong management foundation is critical for leadership success. This session from author and instructor Steve King will ensure participants have the critical skills and tools they need for themselves and managers who report to them for leading direct reports and teams to high engagement, satisfaction, resilience, and performance. As a result of this session, you will gain insights and tools into understanding:
- What does strong management look like and why is it essential for leaders to understand?
- What do employees need? What are the six conversations that matter so you maximize performance and retain high performing employees?
- How to successfully align your team to your organization's larger business goals, provide guidance to your team on how to make and implement decisions together, and build trusting relationships both within the team and with external stakeholders.
- A set of simple yet powerful tools to manage your team to top performance.
- An easy-to-use framework for assessing team effectiveness through the use of Human Synergistics International’s Group Styles Inventory.
- How to balance requirements in order to manage individuals on the team as well as the needs of the entire team.
- How to increase your emotional intelligence to create stronger and more satisfying employee relationships that help deal with uncertainty and change.
Networking Breaks will occur throughout the day.
Lunch will be held in the Executive Dining Room at the Fluno Center.
Steve King
Steve is adjunct faculty for the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development. Prior to this role, Steve served as the president and executive director of the Center for five years.
Formerly, Steve was chief learning officer and vice president of talent management for Baxter. Prior to this position, Steve was the senior vice president of human resources at Hewitt Associates for seven years, with responsibility for all aspects of human resources for the international consulting and outsourcing firm, and he was Hewitt’s chief learning officer for three years.
Before joining Hewitt, Steve was with the Bank of Montreal’s Institute for Learning, where he was the faculty head for leadership and change management. He also held training and management development positions at CVS Caremark and BMO Harris Bank.
Steve has an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a B.A. from the University of Iowa, both in economics.
Tim Omer
Tim Omer began his career 30 years ago working in sales and marketing in the U.S. dairy industry. Formerly, as the CEO and Owner of DCI Cheese Company, he was the driving force behind boosting the company from five employees to 450 employees and transforming it into a leader in the U.S. specialty cheese industry. Tim is a true authority on domestic and imported specialty cheeses and brought his expertise along when he joined Emmi Roth in September 2014.
Strategic Operations and Performance
Instructor: Tim Buhl, University of Wisconsin – Madison
In order to create, sustain, and extend competitive advantage for the long term, leaders must focus on business acumen and strategy as the cornerstones of success in business. As leadership responsibilities expand, it will be critical to understand the impact of every decision on the strategic and financial goals of an organization. The pace of business and technological change is increasing. Top managers and leaders need to bring their “A” game to every organizational decision and opportunity. This session covers:
- Purchasing Excellence – How to gain improvement in indirect spending (including capital-expenditure projects) as well as sourcing strategies, such as supplier and partnership selections.
- End-to-End Supply Chain – Demand planning and inventory management in order to manage multichannel order-fulfillment costs while ensuring profitability.
- Promotion and Pricing Management – Identifying and driving value in the eyes of the customer. Understanding the strategic pricing process.
- Key Performance Indicators – Creating metrics that represent and complement your business objectives while allowing for appropriate monitoring and improvement opportunity identification.
Networking Breaks will occur throughout the day.
Lunch will be held in the Executive Dining Room at the Fluno Center.
Tim Buhl
Tim is an experienced Chief Financial Officer with a demonstrated history of working in a multitude of industries including food & beverage (dairy specific), manufacturing, professional services and computer & network security. Strong business development professional skilled in Continuous Improvement, Business Process Improvement, Financial Analysis, Manufacturing, and Lean Manufacturing.
Tim holds an MBA with a specialization in Supply Chain Management and a BBA in Accounting and Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Your Keys to Executive Leadership
Instructor: Artell Smith, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Whether you are currently an executive or aspire to that role, this session will give you the knowledge, frameworks, and tools you need to know to be an effective executive, now or in the future. Key focus areas include:
- Purposeful Leadership – Creating a deliberative approach that maximizes your strengths and passions while achieving organizational goals.
- Aligning the Organization – Utilizing strategy, culture, process, resources, and other key drivers of performance effectively.
- The Leaders Role in Driving Change – Your role and the method for leading sustainable change.
- The Ideal Change Sponsor – What do change agents and the front-line need from you?
- How to over-predict for change to ensure success!
- Development Action Planning – Creating accountability and a plan for your management and change opportunities.
Networking Breaks will occur throughout the morning.
Artell Smith
Artell has extensive experience in human resources management, advising and focusing on overall people strategy, talent management/development, and compensation/benefits. He has led transformative projects across all aspects of HR work globally, including talent development, generalist services, operations, technology, and global sourcing.
Artell is Principal and Managing Director of WatchWorks Management Consulting LLC. Previously, Artell was HR Senior Vice-President for Strategy, Technology & Operations at Aon plc, a $12B global insurance brokerage and HR consultancy. Artell also served as CHRO at Aon Hewitt, a 25,000-employee, $4B subsidiary of Aon plc. He retired from Aon plc in December 2013.
Prior to Aon plc, Artell was HR Vice President, Business Process Outsourcing at Hewitt Associates, Vice President of Training & Communications at Fidelity Investments, Retail Investor Services, and Senior HR Specialist at ExxonMobil.
Artell earned his Master of Public Administration degree from Brigham Young University Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science also from BYU.
60-Day Post Program Support and Follow-Up
Instructor: Steve King, University of Wisconsin – Madison
To help ensure you can apply what you learned in the program, an instructor will facilitate a 90-minute online discussion regarding the goals and application activities you developed during the program. In this session, you will share your progress and obstacles and get input, feedback, and additional ideas on how to increase yours and your organization’s effectiveness.
Steve King
Steve is adjunct faculty for the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development. Prior to this role, Steve served as the president and executive director of the Center for five years.
Formerly, Steve was chief learning officer and vice president of talent management for Baxter. Prior to this position, Steve was the senior vice president of human resources at Hewitt Associates for seven years, with responsibility for all aspects of human resources for the international consulting and outsourcing firm, and he was Hewitt’s chief learning officer for three years.
Before joining Hewitt, Steve was with the Bank of Montreal’s Institute for Learning, where he was the faculty head for leadership and change management. He also held training and management development positions at CVS Caremark and BMO Harris Bank.
Steve has an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a B.A. from the University of Iowa, both in economics.
Speakers
Tim Buhl
Senior Lecturer, Wisconsin School of Business
Tim Buhl
Tim is an experienced Chief Financial Officer with a demonstrated history of working in a multitude of industries including food & beverage (dairy specific), manufacturing, professional services and computer & network security. Strong business development professional skilled in Continuous Improvement, Business Process Improvement, Financial Analysis, Manufacturing, and Lean Manufacturing.
Tim holds an MBA with a specialization in Supply Chain Management and a BBA in Accounting and Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Steve King
Adjunct Faculty, Wisconsin School of Business, Center for Professional & Executive Development
Steve King
Steve is adjunct faculty for the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development. Prior to this role, Steve served as the president and executive director of the Center for five years.
Formerly, Steve was chief learning officer and vice president of talent management for Baxter. Prior to this position, Steve was the senior vice president of human resources at Hewitt Associates for seven years, with responsibility for all aspects of human resources for the international consulting and outsourcing firm, and he was Hewitt’s chief learning officer for three years.
Before joining Hewitt, Steve was with the Bank of Montreal’s Institute for Learning, where he was the faculty head for leadership and change management. He also held training and management development positions at CVS Caremark and BMO Harris Bank.
Steve has an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a B.A. from the University of Iowa, both in economics.
Tim Omer
President and Managing Director, Emmi Roth
Tim Omer
Tim Omer began his career 30 years ago working in sales and marketing in the U.S. dairy industry. Formerly, as the CEO and Owner of DCI Cheese Company, he was the driving force behind boosting the company from five employees to 450 employees and transforming it into a leader in the U.S. specialty cheese industry. Tim is a true authority on domestic and imported specialty cheeses and brought his expertise along when he joined Emmi Roth in September 2014.
Artell Smith
Adjunct Faculty Instructor, Wisconsin School of Business, Center for Professional & Executive Development
Artell Smith
Artell has extensive experience in human resources management, advising and focusing on overall people strategy, talent management/development, and compensation/benefits. He has led transformative projects across all aspects of HR work globally, including talent development, generalist services, operations, technology, and global sourcing.
Artell is Principal and Managing Director of WatchWorks Management Consulting LLC. Previously, Artell was HR Senior Vice-President for Strategy, Technology & Operations at Aon plc, a $12B global insurance brokerage and HR consultancy. Artell also served as CHRO at Aon Hewitt, a 25,000-employee, $4B subsidiary of Aon plc. He retired from Aon plc in December 2013.
Prior to Aon plc, Artell was HR Vice President, Business Process Outsourcing at Hewitt Associates, Vice President of Training & Communications at Fidelity Investments, Retail Investor Services, and Senior HR Specialist at ExxonMobil.
Artell earned his Master of Public Administration degree from Brigham Young University Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science also from BYU.
Registration fees are based on your company's IDFA membership status. For more information about membership, please email membership@idfa.org.
Registration Payment by Check or ACH/Wire Transfer
The fastest and easiest way to register is online. If an invoice is required to submit payment by check or ACH/wire transfer, please email registrar@idfa.org.
Registration Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations received in writing will be accepted prior to May 24, 2024 for a full refund, minus a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received after May 24, 2024, will be eligible for a 50 percent refund, less the processing fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable after June 7, 2024. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.
Questions: If you have questions or need assistance with the registration process, please contact IDFA at (202) 737-4332 or registrar@idfa.org.
Hampton Inn & Suites Madison Downtown
440 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53703
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hampton Inn & Suites Madison Downtown for Leadership Symposium participants. You may make your hotel reservations online or directly with the hotel by calling (608) 255-0360. When calling, refer to the 2024 IDFA Leadership Certificate Program to receive the special room rate of $179 per night plus applicable taxes. The deadline to secure a room is June 3, 2024.
