Meet the Keynotes: COE Summit 2024

In today’s dynamic business landscape, success hinges on the ability to move from strategy creation to execution. It’s time to ignite a culture of action and excellence.

This year’s 11th annual Center for Operational Excellence Summit will focus on igniting a culture of excellence. With 4 dynamic keynotes, 20 insightful breakout sessions, and unique opportunities for networking and hands-on learning, the COE Summit is a high-value opportunity to equip your team with new tactics and tools to propel sustainable transformation. 

The COE Summit 2024 will be held in-person April 9-11 at Ohio State’s Fawcett Center. This year’s Summit will feature the following keynotes you won’t want to miss:

Chris McChesney, Co-author of the Bestselling Book in the World on Strategy Execution

Chris McChesney is the global practice leader of execution for FranklinCovey and the co-author of the bestselling The Four Disciplines of Execution. He has been a trailblazer in the design and development of strategy execution principles, as he has implemented the 4 Disciplines in companies including Marriott International, The Kroger Co., and The Coca-Cola Co. He is known as a high energy, engaging speaker with a valuable message for all leaders of all industries. 

Chris will kick off the COE Summit 2024 with an opening keynote on the Four Disciplines of Execution. He’ll walk attendees through each discipline, sharing actionable insights on implementing and executing strategy.  

Dr. Christopher Hoch, Director of Marching and Athletic Bands of The Ohio State University

Dr. Christopher Hoch is in his eighth year as the Director of Marching and Athletic Bands. He is also an associate professor in Ohio State’s School of Music and holds an associate director position for university bands. Dr. Hoch’s work with the Ohio State Marching Band has received national and international recognition for its innovation and creativity. Additionally, he is known for serving as the musical director of the Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Company and for being active across the country as a conductor and speaker. 

At the 2024 Summit, attendees will have the opportunity to hear Dr. Hoch speak about leadership and executing excellence as the director of The Best Damn Band in the Land. 

For a look into the process of taking a football halftime show from idea to execution, check out this profile in the Ohio State Alumni Magazine. 

Jim Fowler, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Nationwide

At Nationwide, Jim Fowler leads the company’s technology strategy, IT capabilities, and business transformation programs. Fowler’s history of results-driven IT leadership includes an 18-year career with General Electric, where he ultimately served as Chief Information Officer. He was recognized by Forbes with the CIO Innovation Award and received the 2022 Ohio CIO of the Year Award for Leadership. 

At the 2024 Summit, Jim will present a keynote on building a bionic workforce. Attendees will learn about the transformational potential of generative AI and discover how to use generative AI to complement operational excellence initiatives to help their people grow and adapt.

For a preview of Jim’s perspectives on generative AI, check out this Q&A on AI’s implementation and outlook at Nationwide. 

Dr. Melissa Briggs-Phillips, Psychologist, Speaker, & Founder of Next Generation Behavioral Health

Dr. Melissa Briggs-Phillips founded Next Generation Behavioral Health with the mission of providing exceptional therapy and teaching people the transformative skill of psychological flexibility. She is now the Chief of Psychotherapy officer and Psychologist-in-Residence with MiNDSET Integrated Ketamine Care. Her professional background is incredibly diverse with roles managing multimillion dollar public health research grant projects, overseeing construction and operations at a large research facility, serving as the Executive Director of an Innovation Center at The Ohio State University. All the while, she has continued to work with sexual and war trauma survivors in her clinical practice.

Dr. Briggs-Phillips will close out the COE Summit 2024 with an illuminating keynote on the importance of psychological flexibility as a leadership skill that betters both personal and professional lives. Attendees will learn how to cultivate psychological flexibility in tandem with the concept of self-awareness and the related components of empathy, emotionality, and feedback. 

We hope you’ll join us to learn from this stellar lineup of leading speakers and industry experts!

Learn more and register for the COE Summit 2024