THURSDAY
OCTOBER 19, 2017
2:00 PM to 7:30 PM
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KI Convention Center
333 Main Street
Green Bay, WI 54301
Driving Directions
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Registration
2:00 PM – 4:05 PM
Personal Development Sessions
4:05 PM – 4:15 PM
Networking/Break
4:15 PM – 5:30 PM
Keynote Session
5:30 PM – 5:45 PM
FEI Business Meeting
5:45 PM – 7:30 PM
Social Period & Dinner
Keynote Speaker
- Linda Zukauckas -
Executive Vice President & Corporate Controller
American Express
Facilitator
- Melanie Miller -
Vice President & Treasurer
Bemis Company, Inc.
Session Overview
Linda & Melanie will share insights about Linda’s career, including her leadership role at American Express where she is active in the Women’s International Network.
Linda Zukauckas Biography
Linda has been EVP & Corporate Controller of American Express since 2011. She has broad responsibilities across Finance, leading all accounting and reporting processes globally, in addition to Global Tax. Her team encompasses more than 1,500 employees in over 35 countries. Linda is a member of American Express’s Global Management Team and she sits on several leadership committees within the Company. Linda is the executive sponsor of the Company’s Executive Women’s Interest Network. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of American Express Global Business Travel, a 50/50 JV between American Express and third-party investors.
Prior to joining American Express, Linda held various senior leadership roles at Ally Financial (formerly GMAC Inc), including Managing Director of Corporate Strategy at Ally Financial, where she had responsibility for bank strategy matters, including M&A. Previously she was Chief Financial Officer of North America Auto Finance, Ally Financial’s largest business segment. Linda also spent three years as a member of the Board of Directors of GMAC ResCap, a Top 10 Mortgage Originator in the US in 2010. Her other experience at Ally included Group Vice President Finance, where she led Finance transformation and shared services; she previously led GMAC’s global controllership and internal audit functions.
Prior to joining GMAC, Linda held senior leadership roles at Deutsche Bank/Bankers Trust, in both New York and in the Asia Region, during which time she was based in Singapore. She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Melanie Miller Biography
Melanie E.R. Miller was named Vice President and Treasurer of Bemis Company, Inc. in 2005. She was previously Bemis Company’s Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, a position she held since 2002. She joined Bemis Company in 2000 as Director of Investor Relations. Prior to joining Bemis, she served in finance and treasury management positions at Alliant Techsystems, Inc., an Aerospace and Defense Company, and spent seven years in public accounting with KPMG. Ms. Miller is a CFA charter holder.
She received her Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Melanie is also a volunteer Board Member and Finance Committee Chairperson for the United Way Fox Cities.
Personal Development Session – Part 1
Presented by von Briesen
Topic: The Current Landscape of Fraud & Abuse Liability for Financial Executives
Summary
This presentation will address the current landscape of government white collar enforcement, with a particular focus on the individual exposure of financial executives. In September 2015, then Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates issued a memo to federal prosecutors directing them to evaluate whether there was individual liability in all corporate fraud prosecutions. This presentation will focus on the content of this recent guidance, how this guidance has played out in recent government investigations, and best practices to mitigate the risk of government enforcement action.
Learning Objectives: At the session, participates should:
Presenter
- Stacy Gerber Ward -
Shareholder
von Briesen
Stacy Gerber Ward is a Shareholder and Leader of von Briesen’s Government Enforcement and Corporate Investigations Section. Stacy focuses on helping clients respond to government investigations, conduct internal investigations, evaluate compliance related matters, and litigate government related issues. Stacy has more than 14 years of experience serving as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and most recently as the Deputy Chief of the Civil Division. In those roles, Stacy investigated and prosecuted individuals and corporations for civil health care fraud and other enforcement matters, including government enforcement matters under the False Claims Act, the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the Controlled Substances Act.
Stacy was awarded the Department of Justice’s highest honor for superior performance as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2010 and received a Certificate of Commendation for outstanding performance in enforcing civil rights laws in 2009.
Stacy is a frequent presenter and author on False Claims Act liability, whistleblower claims, qui tam claims and health care fraud investigations. She taught the “Health Care Fraud and Abuse – A Prosecutor’s Perspective” section of the Marquette University Law School’s Health Care Fraud and Abuse course for several years.
Stacy’s professional memberships include the American Health Lawyers Association (Member, Fraud and Abuse Practice Group, Lead Coordinator), the American Bar Association (Health Law Section), the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association.
Personal Development Session - Part 2
Presented by BMO Harris Bank
Topic: Buy/Sell/Hold: Evaluating Strategic Alternatives
Summary
The M&A market is robust, valuations are at record highs and interest rates remain at historic lows. Given this backdrop, what should business owners think about regarding their strategic alternatives? The presentation lays out the framework to evaluate the various alternatives (e.g., grow via M&A, return capital to shareholders, sell the business, pursue an ESOP, etc.) and will walk through analytical examples of how an advisor would evaluate the spectrum of alternatives.
Presenter
- Mark Padjen -
Director - Financial Advisory Services
BMO Harris Bank
Mark Padjen currently serves as a Director in Commercial Middle Market Financial Advisory Services for BMO Harris Bank. Mark specializes in providing corporate finance advisory services on topics such as mergers & acquisitions, acquisition financing, recapitalizations, ESOPs, ownership transitions, shareholder monetization, valuation, pension risk transfer and tax mitigation. Over his 14 year finance career, Mark has a wealth of experience working with management teams, boards of directors, family owned businesses and financial sponsors to execute strategic and capital structure alternatives.
Prior to joining BMO in 2016, Mark enjoyed a successful 12 year career in investment banking, most recently as a Director at Credit Suisse. While at Credit Suisse, Mark led and executed 60+ bookrun or lead advisory transactions across the diversified industrial, transportation, aerospace and business services sectors. Mark subsequently spent time in an interim CFO capacity and advisor to private, family owned businesses.
Mark holds a BS in Finance with High Distinction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mark lives with his wife and two children in Munster, Indiana.