ABC BizCon™

Keynote Speakers
	Steve Forbes Chairman and CEO of Forbes Media and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine As chairman and CEO of Forbes Inc. and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine, Steve Forbes is front and center on the economic challenges the nation faces, often bringing a sense of calm to these turbulent times. He frequently appears on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, and in both 1996 and 2000 he campaigned for the Republican nomination for the presidency. Forbes’ flagship publication is the nation’s leading business magazine, with a circulation of more than 900,000. He’s also the author of many books, including How Capitalism Will Save Us: Why Free People and Free Markets Are the Best Answer in Today’s Economy, co-authored by Elizabeth Ames.
	George Will America’s Foremost Political Columnist Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Newsweek essayist George Will is the country’s most widely read political columnist, as well as its foremost conservative voice. His popular twice-weekly column for The Washington Post syndicate reaches nearly 500 newspapers throughout the United States and Europe, and he appears regularly on ABC’s “This Week” program. As one of the most respected and sought after political commentators on the national scene, Will provides an informed and expert view of current affairs. He’s also a prolific author; One Man's America is his latest book.
	Barry Asmus Senior Economist, National Center for Policy Analysis Barry Asmus is a revolutionary thinker who USA Today named one of the nation’s top five most requested speakers. As a senior economist for the National Center for Policy Analysis, Asmus has directly influenced how world leaders approach social security, health care, monetary and fiscal policy, and other complex issues. He examines the international economic and political trends shaping business and investment strategy in today’s global economy through an energetic presentation, and is the author of many books, including Bulls Don't Blush, Bears Don't Die.
	Anirban Basu ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu is chief economist of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., a Baltimore-based economic and policy consulting firm. He is one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s most recognizable economists due to his work with prominent developers, bankers, brokerage houses, energy suppliers and law firms. Basu provides ABC members with timely, comprehensive analyses on important trends in the U.S. commercial and industrial construction industry through ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Economic Update news report.
	Andrew Zolli Expert in Global Foresight and Innovation Andrew Zolli, a world-renowned change agent, shows how to create resilient organizations that can bounce back from disaster. He is always on the forefront of what is new — and how to use the best of the new to solve the problems that beset our world. He studies emerging patterns and strategic opportunities, making connections between trends in demographics, technology, geopolitics and business. Zolli offers industry-specific context for defining strategy, as well as a sense of excitement about the changes that we face and urgency in responding intelligently to them. Always keeping a sharp eye on the future, his work reflects his broad experience as an innovator, trendsetter, and change agent.
	Richard D. Dutmer Principal, FMI Corporation Rick Dutmer is a principal for FMI, management consultants and investment bankers for the construction industry. As a longtime member of the FMI team, he has a well- developed ability to assess client needs and offer the full range of FMI’s services to meet those needs. Since 1988, Dutmer has worked with a variety of general contractors, subcontractors, architects and engineers, and owners. His specific strengths include productivity improvement, strategic planning, peer group formation and facilitation, and business evaluations. His speaking style is dynamic and he emphasizes employee involvement to create change in the client organization. Dutmer’s articles have appeared in Building Design & Construction, The Construction Specifier, The Builder, Construction Dimensions, Foundation Drilling, Daily Pacific Builder, among others.

Industry Trend Speakers
	Scott Rasor President of Construction, Zurich North America Scott Rasor is President of Zurich’s Construction industry segment, the largest commercial insurer of construction professionals and contractors in North America. With 25 years of construction industry insight, Scott has driven profitable growth by providing creative and tailored solutions for the risks the industry faces. He brings to BizCon proven innovative solutions; customer centered value; and sustainable competitive advantages for contractors, owners, architects, engineers and other businesses affiliated with construction. Learn about the most current industry trends in Insurance and how these may be leveraged by your company.
	Bob Raney Chief Underwriting Officer, Travelers Surety Bob Raney, Chief Underwriting Officer of National Accounts for Travelers Surety, offers a wealth of knowledge about industry trends in surety and has tips for those seeking to build infrastructure while managing decreased budgets and resources. He understands the implications, risks and opportunities of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for contractors and how PPPs can impact growth and stability. He also has insights about the recent trend of DOTs and government entities to procure work (build or design build) with a delayed payment schedule and a request for a bond on a gap finance project. These and other hot trends in surety will be shared.
	Mark Konchar, PhD, Leed AP, DBIA Corporate Vice President, National Integration, Balfour Beatty Construction U.S. Mark Konchar, Corporate Vice President of National Integration at Balfour Beatty Construction U.S., is an expert in design-build and is passionate about emerging trends and technologies in collaborative, integrative and team-based solutions. His efforts with team-based project solutions helped the firm acquire numerous design-build and design-assist projects and increased the use of both integrated project delivery and building information modeling across Balfour Beatty’s U.S. divisions. In addition to leading integrated project delivery, design management, procurement, process efficiency and technology innovation, he was instrumental to his firm’s efforts to secure public-private partnerships through Virginia’s Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act, with such projects earning both regional and national recognition.

Construction Sector Speakers
	Bruce W. Ficke Executive Vice President, Global Client Solutions, Cushman & Wakefield Bruce Ficke is the Executive Vice President of Global Client Solutions for Cushman & Wakefield, the world’s largest privately held commercial real estate services firm. Bruce has his eye on retail/office trends as well as strategies, operations and integrated approaches for global real estate services and how these can sustain and grow the retail/office construction sector. Hear about the latest trends in retail/office construction and where this construction sector is headed.
	Robert McCoole Vice President, Facilities Resource Group, Ascension Health Robert McCoole is Vice President for the Facilities Resource Group of Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic, not-for-profit health care system. McCoole is uniquely positioned to understand the latest trends in health care. He previously served as CEO of Alberici Group, a large, multi-market contractor and construction services firm ranked in ENR’s top 50 contractors in the U.S. The Facilities Resource Group at Ascension Health is responsible for bringing system-wide efficiencies and best practices to its major facility projects throughout the country. The Group provides the infrastructure to Ascension Health’s Health Ministries (hospital locations) for master facility planning, design, and construction.
	Dennis J. Doyle Chief Executive Officer, Welsh Companies Dennis Doyle, the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Welsh Companies, has created a full-service organization and grown from developed and constructed buildings on a build-to-suit and speculative basis to a full-service commercial real estate firm. The company is involved in leasing and brokerage, client representation, property management, facility management, corporate real estate services, architecture, construction, development, mortgage banking, facility services, and non-profit consulting services. He will share perspectives for growth and the latest trends for warehouse and distribution.
	Jim Cantrell Kentucky Refining Division Manager, Marathon Oil Jim Cantrell is the Kentucky Refining Division Manager for Marathon Oil, a world-leading integrated energy company which applies innovative technologies to discover and develop valuable energy resources and high-quality products. Jim will identify some of the latest industrial construction sector trends in energy.
	James P. Martinko, CPA Principal, The Reznick Group Jim Martinko, co-office managing principal for The Reznick Group, has 21+ years of experience providing audit, accounting, tax and management advisory services to residential and commercial real estate industry owners, operators, investors, and to real estate assets managers, conventional and affordable housing developers, contractors, homebuilders, investors and property managers. Learn about the latest in multi-family trends in construction as Jim shares insight to structuring tax-advantaged real estate developments and federal and state subsidized multi-family housing.
	Boyd Black Assistant Vice President, Capital Project Delivery, Facilities Services, The University of Chicago Boyd Black, Assistant Vice President of Capital Project Delivery for the University of Chicago, directs the Capital Project Delivery group and manages planning, design and construction for the University. Currently, he is president of the Board of the Construction Owners Association of America and a member of the Society of College and University Planners, the US Green Building Council, the AIA Center for Integrated Practice Leadership committee, the AGC Industry Advisory Council. From changing generational student demographics impacting housing trends and technology and learning shifts impacting classrooms to green in education construction, Boyd is in touch with the pulse for education construction trends.