Priorities For Growth | Middle Market Thought Leader

When John McDonald first grasped the developing business opportunity around what is today known as the virtual private cloud he was a seasoned  software executive inside IBM’s sprawling software kingdom.  Join us when John explains how industry’s widespread adoption of cloud technologies has led businesses to rethink their IT spending priorities opening the door to a new breed of private cloud services providers.

Eight years from now when Lance Ruttenberg blows out the candles on a birthday cake celebrating his company’s 100th birthday – the CEO of American Textile Company will be savoring an industrial hallmark no Fortune 500 CEO has ever known.  Lance and his brother Blake are today the third generation of Ruttenbergs to own and lead the textile firm first established in 1925. While the company may not be the same weight class as other successful firms with generational-family origins (Ford Motor Company, IBM Corp.) ATC’s longevity is a testament to an ownership/ management model that has successfully served an industry, a family and a devoted employee population for nearly 100 years.

Having invested in 53 companies including over a dozen cybersecurity ventures, Ray Rothrock took on the CEO role at RedSeal confident that he could redirect the company's security offerings to a more fruitful opportunity.  Three years later the career venture capitalist appears to have done just that having returned RedSeal to profitability and year over year growth.  Join us when Ray explains the opportunity that lay in waiting, and the values and priorities that would empower RedSeal to pursuit it

At the beginning there was a mission in search of a business model – a fact that arguably sets Study.com apart from most middle-market businesses. Along the way, as the subscription economy began to blossom, Study.com’s founders buckled their fledgling business into an energetic subscription model and turned their attention to managing the growth that comes when mission and model unite.  Join us when Adrian Ridner, CEO and Co-founder, Study.com steps back in time to spotlight the stubborn mission that would not be compromised for growth sake, and the business model that would ultimately allow the mission to survive and thrive.

Seth Merrin probably didn't have to write a book to understand the origins of his passion for market disruption, unfair sustainable advantage has been a life long pursuit.  Join us when Seth explains the competitive forces that allowed Liquidnet to disrupt the ebb-and-flow of traditional institutional trading and expand the firm's network around the world. Seth's Book THE POWER OF POSITIVE DESTRUCTION: How to Turn a Business Idea into a Revolution (Wiley, January 2017) Guest: Seth Merrin, CEO (Author) Company: Liquidnet Industry:  Institutional trading  Headquarters: New York, NY Ownership: Privately held Contact: www.liquidnet.com @liquidnet (Twitter)