Radical Candor Workshop
This year’s program features a transformative workshop on Radical Candor, based on the bestselling book by Kim Scott. Rooted in the powerful idea of “challenging directly while caring personally,” Radical Candor is more than a management philosophy—it’s a roadmap for building high-performing, trust-based teams. Through expert facilitation, real-world scenarios, and hands-on practice, attendees will gain actionable strategies for giving and receiving feedback that fosters stronger relationships, accelerates team development, and delivers measurable results. Whether you’re new to leadership or preparing for your next role, the Radical Candor session will help you become a more confident communicator and a more effective collaborator.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mike Pugh
Executive Coach
Radical Candor
LinkedIn
Mike focuses on driving personal growth and team performance at the crossroads of conflict and collaboration. He’s been a catalyst in three hyper-growth public tech companies: eFax in a product role on the founding team, j2 Global as the GM of a highly profitable $300M business unit, and RingCentral in a variety of SWAT team leadership roles. Along the way he has walked every step from MVP to $10B valuation. Mike is an optimizer to the core. He has an MS in Systems Management, has worked over 25 successful M&A deals through to integration, and has led as many reorganizations. He’s applied his test-and-learn management style to high-performance teams in creative, engineering, marketing, and product. In addition to decades of trial-by-fire experience, Mike is a certified court mediator and conflict management coach.
3 Habits of Consciously Intentional Leaders
In the fast-paced world of paperboard packaging, strong leadership isn’t optional—it’s the edge that sets thriving teams and companies apart. Yet, many emerging and established leaders find themselves reacting instead of leading with intention.
In this engaging and actionable keynote, Dan Irvin brings a fresh, relatable approach to leadership growth tailored for the unique challenges of the packaging industry. Whether you’re on the plant floor or leading a sales, marketing, or creative team, Dan shares three practical habits that help leaders cut through distractions, adapt when “how we’ve always done it” no longer works, and lead with clarity using his proven SMARTEST Goals framework.
Attendees will walk away with a renewed sense of purpose, simple tools for immediate impact, and the momentum to lead their teams—and themselves—with confidence and intention.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dan Irvin
Professional Speaker & Author
LinkedIn
Dan Irvin is a high-energy, fun-loving leader, consultant, motivator, author, and public speaker whose valuable insights and relatable stories of success and passion consistently set up entrepreneurs and employees across the nation for personal and professional growth.
As a former CEO and COO, Dan helps leaders remove distractions so that they can lead intentional, fulfilled, and meaningful lives. His popular presentations and trainings offer structure, fun, and best practices that are both thought-provoking and buck the age-old mentality of “this is how it’s always been done.” Too often, we become uber-focused on “being busy” and ultimately lose sight of our goals. Dan’s thoughts and ideas get you back on track.
Dan’s message will have you laugh and cheer, and his personality will convince you to stop taking life so seriously. His fanbase is growing, but his biggest fans continue to be his wife and three children.
The Endurance Leader: Leadership Longevity in a World of Quick Wins
Do you ever feel like you are sprinting a marathon? You are not alone. Leaders worldwide are grappling with how to navigate a period of unprecedented uncertainty and change, but some are feeling more stressed and burned out than ever. Building on studied parallels between endurance athletes and successful long-term leaders, the Endurance Leader model is an innovative and perhaps paradoxical approach that puts long-term thinking and behavior at the center of leadership, helping leaders develop a more motivating, sustainable, and productive leadership style. In this dynamic session, leaders will learn to develop an endurance approach that yields superior personal and leadership performance, avoiding burnout and building staying power through adversity.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ann Bowers-Evangelista
President
Llumos, LLC
LinkedIn
Ann Bowers-Evangelista, Psy.D., MBA, is a seasoned executive coach with 22 years of experience blending psychology, business, and athletic endurance. Specializing in talent selection, team building, and sustainable leadership, Ann has worked with several notable clients such as Verizon and Johnson & Johnson. Her reflective coaching style and goal-oriented approach have consistently delivered outstanding results.
With credentials including a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and an MBA, Ann holds leadership roles in prestigious organizations like the American Psychological Association. Ann is also an Ironman triathlete, marathon runner, and prolific volunteer and fundraiser for the Air Force, the American Red Cross, Back on My Feet, and Vital Voices.
Industry Panel: Leadership Journeys
What does leadership growth really look like in the paperboard packaging industry? Industry leaders will share defining moments, personal challenges, and lessons learned on their paths to greater responsibility. Gain fresh insight into how careers evolve, how leadership styles develop, and how to take the next step—wherever you are now.
Speaker: Roy Hibbs (Southern Champion Tray), Hilda Murray (TPC Printing & Packaging), Eric Frank (Koenig and Bauer)
A Day in My Life: Real Talk Discussions
This dynamic, peer-driven leadership session gives participants a chance to pause, reflect, and have an honest conversation about the realities of leadership today. Leaders will explore the hidden challenges of middle management, share insights across functions, and walk away with fresh language, strategies, and self-awareness about how they lead—up, down, and across.
Tiffany will kick of the end-of-day session by hosting brief, on-stage interviews with 3 leaders from different roles, uncovering the unique and shared tensions they face, such as influence without authority, transitioning from doer to leader, and navigating communication breakdowns.
Next, attendees will break into table conversations to tackle leadership scenarios in depth. Each table will reflect on what they’ve learned throughout the day, share what’s really happening in their own roles, and collaborate on possible shifts, drawing on insights from earlier presentations on intentional and sustainable leadership.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tiffany Koettel
President
Growth Mindset LLC
LinkedIn
Tiffany Koettel is a seasoned sales trainer, coach, and consultant with over 16 years of experience in the paperboard packaging industry. Leveraging her deep industry knowledge alongside expertise in the Sandler Sales System, Tiffany partners with sales leaders and teams to break through revenue plateaus and build high-performing sales cultures rooted in proven processes, behavioral insights like DISC, and practical tools. Her engaging style combines storytelling and real-world application, equipping sales professionals to win consistently, build lasting client relationships, and navigate the unique challenges of the packaging marketplace.
With a passion for leadership development and accountability, Tiffany works closely with executives and managers to transform how teams prospect, qualify, and close. She fosters collaboration and a coaching mindset that drives sustained performance in a competitive industry. Whether facilitating workshops, consulting, or one-on-one coaching, Tiffany’s approach is relentlessly focused on actionable results, equal business stature, and making sales training practical, memorable and enjoyable.