Radical Candor Workshop: Communicate with Confidence, Lead with Care
Speaker: Mike Pugh, Executive Coach – Radical Candor
Based on the bestselling book by Kim Scott, participants will experience a transformative workshop on Radical Candor. Rooted in the powerful idea of “challenging directly while caring personally,” Radical Candor offers a proven approach to building high-performing, trust-based teams. Through expert facilitation, real-world scenarios, and hands-on practice, attendees will gain actionable tools for giving and receiving feedback, strengthening relationships, and accelerating team development. Whether you’re stepping into a leadership role or preparing for what’s next, this session will enhance your communication skills and leadership presence.
3 Habits of Consciously Intentional Leaders
Speaker: Dan Irvin, Professional Speaker & Author
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.
The Endurance Leader: Leadership Longevity in a World of Quick Wins
Speaker: Ann Bowers-Evangelista, President, Llumos, LLC
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.
Industry Panel: Leadership Journeys
Speaker: Roy Hibbs (Southern Champion Tray), Hilda Murray (TPC Printing & Packaging), Eric Frank (Koenig and Bauer)
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.
A Day in My Life: Real Talk Discussions
Speaker: Tiffany Koettel, Growth Mindset Sales
Get an inside look at what is really takes to lead in key functional areas of the paperboard packaging industry. Attendees will join small-group breakout discussions based on their functional roles—such as operations, sales, design, plan management, and more—facilitated by the leaders in the room. Together, you’ll talk through shared challenges, day-to-day decisions, and leadership strategies that shape your work.
Following the breakouts, learn about other functional areas as each facilitator shares “a day in the life” from the main stage, enriched from insights from their group’s conversations. Attendee will have the opportunities to deepen their knowledge of their own role and learn about what colleagues across their business really do in this opportunity to connect, learn, and see the bigger picture.
