The Connecticut Technology Council was proud to present the 2013 Tech CEO Forum on Thursday, June 27th, for the sixth consecutive year. The event’s mission is to bring together leaders of highly successful, tech-oriented companies in and around Connecticut to enable them to introduce themselves to other innovative leaders in the area, and to build their personal and professional networks to encompass other individuals in similar industries who have found ways to prosper in today’s economic climate.
For 2013, the venue was moved to the Water’s Edge Resort & Spa on a beautiful, seaside location in Westbrook. The abundance of natural beauty, a perpetual reminder of why Connecticut is a great home for business, was an ideal backdrop to the event.
Another change for the sixth incarnation- the evening kicked off with a pre-dinner panel, moderated by CohnReznick partner Steve Jackson, on the topic of Preparing for your Liquidity Event. The panelists– Tom Aley, President & CEO of Reach Analytics; Gary Mathias, Partner and Managing Director of Carter Morse & Mathias; Scott Nevins, Senior Investment Advisor at Bernstein Global Wealth Management; and Mike Rubel, Principal at RFE Investment Partners– brought their bounty of experience and insight from their own commercial niches to give salutary advice and personal anecdotes that they’ve accumulated during their remarkable careers.
Following the informative panel was an open-air networking & cocktail hour outside on the patio overlooking the shore. Leaders from a variety of fields, such as IT, software, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and others were able to converse, share, laugh, and learn in an idyllic and quintessentially Connecticut ambiance.
After returning inside, CTC President & CEO Matthew Nemerson introduced himself and encouraged everyone else to do the same- in ten seconds or less- while the first course was enjoyed. With the conclusion of the meal came the headlining CEO forum, moderated by SIMA International Managing Director Ron Evans. The subject of this conversation was varied and engaging, with the panelists discussing how they make decisions in areas such as hiring, delegating, and working abroad. The featured panelists were: David Andrews, President of Andrews Consulting Group; David Rothberg, Chairman & CEO of LATICRETE International; and Martin Seiffert, President of Nufern, all of whom have proven themselves to be highly successful leaders in the Connecticut technosphere.
The final portion of the night consisted of a question-and-answer session that gave the attendees an opportunity to express their inquiries and finish off the evening knowing they’d be leaving better informed than when they arrived. Guests slowly left following the conclusion of the panel, as if the room had a slow leak. Most lingered to continue conversations that had emerged at dinner, and to swap contact information to resume their communications in the future. On the way out, they were encouraged to take a gift bag, full of promotional gifts donated by the event sponsors, without whom the event couldn’t have transpired.
We are tremendously grateful to the event’s main sponsor, accounting firm CohnReznick LLP, as well as our other generous donors: AB Bernstein Global Wealth Management, Comcast Business Services, Dickstein Shapiro LLP, Sandler Training, SIMA International, TriNet, Webster Bank, and Wellstone Insurance.
To view more photos of the event, please visit our flickr.
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