Robert Levering

Robert Levering is the co-author of the Fortune annual list of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America," and the annual list of the best workplaces in Brazil for Exame, Brazil's premier business magazine. He is also author or co-author (with Milton Moskowitz) of several books, including: A Great Place to Work: What makes some employers so good - and most so bad (newly edited in 2000), The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America, Everybody's Business: A Field Guide to the 400 Leading Companies in America, and The Computer Entrepreneurs.

Kip Tindell, CEO and President, The Container Store

"Fill the other guy's basket to the brim, then making money becomes an easy proposition." Kip Tindell began shaping his philosophy toward business as a student at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas. And it was while he was in high school that he would begin shaping a flair for retailing that would later turn an industry on its ear. The Container Store has 28 stores across the country, which average 25,000 square feet. Tindell embodies the unique corporate culture he created, which empowers employees to use their own intuition and creativity to solve problems - instead of referring to the proverbial procedural manual. Thus, he has nurtured a fierce loyalty to the company, which has an incredible number of career employees - who might never have dreamed of a career in retail. In fact, that culture has propelled The Container Store to the top of FORTUNE magazine's list of "100 Best Companies To Work For In America" four years in a row.

For information contact :
Audrey Robertson, Public Relations Manager (214-654-2082)
The Container Store, 2000 Valwood Parkway, Dallas, TX 75234

Great Place to Work^® Institute, Scott Cawood

Creating a Great Place to Work^®

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(375Ko)

Creating a great workplace has earned its distinction in the global economies and business strategies of nearly all successful companies. Come explore what we have learned about the best companies to work for, including their traits, practices, and innovations that continue to propel them to financial, strategic, and cultural excellence.

John Bachman, Managing Partner of Edward Jones

In 1980, Bachman succeeded Edward D. "Ted" Jones Jr. as managing partner of Edward Jones. Since then, he has built upon Mr. Jones' philosophy of serving the needs of individual investors from one-investment-representative offices located in communities throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. During Bachman's tenure, Edward Jones has grown from 220 offices in 28 states to nearly 9,000 offices throughout the three countries. In 2003, Edward Jones ranked #1 for the second consecutive year on Fortune magazine's 100 Best Places Companies to Work For list. Profit sharing and significant employee ownership are two reasons why Edward Jones is a great workplace.

Session A: J.M. Smucker Company
Maribeth Badertscher, Manager, Community Initiative

Commitment to basic beliefs

In this session, learn the J.M. Smucker Co., basic beliefs of being fair with our employees and maintaining an environment that encourages personal responsibility within the Company and the community. Explore how to integrate these basic beliefs into your business operations.

Session B: AFLAC
Sharon H. Douglas, Vice President, Chief People Officer

Giving Back to Employees -Sharing the Success

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(1844Ko)

AFLAC's philosophy has always been "if you take care of the people; then, the people will take care of the company." In this session learn about the many benefits and services that can assist an employee in achieving personal success, financial success and professional success.

Session A: Eli Lilly

Keeping Promises in an Era of Rapid Change

Earning trust is all about keeping promises. In this session, learn about how Lilly listens and addresses employee needs, communicates consistently in both words and actions, and creates experiences for employees that demonstrate the company values of people, integrity and excellence.

Session B: Timberland
Jeff Perkins, Sr. Vice President, Human Resources

How One Company Uses a Values-based Culture to Remain An Employer of Choice

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(3795Ko)

Learn about the delicate balance between delivering business results and being community and employeeminded and the challenges and victories therein. Becoming an employer of choice requires listening on the part of the corporation: listening to employee needs and responding appropriately. Jeff Perkins, will share Timberland's innovative and successful employee program that includes an employee volunteer program, community service sabbaticals and much more.

Session C: Intuit
Craig S. Ramsay, Great Place to Work Program Leader

Having it All: A Great Place to Work AND a High Performance Organization

Driven by its core operating values, Intuit views culture as a critical factor for company growth. Learn how Intuit, a company that wins high marks for employee satisfaction and continually delivers strong financial results, has created a high performance organization that is also a great place to work.

Gordon Bethune, Chairman of the Board, CEO of Continental Airlines Inc.

Bethune joined the nation's fifth largest airline in 1994. Under Bethune's leadership, Continental has won more awards for customer satisfaction than any other airline. In 2001, Continental was named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World. Continental also ranked as the No. 2 Most Admired Global Airline and No. 30 Most Admired Global Company and has been named among the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the last five years by Fortune magazine. The airline firmly believes that employees are the key to success. Despite the dramatic economic challenges the airline industry faced in 2002, Continental maintained employee benefits and its company culture.

Session A: W.L. Gore
Vicki Cotter and Sonia Dunbar

Creating an Organization Bent on Innovation

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(264Ko)

To perpetuate the discovery of innovative products in the tradition of GORE-TEX® fabric and GLIDE® floss, W. L. Gore & Associates relies on an entrepreneurial and uniquely empowering corporate culture. The presentation highlights organizational practices that translate into Gore's business success.

Session B: Lenscrafters and Sunglass Hut
Kerry Bradley, COO

Shades Crusaders and Helping the World See

The secret to LensCrafters' and Sunglass Hut's success lies in the hearts of 25,000 passionate associates - each committed to a higher purpose, beyond just " retailing" - and in company programs that enable associates to live out their passions at work. This presentation will share what leadership has done to create a shared mission/vision, and also the practical steps we've taken to bring them to life every day.

For information contact :
Kathy Clark, Communications (513-765-6242)
Diana Edgell, Executive Assistant (513-765-6232)
Luxottica Retail, 4000 Luxottica Place, Mason, OH 45040

Session C: Pfizer
Joe Bonito, Vice President, Global Leadership Effectiveness

Leveraging Our Leadership

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(4030Ko)

Every Pfizer colleague - regardless of level or function - has been asked to " find a way to lead." Understand what leadership means at Pfizer, and why and how we have committed ourselves to providing opportunities for leaders to grow, develop, and enhance their contribution to Pfizer.

Session A: Charles Schwab
Maurisa Sommerfield, Executive Vice President of Schwab Operations

Re-Engaging your Employees: Inspiring Commitment During Difficult and Uncertain Times

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(227Ko)

In 2002, many companies, faced with a difficult economic environment, reduced their workforces. Achallenge is how to inspire commitment after a downsizing or uncertain times. This session will cover Schwab's re-engagement strategy, which is consistent with the company's values to treat employees with respect and fairness.

Session B: Agilent Technologies
Kirk Froggatt, Vice President of Talent and Organization Development, Human Resources

Discovering Power in Paradox

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(520Ko)

Difficult times challenge companies to preserve their core and stimulate progress. Agilent Technologies, a 3-year-old startup with a 63-year history, will describe lessons learned as it continues to create a "built to last" company. The session will include small- and large-group discussion, and attendees will walk away with practical ideas for improving trust in their companies.

Session C: Starbucks
Dave Olsen, Sr. Vice President, Culture, Partner Immersion and Corporate Social Responsibility

Coffee and Culture

In this session, learn about the "Starbucks Experience" where even part-timers get health insurance, stock options and soon, tuition reimbursement.

Jack Lowe, CEO TDIndustries

Jack Lowe is Chair and Chief Executive Officer of TDIndustries, a Dallas-based mechanical and electrical construction and service company, that builds mechanical and electrical systems. TDIndustries projects have included American Airlines Center, The Ballpark in Arlington, Dallas Convention Center, Texas Instruments semiconductor plants and JCPenney headquarters. For six consecutive years the company has appeared in the top ten of Fortune Magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America®, and was profiled in 1993 in the book The 100 Best Companies to Work For in America by Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz. Lowe attributes that success to the employee-owned company's "servant leader" philosophy, in which all 1400 employees are partners.

Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS Institute

Developing Employee Trust in Health Care Today

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(2089Ko)

Dr. James H. Goodnight is CEO, chairman, co-founder and president of SAS Institute, the world's largest privately held software company. The company's work environment is designed to nurture and encourage creativity, innovation and quality. Since the early 1980s, Goodnight has supported on-site child care, health care and recreation and fitness centers. His commitment to these progressive work-life programs has earned SAS national recognition in publications such as The Wall Street Journal as well as Fortune, Fast Company, BusinessWeek and Working Mother magazines.

Session A: Baptist Healthcare
Celeste Norris, Human Resources Director

Developing Employee Trust in Health Care Today

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(2089Ko)

Baptist Health Care's culture is so unique that during the past four years over 1,100 health care groups and 5,000 health care professionals have visited the hospital to benchmark and learn about the strategies and guiding philosophies that have yielded its best practice results. Ms. Norris will talk about how employees are empowered through their involvement on teams, through peer recognition and through a program of bright ideas.

Session B: Lands' End
Tom Gloudeman, Vice President, Recruitment & Development

Developing Strong Employee Relationships with a Seasonal Workforce

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(1518Ko)

Find out how Lands' End has recruited, retained and engaged a skilled, committed and flexible workforce that is dedicated to providing the customer with the highest level of service year round.

Session C: Goldman Sachs
Edie Hunt, Chief Recruiting Officer

Culture Evolution

In this session, find out how an inclusive and high performance culture can impact the success of an organization. The speaker will explore how culture needs to evolve in order to meet client and employee needs.

Terry Andrus, President of East Alabama Medical Center

Mr. Andrus joined the Medical Center in 1983. Under Andrus leadership, East Alabama Medical Center was named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2000, 2001, 2002 and has the distinction of being the first public sector company to make the list. In 2000, EAMC also received a Client Success Story Award from Press, Ganey for improvements in customer service; was named one of the Top 100 Heart programs in the U.S. for the third consecutive year; was named Premier Quality Award Dsitinguished performer for advances in treatment of open heart surgery patients; and won the Alabama Quality Award for performance excellence. EAMC is committed to offering their employees a comprehensive benefits package designed to help them achieve a balance between work and home.

Session A: FedEx
R. Larry Brown, Sr. V. P. & Chief Human Resources Officer

Managing in Turbulent Times

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(1342Ko)

Among the issues addressed in this session will be the impact of globalization; promoting and celebrating diversity; the challenges presented by rising health costs and the importance of preserving the company's global "Employer of Choice" reputation.

Session B: IBM
Ted Childs, VP IBM Global Workforce Diversity

Global is as Global does

Connecting and communicating with nearly 320,000 employees takes intense perseverance, strategy, and determination. This session will examine the ways in which a global multi-billion dollar company connects with its employees and aligns the business strategy resulting in a great workplace.

Session C: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
John Young, Executive Vice President, Human Resources

Building and Reinforcing Trust by "Walking The Talk"

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(1463Ko)

In this session, learn about the comprehensive and integrated set of polices, processes and measurement systems used by Four Seasons, to ensure that the confidence of employees and customers alike is continuously reinforced through their first-hand experience.

Panel presentation featuring companies from the 100 "Best" list

A lively interactive discussion.

Moderator: Scott Cawood, Great Place to Work® Institute Panelists: Rita Baily, Jeff Chambers -SAS Institute, Donna Conover -Southwest Airlines