Happy Saturday and welcome to CEO Speaks for Saturday December 21, 2024 sponsored exclusively by Second Wind Consultants, specializing in article 9, out of court, transactional restructurings.
On this last episode of CEO Speaks for 2024, we reflect with pride on the many firsts achieved this year, where we again broke new ground, created new opportunities, and demonstrated why membership in TMA matters in defining and distinguishing ways.
Our first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) edition of the JCR this year marked the beginning of a journal series that will remain at the forefront of the ever-changing DEI landscape.
Similarly, with TMA innovation at the forefront, the JCR year-end edition celebrated the women in workouts, putting a fresh perspective on our industry and the empowering women who lead with vision and determination, making our profession a more inclusive and complete experience.
The DEI Speakeasy, held at Annual, featured three women judges who candidly shared the trials and tribulations of creating a more equitable and inclusive profession for us all.
To introduce new professionals to our certification opportunities, we created a welcoming environment with the launch of “Mimosas and Mentorship,” a program where CTPs and CTAs shared their professional experiences and inspired others to follow in their footsteps.
The TMA Bootcamp, now a conference staple, hosted its next learning tract—a deep dive into Chapter 11. Designed to introduce newcomers to the restructuring profession, this program focuses on the fundamentals of turnaround finance, management, and law. It has quickly become a gold standard program we will continue to nurture and expand.
A new class of industry veteran CTPs was announced, and the luminaries among them reinforced the importance and value of the skills held exclusively by TMA Certified Turnaround Professionals.
The inaugural TMA Tourney showcased a global community of NextGen restructuring professionals. In a finale that pitted two world-class teams against each other, both Team TMA UK and TMA West Michigan demonstrated the intellect and strategic thinking that define our NextGen community—proving that we all emerge winners.
At Annual, we also celebrated the announcement of the “Sheila Smith Institute,” honoring the life and legacy of TMA luminary Sheila Smith. A mission statement was shared, outlining the Institute’s commitment to developing learning tracts in 2025 and beyond to support networking, mentorship, and business development—core principles Sheila championed.
In June, the TMA Global International Symposium held in London, UK, hosted a global Executive Board meeting internationally for the first time. This milestone represents a significant effort to deepen support for our international community.
TMA expanded its global footprint, adding chapters in Europe and South America. Just last month, we held our first East Europe Symposium in cooperation with SFNet Europe, further strengthening TMA’s global presence.
TMA Europe, in a collaborative effort with TMA France, Germany, and the UK, held its first-ever Network of Women (NOW) program. This initiative has the potential to evolve into Europe’s version of the Global NOW Summit in 2025.
Looking ahead, TMA Australia, Hong Kong, India, and Southeast Asia will host the first Asia-Pacific (APAC) Regional Conference in 2025. This long-anticipated strategic effort is a testament to the commitment of the TMA International Committee.
This year also marked the fifth anniversary of the “Paris Summit,” where all 14 European chapter presidents convened to refine the first-of-its-kind three-year strategic manifesto introduced earlier this year at the International Symposium.
We celebrated 10 years of the TMA Network of Women where we honored trailblazing women of TMA who back in the 1990’s paved the way to the story that became our TMA tomorrow.
And our NextGen community from around the world came together in Toronto in a gathering that put together one of one of the most eclectic, hands on engaging experiences that set the stage for how we will support our emerging professionals going forward.
The 2024 TMA Distressed Investing Conference broke attendance records—a trend we hope to surpass once again in 2025.
TMA webinars, a cornerstone of the Education Oversight Committee, achieved unparalleled success with a record number of sessions on timely and relevant topics, complemented by growing attendance.
This year at TMA culminated in a celebration of TMA Love at Annual in the City of Brotherly Love—Philadelphia, PA. There, we were reminded that the people and power of TMA shine because of membership, mentorship, friendship, and so much more.
It remains a great privilege and honor to serve this incredible organization and to stand with, support and empower our incredibly vivacious volunteer leaders, as together we continue to build value that truly makes us better together, as people and professionals, through this special community we all embrace.
Thank you to our leaders and members who give selflessly of their time and talents. Together, we will continue to build an ever-evolving and meaningful #TMATomorrow.
CEO Speaks returns on January 10th following the holiday break.
Until then, and for the last time in 2024, thanks for taking the time to listen today. And thanks again to our TMA CEO Speaks exclusive sponsor, Second Wind Consultants, for your support of TMA and this podcast.
As TMA Lights The Way, your input is critical, your contributions paramount, and your engagement the foundation that will create a better TMA for all of our members.
Until next time, I’m Scott Stuart. Be safe, resilient, and TMA Proud. And the happiest of holidays to you and yours.