Summer is here and it is time for another NextGen Leadership Conference. This year’s event, held July 25 in Toronto, promises to be another great conference featuring the best and brightest up-and-coming restructuring practitioners from around the globe.
This year, I’ve had the honor of serving as co-chair, alongside Pat Bellot, of the TMA Global NextGen Leadership Committee and helping to plan this conference. In this role, I’ve been reflecting quite a bit on a conference that has meant so much to me over the course of my career. I still remember the first NGLC I attended in New York when I had just joined the TMA New York City Chapter board. I was blown away walking into that opening reception and seeing so many young professionals who seemed so poised. It should come as no shock that some of those people are now partners, practice leaders, and even firm leaders. In fact, it makes me feel old thinking about it. (I’m still a NextGener by age, for the record.)
But that is the inspiring reality of this conference. It self-selects for a certain type of young professional and caters to our industry’s future leaders. The programming is specifically pitched to these folks—featuring panels on hot-button industry topics, soft skill development, and other general networking opportunities. (Shoutout to Reggie Sainvil, our icebreaker guru!) Most of all, it’s just a really good time. I’ve helped plan other TMA conferences over the years, but none take as much care in the extracurricular activities as the NGLC. Our unique dine-arounds, where the planning committee makes reservations at restaurants in the host cities and all attendees join a reservation of their choice, are best in class and help first-time attendees instantly feel included.
This conference has meant so much to me. To this day, my strongest bonds are with the NextGeners who came up with me. The people I met at those first dine-arounds remain my closest contacts in this business—and even better, they have crossed over into personal friendships. When I see those people at the “big” conferences (DIC and the Annual), we share reminiscences of those early days and our experiences at those NextGen conferences. I even have fond memories of the COVID-year conference where all the sessions were held remotely and Lauren Berret’s cat, Oliver, stole the show!
Over the years, I’ve been exposed to presentations from industry luminaries and have learned how to grow my network. To this day, I employ some of the strategies I learned from one of the keynotes on coaching—and I got my first experience speaking on and moderating panels at past NGLCs.
For those of you joining me in Toronto, please take every advantage of this wonderful event. It is exciting to see you join the generations of NextGeners—from the folks who were aging out when I was a baby analyst, to me, and now to you. For many of you, this event is the first time in your career you’ve been asked to travel from your office to network. Get out there, meet everybody, and get those CLE/CPE credits.
And, to TMA membership as a whole, I know we spend a significant amount of time thinking about succession planning. I personally want you to know that the future is bright. We have so many talented, driven individuals dedicated to improving themselves, this industry, and this organization. TMA is only as strong as its members, and it will remain strong long into the future through the continued nurturing of these NextGeners.
