• Thursday, February 15, 2007

Are you being challenged to identify ways to grow your company? You are not alone. In the 2007 Entrepreneur Magazine and PriceWaterhouseCoopers "Entrepreneurial Challenges Survey" entrepreneurs indicated the following issues as critical to business success:

• Developing new products and services: 32%
• Expanding to new markets inside the US: 26%
• Acquiring another company: 12%

Which of these would be the best way to GROW your business? At this seminar, we will explore these strategies in more depth. Experts will present and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each strategy, and provide guidance on what will work best for your company.

PRESENTERS:

Maria Burud brings over 20 years of experience in the technology industry, predominantly dedicated to sales and marketing. Maria is currently the President of Zanon Group, a sales and marketing consulting firm that helps companies increase revenues through sales execution and marketing programs. Prior to Zanon, Maria ran Worldwide Sales at Placeware, Inc. a privately held Silicon Valley start up, doubling revenues to $50 million in the year prior to an acquisition by Microsoft in 2003. While there, she developed & cultivated a successful multi-layered sales model of inside and field sales organizations that focused on commercial accounts and also managed strategic partnerships and worldwide business development sales activities.

Maria also held several positions at Infinium Software, formerly a $122 million publicly traded NASDAQ company (INFM), acquired by Chicago based SSA Global in December 2003. These positions included Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Operations for the corporation and General Manager of Infinium's ASP Business Unit. During her tenure at Infinium, Maria participated in managing the company's significant revenue and growth in multiple segments of the business while both private and public on a regional, national, and global basis over a twelve-year period.

Prior to Infinium, Maria held various sales and implementation positions at Automatic Data Processing (ADP) over a four-year period. Burud earned a bachelors degree in Marketing from Loyola University of Chicago.

Burud sits on multiple advisory boards, chairs the Sales Roundtable for the ITA (Illinois Information Technology Association) and is active in several academic and not for profit organizations, including the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurial Center and the Woman's Business Development Center of Chicago.

Bob Christian was named Principal of October Family Holdings, LLC in June 2004. In this role, he is responsible for the identification, acquisition, development and operation of real estate and related businesses in the Midwestern U.S. Other duties include managing key relationships with financial institutions, community groups, suppliers, municipalities and current and potential investors.

Prior to his role at October Family Holdings, LLC, he served as Director for the newly created Mid-South Zone for Coca-Cola Food Services in Memphis, TN. He was responsible for delivering economic profit, and leading the execution of sales and marketing initiatives in a geography that spanned from southern Illinois to Louisiana.

While at Coca-Cola he also held titles that included Manager of Customer Management, and Executive Assistant to the Area Vice-President for Coca-Cola North America Fountain. Before joining Coca-Cola, Bob held Marketing and Operations positions with Ameritech/SBC and the Quaker Oats Company.

Mr. Christian is active in the Chicago civic community. He is on the boards of Partners In Community Building and the Primo Center For Women, and has participated in the Chicago Public Schools Principal For A Day program at Harvard School, and supports of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago through an affiliation with the Union League Club of Chicago.

Mr. Christian received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technology, from Purdue University in 1987, and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame in 1992 where he was honored as a Hesburgh Scholar.

Gerald P. Moriarty has been the president of FranNet Illinois/Wisconsin since 1995. Jerry's experience covers 23 years with Midas International Corporation, the franchisor of the Midas Auto Expert Shops. His duties included Regional Vice President, National Field Sales Manager, Vice President of Marketing Administration, and Vice President of Quality, reporting to the CEO. At Sears Mortgage Company, Jerry was also Vice President, Quality, reporting to the Chairman. Jerry earned an M.Ed. degree from Loyola University, Chicago.