As McDonald’s Corporation’s legendary vice chairman and CEO, Jim Skinner led a turnaround at the world’s largest food service company, leaving the chain with the best financial performance in its history. One of the architects of McDonald’s worldwide “Plan to Win” revitalization plan launched in 2003, he managed a successful shift in strategy that led to increased sales, reinvented menus, modernized restaurants, and innovative new offerings. Repeatedly hailed by media as the “CEO of the Year, Skinner addresses business strategy, turnaround stories, leadership, and managing change.

As one of the most sought-after and most-quoted economists in the world, Diane Swonk has more than 30 years of experience in financial services. She is the Founder and CEO of DS Economics and, for 11 years, the senior managing director and chief economist for Mesirow Financial. She has sat on advisory committees to high-level governmental banking authorities, and has also earned many awards over her career, including being listed as one of the “Top Forecasters in the Country” by The Wall Street Journal. She addresses trade issues, regulation, taxes, policy and the markets, and many other issues affecting business and the economy.

One of the brightest minds in economics, Matthew Slaughter addresses the near-term challenges facing the economy with an eye on the future. He is a member of the Congressional Budget Office’s Panel of Economic Advisors and was a member on the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Approachable and enthusiastic, he makes practical sense of economic data and shares insights on opportunities, emerging markets, trade, investments, and policy – offering organizations the numbers they need to put the economic situation in the right perspective.

Tom Bevan is the co-founder and executive editor of RealClearPolitics. A political junkie, he writes regular features for the site and other top-tier publications and is frequently featured as a political analyst on Fox News, CNN, CNBC, the BBC, and is the co-author of The RealClearPolitics Political Download: Election 2012. In his presentations, he addresses politics and elections and offers the historical context of today’s political events.

From town hall meetings on the campaign trail in Iowa to private meetings in the Oval Office, Josh Earnest spent a decade advising and advocating for President Obama. Today, he takes audiences behind the scenes and offers his engaging and honest analysis of the current (and future) political landscape.

Susan Sher, the former chief of staff to First Lady Michelle Obama and Chicago’s first female corporation counsel, is a long-time friend of the Obamas. Originally hired as the President’s associate counsel, Sher was part of his health care reform team before moving to the East Wing. There she helped promote the new legislation and the First Lady’s anti-obesity campaign. Previously, Sher was the vice president for legal and governmental affairs of the University of Chicago Hospitals for more than a decade. She addresses health care, the White House, and women in leadership.

One of the world's most gifted strategic thinkers, Vijay Govindarajan outlines 10 rules for strategic innovators and teaches corporations how to build breakthrough businesses. Cited as "among the world's hottest business gurus" by BusinessWeek, Govindarajan is is the author of Reverse Innovation and Beyond the Idea: How to Execute Innovation in Any Organization. He is sought-after for his international perspective on how to build and lead a global corporation.

Ted Fishman is a veteran journalist and former commodities trader on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange who has emerged as a leading expert on two subjects: aging and China's development as a world power. He is known for taking complex topics – particularly how global economic trends influence people’s everyday experiences – and making them understandable and meaningful. He also customizes his talks to his audience so as to ensure his presentations contain the most relevant and dynamic content possible.