Testimonials:

"Bill did a great job. We look forward to a continuing relationship." John Hamburger, Franchise Times

"You are a master at your craft and a favorite of our audience." Jim Parker, UBS Financial Services

"During the course of his nine-year stint with First Interstate, the engaging executive became known for the quick wit he displayed at numerous speaking engagements." The Business Journal

"It can be difficult to find economists who provide good substantive information who are also entertaining and engaging.  I received many enthusiastic comments about Dr. Conerly from members and others in the audience."  Molly Steckel, Idaho Telecom Alliance

"As the highest rated speaker on our program, your remarks about the economy and its relationship to the financial services industry were relevant, timely and insightful. One of your greatest strengths is your ability to talk economics in an easy listening style. Participants appeared to be “taking it all in” without having to decipher what you were saying." Becky Tongish, Kansas Bankers Association

"Bill Conerly is one of the most interesting and engaging speakers I have ever heard. The fact that he is a very funny man is a bonus." James A. Kronenberg, Oregon Medical Association

All Testimonials

Conerly can help you promote your event

Conerly for IMA 2009 Spring Conference

This presentation is always laced with commentary on current events and anecdotes about current business challenges, such as maintaining financial flexibility in a recession, getting ready for the recovery, facing foreign competition. Specific content varies with the economy and the audience.

What are the big changes coming in the next decade?  Demographics, globalization, finance and technology are covered with a focus on what businesses should do today to prepare for tomorrow.

“Business Planning in Uncertain Times” Caterpillar’s business was hit terribly hard by the last recession, but the corporation came out of the downturn smelling more like a rose than a big yellow machine. The key, according to Fortune magazine, was economic contingency planning.

 

A business leader cannot manage the economy nor the many other external factors that impact the firm, but leaders can manage the business’s plans. With good plans, a company can thrive in the fat years and use the lean years to gain market share from careless competitors. This workshop will help business leaders learn how to do that. The goal will be for all participants to be able to help their companies survive harsh events when they occur, as well as take advantage of good fortune when it arises.

“The Next Decade: What Businesses Should Do TODAY to Prepare for Tomorrow”: Bill Conerly is an expert on what business leaders should to right now to create a more profitable business future.  Bill looks at the big changes we can expect in the next decade – demographics, globalization, finance, and technology – avoiding speculation as much as possible.  Instead, he relies on business history, current trends and comprehensive research to make his forecasts.  At every step he connects future scenarios with action plans that leaders should put in place now.  Specifics are adjusted for the particular audience, and often include how to prepare for the coming demographic time bomb, how to use advances in data capture and storage to set more profitable prices; how to use new social networking tools to improve employee productivity and increase customer loyalty.

 
 "The Small Business Financial Crisis" How the mortgage crisis is affecting the availability of credit--and what small and medium business can do about it to ensure that they can meet their borrowing needs. Along the way we'll explain how globalization is changing the world of finance, how securitization is impacting all business borrowers, with a clear emphasis on action steps that should be started today.

"Freedom and Prosperity: The Case for Optimism". In this substantive yet inspiring presentation, Bill Conerly explains the mechanism for economic growth around the world. He draws upon sources ranging from professional economists to commentators such as Francis Fukuyama (The End of History) and Thomas Friedman (The Lexus and the Olive Tree), weaving in Nike and Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo. He connects economic freedom and political freedom with economic performance, leading to a surprising burst of optimism for the fate of the world in the coming hundred years.

"What We've Learned About Investments from Bear Stearns, Enron, Tech and the Housing Bubble" is a timely presentation which presents academic lessons in common-sense language. Bill usually targets an audience of bright people with no particular expertise in finance. He explains what went wrong with many people's investment plans, and how to set it right for the long run.

Motivational Speaker?  People use this label in different ways, so here's the data:  Bill always has strong content, emphasizing actionable ideas that corporate executives and small business owners can implement immediately.  His short-term economic forecast is sometimes optimistic, sometimes pessimistic, but he always expresses his long-run vision of a world growing in prosperity and freedom.

Clients include:
ACEC
Aluminum Extruders Council
Ag First
American Forest Resources Council
Aspen Corneal Society
Arizona Bankers Association
Asphalt Paving Association of Washington
Associated General Contractors
Bank Holding Company Association
Bank of America
Bank of the Cascades
Bank of the Northwest
Bank of the West
Banner Bank
Boeing
Bonar Plastics
Book Manufacturers Institute
Cascade Policy Institute
CBIZ-Nation Smith
Chicago Title
Coastal Community Bank
Columbia Forest Products
Columbia River Bank
Commercial Finance Association
Community National Bank
Compass Bank
Copper and Brass Servicenter Association
Council of State Governments
Credit Suisse
Credit Union Executives Society Annuel Convention
D.A. Davidson & Co.
EC Company
Economic Roundtable
Empire Corporate Credit Union
Evergreen Freedom Foundation
Farmers & Merchants Bank
Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle
Franchise Times
Goldwater Institute
Goodman Real Estate Company
Home Street Bank
Idaho Bankers Association
Idaho Independent Bank
Idaho Telecom Alliance
International Sealing Distribution Association
Interplast Group
Iowa Bankers Association
Kansas Association of Counties
Kansas Bankers Association
Kennedy Associates Real Estate Counsel
Key Bank
Knife River Corporation
Lane Powell Spears Lubersky
Legend Homes
Liberty Northwest
Marcus & Millichap
Massachusetts Bankers Association
Michigan Association of CPAs
Michigan Credit Union League
Mont Pelerin Society
Montana Independent Bankers
Moss Adams
Mountain West Bank
National Assn Industrial & Office Parks
National Assn of State Credit Union Supervisors
National Education Association
National Fluid Power Association
Nebraska Bankers Association
Nike
North Carolina Telecommunication
Northwest Corporate Credit Union
Northwest Farm Credit
Northwest Food Service Show
Northwest Investment Councilors
Northwest Public Power Association
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
Oregon Bankers Association
Oregon Medical Association
Oregon Remodelers Association
Oregon Telecom Association
Pacific Northwest Bank
Pacific Northwest Steel Fabricators Association
Papé Group
Plastic Pipe and Fitting Association
Prime Pacific Bank
Red Canoe Credit Union
Riverlake Partners
RMA - Risk Management Associates
Roseburg Forest Products
Sanderling
SERA
South Dakota Banker Association
Southwest Corporate Federal Credit Union
Symetra Financial Corporation
Tennessee Bankers Association
Timber Products Company
Trigild Inc.
Umpqua Bank
Unitus Credit Union
Viking Bank
Washington Bankers Association
Washington Credit Union League
Washington Contract Loggers Association
Washington Federal Savings
Washington Forest Protection Association
Washington Trucking Association
Wells Fargo Bank
Western Association of Fastener Distributors
Western Forestry & Conservation Association
Weyerhaeuser
Women's Food Service Forum
Wood Products Credit Union
Yost Grube & Hall