PRESENTERS
KEYNOTE
ROBERT J. O'NEILL
Robert J. O’Neill is one of the most highly decorated combat veterans of our time. He served at SEAL Team Two, SEAL Team Four and eight years at the legendary SEAL Team Six. Having taken part in and leading over 400 combat missions, Rob operated in Liberia, The Balkans, The Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
During his remarkable career, Robert J. O’Neill has been decorated 53 times with honors. His awards include two Silver Stars for gallantry in action against the enemy, four Bronze Stars with Valor to denote heroism against the enemy, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor, three Presidential Unit Commendations, and three Combat Action ribbons to name a few.
Some of Rob’s qualifications include Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster, Tandem Tethered Bundle Master, Naval Special Warfare Scout / Sniper, Breacher, Master Naval Parachutist, Master Training Specialist, Diving Supervisor, Range Officer in Charge for Small Arms, Close Quarters Battle, Breaching, Laser System Safety Officer among many others.
O’Neill took part in the rescue for Operation Red Wings, which extracted the Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell, he was the lead jumper for the rescue operation that saved Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates, and he was a Team Leader for Operation Neptune’s Spear, the mission to kill Osama bin Laden.
Rob is co-founder of Special Operators Transition Foundation, specializing in assisting Special Operations Forces veterans with the successful transition from the service into their next great career in corporate America.
Rob is the author of the NY Times and London Times Best Selling Memoir THE OPERATOR: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior. Rob has been interviewed on Fox News, CNN, CBS, Newsmax and others.
MARK ROLING
COTTINGHAM & BUTLER
Mark Roling is the Senior Vice President in the Transportation Group at Cottingham & Butler. As Senior Vice President and co-practice leader of the Transportation division, Mark’s primary role is to oversee sales, marketing and service functions within the division. Mark’s area of expertise includes Property & Casualty coverages and alternative risk solutions, as well as, developing and executing sales strategy for the practice. Prior to becoming the Vice President, Mark was the Chief Sales Officer for three years, where he facilitated the delivery of value to clients by sales executives in all divisions. He was also a Sales Executive and Sales Manager in the Transportation Division for five years.
STEPHEN SETLIFF
SETLIFF LAW
Consistently recognized as one of America’s Best Lawyers, Mr. Setliff represents clients in complex litigation at the trial and appellate level in state and federal courts across the United States. His multifaceted trial practice includes representation of clients across a broad array of industries, with a focus on transportation companies, including trucking companies and railroads, in claims of traumatic injury by employees and non-employees. His trucking practice includes the representation of trucking companies, their insurers and their drivers in a wide variety of claims, including catastrophic personal injury, property damage, and toxic cleanup. He also handles catastrophic workers’ compensation claims, negotiating, drafting and enforcement of commercial agreements, including brokerage and independent contractor agreements, construction matters, traffic citations including felony charges, and employment claims under the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA). His practice covers the gamut of trucking litigation, from first scene accident investigation to effectively and efficiently trying cases to verdict.
MIKE LANGFORD
THE MEDIATION GROUP
Mike Langford litigated high stakes civil lawsuits throughout his 29-year career as a trial lawyer. He regularly defended motor carriers in jury trials nationwide and argued before state and federal appellate courts as well. He has been involved in several appellate cases that decided important issues of first impression.
In recognition of his trial skills, Mike has been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, which membership requires the highest standards in several areas including trial advocacy and collegiality and is limited to no more than one percent of a state’s total lawyer population. Mike was elected to three terms to the TIDA Board of Directors. He also served as Chairman of the American College of Transportation Attorneys and is a founding member of ACTA.
Mike is a registered mediator. He has now refocused his career to serving as a mediator and arbitrator and, with the same tenacity and creativity that he honed as a trial lawyer, Mike helps parties achieve successful resolutions of their cases. He mediates all types of civil disputes including trucking, personal injury and wrongful death, products liability, insurance coverage, bad faith claims, construction, employment law, class actions, real estate issues, and commercial and business disputes. He is an honors graduate of Wabash College and graduated Order of the Barristers from Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington. He has been a prolific speaker at national conferences and has authored dozens of published articles on litigation subjects. He is also a regular legal commentator on national podcasts and radio shows. When he’s not working, Mike enjoys tennis, stand-up comedy (often in the audience but sometimes on the stage), US history trivia, coaching a high school debate team, and spending time with his wife and three children.
CLARENCE EASTERDAY
WESTERN EXPRESS
Clarence Easterday is the Executive Advisor-Risk Management for Western Express, Inc., a Nashville, Tennessee based transportation Company. Western Express provides irregular route common carrier service for van, flatbed and over-dimensional freight. Western Express also provides dedicated services for customers across the United States. Clarence graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1978. He started his professional career as a US Army Field Artillery Officer. He started his transportation career with Schneider National Carriers in 1984 and joined Western Express in 2002. He served as the Executive/Senior Vice President for Western Express, Inc. for several years before semi-retiring in November 2020 and assuming his role as Executive Advisor. Mr. Easterday’s responsibilities at Western Express included supervision of safety programs, insurance program design and purchasing, claims and some human resource functions. Upon assuming his duties as Executive Advisor he works closely with defense counsel in case preparation/strategy on large cases and is active in the mediation process. He is also a Rule 31 Listed Mediator in the State of Tennessee.
BRYAN FORTAY
BERKLEY PRIME TRANSPORTATION
Bryan Fortay is an optimistic change agent, strategic legal guide and high performance team builder dedicated to exceeding the expectations of internal and external customers. He is an attorney with global top 75 law firm experience and 16 years practical and in-house legal, complex claims and litigation program management experience. He has also had full P&L responsibility for global services organizations. A strong focus on people engagement and talent maximization is the hallmark of Bryan’s career.
A well respected public speaker, Bryan has been an invited speaker in the areas of legal, litigation management, claims, loss control, business management, team building and leadership for Fortune 500 companies, governmental agencies and financial organizations across the world including General Electric Capital Corporation, The Florida Bankers’ Association, The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Chatham County Georgia, Miami-Dade County Florida, New York City Department of Economic Development, City of Atlanta Small Business Development Program, National Association of Surety Bond Producers and others.
MANSOOR KHALEELUDDIN
COURTROOM SCIENCES
Mansoor Khaleeluddin is Executive Vice President for Courtroom Sciences, Inc., a national litigation consulting and litigation support firm based in Irving, Texas. Mansoor’s experience includes leadership roles at several Fortune 500 software companies as well as legal education and education technology firms. Mansoor serves as the General Manager for Courtroom Sciences’ litigation consulting business, responsible for business strategy, team management, operations, marketing, and client relationships. Mansoor earned his BBA and MBA from the University of Oklahoma and can be contacted at mansoor@courtroomsciences.com.
BRUCE MEHLMAN
MEHLMAN CONSULTING
With over two decades experience in public policy, business and the law, Bruce helps leaders and organizations understand, anticipate, and navigate political risk.
Mehlman is a highly sought-after keynote speaker on policy and political trends, regularly headlining business conferences and strategic planning sessions. His quarterly infographic analyses are consistently picked-up by national media and eagerly consumed by tens of thousands of readers around the world. Television networks such as CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business and Hearst often ask Bruce to appear to discuss trends and their implications.
Bruce previously served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy under President George W. Bush. He also worked as a senior leadership aide in the House of Representatives, general counsel to a national political party committee and policy counsel to Cisco Systems.
Bruce is widely regarded as an expert in running coalitions, quarterbacking issue campaigns and managing C-suite associations, bringing innovative approaches and determined execution to achieve impactful outcomes. An Adjunct Professor and Board Member of The Washington Campus, Bruce frequently lectures MBA candidates on “effective business-government relations.” Bruce serves on the advisory boards of start-up companies including FiscalNote, iLearningEngines, and Virtru, in addition to serving on the Boards of the Center for Democracy & Technology, The Washington Campus and the State Science & Technology Institute.
BRITTANY GRAFT
HIGHWAY
Brittany Graft has been with Highway since its inception, serving as its Chief Operating Officer. Prior to Highway, she co-founded CrateBind, a Dallas-based IT consulting and software development company, and is a self-taught programmer in two languages. Brittany's career also includes significant roles in the investment sector, where she served as an Investment Professional at Abry Partners in Boston and as an Investment Banking Professional at J.P. Morgan in New York, both in the Tech & Media space. Her diverse background combines a deep understanding of technology, finance, and operations.
MICHAEL GRACE
HIGHWAY
Michael Grace graduated from Auburn University's College of Business in 2009 and embarked on a career in logistics. He started as a National Account Manager at Echo Global Logistics in 2010, and by 2012, he transitioned to Cowan Systems as the Director of Less-Than Truckload. After several successful years at Cowan, he joined Nolan Transportation Group (NTG) where he spent 8.5 years evolving from a Senior Claims Analyst to ultimately serving as the Director and then VP of Risk Management & Compliance. Most recently, Michael has taken on the role of Senior Director of Customer Risk Mitigation at Highway.
GREG FEARY
SCOPELITIS
Greg Feary is president and a managing partner of the Scopelitis Law Firm. He focuses on laws regarding transportation and related industries, including independent contractor issues, legislation, insurance, corporate structure designs, and contract matters. He also serves as a primary contact for mergers and acquisitions due diligence work and advises on corporate structure and risk mitigation issues.
He has created and counseled many captive insurance companies. Additional services Feary provides include:
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Auditing independent contractor programs
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Providing legislative support on independent contractor issues
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Counsel regarding alternative risk programs, including single and group captive insurers, risk retention groups, and various self-insurance and self-insured retention programs
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Insurance audits
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Supervision of litigation in the areas of premium disputes and specialized transportation insurance coverage controversies, including those involving occupational accident insurance
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Designing independent contractor programs
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Defending independent contractor disputes
ROGER SEIP
AUTHOR & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COACH
Roger Seip has a knack for taking principles of effectiveness that most of us struggle with, and crystallizing them into clear strategies and action plans that get Record-Breaking Results. He’s also one of the world’s foremost authorities on how to train the incredible creative capacity of the human mind.
When it comes to creating Record-Breaking Results, Roger walks the walk. Some examples:
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In his first sales career, Roger became one of the top 20 producers of over 200,000 in the 160 year history of the company. That’s the top 1% of the top 1% EVER.
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Roger Co-Founded Freedom Personal Development, one of the world’s premier Personal Development rms. His company has thrived and broken records for more than 15 years.
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Roger is the author of Train Your Brain For Success, a national bestseller on how individuals can remember more, read smarter and break records in their lives.
Roger is a master at teaching what works. He’s delivered more than 2000 presentations for organizations like Northwestern Mutual, Harley Davidson, The National Association of Realtors, and countless others. His audiences and his coaching clients all give rave reviews for the improvement they immediately see, both professionally and personally. Roger also spent 8 years as a professional stand-up comic, so you know you’re getting a program your people will have fun with!
KIM BECK
COTTINGHAM & BUTLER
Kim specializes in benefit program design and re-structuring, cost reduction strategies, compliance services, onboarding/enrollment technology and health & wellness management solutions; specific to the transportation industry. She has over 25 years of insurance and benefit industry experience, including 20 years at Cottingham & Butler working almost exclusively with trucking companies. During this time, she facilitated the development of what is now a nationally recognized annual trucking specific benchmark report on compensation and benefits within the trucking industry. With her industry expertise and over a decade of data from this annual survey, her team has also developed analytic tools and deeper level benchmarking resources to assist trucking companies with strategies for containing costs and making important benefit program decisions each year.
DONALD BROUGHTON
BROUGHTON CAPITAL
Donald Broughton founded Broughton Capital at the beginning of 2017, after spending over two decades as one of Wall Street’s top analysts – first at A.G. Edwards where he covered the Transportation industry, led the Industrials Research Team, and served on the firm’s Investment Strategy Committee. Beginning in mid-2006 Broughton published reports warning of an impending economic slowdown and by early 2007 published reports explaining why a recession was imminent.
His stock-picking performance has been repeatedly recognized by The Wall Street Journal as an “All-Star Analyst,” by Forbes in its “When Picky Analysts Pick” series, and ranked by both Zacks Investment Research and Starmine as a 5-Star Analyst (their highest rating). He is a frequent guest on national broadcast media, such as CNBC and Nightly Business Report. Many in the transportation industry know him for his quarterly tracking of trucking bankruptcies. Notorious as a hard-hitting forensic accountant, as a ‘Sell-side analyst’ he used ‘Sell’ ratings more often than any other Transportation analyst, and is highly regarded for his forecasts that translate goods flow data into economic forecasts.
Prior to going to Wall Street, Mr. Broughton spent almost a decade in various Distribution and Operations management roles in the beverage industry, including serving as the Corporate Manager of Distribution for the Dr Pepper / Seven-Up companies and Chief Operating Officer for Bevmark Concepts. He is convinced that most individuals know more about the economy than they realize, and believes that economists are only boring because they are lazy, or choose to be.