March 5, 2020
NBAA’s 2020 Leadership Conference brought together business aviation leaders, notable speakers and industry experts to discuss important topics around the conference’s theme of “Sustaining and Engaging Today’s Leaders.” The event , held Feb. 24-26 in Orlando, FL, was co-chaired by Lori Johnson, corporate and marketing communications manager for Duncan Aviation, and Joe Barber, CAM, VP, fleet development for Clay Lacy Aviation.
More than 400 attendees had the opportunity to network while learning about retention strategies related to team building, developing and maintaining a productive company culture, leadership best practices and the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Presenting on these top-ics were six speakers, while two panels dove deeper into issues of importance to today’s business aviation managers.
A keynote/workshop titled “Develop a Retention Plan,” was presented by Jeff Kortes, who through humorous, real-life stories and interactive participation created a program that helped participants discover ways to gain a competitive edge to retain talent. He described how some managers are “retention magnets” because they give their employees C.R.A.P. (caring, respect, appreciation and praise). Kortes provided a “headhunter’s” insight into the thoughts and reasoning of employees who are contemplating leaving their employers.
Attendees also engaged through the conference’s mobile app, and everyone received a copy of “Business Aviation Leadership: From the Traits to the Trenches,” by Dr. Chris Broyhill, courtesy of Duncan Aviation.
“Lori Johnson and Joe Barber, as conference cochairs, were able to shine a spotlight on the press-ing issue of workforce retention in a very intentional way by combining world-class speakers with an audience engagement platform that allowed everyone in the room to be full participants in the conversations,” said Jo Damato, CAM, vice president, educational strategy and workforce development. “We can only expect more of the same excellence at the 2021 Leadership Conference.”
Next year’s Leadership Conference theme is “Attracting and Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders” and will be held in Palm Springs, CA, Feb. 8-10, 2021.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.