Saltmarsh Hosts 2nd Annual Pensacola Business Leaders Funnel

5/16/2017 - By Zachary Farrington

Our Pensacola office hosted the 2nd Annual Pensacola Business Leaders Funnel on Wednesday, May 10th. More than 75 local business owners and community leaders assembled for this unique forum, which was centered around pressing issues such as the importance of establishing and sustaining your corporate culture, understanding the current economic situation, and forecasting the impact of the 2017 presidential election.

“What I love is the whole ‘funnel’ concept,” said Gulf Breeze Councilwoman, Renee Bookout. “I attended last year as well, and I got so much out of the experience. It is important for us, as a community, to come together, dig deeper, engage in some introspection, and learn from the experiences of others.”

Kicking off this year’s Funnel was an esteemed panel of corporate leaders, featuring Julian MacQueen of Innisfree Hotels, Mark Faulkner of Baptist Health Care, Kara Cardona of Navy Federal Credit Union, and moderated by our own Ron Jackson. These leaders focused on how culture-based strategies are integral in creating a genuine and engaging work environment. As MacQueen stated, Innisfree operates under the principle of a “Triple Bottom Line” that consists of people, planet, and profit – in that order. Each panelist had the opportunity to share their story and explain the unique aspects of their corporate culture that drive loyalty, service standards and ultimately support their bottom line.

Following the panel, John Hutchinson of Hutch-Touch Consulting facilitated an interactive group discussion which focused on the outlook for local, regional, and state economic development. Despite noting several economic challenges ahead, he contrasted them with the upcoming opportunities available to our area. John specializes in strategic planning in the areas of economic development, public relations, and community growth strategies.

We also had the opportunity to host Dr. Sean Snaith, the director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute of Economic Competitiveness, as our closing speaker. He is a nationally recognized economist in the field of business and economic forecasting, having received multiple awards for his accuracy and research. Dr. Snaith’s presentation honed in on today’s changing political climate and his economic forecasts for 2017 and beyond.

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