Robert J. O’Neill, Team Leader, Naval Special Warfare Development Group
Rob O’Neill is one of the most highly-decorated combat veterans of our time. He was a team leader with the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. He has deployed more than a dozen times, and he held combat leadership roles in more than 400 combat missions in four different theaters of war. A highly-trained Navy SEAL, he led the military’s most elite and was involved in our nation’s most important campaigns. With most of his career shrouded in a classified cloak, O’Neill was the man on the ground we have never heard of but know exists. He was one of the quiet professionals performing the most difficult tasks in the most difficult circumstances, serving his remarkable career in the shadows and keeping America safe in the process.
In his line of work, instant, critical decision-making is an absolute necessity for success, and he has proven experience in exceptionally high-risk and fluid environments. Having trained more than 800 special operations and tactical operators, O’Neill brings this unique expertise to organizations and translates his elite SEAL team training into high-impact, actionable insights on leadership, decision-making, operating in uncertain environments, and how to become the ‘best of the best.’ His mantra is “never quit,” and O’Neill believes this is the single most important factor in determining success. A family man, O’Neill reminds us that the servicemen doing the dirtiest work are often making the hardest sacrifices.
Decorations. One of the nation’s most decorated veterans, O’Neill has been decorated more than 52 times with honors, including two Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars with Valor, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, three Presidential Unit citations, and two Navy/Marine Corps Commendations with Valor. Silver Stars, the military’s third highest honor, are awarded for extraordinary gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. Bronze Stars with Valor are awarded for merit, with Valor signifying a heroic act and direct participation in combat operations. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth highest military award overall. Joint Service Commendation Medals are given for senior service on a joint military staff and is the most senior of the commendation medals.
Military History. O’Neill rose to the rank of senior chief petty officer in the United States Navy and served as a team leader at DEVGRU, positions not come by easily. O’Neill has a laundry list of certifications, including instructor, physical trainer, master training specialist, special warfare sniper and breacher, diving supervisor, and survival expert. He was alsoan officer in charge of small arms, demolition, close quarters combat, explosives breaching, fire and maneuvers, and laser systems safety. His military air operations qualifications include high-altitude and high-opening free fall jump master, tandem and bundle master, parachute rigger, master naval parachutist, drop zone safety officer, and air operations trainer/examiner and quality assurance inspector. He has completed more than 1000 jumps.
Matt Brewer, Deloitte Consulting, LLP
Matt Brewer is a CPG specialty leader in the Deloitte Digital practice. With over 10 years of consumer goods and retail experience, he has helped some of the world’s largest brands transform their sales and marketing organizations, using technology and analytics to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their capital spend. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation as a trusted and compelling voice amongst his clients and within the marketplace by drawing on a powerful combination of strategic, operational, and communication skills to help Fortune 500 companies transform their business models, improve performance, and create world-class organizations.
Keefe Harrison, Executive Director, Curbside Value Partnership
Keefe Harrison is the Executive Director of The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit with a twelve-year track record of increasing recycling rates. Formerly, Keefe served as a senior consultant for Resource Recycling Systems, the director of communications for the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, the project director for the Southeast Recycling Development Council, and as a local government assistance team member for the North Carolina State Recycling Office. She has worked in the waste reduction and recycling field since 1998 and is an active national speaker and published author on recycling issues. She lives with her husband and two children in Half Moon Bay, CA.
Charles Johnson, Vice President Policy, Aluminum Association
Charles Johnson is the Vice President of Policy at the Aluminum Association in Washington, D.C. In that capacity, he addresses a broad range of domestic and international concerns. Mr. Johnson is an environmental policy expert, with a Masters degree in International Environmental Policy from American University. His professional experience during his 15-year tenure at The Aluminum Association has expanded to include federal affairs, environmental regulation, occupational health and safety, community and consumer protection, international regulation, and sustainability.
Grant Prentice, Director Strategic Insights, Food Minds
Grant is Director of Strategic Insights with FoodMinds, LLC. He specializes in strategic marketing and market research with extensive experience in building marketing and issues management programs that utilize nutrition and agricultural science-based intellectual property.
Prior to FoodMinds, Grant was the EVP of Marketing & Business Development for Dairy Management Inc. where he integrated the marketing and science teams to deliver a pipelineof potential health claims. Grant also spent several years working for Monsanto on their Equal and Nutrasweet brands as the Director of Strategy & Business Information and as the Director of Strategy on Monsanto’s Biotechnology Acceptance Team. Grant has 14 years of advertising and communications agency experience at EURO RSCG where he worked in research and planning on a range of clients including Procter & Gamble and MillerCoors. Grant has a BS in Psychology and Advertising from the University of Illinois at Champagne Urbana.