CEO School Features:
Top Corporate Leaders Sharing Their Secrets of Success

Clyde Fessler Vice President of Business Development | Harley Davidson Marketing Genius & Savior - Harley Davidson Motorcycle Corporation

Clyde Fessler deserves credit for rescuing Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Corporation, which was on the brink of bankruptcy. For over 24 years, he served as the company's vice president of business development. His skillful marketing efforts have made Harley-Davidson indelible in the minds of the American public.

Fessler joined Harley in 1977 as advertising and promotion manager, and was soon promoted to director of marketing services. In that position, he launched the Harley Owners Group, now the world's largest enthusiast club with over a million members.

As general sales manager, he established new policies and programs, many of which still exist today. As director of licensing, he created a new business that gained national recognition, made Harley the ultimate cult brand, and substantially increased its financial value.

He repositioned the rider accessory department as vice president of general merchandise. His marketing skills led the MotorClothes team from $20 million to over $100 million in sales within a five-year span. Afterward, he played a key role in mapping out the company's strategy as vice president of business development.

Clyde is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He has been on the board of trustees at the American Motorcycle Association and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. He also served as an active liaison between Harley and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a relationship that has generated over $31 million in donations since 1981.

Clyde retired from Harley in early 2002. As a consultant and motivational speaker, he's now passing on a marketing mantra of change. "If you do what you've always done," he says, "you're gonna get what you've always got."

Dr. Kevin L. Freiberg Founder & CEO | San Diego Consulting Group Author, Speaker, Consultant

Dr. Kevin Freiberg is a business expert and founder of the Consulting Group. Over many years, he as identified and shared successful corporate strategies through his books and presentations. He is best known for his analysis of the success of Southwest Airlines, which has been able to achieve a high level of success while most of its competitors have been driven into bankruptcy.

Since beginning his career in 1986, Dr. Freiberg has helped corporate leaders improve productivity, customer service, and profitability by becoming faithful servants of the people they lead. Many high-profile companies have looked to him for advice on how to ride the wave driving the new economy. They include American Express, General Electric, Major League Baseball, NCR Japan, and Universal Studios.

Before becoming a full-time speaker and consultant, Dr. Freiberg taught for eight years at the University of San Diego. He earned a masters degree in communications from San Diego State University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of San Diego.

This impressive educational background and a wealth of experience come out in Dr. Freiberg's many books and articles. He and his wife, Jackie, are authors of GUTS! Companies that Blow the Doors Off Business-as-Usual . GUTS! is an exciting sequel to NUTS! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success , hailed by the Financial Times as one of the year's top five global business books.

Dr. Freiberg has been a guest on CNBC and CBS Morning News. Now he's here to tell you how to boost your business by using your guts. As you hear his cutting-edge ideas, you'll know for certain that he's not nuts.

Terry Jones Founder, President & CEO | Travelocity.com Expert on e-commerce

Terry Jones, the founder of Travelocity.com, is one of the nation's top authorities on e-commerce. He led the company as president and chief executive officer from it's founding until May 2002. Previously, Jones served as chief information officer at Sabre Inc. In his 24 years at Sabre, Jones held various executive positions including President of Computer Services, Vice President of Applications Development, and Vice President of Product Development.

Prior to Sabre, Jones joined American Airlines in 1978 as Director of Product Development when American Airlines acquired Agency Data Systems, a Florida-based mini-computer accounting systems company. He became president of the division when it moved to Dallas/Fort Worth.

A graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio, Jones entered the travel industry in 1971 as a travel agent with Vega Travel in Chicago. He later served five years as a vice president of Travel Advisors, a company specializing in business travel to Eastern Europe and the USSR, with offices in Chicago and Moscow.

Jones is managing principal of Essential Ideas, a consultancy he co-founded to help companies in their transition to the digital economy. He still has his hand in the travel business as chairman of Kayak, Inc., a new Internet company focused on travel search, and serves on the board of directors of Earthlink, Inc., and La Quinta Corporation. He also is a special venture partner with General Catalyst Partners. Jones has been featured in BusinessWeek, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, and Professional Conference Management Associations Convene.

Mark Warner Former Governor | State of Virginia

Mark Warner is considered a top contender for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. One of the reasons is his dazzling record as former governor of Virginia.

Campaigning as a moderate Democrat, Warner was elected governor in 2001. He soon showed his knack for bridging bipartisan differences by forging tax reform that turned a $6 billion budget deficit into a surplus. In January 2005, Virginia was rated "the best managed state in the nation" by the Pew Charitable Trust.

As governor, Warner pursued a "progressive agenda for the information age." He strengthened public education and added 150,000 new jobs, mainly in technology. He started a $12 million fund that allowed broadband to stretch 700 miles through some of the state's poorest areas.

He also brought this energetic approach to health care. He started SeniorNavigator.com to help older Virginians and their caregivers find medical information, locate senior health services, and connect with other seniors in their communities. And he served as founding chair of the Virginia Health Care Foundation, which has provided health care to more than 600,000 underserved Virginians.

The competence that Warner showed Virginia had enabled him to graduate Harvard Law School and become a successful businessman. He's a founder of Nextel and Columbia Capitol, which have given jobs to thousands.

Warner was co-chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA) in 2004 when it reached the conclusion that long term care is the greatest problem facing America, and that home care is the nation's best solution. Undoubtedly, his passion for home care and hospice will be a major focus of his expected presidential campaign.

Michael Curry Principal of Business Contingency Services | Vanguard

He began his career in 1977 as a staff accountant with Deloitte, LLP. Since then, he has held audit and management positions with several Fortune 50 companies including Philip Morris Companies, Inc., The Washington Post Company and The Zurich Insurance Group. Curry’s educational
background includes the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Baltimore. He is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and a Certified Business Continuity Professional. Curry participates as a member of several financial services industry professional organizations including the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, the Association of Contingency Planners, and is the Chairman of the Investment Company Institute, Business Contingency Planning
Sub-Committee.

In the community, he is a member of several Boards including: the University of Baltimore Educational Foundation, the Starfinder Foundation and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Curry serves as a member of the United Way Southeastern Pennsylvania Campaign Cabinet, and is a volunteer and supporter of the Philadelphia PCs for Schools Program.

He is also an accomplished soccer coach and spends some of his spare time working with the identification and development of future U.S. Olympic and National team players across the country. His other interests include jazz music, cooking, cycling and traveling. He resides in
Berwyn, Pennsylvania.