Keynote Speaker
Dan Baker
Dan began his working years as a Methodist Minister in San Antonio, Texas. After leaving the ministry, he evolved into a professional speaker, and since connecting with the trucking industry in the early 1980’s, has dedicated the majority of his time, effort and interest toward helping the truckers make sense out of their very complicated, complex world. As a senior statesman of driver issues, people listen to what he has to say.
Today, the large majority of Dan’s work is repeat business. He is known as one of the most “asked-back” speakers in the business. His work is fresh, stimulating and up to date. His return visits always present new, unrepeated material, taken from the cutting edge of what’s really happening in the real world of trucking. Dan presently resides in Bulverde, Texas, twenty miles north of San Antonio.
He is married, has two daughters, three grandchildren, two dogs, two cats, 56 fish and about nine million fire ants.
FASB13 Update
Bill Bosco
Bill is a consultant specializing in the leasing industry. He has over 34 years of experience in the leasing business with CitiCapital, Sumitomo Bank Leasing, and as a consultant. His responsibilities included designing, developing, and promoting new products, providing advice to solve issues in meeting customer needs in transactions with accounting, tax, and structural complexities. Bill also has extensive experience in accounting, pricing, and training. He is a frequent speaker and author of articles on leasing issues. Bill has been selected by the FASB/IASB to be a member of the Lease Accounting Project Working Group.
As a consultant Bill has advised clients on a variety of engagements including: 1) advising 3 leasing trade associations (ELFA, TRALA, and AALA) on lease accounting issues, 2) advising a lease advisory firm, a bank owned leasing company and a captive finance company on accounting, structuring and analytical issues with their product offerings, 3) creating pro forma financial statements for an independent leasing company to provide to potential investors which included restating three years and projecting the next five years results, and 4) acting as an expert witness for lessors in five lawsuits.
Bill has served on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) Financial Accounting Committee for the last 21 years, 10 of which as the Chairman.
Economist Panel
Dr. Barry Asmus
Dr. Barry Asmus has been named by USA Today as one of the five most requested speakers in the United States. As a Senior Economist for the prestigious National Center for Policy Analysis, Dr. Asmus does more than just speak on policies, he is actively involved with their implementation. With over twenty-five years experience on the speaking platform, Dr. Asmus presents a powerful picture of America’s future, both here and abroad.
Whether addressing thirty world bankers at the home of Harvard's President, 3000 farmers in Des Moines, or 7,000 members of the Million Dollar Round Table at Radio City Music Hall, Dr. Asmus presents his commentary laced with humor, enthusiasm and solid business practices. Based on durable free market economic principles, his presentations analyze the current issues of the digital economy to help decision makers formulate informed and effective choices in a global, e-commerce world.
He has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee regarding our income tax system; was a featured speaker in a privatizing Social Security conference for Western European leaders; and has addressed the faculty for the Young Presidents Organization in Cape Town, South Africa. His appearance at the Forbes Chateau de Balleroy in France with former Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, members of British Parliament, and other Western European leaders focused on the importance of public policy decision in Europe and how they might integrate with the global economy.
Dr. Asmus is the author of nine books. His latest is titled Bulls Don’t Blush, Bears Don’t Die, it provides an insightful summary of today’s economy, the problems facing it and proposed solutions to these problems. Another book of note, Crossroads: The Great American Experiment, was nominated for an H.L. Menken award and has been used in hundreds of University classrooms for international trade and comparative economies. As a Professor of Economics, he was twice voted University Professor of the Year and was honored with the Freedom Foundation Award at Valley Forge for Private Enterprise Education.
Economist Panel
Jim Meil
James P. Meil is chief economist with Eaton Corporation, a global diversified industrial manufacturer with 2007 annual sales of $13 billion.
At Eaton Corporation, he is responsible for forecasts of economic conditions and for the markets Eaton serves in auto, truck, electrical, construction, fluid power & aerospace. He is a panel member for Blue Chip, Consensus Economics, USA Today, Philadelphia Fed Reserve & Wall Street Journal outlook surveys.
Meil won 1st-place recognition in the Wall Street Journal panel of 50 forecasters for 2004, ranked among USA Today’s “Top 10 Economic Forecasters of 2003”.
He is a member of the American Economic Association, the American Finance Association, the Auto Market Research Council, the National Business Economic Issues Council, and the Conference of Business Economists. He formerly served on the board of directors of the National Association of Business Economists. |
