By Amber Van Schooneveld
You probably don’t know their names. You won’t see them on stage. But these three women have been the minds behind the Global Leadership Summit for years, and even decades.
While they would be the first to divert attention from themselves and tell you about all the brilliant minds on their team, we wanted to introduce you to these three leaders who have been key to the long-term excellence of the Summit.
Lori Hermann: Executive Producer
Worked on the Summit: 13 years (and has worked on GLN global events for 32 years!)
Lori leads all the elements of the Summit from production to creative elements to operations to speaker content and more.
Favorite moment: “I have marveled at the humility of so many amazing leaders. Once we had Colin Powell speak at the Summit, the former U.S. Secretary of State. He arrived with no entourage, in a hoodie, pulling his own suitcase. He introduced himself to everyone, including the assistant putting out food. He was kind to everybody even though he reported to the leader of the free world.”
Biggest learning: “At his very first Summit, Marcus Buckingham talked about focusing on our strengths. That was transformative to my leadership. I learned to understand and lean into the gifts of the people on my team.”
Executive Producer Lori Hermann working behind the scenes at the Summit
How do you maintain the excellence of the Summit? “By working with people who have a growth mindset and want to keep getting better every year.”
Favorite thing about the Summit: “I feel like we’re giving a gift to people. We work hard on the Summit all year, and then we get to watch people open that gift. It’s all about the person attending, whether in our studio audience, online, at a local site or on the other side of the world. We do all of this to serve them.”
Karen “Max” Gronowski: Director of Speaker Acquisition and Elevation
Worked on the Summit: 10 years
Max leads our search for Summit speakers, building both trust and long-term relationships with them.
Number of speakers reviewed each year: 300 to 400
One of the speakers you’re most proud of signing: “Mike Krzyzewski, or ‘Coach K,’ the former Head Men’s Basketball Coach for Duke University; we were so excited to have him join us live for GLS24!”
The one that got away: “Denzel Washington — but we’d love to still have him!”
GLS24 Host Paula Faris, Director of Speaker Acquisition and Elevation Karen “Max” Gronowski, Executive Producer Lori Hermann, and GLS24 host Trey McKnight
Most surprising phone call: “I was driving and got a call. I didn’t recognize the number, so I let it go to voicemail. When I later listened to the message, it said, ‘Hi Karen, this is Hugh Jackman.’ It didn’t work out for him to join us that year, but it was crazy that he called me back personally!”
Favorite moments: “Backstage, we host current and past speakers, and it feels like a family reunion. They encourage each other. They give each other tips. One year, I overheard comedian Michael Jr. coaching another speaker, ‘Hey, if you wait two more beats after you land that line, it’s going to deliver in a stronger way.’ It’s this safe, beautiful space where the top communicators in the world can be themselves and share ideas with each other.”
Biggest challenge: “Staying ahead of trends and the challenges leaders are facing. Some speakers require four to five years for us to sign, and we typically sign speakers 18 months in advance. So, it’s essential to stay connected to the felt needs of our leaders and be curious about what people are talking about.”
Kristen Aikman: Senior Director of Content Development
Worked on the Summit: 27 years
Kristen leads our team from the speaker vetting process through developing content with speakers that will resonate with leaders of all types around the world.
What’s it like giving feedback to some of the world’s top leaders? “The first time I had to give feedback to a speaker, I was so intimidated! But I’ve learned that the essence of great feedback is ensuring the speakers know that I believe in them and want them to be helpful to our global leaders. And I’ve learned that the best leaders want feedback; they want to connect with our leaders in the strongest possible way. Most often, these leaders are the same off-camera as they are on-camera. They are the people you think they are, and they treat people the way they talk about leadership.”
Most interesting thing you’ve learned? “All speakers get nervous, even if they’re the best leader — and whether they’re talking to four people or 300,000 people. They all have their own way of dealing with nerves. Some pace, some shut themselves in their rooms…and some vomit.”
Senior Director of Content Development Kristen Aikmen (right) with GLS24 speaker Dan Owolabi and teammates Jenn Yeager and Kimberly Larabee
How has the Summit impacted you personally? “My husband passed away 18 months ago. That is the greatest leadership challenge I’ve ever faced. I don’t know how I could have gotten through the last year and a half if I hadn’t had 27 years of leadership development. Every talk that I ever heard has flooded through my mind as I figure out how to get my team — my family — through this.”
Favorite thing about the Summit: “I think the Summit is a slice of heaven. You have people from all different cultures learning together and figuring out how to bring out the best in the people around them. They’re learning to create a future that people will love. I wonder if people grasp how amazing that is.”
These three leaders are already dreaming up GLS25 and beyond. Check out what they have in store for us next!
