Successfully leading change requires more than a great idea—it demands strategy, alignment, and execution. This session will provide practical frameworks and proven tactics to help you drive impactful change from initial vision to measurable results.

Instructors: Karl Ahlrichs, Jeff Nishwitz, Patrick Jeffs

Karl Ahlrichs, SHRM-SCP, CSP
Karl Ahlrichs specializes in helping professionals make order from chaos.

He is a national speaker, author, and consultant, presenting on the people issues in all industries with a focus on solving the talent shortage, and is often quoted in the local and national media.

Karl’s experience is ideally suited to times of organizational change as he pulls on risk management and organizational development theories to replace “best practices” with “next practices”. He owes much of his communications mastery to working as a writer and editor in daily media, to on-the-job writing experience and to the process of becoming a published author.

He has held senior level positions in multiple Professional Services firms, and was a founding partner of ExactHire, bringing his HR, operations, diversity & belonging, and learning & development skills with him.

Karl’s affinity for design, composition and learning started at a very young age, by taking and examining tens of thousands of boring photographs with the goal of improving his craft. He loves deploying that practice-to-improve approach with all manner of hobbies including writing haiku, mastering photography and learning Spanish. He wishes he had stuck with his guitar lessons in high school.

He was named the SHRM Human Resource Professional of the Year for the State of Indiana. He is on the Boards of several organizations, including the Maryland CPA Society. He has lived in Scotland and Spain and is passionate about exploring new experiences with his family and friends.

Jeff Nischwitz, JD
From successful large law firm partner to founder of his own entrepreneurial law firm, Jeff Nischwitz successfully built a client base while practicing law and building a law firm. Jeff has “walked the walk” as a large firm partner, as a solo practitioner, and as the founder and leader of an entrepreneurial business law firm, which provides him with a diverse and practical perspective on the business of professional services firms.

Jeff’s first book, Think Again! Innovative Approaches to the Business of Law (American Bar Association 2007) offers innovative and practical advice on building an exceptional law firm, including leadership essentials in the business of law, secrets of effective relationship selling, and strategies for building a client centric law firm.

“Jeff’s book (Think Again!) is the gold standard of how a firm should be managed and how lawyers should endeavor to promote their practice. I consider your book to be an invaluable resource for law firm managers.” Michael Foster, Jackson Kelly, PLLC

“This hot-off-the-press title is the best new book to be published on growing and running a law firm in several years. It’s insightful, comprehensive, and unusually well written. It’s a must read.” Bill Jawitz, Jawitz Legal Consulting

“In my view, if your firm only takes advantage of one new reference source or planning tool this year, this book is the one to select. It will encourage you to take a brutally honest look at what’s working and what’s not within your firm and to exercise your professional muscle to make change happen. … It’s one of the most valuable books I have read in my 20 plus years as a practice management consultant and coach. … The bottom line: ‘Think Again!’ is a thoughtfully written book by an experienced attorney who’s ‘been there, done that.’” Nancy Bylerly Jones, Lawyers USA June 2, 2008

Jeff’s second book – Unmask: Let Go of Who You’re “Supposed” to Be & Unleash Your True Leader (Motivational Press 2014) – is a road map for anyone’s journey of personal and professional leadership.

Jeff’s most recent book – Arrows of Truth: Simple Shifts for Personal Transformation (Eagle Heart Press 2017) – is your companion on your journey of life and leadership.

Jeff’s experience at the Vice President of Business Development for CBIZ, a national accounting and professional services firm, and his role as the Chief Growth Officer for another Cleveland law firm provides Jeff with a unique insider’s perspective on the legal and accounting profession.

Jeff Nischwitz is the Founder and of The Nischwitz Group (www.nischwitzgroup.com), a training, consulting and coaching company that helps professionals accelerate their results. Jeff works with professional services firms and their leaders in four core areas: business development training and coaching, team and leadership development, client experience, and firm succession planning and future leader development.

Jeff is also an international speaker on the topics of professional business development, team effectiveness and execution, building client centric law firms, transformational leadership and succession planning.

Jeff graduated from Ohio Northern University (B.S. Business Administration 1981, magna cum laude) and went on to graduate from The Ohio State University College of Law (J.D. 1984, magna cum laude).

Patrick Jeffs
Dr. Patrick Jeffs is a leading expert in resilience, leadership, and organizational well-being. As the founder and CEO of The Resiliency Solution, he equips individuals and organizations with science-backed tools to prevent burnout, enhance decision-making under pressure, and foster sustainable performance.

Previously, Dr. Jeffs co-founded and led the NC Center for Resiliency (NCCR), the first body-based trauma resilience clinic on the East Coast. In partnership with his wife, Kim Jeffs, he helped establish NCCR as a pioneering institution in trauma resilience, providing essential services to individuals and communities. The Resiliency Solution began as NCCR’s corporate training arm before evolving into an independent entity dedicated to leadership development.

Known for his dynamic and engaging approach, Dr. Jeffs integrates the latest in research, leadership psychology, and real-world applications to inspire and equip audiences with actionable strategies. Through the Resiliency Solution, he has worked with Fortune 500 companies, healthcare systems, government agencies, and first responders, helping leaders and teams build resilience and thrive in high-pressure environments.