What do a Pulitzer prize-winning author, an Emmy award-winning TV personality and one of the top 5 influencers in the world have in common? They’ll all be at SAS Global Forum this year. It’s where analytics enthusiasts and executive thought leaders meet to share strategies, get training in abundance, and network with thousands of like-minded attendees -- all in the stunning backdrop of our nation's capital.
Every year, I’m excited to meet SAS users, industry experts and keynote presenters. This year, I’m hoping to learn about the past, the present and the future from three presenters in particular.
1. History lessons from Doris Kearns Goodwin
One of the people I’m looking forward to meeting is world-renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin. From what I understand, Goodwin will provide us all with a historical perspective like never before.
Goodwin has spent five decades studying American presidents. Beginning her career as a 24-year-old White House Fellow during the President Lyndon B. Johnson administration, Goodwin later assisted Johnson in the writing of his memoirs while she was also teaching government at Harvard University.
Her latest book, Leadership In Turbulent Times, provides an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders in every field, and for all of us in our everyday lives.
I also enjoyed reading her memoir, Wait Til Next Year, which describes the roots of her love for baseball.
As a presidential scholar, Goodwin has studied leadership trends surrounding some of the greatest American leaders. My hope is that we’ll all walk away from her talk with leadership lessons we can apply to our jobs.
And she's a Boston Red Sox fan, so she must be smart. (Go Sox!)
2. All the current trends from Katie Linendoll
If you watch the TODAY show, you might recognize Katie Linendoll – she's an Emmy award-winning TV personality, writer, consumer tech expert, and one of the leading women in the field of technology. She’s a tech contributor on TODAY, and I’ve also spotted her as a regular on Rachael Ray, The Weather Channel and CBS Sports Radio.
Linendoll earned a degree in information technology new media from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She holds two Emmy nominations, a Guinness World Record and was honored as a Silicon Valley Visionary. I’m looking forward to spending some time with her in DC as she hosts the conference and participates in our Women in Analytics luncheon.
In all of her appearances, Lindendoll makes technology accessible to the masses. At SAS, we endeavor to make analytics accessible to the masses, which makes Lindendoll a perfect fit for our conference host.
3. Seeing into the future with Bernard Marr
Most of us would agree, every good decision starts with good data. But, as Bernard Marr would tell you, there are several steps in between data and decision that you can’t forget. Marr is an internationally best-selling author, futurist, keynote speaker, and strategic advisor to companies and governments.
His passion for looking ahead and seeing trends in the ways that data and technology will shape our lives is truly thought provoking. As a mom of young learners, I especially enjoyed reading his recent insights about digital education technologies.
He advises and coaches many of the world’s best-known organizations on strategy, digital transformation and business performance. LinkedIn recently ranked Marr as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world and the No. 1 influencer in the UK. He's authored 16 best-sellers, is a frequent contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes.
Every day Marr actively engages his almost 2 million social media followers and shares content that reaches millions of readers. Personally, I like how Bernard Marr keeps it real – check out his 10 examples of how AI is already in use in our everyday life.
Who else should I meet?
Besides these main stage presenters, I want to learn as much as I can from each of you. As a marketer who relies on analytics to make decisions and run successful campaigns, I thrive on the exchange of information and bring back ideas every year.
If you know of a presentation that will help me, or someone I should really meet, let me know. I’ll look for you at SAS Global Forum!
