Keynote Speaker
Taylor St. Germain
As an experienced economist, Taylor St. Germain provides consulting services for small businesses, trade associations, and Fortune 500 companies across a spectrum of industries. Taylor specializes in forecasting at both the market and company levels and is a key contributor to maintaining ITR Economics’ forecast accuracy rating of 94.7%.
His dynamic personality and extensive knowledge of economic trends and their business relevance are highly valued by clients and colleagues alike.
Taylor spent time in the tech industry providing market intelligence to electronics OEMs, semiconductor companies, and component manufacturers. In his five years with ITR Economics, he has worked with various distributors, manufacturers, and producers, helping each client navigate the business cycle and optimize their corporate planning strategy. Taylor has also spent several years in Texas furthering his research in the industrial sector, with a specific focus on oil and gas.
Taylor earned his bachelor’s degree in statistics from the University of Vermont and is finishing a master’s degree in applied economics at Southern New Hampshire University. He has been featured in OEM Magazine, NALP, Lawn and Landscape, and on the Fab Lab and Wealth Formula podcasts.
Eric Traupe is a trusted advisor to our nation’s highest-ranking leaders. He has advised CIA directors, presidents, cabinet and military officials, and members of Congress. He has also participated in momentous White House strategic, policy, and resource decisions. Traupe’s leadership, acumen, and unmatched ability to cultivate enduring relationships between the U.S. and its foreign partners continue to be heralded in intelligence circles.
Traupe is an inclusive and transformational leader whose “exemplary leadership will reverberate across the CIA for decades,” as noted by the agency’s top officials. To complement his highly sought-after leadership insights, Traupe is masterfully skilled at engaging audiences with his captivating perspectives on today’s top issues.
Throughout his tenure with the CIA, he thrived in assignments that required crisis management skills, sound judgment, and an ability to assess internal and external risks. As a member of the CIA’s Expanded Corporate Board, Traupe led thousands of officers from different professional units, developed and executed multi-billion-dollar budgets, and addressed acute intelligence and foreign policy challenges on behalf of the CIA director. He expertly assessed geopolitical and economic trends, forecasted key budgetary investments, and weighed the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact to ensure his workforce maintained cohesion, resiliency, and mission focus.
Prior to the CIA, Traupe served in the United States Marine Corps for nearly 10 years. He held several command and staff assignments and completed deployments to the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans, Japan, and Europe. Traupe played a key role in managing three separate non-combatant evacuation operations in The Gambia, Albania, and Zaire, during which a total of 1,500 U.S. citizens were safely rescued.
Since leaving the public sector, Traupe founded Azimuth Global LLC, a consulting firm that provides strategic advisory services to Fortune 100 companies across sectors. He is also the president of Capella Federal Inc. and a senior advisor at WestExec Advisors. Additionally, Traupe is an ambassador for the Third Option Foundation and serves on the boards of large and emerging technology companies.
Consistently recognized as a strategic thinker and collaborative leader, Traupe’s contributions to the Intelligence Community have been recognized with several honors, including the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, Clandestine Service Career Award, CIA’s Director Award (twice), George W. Bush Award for Excellence, and the Presidential Rank Award — to name a few.
He holds an MBA in international business from American University and a BA in communications from the University of Michigan, where he starred as a linebacker participating in two Rose Bowls and a Gator Bowl.
Keynote Speaker: Taylor St. Germain
Thursday, October 2 at 8:30 am
Taylor St. Germain is an economist specializing in market and company-level forecasting, providing consulting services to businesses across various industries. With a background in tech and industrial research, he leverages data-driven insights to help clients navigate economic trends and optimize corporate strategies.
EUDR Update & Overall View of Exports
Friday, October 3rd from 1-2 pm
Insights into the latest updates on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its impact on exports.
Speakers: Mike Snow with AHEC
Reducing Risks & Insurance Costs Panel
Thursday, October 2nd from 10:45-11:45 am
Hear from a panel of experts on strategies to minimize risk and lower insurance rates from industry experts.
Speakers:
- Emily Glanz & Maegen Lembeck with Cottingham & Butler
- Kevin Mershimer with The Horton Group
Market Trends & Impacts Panel
Friday, October 3rd from 10:45-11:45 am
A deep dive into current market trends and their impact on the hardwood industry.
Speaker: HMR
Strong Roots, Stronger Growth: Integrating Operating Disciplines with Financial Strategy for Sustainable Success
Thursday, October 2nd from 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Panel Focus
Rooted in the world of the NHLA, this discussion unites the discipline of a proven entrepreneurial operating framework with the clarity of sound financial management. Participants will explore the vital alignment between structured operational practices and rigorous financial stewardship, revealing how these complementary forces cultivate efficient, resilient, and adaptable enterprises.
Key Themes
- Establishing organizational structure through an entrepreneurial operating framework while nurturing adaptability with insightful financial analysis
- Employing financial tools to enrich weekly leadership meetings
- Leveraging finance to define success for quarterly priorities and systematic talent assessments
- NHLA’s perspective on operational resilience within the hardwood sector
Speaker: Ryan Walter, Ryan Henry, NHLA Executive Director Dallin Brooks
