Keynote Speakers

Monday, September 14 | 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM ET

Kevin Brown understands what drives organizational excellence and customer loyalty. He knows firsthand how great brands think, feel and act. Kevin’s unconventional path to business and personal success has taught him that winning in business and in life requires anything but conventional thinking. 

He grew up in Muskegon, Michigan where his blue collar roots taught him the value of hard work and determination. His resume includes an eclectic mix of career stops that ultimately led him to the purchase of a franchise at the age of seventeen. 

With a street-wise aptitude and a never quit attitude, he worked his way from the front lines in business to the executive boardroom. For nearly two decades Kevin was a sales and marketing executive that helped grow a little known family business into an industry giant with annual revenues reaching two billion dollars.

After a career in franchising that spanned 30 years, Kevin decided to retire from corporate America and pursue his passion for bringing The HERO EffectTM message to as many people and organizations as possible. Kevin is on a mission to help people and organizations embrace a simple philosophy that separates world-class organizations and high performance people from everybody else. He is passionate about helping people expand their vision, develop their potential and grow their results. And, as the father of an autistic child he knows firsthand how the principles of true success reach beyond the boardroom and into the lives of real people facing the challenges of everyday life. 

As a highly sought after keynote speaker, Kevin has had the privilege of speaking to a wide variety of organizations including Siemens, State Farm, Country Financial, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Northwestern Mutual, Delta Airlines, Trans America and Allianz to name just a few. Kevin entertains, inspires and challenges people to show up every day and make a positive difference at work and in life!

Thursday, September 17 | 11:15 AM - Noon ET

Anthony “Tony” Hatch was honored by being named the 2019 North American Rail Shippers Association (NARS) “Person of the Year”. 

Mr. Hatch has been a Senior Transportation Analyst on Wall Street for over thirty years, starting at major financial institutions prior to starting his independent analyst/consultancy in 1999, working with partners MillerTabak and CV Brokerage. Mr. Hatch's coverage has been focused on the freight transportation segment, particularly surface transportation. Mr. Hatch is known for his knowledge of the intermodal area, where the various modes of freight transport converge, on which he has held several dozen specialized conferences.


Mr. Hatch has been providing not only “traditional” institutional transport research but also providing “bespoke” research such as due diligence and other services to “new” players in transport investment such as private equity, infrastructure and hedge funds in such areas as intermodal, rail maintenance and construction, railcars and 3pls. He has created a series of research partnerships such as with PLG Consulting (2015) on petrochemical transport, and an equity marketing partnership with CV Securities. Along with Progressive Railroading magazine he co-founded, co-presents and leads “Railtrends”, the most comprehensive railway conference every fall in NYC.