CEO Stories from the Frontlines: Driving Transformation Under Pressure When the Rules Keep Changing
Speakers
Kerry Gumas is founder and CEO of Metacomet Advisors, which provides strategic advisory and board services to technology, marketing services, information companies and event owners and, via Metacomet Ventures, co-invests in early stage and growth businesses. Kerry co-founded and served as a director and CEO of Questex, a leading global business information and event producer, and previously held senior executive positions at Reed Exhibitions, Advanstar, and IDG.
His industry affiliations include prior service as chairman at the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and service as board member of Connectiv, the global business information association division of SIIA.
As CEO of Questex, Paul Miller drives the company’s growth strategy and strengthens its position as a leader in the experience economy. A proven business leader, he has successfully grown companies with revenues between $30 million and $250 million. He played a key role in the $1.2 billion sale of Penton to Informa.
Before Questex, Paul was President of Informa’s Industry & Infrastructure Intelligence, where he focused on innovation and ROI for customers. He also served as President of Penton’s Industry Group and CEO of UBM Tech, overseeing digital transformation and international expansion.
Paul holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Sheffield Hallam University and a Marketing Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Tim has led GovExec, the market-leading intelligence company serving government leaders and contractors, to explosive growth since its spin-off from Atlantic Media in 2020. In the last four years, Tim has shepherded GovExec through an unprecedented 16 acquisitions, a myriad of new product launches, and 400% revenue growth.
Under Tim’s leadership, GovExec built the most sophisticated suite of information-gathering and analysis tools in the public sector. Harnessing cutting-edge data combined with deep expertise, GovExec provides key insights across all industries in the B2G sector, reaching over 3.3 million government influencers each month and providing contractors of all sizes unparalleled intelligence.
Tim’s commitment to supporting the government mission is matched by the energy he brings to his work in youth soccer. He started as a volunteer coach for his daughter’s team and is now in his tenth season, helping the boys and girls of Arlington Soccer achieve their goals.
A proud alumnus of James Madison University, Tim merged his passion for mentoring and networking with his profession and co-founded JMU Federal Dukes, an organization dedicated to fostering closer relationships between the university, its students and alumni, and government agencies. Tim also serves as a mentor for JMU students who are pursuing a career in government service.
SUMMARY
This CEO panel explores how leaders are navigating rapid change, AI adoption, and market disruption while continuing to drive growth and performance. A central theme is that today’s environment requires both urgency and adaptability, with AI accelerating decision-making, productivity, and expectations across organizations. Leaders shared real examples of driving adoption, restructuring teams, and tying AI directly to revenue and efficiency outcomes. The conversation reinforces that success is not just about implementing new technology. It is about aligning culture, talent, and strategy around clear priorities, staying close to customers, and using change as a catalyst for learning and growth.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00 – 00:01:30] Leadership in Turbulence Uncertainty is reframed as an opportunity. Like pilots learning in turbulence, leaders should view disruption as a platform for growth.
[00:01:30 – 00:03:30] AI Adoption Challenges: Fear, Trust, and Training Common barriers include fear of job loss, lack of training, and low trust in AI outputs. Addressing these is critical to driving adoption.
[00:03:30 – 00:04:30] Driving Cultural Change Around AI Organizations are embedding AI into their DNA through leadership messaging, training, and empowering employees to experiment.
[00:04:30 – 00:06:00] The Rise of AI Agents in the Workplace AI is evolving toward agent-based models, where employees manage teams of AI agents, fundamentally changing how work is done.
[00:06:00 – 00:07:30] New Expectations for Leadership Performance Faster decision cycles increase pressure on leaders. The ability to make high-quality decisions quickly becomes a key differentiator.
[00:07:30 – 00:09:00] Measuring AI Impact: From Efficiency to Revenue Simple time savings are no longer enough. Organizations are measuring AI success through revenue growth, lead conversion, and productivity gains.
[00:09:00 – 00:10:30] Real Example: AI Driving Revenue Growth Companies are already generating meaningful revenue from AI through improved sales processes, automation, and customer engagement.
[00:10:30 – 00:12:00] Combining Cost Efficiency and Revenue Gains AI enables organizations to reduce costs while simultaneously improving sales productivity and performance.
[00:12:00 – 00:13:30] New Business Models Emerging AI is creating new revenue streams, including usage-based models and AI-powered products built on proprietary data.
[00:13:30 – 00:15:00] Funding AI Transformation Most organizations are self-funding AI initiatives by optimizing costs, reallocating resources, and making tough operational decisions.
[00:15:00 – 00:17:00] Lessons from Transformation Efforts
Move quickly and start experimenting Empower teams that are eager to adopt Share learnings across the organization
[00:17:00 – 00:18:30] The Role of Culture and Talent Strong teams and aligned culture are essential to executing strategy and navigating change effectively.
[00:18:30 – 00:20:00] Customer-Centric Leadership Staying close to customers remains the most reliable way to guide strategy and identify growth opportunities.
[00:20:00 – 00:22:00] Defining the North Star Leaders emphasized:
Focus on culture and people Control what you can control Align around a clear customer-centric mission Set ambitious productivity goals (for example, 10x improvement)
[00:22:00 – 00:23:00] Final Takeaway: Adaptability as a Competitive Advantage The ability to adapt quickly, embrace change, and continuously learn will define the next generation of successful leaders.
