Speakers

Speakers may be updated. View the full agenda here.

Scott Anderson

Board Chairman, Zions Bank

  • Scott Anderson is Board Chairman of Zions Bank. He served as the bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer from January 1998 to April 2024. During his tenure, Anderson grew average deposits from $3.3 billion to $24.3 billion and average loans from $6.3 billion to $13.3 billion. Over the same period, the bank’s year-end net revenue increased from $88.5 million to $925 million.

    A native of Salt Lake City, Anderson joined Zions Bank in December 1990 as Executive Vice President of Retail Banking. Prior to that, he spent

    16 years with Bank of America in San Francisco, including seven years working in its Asia Division. A leader in the financial services industry, he is Chair Emeritus of the American Bankers Association Board of Directors, which he chaired from 2021-2022.

Jeremy Andrus

President and CEO, Traeger Grills

  • Jeremy Andrus and a financial partner acquired Traeger Grills in 2014, transforming it from a small, regional, 26-year-old business into a multi- hundred-million-dollar brand that owns more than 50% of the global wood pellet grill market. This was largely achieved by Andrus leading an overhaul that would result in moving the company’s headquarters from Oregon to Utah and rebuilding its team with an emphasis on the people and culture behind the company. Andrus took Traeger public on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2021.

    While Traeger has Andrus’s most successful growth story, it isn’t his first. He joined start-up Skullcandy in 2005 with four employees and less than $1 million in sales. Under his leadership, Skullcandy disrupted the headphone and wearable electronic space, growing into a $300 million public company.

Kirk Aubry

President and CEO, Savage

  • Kirk Aubry is President and Chief Executive Officer at Savage — a Utah-based, global provider of supply chain infrastructure and solutions — and a member of the company’s board of directors. Aubry has been instrumental in leading the company’s growth since joining Savage in 2010 as Chief Operating Officer. He was named President in 2012 and Chief Executive Officer in 2015. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Utah’s Promise, which integrates resources to support Utah families.

    Savage is a Utah success story. Founded in 1946, the family-owned business has grown from one truck in American Fork, Utah, to more than 4,000 team members across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Savage was recognized as the 2020 Utah International Business of the Year.

Scott Baum

COO, SEMPRE Technologies

  • Scott Baum is COO of SEMPRE Technologies, an infrastructure company supporting both governments and commercial customers. He previously served as Vice President of Strategy and Growth for Elbit America, responsible for the development of multi-year strategic growth plans for the Defense and Commercial businesses. Before that, he as Principal Director of the Office of Industrial Policy for the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

    At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baum was detailed as a Senior Defense Executive to Health and Human Services, where he played a critical role in scaling the U.S. Industrial Base in response. Baum is an independent director on Rice University’s Data Standards Development Board, and a visiting lecturer and board member at Texas Christian University’s Energy Institute.

Carl W. Bentzel

Commissioner, Federal Maritime Commission

  • Before his 2019 appointment to the Federal Maritime Commission, Commissioner Carl Bentzel established a consulting services company representing clients on regulatory and legislative issues related to transportation, energy and other areas of federal regulatory oversight. From 2004-2014, he served as Vice President and head of the federal advocacy division of a full-scale public relations firm, the DCI Group.

    He also served as a Senate professional committee staffer, most recently as Senior Democratic Counsel of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. While working in the Senate, he was one of the principals in crafting the Maritime Security Act of 1996, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, and in 2002, following the attacks on 9/11, the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002.

Paul E. Burdiss

President and CEO, Zions Bank

  • Paul E. Burdiss is President and Chief Executive Officer of Zions First National Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A., an $87-billion-in- assets bank headquartered in Salt Lake City. He served as Chief Financial Officer of Zions Bancorporation for nine years before being named President and CEO of Zions Bank in April 2024.

    Prior to joining Zions, he was Corporate Treasurer at SunTrust Banks, Inc., where he was responsible for overseeing the investment portfolio, capital management, liquidity, and interest rate risk management, stress testing and Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review process.

    Before SunTrust, Burdiss was Executive Vice President and Treasurer of Comerica Inc., after having been the Director of Investor Relations. Earlier in his career, he was a relationship manager at The Bank of Nova Scotia.

George W. Bush

43rd President of the United States of America

  • George W. Bush served as 43rd President of the United States of America from 2001 to 2009. As Commander in Chief, President Bush worked to expand freedom, opportunity, and security at home and abroad. At home, he championed the No Child Left Behind Act to raise standards in schools and cut taxes for every federal income taxpayer, restoring economic growth and launching an unprecedented 52 straight months of job creation. The Bush Administration also negotiated new free trade agreements, worked with Congress to pass landmark healthcare reforms, and instituted robust environmental protections.

    Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, President Bush responded with a comprehensive strategy to protect the American people. Under his leadership, the U.S. built global coalitions to remove violent regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq that threatened America and provided unprecedented support for young democracies and dissidents around the world. President Bush also launched global HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives that have saved millions of lives, particularly in sub- Saharan Africa. Prior to serving as President, he was the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995-2000.

    After the Presidency, President Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush founded the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. They are the parents of twin daughters and have four grandchildren.

Spencer J. Cox

18th Governor of Utah

  • Gov. Spencer J. Cox is Utah’s 18th governor, currently serving as 2023- 2024 chairman of the National Governors Association. He has a long history of public service, serving as a city councilmember, mayor, county commissioner and state legislator before being appointed as Utah’s lieutenant governor in 2013. He was sworn in as governor on Jan. 4, 2021.

    A long-time advocate for suicide prevention and mental health resources, he’s become a national voice on protecting youth from the harms of social media. He also signed early education and workforce program funding, launched the One Utah Health Collaborative, and expanded opportunities for women, diverse communities and those living in rural parts of the state. Gov. Cox promotes respect in politics through his “Disagree Better: Healthy Conflict for Better Policy” initiative.

Jeffry L. Flake

U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye

  • Ambassador Jeffry Flake assumed office as U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye in January 2022. He served in the U.S. Senate from 2013-2019 and the U.S. House from 2001-2013, representing Arizona. Most recently, he served as a Distinguished Dean Fellow at Arizona State University and a Distinguished Fellow at the Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership at Brigham Young University. He also served on the Senior Advisory Committee at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.

    Ambassador Flake is a former Executive Director of the Goldwater Institute, a public policy research and advocacy organization in Phoenix. Early in his career, he was Executive Director of the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia during that nation’s transition to independence.

Vicente Fox

62nd President of Mexico

  • Vicente Fox served as President of Mexico from 2000-2006. He’s credited with playing a vital role in Mexico’s democratization, and with strengthening the country’s economy.

    President Fox spent much of his childhood on his father’s ranch in Guanajuato, Mexico. After studying at the Ibero-American University in Mexico City and taking courses administered by the Harvard University Business School, he began driving a truck for the Coca-Cola Company in 1964, advancing to become the youngest executive to ever be appointed president of Coca-Cola for Mexico and Latin America.

    Today, President Fox is actively involved in encouraging leadership and creating opportunities through his organization Centro Fox.

Jonathan Freedman

President and CEO, World Trade Center Utah

  • Jonathan Freedman joined World Trade Center Utah as President and CEO in July 2023, leveraging his international business experience to help Utah companies scale globally. Prior to joining WTC Utah, he was an entrepreneur. He co-founded Downeast, a clothing and furniture retail chain in 1991. Together with his two brothers, Freedman grew the company to 64 locations in seven western states with 1,100 employees.

    In 2007, Freedman was asked by the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. to serve as honorary consul of Ukraine in Utah and has led the effort to support Utah’s Ukrainian community, foster economic development, and promote cultural exchanges between Ukraine and Utah. In September, he was awarded the Order of Merit by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the highest honor given to a non-Ukrainian citizen.

Mark Garfield

Zions Bancorporation International Banking

  • Mark Garfield is head of market coverage, trade finance and global financial institutions at Zions Bancorporation. He joined Zions Bancorporation in 2005. Garfield is past Chair of the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT), a 400+ member international banking association representing banks globally. He served as Chair of the Utah District Export Council and is currently board member of the DEC National Advisory Board. He was a founding board member of WTC Utah.

Natalie Gochnour

Associate Dean, David Eccles School of Business; Director, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute

  • Natalie Gochnour serves as an associate dean in the David Eccles School of Business and as Director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. From 2006 to 2013, she guided the public policy work of the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah’s largest business association. Gochnour served in the administrations of three Utah governors — Bangerter, Leavitt and Walker. She was also a political appointee in the George W. Bush administration, serving as an associate administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a deputy to the secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Gochnour has authored over 250 columns in Utah Business magazine and Deseret News and co- hosts the award-winning radio program Both Sides of the Aisle on Utah Public Radio.

Mateo Goldman

Acting Vice President, Office of Equity and Investment Funds, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

  • Mateo Goldman is currently the Acting Vice President, Office of Investment Funds at the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. (DFC), where he is responsible for managing DFC’s division dedicated to investment fund investments. Prior to joining the DFC, Mateo was the General Counsel and CCO of GPI Capital, a New York based private equity fund manager, where he managed all aspects of the legal and regulatory affairs of the firm’s global investment activity and operations, including the ESG analysis and monitoring of its investee companies. Prior to joining GPI Capital in 2016, Mateo was Counsel at BTG Pactual, covering the U.S. and international legal aspects of the bank’s private equity funds and investment bank. Mateo also served as a corporate Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York, where he focused on cross-border capital markets and M&A transactions for the firm’s international and U.S. clients.

Bear Grylls

Adventurer and Author

  • A former British Special Forces soldier, Bear Grylls went on to become one of the youngest-ever climbers of Mt. Everest despite breaking his back just 18 months earlier. Since conquering Everest, Grylls has hosted adventure TV shows, including the Discovery Channel’s Man vs. Wild and Running Wild with Bear Grylls. His Running Wild guests have included President Barack Obama, Roger Federer, Julia Roberts and Prime Minister Modi of India.

    A bestselling author, Grylls has sold more than 20 million books. He is also an Honorary Colonel to the Royal Marines Commandos, the youngest ever UK Chief Scout, and the first ever Chief Ambassador to the World Scout Organization, representing a global family of some 55 million young Scouts worldwide.

Dr. Richard Haass

President Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations; Senior Counselor, Centerview Partners

  • Dr. Richard Haass is president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is also senior counselor with Centerview Partners, an international investment banking advisory firm. He previously served as CFR’s president for 20 years, in the State Department under presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, at the White House under George H.W. Bush, and at the Pentagon under Jimmy Carter.

    He was U.S. envoy to the Cyprus negotiations and the Northern Ireland peace process, and after 9/11 was U.S. coordinator for the future of Afghanistan. He also authors a weekly newsletter, “Home & Away,” available on Substack. A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Haass holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, master’s and doctorate of philosophy degrees from Oxford University, and numerous honorary degrees.

Stephen Harper

22nd Prime Minister of Canada

  • For nearly a decade, The Right Honourable Stephen J. Harper led Canada through the world’s most complex geopolitical, economic and security challenges as the country’s 22nd Prime Minister. He created the modern Conservative Party of Canada, won three successive national elections, and was the longest-serving Conservative Prime Minister since Canada’s founding Prime Minister in 1891.

    Since leaving office in 2016, Harper founded and is Chairman and CEO of Harper & Associates, a global consulting and investment advisory business, and is Chairman of Vision One. He serves as a Director of Colliers International Group Inc. and Recover Inc. He is also the author of Right Here, Right Now: Politics and Leadership in the Age of Disruption, and a frequent speaker on geopolitical trends, populism and business.

Benjamin Hart

Executive Director, Utah Inland Port Authority

  • Benjamin Hart has served as Executive Director of the Utah Inland

    Port Authority (UIPA) since September 2022, prioritizing economic optimization of port facility development, strong internal controls and organizational transparency. Under his leadership, the Port is focused on state and regional projects, ensuring world-class global access for Utah businesses.

    Hart previously served as the Deputy Director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. He also served as the Director of Employer Initiatives for the Department of Workforce Services and Economic Development Administrator at Layton City.

Jon Huntsman

Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard; Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, China, and Singapore

  • A twice-elected governor and longtime public servant, Jon Huntsman has spent considerable time across state, national, and international positions. He has served five U.S. presidents, notably as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, China, and Russia, and is the only American in history to have served as Chief of Mission in both China and Russia.

    Huntsman’s expertise extends to both corporate governance and foreign relations. He sits on the boards of Ford Motor Company, Mobileye, and Chevron while also serving on the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board and the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board. Additionally, Huntsman is on the Executive Committee of the National Committee on US-China Relations and chairs the World Trade Center Utah. A seventh- generation Utahn, he and his wife, Mary Kaye Huntsman, have seven children.

Corey Johnston

Head of Strategy, Strider Technologies

  • In his role as head of strategy, Corey Johnston helps optimize Strider’s delivery of unique data and methodology to predict, correlate, and mitigate risks to talent, technology, and supply chains in both private and public sector organizations.

    Prior to joining Strider, Johnston served more than 20 years in the United States Navy as a naval aviator, diplomat, economic statesman, and Chief Competition Officer at the U.S. Department of State. In this role, he spearheaded multiple initiatives that not only led to a resurgence in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing but also made substantial contributions to the CHIPS Act legislation.

Brett Keller

CEO, Priceline

  • Brett Keller is Chief Executive Officer of Priceline, a subsidiary of Booking Holdings. Keller joined the company in 1999, just a year after its formation, and rose to Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer prior to his appointment to CEO in 2016.

    Keller spearheaded the launch of the travel industry’s first full-service mobile app, was the architect of the iconic Priceline Negotiator campaign and was a driving force behind the company’s robust early adoption of Generative AI.

    Prior to joining Priceline, Keller managed Cendant’s online travel businesses as a Director of Online Travel.

Derek L. Kitchen

Acting Senior Vice President and Deputy Director, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Export-Import Bank of the United States

  • Derek Kitchen joined the Export-Import Bank after serving as a State Senator in the Utah Legislature, where he advanced policy on a range of critical issues, including the development of the Utah Inland Port Authority, workforce support and housing, and good governance. Kitchen’s legislative work also includes energy storage, criminal justice reform and transportation. Prior to his time in the Utah Senate, Kitchen was elected to the Salt Lake City Council and concurrently served as Chair of the City’s Redevelopment Agency.

    Before entering public service, Kitchen founded Laziz Kitchen, an award- winning Salt Lake City restaurant with three locations. He is also an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In 2013, he prevailed in his landmark federal case against the State of Utah, which brought marriage equality to the 10th Circuit.

Joel Kotkin

Roger Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures, Chapman University

  • Described by the New York Times as “America’s uber-geographer,” Joel Kotkin is an internationally recognized authority on global, economic, political and social trends. He authored The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class and The New Class Conflict.

    Kotkin is the Roger Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange, California and directs the Center for Demographics and Policy there. He is Executive Editor of the widely read website NewGeography.com, as well as a regular columnist for national and international publications.

    Kotkin has published reports on topics ranging from the future of class in global cities to the places with the best opportunities for minorities.

Michael MacDonald

Managing Director, Zions Capital Markets

  • Michael MacDonald is Managing Director of Zions Capital Markets, which conducts the capital markets and investment banking activities of Zions Bancorporation. Prior to joining Zions, he was Managing Director of the Power & Project Finance group at CIT Bank, where he managed a team of industry specialists and a $2 billion loan portfolio. He was the founder of the Power & Project Finance group at OneWest Bank prior to its acquisition by CIT.

    Previously, MacDonald was a deal principal in the Power & Utilities group at MUFG. He began his career as an investment banker in the Structured Credit Products group at Wachovia Securities.

Peter Metcalf

Founder and CEO Emeritus, Black Diamond

  • Peter Metcalf was the lead co-founder of Black Diamond Equipment

    in 1989 and served as its Chief Executive Officer/President until 2015, during which he took the company public and acquired POC, Gregory Mountain Products, and the Austrian-based Avalanche transceiver/ safety equipment company PIEPS GmbH. He was President of Black Diamond, Inc. from 2015 through 2016 and served as a Director from 1989 to 2015. As CEO Emeritus, he is an advisor to the company’s senior management team and Brand Ambassador. He also has served and serves on the board of several outdoor industry trade and nonprofit organizations.

    From 1982 to 1989, Metcalf served as the General Manager and President of Chouinard Equipment Ltd., a subsidiary of Lost Arrow/ Patagonia Corporation. Prior to that, he was an instructor for the Colorado Outward Bound School, an oilfield roughneck and remains a lifelong, technical rock climber/alpinist.

Derek Miller

President and CEO, Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance

  • Derek Miller is President and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, leading the business community in advocating for and advancing Utah’s economic prosperity.

    Previously, Miller served as President and CEO of the World Trade Center Utah, helping to promote international business across the state. He also served as Chief of Staff for Gov. Gary Herbert and as Managing Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development under Gov. Jon Huntsman.

    Miller began his career in Washington, D.C. as a management consultant with Arthur Andersen and as legal counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives.

J. Golden Moore

Senior Vice President, International Banking Manager, Zions Bank

  • J. Golden Moore chairs the Crossroads of the World International Trade Summit. In his role as International Banking Manager, he helps entrepreneurs, midsized companies and corporations with export- import banking, transaction and funding needs. With more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry, he has expertise in international business, corporate, mid-market commercial, industrial, real estate construction and development finance and provides holistic International trade finance solutions to support clients. Recently, his small business export team won the SBA’s Utah District Export Lender of the Year award in back-to-back years. He has participated in various trade missions to the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. He is a member of the U.S./European Chamber of Commerce.

Arthur Newell

Executive Vice President, Zions Bank

  • Arthur Newell oversees Commercial Banking for the Salt Lake region and International Banking for Zions Bank. He has assisted individuals and businesses with their commercial, treasury, and real estate banking needs for many years. In addition, he is involved with many community service opportunities, particularly centered around education. He serves as board chair for my529/Utah Educational Savings Plan. He is also a member of the Utah Water Ways board. Newell has served on the Utah Board of Higher Education, chairing the Finance and Facilities Committee and the Education Committee. He has served as a board member for the Utah Colleges of Technical Education, Mountainland Technical College, Alpine School District Foundation, and the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Daniel J. Pische

National Director of Trade Finance, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of International Trade

  • Daniel Pische serves as the National Director of Trade Finance within the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Office of International Trade in Washington, DC. He is responsible for the design and delivery of export loan programs and oversight of the national staff of Export Finance Managers. Prior to joining the SBA, Pische was a Senior Vice President

    at First American Bank for more than 15 years, where he led their Trade Finance Division and was a member of the Senior Loan Committee. Daniel served on the U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Finance Advisory Council during the second charter term and as the SBA’s ex-officio representative on the third chartered term. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Northern Illinois University and is an Evans Scholar alumnus.

Felicia Pullam

Executive Director of Trade Relations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

  • Felicia Pullam is the Executive Director of Trade Relations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where she advises the Commissioner and leads an office that acts as the agency’s primary point of contact for private sector engagement.

    Pullam has worked on trade issues from both the state and federal perspective, including various roles with Delaware, Maryland, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. During the Obama Administration, she helped steer SelectUSA, a presidential initiative housed within Commerce, to promote the United States as the leading global destination for foreign direct investment. Pullam was then appointed to the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and Materials.

    Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade in China, leading the Asia corporate responsibility and sustainability practice for APCO Worldwide.

T.J. Raguso

Executive Vice President and Director of Global Banking, Zions Bancorporation

  • T.J. Raguso has served as Executive Vice President and Director of Global Banking at Zions Bancorporation since 2015, having previously served as Manager of International Banking, at its Texas subsidiary, Amegy Bank, since 2005. He joined Amegy Bank in 1998 and has 27 years of experience in trade finance, letters of credit, EXIM Bank lending, commercial lending, foreign exchange and international correspondent banking. His activities focus on the unique banking needs of importers, exporters and companies involved in global trade. Earlier roles included positions at Wells Fargo Bank and Hibernia National Bank. Fluent in Spanish, he is an active member of the Bankers’ Association for Finance and Trade, Houston Committee on Foreign Relations, Houston District Export Council and the Greater Houston Partnership.

Edward B. Rowe

Chief Executive Officer, The Stirling Foundation

  • Edward Rowe is a founding member of the board and CEO for The Stirling Foundation. He was previously a partner at law firms in Washington, D.C., where he focused on international dispute resolution and peace building, foreign investment, and government relations. He has spent much of

    his career working among developing nations and has represented foreign governments before international tribunals, the United Nations Security Council, European Union, United States, and other international organizations. Rowe has also served on boards in the private and nonprofit sectors and advised international nonprofit organizations on humanitarian and development programs.

  • Don Salazar is the founder and CEO of Creative Times, Inc. a specialty design-build construction company based in Utah. For over 30 years, CTI has completed a wide array of construction projects for the private and public sectors, including the Army Corp of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Defense.

    Salazar previously served as the Chairman of the Board at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Ogden Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Zions Bank, Utah’s oldest banking institution.

    Salazar is a former President of the Northern Utah Public Employees’ Association. Additionally, he was appointed by former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert to serve on the Utah State Council on Workforce Services.

Macky Sall

Former President of the Republic of Senegal

  • His Excellency Macky Sall, former President of the Republic of Senegal, is a geological engineer and geophysicist. He was trained at the Institute of Earth Sciences, Senegal, then the Higher National School of Petroleum and Engines and the French Institute of Petroleum, both in France.

    He was elected President of Senegal for the first time in 2012 and re-elected for a second term in 2019. From 2013 to 2019, he was the Chairperson of the Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee, the leading body of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. From 2022 to 2023, he served as Chairperson of African Union. The admission of AU as a full member of the G20 was among the main achievements of his chairmanship.

Harris H. Simmons

Chairman and CEO, Zions Bancorporation

  • Harris H. Simmons is Chairman and CEO of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. He is a director of National Life Group and O.C. Tanner Co. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of Zions First National Bank prior to 1998 and has been an officer of the company since 1981. He has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Zions Bancorporation since 1990 and Chairman since 2002. Simmons first worked for Zions in 1970 and has served in a variety of positions with Zions First National Bank and Zions Bancorporation in more than 40 years with the organization. He is a graduate of the University of Utah and has an M.B.A. from Harvard University. Simmons is a past chairman of the American Bankers Association.

Larry Smith

Senior Advisor, Tokyo Electron Ltd.

  • Larry Smith is a senior advisor to the President and CEO of Tokyo Electron Limited. He recently retired as Chairman of the Board for Tokyo Electron America, Inc. and Tokyo Electron US Holdings, which has regional revenues over $2 billion annually and more than 2,500 employees. He joined the company in June 2000 and has more than 35 years of management experience in the semiconductor industry. He was recently appointed to Texas Governor Abbott’s Executive Committee for the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium, responsible for allocating grants to companies focused on the semiconductor ecosystem. Smith also served in the U.S. Army as an Armor Officer for five years.

    He also serves as Chairman of the Board for Mobile Loaves and Fishes, which has fed over 6.4 million meals to the Austin homeless population over the last 25 years.

Robert Spendlove

Senior Economist, Zions Bank

  • Robert Spendlove is the Senior Economist for Zions Bank, monitoring and reporting on economic indicators and public policy developments for the bank. He frequently advises and briefs policymakers, as well as business and civic groups throughout the United States. He is known for his insightful and understandable approach to explaining economic trends.

    Spendlove served in the Utah House of Representatives from 2014- 2024, where he was Vice Chair of the Executive Appropriations Committee. His previous experience includes time in the Utah Governor’s Office as Deputy Chief of Staff for Federal Relations, Chief Economist and State Demographer.

Astrid Tuminez

Astrid Tuminez

President, Utah Valley University

  • In 2018, following a rich and storied career in business, philanthropy, and academia, Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez became the seventh president of Utah Valley University. She is the first woman to serve on a full-time basis as UVU president. Raised in the slums of the Philippines, Tuminez rose to become a world leader in the fields of technology and political science, most recently serving as an executive at Microsoft. She is also the former vice dean of research and assistant dean of executive education at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.

John Tuttle

Vice Chairman, NYSE Group; President, NYSE Institute

  • John Tuttle oversees NYSE’s Global Listings, Global Advisory, and Exchange Traded Products businesses including managing the Exchange’s relationships with more than 2,400 companies located in 47 countries and accounting for 43 million jobs. He also leads the NYSE Institute, which promotes the role of public markets in driving inclusive economic growth and ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. capital markets.

    Since joining NYSE in 2007, Tuttle has served in a succession of roles including Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Global Head of Listings, Chief of Staff, Head of Corporate Affairs, and as Managing Director of Global Affairs and Government Relations for NYSE Euronext, then-parent company of the New York Stock Exchange as well as five other financial exchanges in Europe.

Joey Zwillinger

Co-Founder, Allbirds

  • Joey Zwillinger has long been passionate about making things from renewable resources, which led him to start Allbirds in 2015 and begin tackling sustainability issues in the footwear industry. He was the CEO of Allbirds until 2024, and currently serves on its Board of Directors. Zwillinger is also a General Partner at Good Friends, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on financing and supporting the world’s best technology entrepreneurs in their early company formation stage. Prior to co-founding Allbirds, he spent six years at biotech firm Terravia (formerly Solazyme, Inc.) leading its renewable chemical business. Previously, Zwillinger worked in advisory and investment roles at Industry Ventures, Deloitte Consulting and Goldman Sachs.