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2025 Global TapRooT® Summit Keynote Speakers

Get inspired by our lineup of incredible keynote speakers for 2025! These thought leaders are ready to share their insights, expertise, and vision for the future. Apply what you learn to make your improvement program world-class.

Vincent Phipps

How to Share, Learn, and Implement Best Practices from the Summit

October 01, Wednesday, at 10:20 AM

Vincent Phipps is one of our most highly recommended Global TapRooT® Summit Keynote Speakers from past Summits. Vincent’s specialty is effective communication. In his Keynote Address, he will use his knowledge to help you get the most out of your Summit experience by learning effective techniques to share (communicate) and learn (hear others communicate) best practices at the various sessions at the Summit. In addition, Vincent will share ideas to help you sell your ideas when you get back to work and implement your best ideas! This session is highly interactive so be prepared to participate.

Alex Weber

Facing Challenges, Self-Doubt &
Uncertainty When Achieving
World-Class Performance

October 01, Wednesday, at 4:00 PM

Alex Weber is an international keynote speaker on leadership and peak performance, a competitor of American Ninja Warrior, and an award-winning entertainer for NBC. He has faced challenges and will inspire you to be unstoppable in your quest to improve:
  • Safety
  • Equipment Reliability
  • Quality
  • Operational Excellence
  • High-Reliability
  • Human Performance
  • Root Cause Analysis

Alex’s contagious positive energy will immediately impact your efforts to ignite record-breaking achievements at your company!

Gard Clark

Life and Death Underwater

October 02, Thursday, at 9:00 AM

The sea is an unforgiving environment. Sea pressure increases by roughly 44 psi for every one hundred feet of depth equals one atmosphere for every 10 meters. At the Titanic’s depth, the pressure reaches nearly 6,000 psi, about 400 times normal atmospheric pressure. This immense pressure challenges not only submersible vehicles but also the experts who design, maintain, and operate them. Success or failure, and indeed life or death, hinge on a solid safety culture and individuals willing to “stand in the breach” to prevent disaster.

Safety professionals bear a unique responsibility to stop disasters. As Admiral Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear navy, once said: “…it is the duty of each of us to act as if the fate of the world depended on him. Admittedly, one person alone cannot do the job. However, one person can make a difference. We must live for the future of the human race, not for our comfort or success.” How will you react when doing the “right thing” conflicts with your comfort or success?

Gard Clark will share thought-provoking examples from over 40 years of experience as a naval officer, submarine captain, commercial plant manager, business executive, and current Deputy Director of the World Submarine Organization.

Barb Carr

Making Improvement Happen!

October 02, Thursday, at 4:00 PM

The Global TapRooT® Summit provides a wealth of ideas for improving performance. But how can you return to work with the momentum needed to implement your ideas?
 
Root cause analysis is a critical tool for identifying and addressing the underlying causes of issues, but the challenge lies in transforming these insights into lasting improvements. In this keynote, Barb Carr will explore impactful, sustainable solutions. Discover how TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis can be the catalyst for achieving a higher standard of excellence in your organization.

Kim “KC” Campbell

Flying in the Face of Fear:
Lessons on Leading with Courage

October 03, Friday, at 11:00 AM

Kim “KC” Campbell is a retired US Air Force Colonel who served for over 24 years as a fighter pilot and senior military leader. She has flown 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2003, Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission. Kim is the author of the bestselling book Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot’s Lessons on Leading with Courage.
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Kim has written that fear can prevent us from achieving success or lead us to a more significant growth path if we harness fear effectively. We must have the courage to persevere through challenges, do the hard things, and act even in fear. When we act in critical moments and persevere despite the difficulty, we are positioned to create a culture of courage and an environment of trust that builds deeper relationships, inspires loyalty, and enables our team to perform at their best.
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Kim will share her story about a life-changing combat experience while weaving in leadership lessons that will motivate and inspire you to be more confident when faced with adversity or uncertainty. She will also provide practical ideas and examples to improve trust and prepare you to face challenges in your personal or professional life.