Robin Sharma – Golden Gavel Recipient
Robin Sharma is a leadership and management expert who is a best-selling author and trusted advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs. The Toronto, Canada, resident is the founder of Sharma Leadership International Inc., a training firm whose mission is to help employees “lead without a title.” Clients include corporate heavyweights such as Microsoft, General Electric and FedEx.

Sharma, who holds two law degrees, teaches companies how to improve their work culture and maximize performance. He has written 11 international best-sellers, including his latest book, The Leader Who Had No Title. Through his website, www.robinsharma.com, Sharma offers popular resources for leadership content.

Sharma delivers keynotes around the world and is known for his dynamic speaking style. His presentations are inspiring, yet highly practical and results-oriented.

Dave Logan, Ph.D. - Keynote Speaker
Dave is a highly accomplished business executive, a best-selling author and an expert on cultural transformation in the workplace. He is the co-founder and senior partner at CultureSync, a management consulting firm specializing in strategy, negotiation and high performance.

Dave earned a Ph.D. in organizational communication from the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California. He is a lecturer at USC's Marshall School of Business who teaches management and leadership in the school's Executive MBA program. Dave also co-founded the Trojan Toastmasters club at USC.

Among his varied business accomplishments, Dave launched the largest training program in commercial real estate with CB Richard Ellis. In addition he is co-author of four books, including The Three Laws of Performance and Tribal Leadership, which offers leaders the tools to improve their organization's "tribal culture." For more information, please visit www.davelogan.com  

Mohammad Al-Issa, ACG, ALB
Mohammad Al-Issa is a reliability engineering specialist who delivers many presentations about innovation and safety. He works as a consultant for oil company Saudi Aramco.

Mohammad has showcased his speaking talents in Toastmasters, winning the District 79 Humorous Speech Contest in 2007, 2009 and 2010. A member since 2005, he belongs to the Dhahran Toastmasters in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Mohammad speaks at technical conferences and leads many workshops for large audiences, including ones on communications, humor and reliability. In 2008 he presented a workshop at the District 79 conference titled “Pack it with Punch”; it addressed how to be an effective communicator and humorous speaker. The workshop was so well-received that Mohammad proceeded to present it at other divisions in the district. For more information, please visit this YouTube page to see Mohammad speak.

Karen Baetzel, ACG, ALB
Karen Baetzel has a unique background of success. For 30 years, she was a military officer and pioneering aviator in the United States Navy. Today she runs a business that serves corporate and government clients throughout the U.S. in training, speaking, and providing technical and strategic consulting.

In the Navy, Karen achieved the rank of captain and became one of its most senior female aviators. Amassing more than 2,000 military flight hours, she is one of the few Naval pilots – man or woman – to qualify for flying rotary, propeller and jet aircraft. Later, Karen became a corporate leader, professional trainer and author of three books.

A member of the National Speakers Association, Karen is a member of two Toastmasters clubs in Florida: the Miami Advanced club in Kendall and the Homestead club in Homestead. For more information, please visit www.truebattleaxe.com  

Johnny Campbell, DTM, AS
Johnny Campbell is an author and business speaker who talks about change in the marketplace. He teaches people that dealing with transition and social media marketing – and even difficult individuals – can be easy as well as profitable.

The author of five books, Johnny earned Toastmasters’ Accredited Speaker status in 2007, becoming the first African American younger than 40 to hold this designation. He is also a 2007 Speaker Hall of Fame inductee.

Johnny’s expertise about change in the business world stems from his work in the insurance industry, where he served as a transition specialist who helped lead hundreds of people through multiple corporate downsizings and mergers. That was where he earned his moniker “The Transition Man.”

Johnny’s message to audiences offers real-world strategies and tactics that business owners can use to be more productive. For more information, please visit www.transitionman.com  

Sandy Costa
Sandy Costa is an attorney and international business leader who has enjoyed tremendous success in the corporate world. He speaks to groups about leadership and how to create a successful workplace culture.

Sandy has held legal and executive positions at several corporations. As president and Chief Operating Officer of Quintiles Transnational Corp., an international service provider to the pharmaceutical industry, Sandy helped raise the company’s revenues from $90 million to $1.6 billion and increase the number of its employees from 1,000 to 20,000 worldwide.

Sandy is the author of Humanity at Work: Encouraging Spirit, Achievement & Truth to Flourish in the Workplace. As a consultant and speaker, he shares his insights with a wide range of groups, including corporations, associations and universities.

Sandy is a member of the Cardinal Toastmasters in Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.santocosta.com  

Craig Duswalt
Craig has a strong background in both music and marketing – and from those experiences he has created a program that helps business people. It is called the RockStar System for Success – How to Achieve RockStar Status in Your Industry.

Craig once toured with famed rock band Guns N’ Roses as the personal manager for star singer Axl Rose. He has many stories of entertainment figures, including such giants in their field as U2, Elizabeth Taylor and the Rolling Stones.

Craig was also an award-winning copywriter, working as a creative director for a Los Angeles-based ad agency until opening up his own ad agency, Green Room Design & Advertising. Now an author and professional speaker, he teaches corporations and entrepreneurs how to use outside-the-box marketing techniques and promote themselves like a RockStar. For more information, please visit www.craigduswalt.com  

Byron Embry, CC
Byron Embry was once a top-performing athlete who drew on the advice of his coaches. Now he is himself a coach – one who helps organizations reach their full potential. The former professional baseball pitcher formed his company Closing Remarks in 2009.

Byron works with leaders from a range of organizations, helping them identify strengths and plan strategically. His clients include universities, hotels, churches and large companies such as T-Mobile and Hewlett-Packard.

A stutterer as a child, Byron joined Toastmasters in 2008 – and the next year was a finalist in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking. He now speaks at conferences and seminars with audiences of more than 7,000 people.

Byron is a member of Pikes Peak Toastmasters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information, please visit www.closingremarks.net  

Linda Henley-Smith
Linda Henley-Smith is an author, educator and opera singer. She speaks around the world on personal growth and development – with a particular focus on using humor to tackle life’s challenges.

Linda, who has been in the entertainment business most of her life, is also a trainer and consultant. Her clients include government organizations, Boys and Girls Clubs and insurance agencies. She is the author of such books as Adjust Your Attitude and Laugh ’Til the Cows Come Home and Humor Me … I’m a Teacher.

Linda’s keynote speeches and seminars are filled with humor, education, storytelling and music as she looks at how people and organizations can achieve success. She is a member of the National Speaker’s Association, E-Women Network and the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. For more information, please visit www.lindahenley-smith.com 
 

Mark Hunter, ATMS
Mark Hunter is a coach and trainer who works with organizational leaders. He teaches such leaders how to coach their employees in performance development. Mark knows a great deal about performing at a high level: In 2009, he captured the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking.

A former school principal in Queensland, Australia, he delivers keynotes and education sessions on a wide range of subjects. Mark is a strong advocate for people with disabilities, having used a wheelchair since 1975 when he suffered a water skiing accident. His World Championship speech, “A Sink Full of Green Tomatoes,” shared some of his insights about life in the wake of that accident.

Mark is passionate about what Toastmasters can do for individuals. The 17-year member belongs to two clubs in Queensland: Bunya Club in Albany Creek and SeeChange Toastmasters in Grange. For more information, please visit www.markhunter.com.au  

Darren LaCroix
Darren LaCroix is a coach and trainer who has helped countless people improve their speaking abilities. His corporate clients include CEOs and companies such as IBM and Fidelity Investments.

The 2001 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren is a keynote speaker who travels the world teaching audiences how to deliver a powerful presentation. His specialty is humor and how to incorporate it into speeches as well as the workplace.

Darren, who has worked as a stand-up comedian, is the co-author of Laugh & Get Rich: How to Profit from Humor in Business. His trademarked program, Get Paid to Speak by Next Week, helps people become professional speakers.

Darren is a member of the Powerhouse Pros Toastmasters club in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, please visit www.darrenlacroix.com  

Dana LaMon, DTM, AS
Dana LaMon is an author and trainer who retired last year after serving nearly 30 years as an administrative law judge. Blind since the age of 4, Dana has built a life of great achievement. The Yale University graduate is a Toastmasters Accredited Speaker and its 1992 World Champion of Public Speaking – the only Toastmaster who holds both distinctions.

Dana delivers speeches and training programs around the world and speaks for organizations as varied as Kiwanis, Vanguard Investments and the United States Central Intelligence Agency. His presentations frequently address what steps a person must take to achieve excellence.

He is the author of three books, including Master the Ceremonies: The Emcee’s Handbook for Excellence. Dana is a 23-year member of Toastmasters and belongs to two clubs in Lancaster, Calif.: Talents Unlimited and Speakers in the Wind. For more information, please visit www.danalamon.com  

Sindy Martin, DTM
Sindy Martin is a trainer, coach and etiquette expert who helps people around the world become more confident and courteous in business and social situations. She appears on television and radio programs and is the author of Are You A Duck, an Elephant or a Mouse? How Are You Perceived When You Walk Into A Room?

Sindy is the founder of Smartin International, a premier business protocol and etiquette consulting firm. Smartin helps executives polish their professionalism and enhance their personal brand. Sindy has provided keynotes and communication and leadership training programs to Fortune 500 companies, universities and national conferences.

A Toastmaster for 14 years, she is a member of three clubs in North Carolina: the Friendly Toastmasters, High Point Toastmasters Club and Blue Moon Club. For more information, please visit www.smartininternational.com   

Dan Nainan
Dan is a stand-up comedian who performs for a variety of audiences around the world. He has also appeared in films and on television, including the popular show Last Comic Standing.

The son of a Japanese mother and Indian father, Dan features plenty of multi-cultural humor in his act. He also works clean, refusing to color his jokes with profanity. Dan used to be a full-time techie, working as a demo engineer for Intel Corporation. He turned to Toastmasters to overcome his fear of speaking – and then took a comedy class that changed his life.

Eventually he left Intel for the world of stand-up comedy. Dan performs at all kinds of events, including comedy shows, corporate functions and charity galas. He is a member of the American Express Toastmasters in New York City. For more information, please visit www.danielnainan.com  

Cathy Newton
Cathy Newton is a motivational speaker and expert on the topic of “purposeful risk-taking.” She inspires people to embrace change and helps them with personal growth and professional achievement.

In her own life, Cathy has ventured far beyond her comfort zone, tackling one challenge after another. While in college, she performed as a cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League. Then for more than two decades she worked in education – as a teacher, coach and school district wellness coordinator.

In 1992 Cathy formed PRT Consulting, Inc., a speaking and consulting business. She helps clients learn how to take healthy risks to improve their performance, and handle new opportunities with confidence. Her clients include universities, healthcare organizations, businesses and government agencies.

Cathy is the author of three books: Living in Full Swing, RISK IT! and It Takes Character! For more information, please visit www.motivationalspeakercathynewton.com