Stephen Strome retired as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Handleman Company, a New York Stock Exchange-listed corporation, in November 2007. Mr. Strome served as Chief Executive Officer for 17 years following his election in 1991. He was elected Chairman of the Board in 2001. He became a member of the Handleman Company Board of Directors in 1988. Handleman Company was one of world’s largest distributors of music CDs with operations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom with annual sales of $1.3 Billion.

Before being named President in 1990, Mr. Strome served as the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for two years. Before being appointed COO, he was Executive Vice President and President of the company’s video and home computer software division. In 1985, he pioneered the home video “sell-through” business to the mass marketplace. The home entertainment industry recognized Mr. Strome for this accomplishment by electing him to the Video Hall of Fame.

From 1974 to 1978, Mr. Strome was employed as a Regional Manager of Labor Relations for Fruehauf Corporation. He began his career with Kmart Corporation in 1968, holding positions of increasing responsibility until 1974.

Mr. Strome was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of AmerUs, a NYSE-listed life insurance and annuity company with over $26 billion in assets, from 2003 through 2007, when the company was sold. He served as Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and a member of the AmerUs Compensation Committee.

After retiring, Mr. Strome was appointed Executive in Residence at the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University. In that position, he worked with the Career Planning and Placement Office perusing additional firms to recruit at the business school. He also mentored students to help them achieve their career goals. Mr. Strome also consulted for a small growing internet distribution company seeking to grow its online business.

Mr. Strome was and remains an active board member for several tax-exempt organizations. Currently, he a board member and serves as treasurer as well as chair of the finance and audit committee for the Federation of Greater Naples. Mr. Strome also serves as past chair on the board of the Holocaust Museum of Naples. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Detroit Public Television and remains an emeritus board member. He also served as the former Chairman, and is an emeritus board member of the Board of Visitors of Wayne State University’s Ilitch School of Business Administration. He is also an emeritus board member of the Wayne State University Foundation. Mr. Strome served as a Vice Chair of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion (formerly the NCCJ) and was a board member of the Child Abuse and Neglect Council of Oakland County.

Mr. Strome earned his Masters of Business Administration from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hillsdale College.

John Munsell is the co-founder and CEO of Bizzuka, a Inc 5,000 company and a clear force in the world of AI strategy. Through his proven methods, John has helped over 600 business leaders in the past year alone! His frameworks - AI Strategy Canvas™ and Scalable Prompt Engineering™, are transforming AI implementation across businesses and has become a mandatory part of LSU’s AI curriculum. John is dedicated to not just making AI accessible and profitable for all but also making employees more effective and valuable, allowing companies to retain their workforce and thrive in the AI revolution.

Jim Eickhoff is the President and CEO of Creative Dining Services based in Zeeland, MI. Jim joined Creative Dining in 2015 after 35 years of Senior Executive leadership experience from his time at Fortune 200 companies across the U.S., including the University of Phoenix/Apollo Education Group, Sallie Mae, HOSTS Learning, and The ServiceMaster Company. Under Jim’s leadership, Creative Dining has experienced 50% growth and leaped to the 24th largest food service management company in America.

He is the first non-founder serving as President & CEO and is focused on excellent client experiences: providing outstanding dining programs with the highest level of customer service and integrity. Jim is committed to upholding a company culture of family while coaching employees to leverage their unique strengths to reach their highest potential.

Jim Eickhoff received his B.A. in English and Secondary Education from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Jim and his wife, Lynn, reside in Holland, Michigan.