Clare W. Zempel
Principal
Zempel Strategic
Clare Zempel is a leading business economist and top investment strategist. He honed his smart, nimble approach to making sense of complex economic and financial issues over more than 30 years as an economist for major national firms. Through Zempel Strategic, Clare brings seasoned common sense to bear on these issues for corporate business clients and major investors. He specializes in customizing applied economics and financial market analysis to meet each client's unique needs. The Zempel practice involves preparing precise presentations and written reports that are relevant and clear. Clients use Clare's recommendations to plan and formulate policies. Client-centered services include project evaluation, budget input, risk assessment, and training sessions for employees, vendors and customers. Clare also speaks on broad economic and investment issues to wider audiences.
Prior to founding Zempel Strategic, Clare served as director of investment policy, chief investment strategist and chief economist for Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, and as chief economist for the First Wisconsin Corporation, now U.S. Bank. He holds degrees from the University of Chicago and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Becky E. Hites
Founder
Steel Insights, LLC
Becky Hites is a former Wall Street executive with extensive metals industry experience. She formed Steel Insights LLC to assist executive management teams navigate the “noise of battle” by more effectively managing the abundant resources available today and harnessing those resources to manage the pivotal decisions required for the long-term success of their companies in tough industries that must survive challenging cycles.
Miss Hites has focused on the manufacturing industry from many angles giving her a unique and multi-dimensional perspective:
- Equity analyst at a regionally recognized brokerage firm owned by a Fortune 100 company;
- Private M&A at a globally recognized engineering consulting group known for its developments in retail logistics and point-of-sale information capture systems;
- Early-stage project finance with a German-based global bank;
- Business plan development with a boutique NY investment bank;
- Equity analysis at a major bank with a multi-year ranked Institutional Investor metals analyst; and
- Managing partner doing global data management and consulting with steel industry guru Peter Marcus of World Steel Dynamics for a decade.
While at Robinson-Humphrey, the metals team was recognized for its expertise in forecasting earnings by the Wall Street Journal (which required accurate company cost modeling and industry price and volume forecasting).
Miss Hites has worked with teams that have arranged financing for consolidating businesses building on an established platform as well as valued and helped divest non-strategic pieces of mature businesses. She has developed and reviewed countless business plans for management teams as well as public and private company boards, both in the USA and around the world.
Elizabeth (Beth) Parkinson
Market Development Director
The Connected Enterprise
Rockwell Automation
Beth Parkinson is Director of Market Development for the Rockwell Automation Connected Enterprise initiative. The Connected Enterprise is focused on helping manufacturers and industrial operators improve their performance through tighter integration between the assets on the plant floor and the rest of the enterprise value chain. It is accelerated by the Internet of Things and enabling technologies such as security, mobility, scalable computing/cloud and analytics.
In this position, Parkinson develops Rockwell Automation strategies and approaches for the market by working with sales, marketing, product management and business development. She joined Rockwell Automation in 2002 and has held various positions within the market development and strategic alliance segments.
Previously, Parkinson worked with organizations that provide business software and Internet solutions including Autodesk, Baan Company, 2Bridge and Citadon. During her tenure at these companies, she held roles in business development, international partnerships and channels, sales development and public relations. Parkinson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public and Environment Affairs from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
Janet Kopenhaver
AWPA Director of Government Relations
President, Eye on Washington
Janet Kopenhaver, AWPA’s Director of Government Affairs, has over twenty five years of experience in the public policy and government relations field.
Throughout her career, she has developed numerous contacts both on Capitol Hill and in US Federal Government Agencies, including the US Department of Commerce, US Trade Representative (USTR), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Department of Agriculture, US Department of Energy, US Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and US Department of State. Among her many areas of expertise are: lobbying of legislators and Administration officials; grassroots development and management; public policy strategic planning; drafting newsletters, background papers, action alerts, and other materials; monitoring and analyzing legislative and regulatory developments; arranging and preparing attendees for meetings with Members of Congress and Administration officials; and writing public policy releases.
Janet has been serving as the Washington Representative and Chief Lobbyist for a number of trade and professional organizations since founding Eye on Washington. She also serves as a regulatory consultant to an organization involved in the alternative fuel and energy sector.
Nat Rudarakanchana (Rudy)
Steel Reporter
American Metal Market
Nat Rudarakanchana covers steel long products for American Metal Market, as a news and markets reporter. His pricing expertise covers rebar, wire rod, special bar quality (SBQ) products, and structural products like beams and merchant bar. He prices those steel products, in domestic and import markets, weekly. He writes regular market reports, as well as news items on North American steelmakers and electric arc furnace producers. Prior to AMM, where he has worked for almost three years, Nat covered Vermont state politics at non-profit newsroom VTDigger in Montpelier, Vermont, and worked for IBTimes in New York, the parent company of Newsweek, covering companies and commodities. Nat holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Cambridge University and a M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, where he specialized in investigative and political reporting.