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Keynote
Speakers Keni Thomas Dr. Shankar Basu 
Keynote SpeakerKeni Thomas Army ranger involved in the "Black Hawk Down" Mission "Train While You Fight. Fight While You Train" Whether you work the front line in a manufacturing facility or on the battlefield, a successful continuous improvement strategy must include strong leadership, teamwork and training. Hear Thomas' captivating story based on his Army mission in Mogadishu, Somalia, where they were to find and capture a criminal warlord. It was an 18-hour fire fight that would later be recounted in the highly successful book and movie, Black Hawk Down. Sergeant Thomas and his Company relied heavily on unit leaders, each other and their skills to complete the mission and save lives. During his inspiring speech you will see how these same lessons can help your operations continuously improve. Keni Thomas is an engaging speaker whose story captivates audiences from beginning to end. The highly successful movie "Blackhawk Down" is based his Army company's mission in Mogadishu, Somalia. His presentations focus on leadership, teamwork, and the importance of training. From the motto of "Train as you fight. Fight as you train," Thomas shows how an emphasis on training and continuous improvement plays a vital role in the survival and success in battle and in life. Thomas has lived in Columbus, GA since enlisting in the Army in 1991. After completing Airborne school and the Ranger Indoctrination Program, he was assigned to B Company 3rd Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment where he subsequently earned his Ranger Tab. In the summer of 1993, SGT Thomas and B Company were deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia as part of a special operations package called Task Force Ranger. Their mission was to find and capture a criminal warlord named Mohammed Farrah Aideed. On the 3rd of October, Thomas and his fellow rangers distinguished themselves in an 18 hour fire fight that would later be recounted in the highly successful book and movie "Blackhawk Down". Nineteen Americans died and 78 were wounded in the worst urban combat seen by US troops since WWII. SSG Thomas stayed in the Army for 3 more years as an assistant team leader for a six man ranger reconnaissance team. He earned his master parachutist rating with over 380 military free fall jumps. He completed the Special Forces Combat Diver course, became an Advanced EMT and was one of ten Americans to complete the Belgium Commando Course. When Thomas got out of the Army, he went to work as a counselor for problematic youth. He is a national spokesperson for the Hero Fund and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation which provides college educations to the children of our special operations personnel killed in combat or training. In additional to numerous speaking engagements for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to the Boy Scouts, Keni now works full time as a Nashville recording artist. His band Cornbread was featured in the movie Sweet Home Alabama and his song "Not Me" was heard on country radio stations nationwide. He worked as a military advisor on the Mel Gibson movie We Were Soldiers. He has also made numerous appearances as a military analyst on CNN, PBS, NBC Dateline, Fox and the History Channel. Keni Thomas is a graduate of the University of Florida and the recipient of the Bronze Star for Valor. You can learn more about Keni Thomas and his activities at www.kenithomas.com. 
Keynote SpeakerDr. Shankar Basu President and CEO Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. "Leadership in Manufacturing" The manufacturing landscape has become extremely lean and competitive in recent years. Learn how the Toyota Production System pushes even the best in manufacturing to higher levels of efficiency. Dr. Shankar Basu is president and CEO for Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU), the number one selling full-line lift truck supplier in the U.S. He is responsible for all operations at TMHU. He also is a director of Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, the Columbus, Ind., lift truck manufacturing plant. Basu joined Toyota Industrial Equipment (TIE) in 1981 as national marketing manager. He also served as assistant general manager for marketing, planning and distribution, assistant general manager for parts and service, and assistant general manager for sales and planning operations. Before joining TIE, Basu served as marketing services manager in Allis Chalmer's forklift division. Most recently, he held the position of group vice president of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and general manager for TIE. In April 2001, TIE was acquired by Toyoda Industries Corporation as part of the company's strategy to strengthen its global material handling operations. The acquisition resulted in the formation of TMHU and Basu was appointed its president and CEO. He received his bachelor's degree in engineering from Indian Institute of Technology and his master's degrees in both engineering and business administration from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He earned a doctorate degree in executive management at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif. Basu previously served as a member of the executive committee of the board of directors of the Industrial Truck Association. He also served as a member of the board of advisors of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA). Currently, he is a member of the Dean's Advisory Board for the University of California Irvine's Graduate School of Business. Basu was named "Marketing Success of the Year" by the Southern California chapter of the American Marketing Association. He also has been a professor of management at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., and at California State University of Long Beach. Basu resides in Santa Ana, Calif., with his wife, Bogumila. |
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