Oct. 18--In these challenging times for business, when global financial crises converge with an emerging recession, the University of Saint Francis offers a chance to see tested and proven business leaders think through tough situations under a spotlight.

On Thursday, the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership at the university will host the 15th Annual CEO Forum, "How Successful, Regional Entrepreneurs Think And Act." The nine CEOs at the heart of the forum work in fields ranging from manufacturing to retailing. The companies they lead include booming startups and multigeneration family firms.

Michael O'Neil, professor of business at Saint Francis, said the aim of the forum is to inform and inspire the audience and "to facilitate the exchange of intellectual capital."

The key broker in that exchange is Joe Ruffolo, a partner in Ruffolo-Benson and former CEO of North American Van Lines. Ruffolo has developed case studies, drawing on his own experience in corporate leadership and in turning around troubled companies. As moderator, he'll present situations to the CEO panel and probe their ideas about the best course of action for a company facing a critical moment.

"What we want to do is give each attendee ideas they can actually use the next day," O'Neil said. "Each person will have to tweak the ideas they'll hear."

Also speaking at the forum will be Ian Rolland, retired president, CEO and chairman of Lincoln National Corp., and Richard Teets, president of Steel Operations at Steel Dynamics Inc. The corporate sponsor for this year's forum is Lake City Bank.

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The CEO panel

As part of the CEO Forum at University of Saint Francis, a panel of nine CEOs will field case studies or hypothetical situations posed by moderator Joe Ruffolo. Members of the panel are:

--Cathy Brand-Beere, DeBrand

--Toby Buck, Paragon Medical

--Pete Eshelman, American Specialty Insurance

--Scott Glaze, Fort Wayne Metals

--Don Schenkel, Tower Financial

--Chuck Schrimper, retired from Group Dekko

--Chuck Surack, Sweetwater Sound

--Dean Spangler, Spangler Candy Company

--Don Wood, 80/20

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