IDB | Institute for Defense & Business

What an exciting start! On Sunday, we launched our LOGTECH Advanced program with an incredible group of participants! We have 31 exceptional leaders joining us in person and 4 dedicated leaders participating virtually. These individuals are committed to enhancing their leadership skills, regardless of the circumstances. Representing the Department of Defense, the US Air Force, US Navy, US Army and the US Marine Corps, these leaders gathered in Chapel Hill, NC to kick off this invaluable educational experience. ? On Monday morning, LTC Robin Johnson, USA (Ret), Hoover Institution Fellow at Stanford University, took the stage to discuss the benefits of improvisation for psychological performance. Her dynamic session highlighted the significance of adaptability and quick decision-making in fast-paced, high-pressure situations. ? In the afternoon, Dr. Jon Kirchoff from East Carolina University led a session on Supply Chain Risk Management and Building Resilience. One participant shared that Dr. Kirchoff’s session provided valuable insights on "working through a complex real-world challenge with a team of people we didn’t know, from different backgrounds." We’re excited to continue learning and growing together throughout the week! #LogTechAdv #LeadershipDevelopment #InnovationInLogistics

We Develop Leaders!! Now that the February LOGTECH ADV Program has concluded, it’s a great time to reflect on the progress made throughout the week, and our group projects and problem statements. This past Thursday, we had the privilege of learning from two incredible experts— Dr. John Kros and Dr. Jon Kirchoff from East Carolina University School of Business. They led a thought-provoking discussion on supply chain risk and resilience, diving into contemporary case studies that challenged us to think critically and collaboratively. Later in the day, Dr. Seyed Emadi from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School took us through the importance of data fluency. He shared how proper data collection and interpretation can help streamline plans, provide valuable insights, and ultimately serve as a roadmap for the future. Throughout the week, teams worked diligently to solve complex problems that might be faced in the future. Together, they crafted plans and strategies to confront these challenges, culminating in report-outs on Friday. The teams presented their solutions to an esteemed panel, including LtGen. Mark Faulkner, USMC, Gen. (ret.) Mark "Grace" Kelley, USAF and Mr. Joe Brooks, OASD-S—who offered invaluable insights and feedback. It’s been a week of learning, collaboration, and growth. A huge thank you to all of the speakers, participants, and panelists for making this experience so enriching!

Day 3 of the LOGTECH ADV Program has been an incredible learning experience, and we are absorbing invaluable insights that will shape the leaders of tomorrow. Our distinguished faculty members continue to equip us with a wide range of relevant, results-driven strategies designed to tackle the complex challenges of modern logistics. On Tuesday, Dr. Albert Segars led a session on Leading Innovation, opening doors to effective problem-solving solutions and fostering creative thinking among participants. Wednesday kicked off with Dr. Ronald Ti, who recently completed his PhD in Defense Studies at King's College London and has over 30 years of experience in the Australian Army, specializing in NATO military logistics and health logistics, called in from Poland. He provided an insightful session on regional sustainment and how to enable logistics at contested distances. The day concluded with Dr. Navin Bapat, who guided us through the critical connections between the global economy and international security. These dynamic sessions are enabling participants to refine their leadership skills and gain the knowledge to address pressing global challenges. #LogTechAdv #LeadershipDevelopment #InnovationInLogistics

We Develop Leaders!! We are excited to announce our February 2025 LOGTECH Advanced Program has officially kicked off with a dynamic and diverse cohort of leaders from various organizations. These professionals are collaborating to tackle complex challenges and drive innovation in their fields. Our distinguished faculty delivered invaluable insights and cutting-edge tools, empowering participants with the skills necessary for effective leadership while fostering an environment of collaboration and creative problem-solving. The day began with LTC (Ret.) Robin Johnson, Certified Humor Professional and Hoover Institution Fellow at Stanford University. She infused the session with humor and facilitated interactive exercises to enhance participants' improvisational skills. These activities demonstrated how humor can be a powerful tool in navigating difficult conversations and addressing workplace challenges. Johnson’s expertise in situational intelligence and interpersonal skills provided key takeaways for managing high-stakes interactions. Following this, Dan Kunze of Business Executives for National Security presented a value-based problem-solving framework, drawing on his extensive experience within the Department of Defense, other federal and state agencies, and organizations that support transition and workforce development for veterans. His session focused on effectively isolating issues, balancing personal and organizational values, and applying strategies that drive sound decision-making in complex environments. We concluded Day 1 with Dr. Paul Stanfield, who introduced participants to the concept of Next Generation Systems Thinking through the lens of organizational culture and skill-building. Dr. Stanfield's session provided practical strategies for enhancing problem-solving capabilities within organizations, equipping leaders with the tools to drive systemic change. We are thrilled to witness this cohort of leaders embark on their journey to advance their skills and make a lasting impact in their respective fields. #LOGTECHAdvanced #LeadershipDevelopment #Innovation #Collaboration #Leadership #ProfessionalGrowth #Logistics #Technology

Day 3 of IDB’s inaugural Victra Emerging Leaders Program (VELP) is underway! Rain, snow or shine, our amazing faculty continue to provide these telecommunications leaders with the tools they will need to thrive in the competitive business environment of the future.? ? Monday morning started off with Robin Johnson, who took participants on a comedic journey through the various ways in which humor, improv and quick-thinking can be used to fuel positive mind-sets, explore new perspectives and help embrace new methods of problem-solving.? ? Dr. Kenny Herbst led participants in a discussion about Victra’s strengths and weakness and opportunities for growth, as well as recent strategies that have emerged in the constantly evolving field of marketing. Dr. Herbst then used the rest of the day to continue engaging participants in conversations about industry best practices, marketing models and how to create the ideal customer experience.? ? Dr. Steve Walton had Tuesday for himself, and provided our VELP cohort with both a marco- and micro- overview of how businesses stay productive, creative and healthy! Dr. Walton also helped introduce participants to their problem statements, so stay tuned until Friday’s group report-outs to see what they come up with! ? See you at graduation! #VELP #Growth #InnovativeMindsets #Change #Industry

Advancing OIB Modernization LtGen Faulkner, USMC (Ret.), President of the Institute for Defense and Business (IDB), and Mr. Mike Bogdahn, Vice President of Strategy, currently engaging with the NDIA OIB Modernization Panel led by SES Pat Kelleher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Materiel Readiness, OASD. A great discussion on the challenges and opportunities in modernizing the Organic Industrial Base (OIB) to enhance defense readiness. IDB remains committed to driving impactful conversations and solutions in this critical space. #OIBModernization #DefenseReadiness #Leadership #NationalSecurity

Kicking off NDIA’s 39th Annual Logistics Forum with a day to remember! Day 1 was a huge success for the IDB at #NDIALOG25. We had the honor of presenting the 2025 GEN William G.T. Tuttle, Jr. Award to Dr. Theresa A. Smith and the JPEO AA team—congratulations on their outstanding contributions to defense logistics! Adding to the excitement, our president, LtGen (Ret) William "Mark" Faulkner was surprised with his selection to receive the "Logistician Emeritus Award", recognizing his decades of leadership and impact in the logistics field. He then took the stage to lead the Service 4 Panel, driving critical discussions on the future of military logistics. A fantastic start to the forum—we’re looking forward to more collaboration and innovation in the days ahead! #defenselogistics #militaryinnovation #leadership #logistics #DefenseInnovation #nationaldefense #servicepanel #DefenseCommunity

The Institute for Defense and Business is seeking an experienced Salesforce consultant to elevate and optimize our platform. We’re looking for a qualified partner to provide training and consulting services that will enhance our Salesforce capabilities and improve user adoption across the organization. ?? Interested in submitting a proposal? Visit our website for full details on the scope of work and submission guidelines: https://lnkd.in/eVjPzjBT. We look forward to connecting with potential partners! #Consulting #Salesforce #RFP #BusinessDevelopment #Training #CRM?

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We Develop Leaders! ? Our LOGTECH Advanced program has flown by! Our diverse faculty members continue to equip tomorrow’s leaders with a range of relevant, result-orientated strategies to enable our leaders to tackle complex challenges. On Tuesday, Dr. Al Segars, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School?used his full day session to cover the in-and-outs of Artificial Intelligence, the keys to leading innovation,?and the emergent spaces where those two concepts overlap. Wednesday featured an All-Star line-up of faculty from a wealth of backgrounds. The morning started with BG (Ret) Michelle M.T. Letcher, who gave an interactive presentation on strategy development and challenging the participants to think boldly about contested logistics drawn from her wealth of experience leading at the operational, strategic, and enterprise levels?in the U.S Army and the?Defense Industrial Base. In the afternoon, Dr. Paul Stanfield, North Carolina A&T University?delved into the depths?of visual systems models?and culture while introducing the various tools, maps,?and diagrams that one can use to tackle these problems in the real world. On Thursday, Dr. John Kros and Dr. Jon Kirchoff, East Carolina University School of Business?teamed up to talk supply chain risk and resilience! They also assigned contemporary case studies for participants to work on in their small groups. Later in the day, Dr. Seyed Emadi, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School?talked data fluency and focused on the ways in which data, when collected and interpreted correctly, can streamline plans, provide useful indicators, and serve as a road map for the future. Later that night, IDB Executive Fellow Logan Jones and LtGen (Ret) Mark Faulkner, USMC, joined us for graduation, sharing a wealth of information from their combined experiences in government and private industry. Mr. Jones and LtGen Faulkner were also in attendance during Friday's group project report-outs, as participants used what they learned throughout the week to present solutions on varied problems such as contested logistics, AI's impact on modern logistics and government-industry relations in the defense sector.