When Janelle Barlow talks about branding, corporate executives listen. President of the multinational consulting firm TMI US and author of Branded Customer Service: The New Competitive Edge, Barlow was a featured speaker in The Leadership Forum series at Georgia Tech during 2009. She stresses that it's essential for everyone and every action within a company to be "on brand" to consistently achieve results.

Since 1996, The Leadership Forum has attracted many of Atlanta's top executives and fast-rising business leaders for interactive, half-day sessions with premier speakers on business issues. Forum participants return year after year because they learn so much about dealing with the pressures of today and challenges of tomorrow.

Greg Pierce, director of global software development at InterContinental Hotel Group, appreciated Barlow's presentation because his company is looking to modify its brand and expand it globally. "This session has given me a different way to consider if we are achieving our goals," Pierce says.

2010 Series Starts in February

The theme of the 2010 series, featuring six speakers, is "Positioning for Growth: How You and Your Organization Can Come Out on Top." For details, visit The Leadership Forum Webpage.

Mark Windom, vice president of Atlanta building services for McKenney's, has attended The Leadership Forum for years. "I really like the format," he says. "It allows me to get away from the office and gain exposure to thought provoking concepts and futuristic thinking. The speakers address relevant current topics and provide high level strategies."

Pat Jones, senior vice president of Draper & Associates, says The Leadership Forum takes her outside of her routine work environment, helping her think in a broader context about strategic issues relevant to a business leader.

"The quality and content of the information covered is consistently relevant to the business challenges I face in my routine work responsibilities," she says. "I always leave a presentation with at least several key concepts that are immediately applicable to our business activities. Many of the speakers are equal to or exceed the caliber of instruction that I have experienced in executive programs of Harvard Business School."

Georgia Tech, which has co-sponsored the series since its creation, took ownership of The Leadership Forum in 2007. Participants can pay a yearly fee to attend all sessions, or they can pick and choose three speakers for a lesser amount. Many companies buy subscriptions and send different leaders depending upon the various topics offered.