Meet the Speakers

Michael Gregory, Deputy Chief Economist/Managing Director, BMO
 Michael is part of the team responsible for forecasting and analyzing the North American economy and financial markets. He has spent his career working in either economics or financial markets research for firms on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Prior to his current role, Michael headed up the Financial Services Analysis team at Bank of Montreal, focusing on regulatory and industry restructuring issues, before shifting to BMO Capital Markets Economics in 2004. He moved to Chicago in 2013, providing research support for the U.S. and Canadian fixed income business, before returning to Toronto in 2016. Michael is a graduate of Concordia University in Montreal and Western University in London, Ontario. He did doctoral studies at Fordham University in New York City and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Jim Brown, President, Borrell Associates
Jim has been helping local businesses and media companies for over three decades. He joined Borrell Associates in 2011 as the Vice President of sales and was named President in 2019, helping improve the company’s overall growth, client retention, training efforts, and product development. Jim began his media career in 1990 at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia. He has held a variety of fast-paced sales and marketing roles, business and product development and general management. Jim serves on several non-profit boards, including Catholic Charities of Easten Virginia (Past Chair) and Eggleston Services, an organization providing education, training, and employment for persons with disabilities in Southeastern Virginia.
David Levy, co-CEO and founder of Horizon Sports & Experiences – HS&E
Long regarded as one of the media industry’s most influential executives, David Levy currently serves as the co-CEO and founder of Horizon Sports & Experiences – HS&E. HS&E has a core focus on IP creation, and monetization, strategic advisory and consulting media rights, sponsorships, sales and experiential. Prior to HS&E, Levy served as President of Turner, offering content and advertising solutions to some of the most valuable brands in the world to audiences in sports, entertainment, news and children’s programming.
In his capacity as President, Levy oversaw Turner’s leading portfolio of domestic entertainment, sports, kids and young adult networks and businesses, including TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Bleacher Report and Turner Sports. He also led Turner’s two domestic revenue divisions – ad sales and distribution. During his 30-year tenure at Turner, Levy assumed executive oversight for increased investment in original premium content across the portfolio, and in 2018, Turner programming was nominated for 33 Emmy Awards.
Levy’s Turner Sports accomplishments were many since assuming leadership of the division in 2003. He was instrumental in deepening and expanding Turner’s media rights and defining the division via its association with premium sports content, brands and events, including the NBA, Major League Baseball and the PGA Tour. He negotiated a variety of multi-faceted agreements, each representing a significant change extending far beyond traditional television rights. In 2010, Levy orchestrated a landmark NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball deal, partnering with CBS for multi-media rights, including exclusive televised rights to the 2014 Final Four and National Championship Game in 2016. This marked the first time in the event’s history that these key games were televised by a cable network. In 2017, under Levy’s guidance, Turner added to its portfolio of premium sports properties by acquiring rights to UEFA, including UEFA Champions League, Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup. All were launched on B/R Live, the company’s direct to consumer offering.
Levy also led a significant expansion in digital media and new businesses designed to grow Turner’s portfolio. In 2012, he spearheaded Turner’s efforts in acquiring the Bleacher Report, a leading online multi-sport destination. In 2015, Turner purchased a majority stake in streaming video pioneer iStreamPlanet, expanding capabilities to offer live events and cultivate future digital opportunities. Adding to the mix, in 2016, Turner launched ELEAGUE, a new professional esports league created in partnership with WME/IMG, and FilmStruck, the company’s first U.S. domestic subscription video-ondemand (SVOD) service. It quickly followed in 2017 with Boomerang, its second SVOD offering. Additionally, David supported strategic investments in Refinery29 and Mashable and championed new business alliances with Snapchat and Twitter.
David Levy has been the recipient of multiple awards for his professional achievement, including being elected to the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2012 and being named in 2018 by Sports Business Journal as one of the most influential executives over the past 20 years. In 2016, JDRF, the leading research and advocacy organization funding type 1 diabetes, honored Levy and his wife Niki, with the organization’s annual Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Jack Myers, Founder/ Media Ecologist, MediaVillage and The Myers Reports
Jack Myers is a pioneering Media Ecologist and influential business advisor and coach with five decades of experience at the forefront of technological, cultural, and generational change. His visionary insight into emerging trends and deep expertise in organizational dynamics and business models have made him a trusted advisor and coach to leaders of many of the world’s largest and most innovative corporations, including General Motors, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Microsoft, CBS, TJX Corp, Aegis/Carat, Campbell Soup, Warner Bros. Discovery, Active International, and The Walt Disney Company. Known for his ability to navigate disruption and unlock new growth opportunities, Jack helps leaders align their strategies with the future, fostering agility, creativity, and sustainable success in an evolving business landscape. His experience makes him uniquely positioned to support executives in developing and implementing forward-thinking solutions that prepare their organizations for growth, competitive leadership, and adaptability.
He is the founder of The Myers Report (www.MyersReports.com) and MediaVillage Education Foundation (www.MediaVillage.org), the advertising and media industry’s premier knowledge exchange platform. Throughout his career as a researcher, author, executive coach, and consultant, Myers has earned numerous accolades, including a Peabody Award, International Book Awards for Women’s and Youth Issues, Excellence in Education Award from the Global Forum on Education & Learning, Crystal Heart Award, UJA Humanitarian Award, and Oscar and Emmy nominations for his contributions to media and storytelling.
A graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University and NYU Steinhardt, where he studied under renowned media scholar Dr. Neil Postman, Myers is uniquely prepared to support leaders of organizations and corporations as they navigate the rapid transformation brought by AI, machine intelligence, and evolving cultural dynamics. 
 
Mark Konkel, Partner, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
A nationally recognized and respected advocate and advisor for employers across a broad spectrum of industries, Mark Konkel leverages his substantive legal knowledge and appreciation of employment relationship dynamics to keep his clients’ greatest assets—their people—from becoming costly liabilities.
Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment practice, Mark has a long track record of winning judgments and dismissals in employment disputes, defeating certification of employment class actions, obtaining injunctions to prevent unfair competition, and creating effective strategies for responding to and working with organized labor.
His counseling on employment matters is practical, proactive, and grounded in each client’s business and operational realities. Mark’s clients know that when they have questions or concerns, he will be on the other end of the phone or in their offices with the answers and guidance they need. Clients told Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business that Mark ​“provides really commercial and practical advice” and ​“is committed to achieving the best results for us. His only concern is serving his client.”
Mark is an accomplished litigator with an impressive history of successfully defending companies in employment, labor, and commercial disputes in court, arbitration, mediation, and before governmental agencies. He wins superior results for his clients in disputes involving discrimination, breach of contract, organized labor, employee privacy, restrictive covenants and trade secrets, employment agreements, and class action claims.
Mark recognizes the costs and burdens that are often a byproduct of protracted litigation and endeavors to minimize the drag on his clients’ businesses through clear, consistent communication and strategies that achieve positive outcomes with minimal disruption.
As leader of the firm’s employment class action defense team, Mark routinely defeats class actions in state and federal jurisdictions across the country, reducing potentially large class actions into a manageable handful of easy-to-resolve individual claims.
When his clients draw unwanted governmental scrutiny, Mark guides them through sensitive internal and government investigations of discrimination, harassment, wage-and-hour violations, whistleblower issues, and ethics violations. He manages communications and public relations during an investigation to free his clients to focus on running their businesses while he focuses on managing their risk.
Mark practices regularly before the National Labor Relations Board in regions across the United States. He works closely with leaders across industry sectors to develop and drive company-wide strategies for responding effectively to organized labor. His extensive experience in traditional labor law translates into a deep, practical knowledge of the real-world, real-time tactics that make a labor strategy effective. Mark also handles major collective bargaining, unfair labor practice charges, trials before the NLRB, and union organizing.
In his compliance counseling practice, Mark provides seasoned, strategic advice on HR law, discrimination law, employee privacy, protection of intellectual property, noncompetition agreements and other restrictive covenants, M&A transactions, and business expansions and reductions-in-force. Mark’s clients appreciate his practical focus on their operational objectives, the economic and regulatory pressures they face, and his ability to help them recognize, understand, and address systemic risks and vulnerabilities. His counsel not only addresses immediate concerns but also considers the broader, long-term implications and impact of a given approach.
Mark’s guidance and insights are also critical in significant corporate transactions, where he serves as lead labor and employment law counsel in mergers, sales, acquisitions, due diligence, and business consolidations. His transactions experience includes advising domestic and international enterprises on cross-border employment and labor issues.
Mark is a lead editor for Kelley Drye’s Labor Days blog and a member of the Labor & Employment Sections of the American Bar Association, New York Bar Association, and the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Evan Masyr, EVP/CFO, Salem Media Group
Evan D. Masyr has been Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Salem Media Group since July 1, 2007. He began his career with Salem in February 2000 as the Controller. As CFO, Evan is responsible for the financial and accounting operations, investor relations, managing the capital structure and financial risk and controls.
Since being at Salem, Evan has been involved in raising more than $1.8 billion in capital. During his career, Evan has implemented numerous programs aimed at improving efficiencies and reducing costs including implementing a new cash management system, purchasing card program, remote check deposits, a fixed asset system, electronic distribution of internal financial statements and a centralized billings and accounts receivable system.
Evan has been honored by the Pacific Coast Business Times with their 40 Under 40 award in 2005 and by the San Fernando Business Journal with their 40 Under 40 award in 2009.  Additionally, he was awarded as one of the CFO’s of the Year in 2010 and 2022 by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. He was named one of the Top 15 Broadcast Best Finance Leaders each year since 2019. Most recently, He was awarded the CFO Leadership Award by the Los Angeles Times in 2024.
Prior to joining Salem, Evan worked as a manager for the Transaction Services department of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Evan has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1995. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting.
Evan is active in his local community where he successfully fought the local school board regarding the closure of a neighborhood school. He also helped create a School District Finance Committee. Additionally, he serves on the Finance Committee and as an elder of his church. Evan also is the founder, President and Board Member of Adopt Hope, a 501(c)3 organization supporting families with adoption. He has coached PONY baseball and AYSO soccer and taught accounting class at a local business college. Evan and his wife Christy have been married for 31 years and have four children.

Jeff Schultz, SVP, Captive Resources
Jeff Schultz is a seasoned insurance professional with over 25 years of experience in the Commercial Property & Casualty insurance industry. As a Senior Vice President and Captive Executive at Captive Resources, headquartered in Itasca, IL, Jeff has been instrumental in the company’s growth and success since joining in 2004.
With over 20 years of expertise in working with captives, Jeff oversees several group captives, including the third largest group captive in the U.S., which boasts over $350 million in annual premiums and more than 300 participating companies. His extensive experience in starting, managing, and growing captive insurance companies has made him a key figure in the industry.
Captive Resources, the largest Group Captive consultant in the U.S., employs over 500 professionals who manage captives with more than 6,500 participating companies, representing over $4.5 billion in annual premiums. Jeff’s leadership and deep industry knowledge have been pivotal in maintaining and expanding this impressive portfolio.
Jeff holds a B.A. in Finance from Loyola University - Chicago, further solidifying his strong foundation in the financial aspects of the insurance industry.

Vin Kumar, Managing Director / Principal - AI & Digital Operations Practice Leader, The Hackett Group  
Vin Kumar is a distinguished leader in AI and Global Digital Operations, renowned for his expertise in the design, build, and operation of highly scalable and efficient global digital organizations. With a focus on driving margin growth through digital and operational transformation, Vin has a proven track record in leveraging AI and intelligent automation to optimize business processes and enhance revenue management.
Vin’s extensive knowledge spans across various domains, including integrated business operations, mid and back-office operations, finance, and global business services. He is particularly adept at adopting Generative AI across SG&A functions, ensuring seamless integration and optimization.
Hi education includes a Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Electronics and Communications Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka; and MBA, Finance from CQUniversity.
Vin’s career is marked by his ability to drive significant improvements in operating margins and client retention, as well as his expertise in business unit management with P&L responsibilities. His deep understanding of global business and shared services, combined with his experience in M&A due diligence and integration, makes him a valuable asset in any organization aiming for digital excellence and operational efficiency.