Original inspirational reflection Company Meeting Speech

Financial Service Now (FSN), is a faith-based financial consulting organization that was started in 1998 by Susan Demarco as a local financial consulting practice and has since grown to over 60 locations throughout the Midwest.  The company now employs 175 consultants across the United States who operate from virtual offices, meeting with clients in person but with leadership and co-workers primarily by videoconference.  The company’s business leadership team includes: President, Susan Demarco, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and Senior VP of Human Resources who are all based out of a headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. The leadership team also includes the Senior VP and Chief Operations Officer, VP of Innovation, and VP of Human Resources, as well as 18 State Regional Directors, all of whom are networked virtually.  All totaled, the organization has 525 employees.  Each regional center meets weekly for accountability and updates, and the Regional Directors meet with their teams every other week.

Situation

One of the company’s most popular events is the well-publicized annual meeting which is typically held at a nice destination hotel/resort with great amenities, strategically planned so that participants can golf or participate in fun outings in the morning, have a social afternoon with dinner provided, and the meeting the next day which features great speakers and food.  It is always a rallying time when the company’s leadership celebrates its accomplishments, recognizes its outstanding employees, and announces new initiatives.  However, the rising costs of hotels, transportation, and fuel, coupled with new regulatory challenges for corporate accountability and sustainability, as well as having a mostly virtual workforce, have forced the company’s leadership to question whether this remains a sustainable option. While employees enjoy and value this event, in the past year costs have risen 15-20%, costing the company upwards of $100,000 for the one event, and leadership is not sure that the benefit is worth the cost. They’re also concerned about the continuing pattern of increase and the impact on the company’s bottom line