SPEAKERS

Speaker line-up developing daily; visit often for updates.

Anirban Basu | Chairman & CEO | Sage Policy Group

Anirban Basu is Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., a Baltimore-based economic and policy consultancy he founded in 2004. He serves the Chief Economist function for many organizations, including the Maryland Bankers Association and Associated Builders and Contractors. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010. In 2022, he entered the Daily Record newspaper’s Circle of Influence. He is the Distinguished Economist in Residence at Goucher College, where he teaches History of Economic Thought. He holds four graduate degrees, including a J.D. and a Ph.D.

Sir Nick Faldo | Six-Time Major Champion | World Golf Hall of Famer

A former world #1 player, six-time Major Champion, and World Golf Hall of Fame member, Sir Nick Faldo is the most successful European golfer in history. With his three Open Championship and three Masters victories, Sir Nick has etched his name among the all-time greats of golf. He is also an iconic Ryder Cup figure, having represented Europe in the prestigious event a record eleven times.

In addition to his on-course accomplishments, Sir Nick has ventured into the world of golf course design. Through his company, Faldo Design, he has created a portfolio of over 40 stunning courses across five continents and in 20 different countries. These projects reflect his passion for the game and embody his mantra of strategy and memorability.

Sir Nick transitioned seamlessly into the world of television commentary, providing
insightful analysis and expert opinions as lead CBS analyst for over 18 years. His engaging personality and in-depth knowledge of the game made him a popular figure among viewers.

One of Sir Nick’s most significant contributions to the sport is the creation of Sir Nick’s charitable trust, The Faldo Series, in 1996. With tournaments held around the world for boys and girls aged from 7-25 years of age, it is aimed at developing tomorrow’s champions. For over 28 years the Faldo Series has provided countless young golfers with the opportunity to compete and develop their skills, fostering the next generation of golf talent.

Sir Nick is one of very few PGA Life Members. In 2009, he was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to golf – the only British male golfer in the modern era to receive such an honor. Sir Nick Faldo’s illustrious career has secured his place as one of the all-time greats of golf.

Trent Gillespie | CEO, Stellis AI | Former Amazon Executive

Demystifying and harnessing the power of generative AI, Trent Gillespie helps organizations drive growth and unlock new opportunities for innovation. Trent doesn’t just talk about AI—he’s built and led AI-powered innovations at the highest levels. With over 25 years of experience driving transformative change, and nearly a decade at Amazon driving its global expansion, Last Mile innovation, and Alexa AI privacy efforts, Trent has shaped AI strategies that impact millions worldwide.

Now, as CEO of Stellis AI, he works directly with executives to turn AI potential into real business results. He’s the architect behind the AI Flywheel™ and AI SPRINT™ frameworks—Amazon-inspired, battle-tested approaches that help organizations harness AI for innovation, growth, and competitive advantage.

Gil Hanse | President | Hanse Golf Course Design

Gil Hanse began his career in golf course design while studying at Cornell. He was the recipient of the prestigious William Frederick Dreer Award, which allowed him to spend a year in Great Britain studying the earliest examples of golf course architecture. While in Britain, Gil interned with the firm of Hawtree and Son, the oldest continuously practicing golf course architectural firm in the world. Subsequently, Gil was an associate, and then a design partner, in Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design, based out of Traverse City, Michigan.

In 1993, he founded Hanse Golf Course Design based on the principles of creating a small firm that takes a personal interest in the design and construction of each project. The company’s courses are simple and elegant in appearance, yet sophisticated in strategy and interest. In 1995, Hanse was joined by his design partner, Jim Wagner, and the two have worked together for 33 years, sharing the design responsibilities on all projects. Gil is one of only a handful of American architects to build a course in Scotland, where he constructed the 18–hole Craighead Golf Links for the world’s seventh oldest golf club, the Crail Golfing Society.

He was chosen to design and oversee creation of the Olympic Course in Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games. He has also established himself as a top restoration specialist, with his resume of work including: the Kittansett Club, Tillinghast’s Fenway in Scarsdale, New York, TPC Boston, Los Angeles Country Club, Plainfield Country Club (NJ), and currently The Links at Spanish Bay.

Jay Karen | Chief Executive Officer | NGCOA

Jay Karen is the CEO of National Golf Course Owners Association, where he leads the golf industry’s trade association and initiatives to support the success of the golf course business. In his role at NGCOA, he has chaired the board of the industry-wide advocacy coalition, We Are Golf, and served on the Golf USA Tee Time Coalition board, a joint initiative with the PGA of America, and the advisory board of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CBS Radio, New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, the Golf Channel, Golf Digest and many others call upon Jay for his insights on the golf industry. Jay has also served as CEO of two associations in the lodging and hospitality industry, and he is a certified association executive by the American Society of Association Executives. Jay currently serves on the board of directors of the US Travel Association and ASAE. Jay is an Honorary Commander for the Joint Military Base in Charleston and a mentor in the College of Charleston’s MBA program.

Jordan Klein | Managing Director | Baird Global Investment Banking

Jordan Klein is a Managing Director and leads Baird’s Global Travel, Leisure & Hospitality advisory practice. Since joining Baird in 2012, Jordan has advised on over 50 transactions in the sector, including sell-side, buy-side and growth capital raises. Within the golf sector, Jordan led the sale of Invited’s The Woodlands assets to Arcis, KemperSports capital raise with Kohlberg, sale of selected golf assets of CBIGG to Sculptor, sale of Concert Golf Partners to Clearlake Capital Group, GolfTEC’s acquisition of SkyTrak, the sale of Trip Logic (including ShipSticks) to a private investor group, on the buyside in the Troon transaction and the sale of Sequoia Golf to ClubCorp (now Invited). Over his 22 years in investment banking, he has advised on ~$100 billion in transactions. Jordan started his career as an Analyst and Associate for Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and JP Morgan, and subsequently as a Vice President with Lazard, all based in New York. Jordan received his Bachelor of Science in Finance and International Business from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Jon Last | President | Sports and Leisure Research Group

Jon Last is founder and President of Sports and Leisure Research Group. Last’s 25+ years of professional experience includes seven years as VP Corporate Marketing for Golf Digest Companies, and eight years at the PGA of America, where he oversaw marketing research, consumer marketing, and retailing. He holds an M.B.A. from Wharton and a B.A. from Tufts. He is a former national president of the U.S. Marketing Research Association (MRA) and served on the national board of directors for the Executive Women’s Golf Association. Last has been recognized by Golf, Inc. as both one of the top innovators in the golf industry as well as one of the top advisors in golf. He is a former President of Marketing Research Institute International and continues to serve on their board of directors as Marketing Chair. He is one of the creators of the highly acclaimed “Back to Normal Barometer” in March of 2020, which has continuously pulsed public opinion surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic.

Charlie Rymer | MCOR26 Emcee | Executive Vice President, Arcadian Land | Founder, Charlie Rymer Golf Services

A native of Cleveland, Tenn., who grew up in Fort Mill, South Carolina, Charlie Rymer dominated the South Carolina junior golf scene in the mid-1980s before earning All-America honors at Georgia Tech and playing on the PGA Tour. He moved from playing competitively to broadcasting golf in 1998, where he joined the Golf Channel and became one of the top analysts for over 20 years. Along with working in the golf media space, Charlie founded the “Yours and One other Foundation” in North Florida’s PGA Section, which aims to fix challenges facing North Florida’s youth and veteran communities. He most recently served as the Executive Vice President of McLemore Club in Rising Fawn Georgia and is currently the Executive Vice President of Arcadian Land. Additionally, he recently founded his own consultancy and design firm, Charlie Rymer Golf Services.

John Sawin | Senior Vice President, Golf | Pebble Beach Company

John is the Senior Vice President of Golf at Pebble Beach Company, where he is responsible for the operations, course conditions, guest experience, financial performance, and strategic development projects at its six golf facilities: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay, Del Monte Golf Course, the Pebble Beach Golf Academy, and The Hay. John also serves as the PBC lead for all tournaments conducted at Pebble Beach Resorts, including the 2027 U.S. Open, annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, PURE Insurance Championship on the PGA TOUR Champions, and the TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational. John is originally from Pennsylvania and earned a BA in Economics from Princeton University.