Webinar: Designing for Success in the Public Sector

IDC and BIFMA collaborate on a timely topic for the North American design community – Designing for Success in the Public Sector!

Hear from experts about the intricacies of working on U.S. and Canadian government projects from the perspectives of interior designers and manufacturers.

Learn about the successes and challenges of the procurement and agreements processes in North America, and how to build relationships with potential clients in the public sector.

Part of the BIFMA Learning Monthly Series, this is a live virtual learning opportunity for our members, designers, buyers, educators, and anyone interested in furniture for the built environment. There is no fee to attend.

Secure your spot!

Who should attend

• A&D Professionals
• Sales/Marketing Professionals
• Facility Managers, Owners & CEOs
• Instructors and Students
• Manufacturers of Commercial Furniture and Accessories
• Suppliers to the Commercial Furniture Industry

Learn about our panelists:

Peter Brown, ASID, CID, NCIDQ, LEED AP; Associate Vice President, Principal, Director of Interiors; AECOM

Peter Brown is an award-winning Certified Interior Designer with over 30-years of commercial experience. Peter currently serves as AECOM’s U.S. East Region Interiors Practice Leader and National Interiors Federal Market Leader. He leverages his skillsets in programming, facility planning, and design execution to spearhead complex renovations and new building designs for federal and commercial clients worldwide.

Regarded as a subject matter expert on federal headquarters, operations centers, and secure facilities, Peter has served as a Design Principal on seminal buildings including the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence at Ft. Benning, GA, the U.S. CYBERCOM Integrated Cyber Center at Ft. Meade, MD, USARPAC’s Command and Control Facility at Ft. Shafter, HI, and the United States Department of Agriculture Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Derek Newberry; Regional Sales Manager – Eastern Ontario; ergoCentric Seating Systems

As an accomplished sales and business development professional specializing in the federal government sector, Derek currently serves as the Regional Sales Manager at ergoCentric Seating Systems in Ottawa, Ontario. With a background in federal government engagement and a strong commitment to sustainability, Derek brings a unique perspective to drive regional growth.

Previous leadership roles include Director of Business Development at a leading construction firm and Account Executive for Federal Government clients with a prominent office furniture company. Derek has also served in the capacity as a Sustainability Ambassador, underscoring his dedication to environmentally responsible business practices.

Derek’s professional journey also encompasses significant contributions to the technology and office solutions sectors managing Business Development and National Corporate Accounts Manager, which showcased his strategic and client-centric approach. In all things, Derek strives to leverage his diverse experiences to deliver impactful results in sales and business development.

Bryan Wiens, BID, ARIDO, APDIQ, NCIDQ, IDC; Principal | Registered Interior Designer; LWG Architectural Interiors

One of three Principals at LWG, Bryan has over thirty years of experience as an award-winning Interior Designer focusing on Workplace Design. As a lead designer, Bryan focuses on relationship building, team building, and communications as cornerstones of a successful project.  As a business leader, Bryan has spent the last 30 years working with his partners to build a diverse, talented team of Interior Designers that has become Ottawa’s largest Interior Design firm. One of his roles at LWG includes human resources where he leads in talent acquisition and mentoring. Bryan is an active advocate for the Interior Design profession and has voluntary leadership roles with ARIDO (Board of Directors), Algonquin College (Chair of the Interior Design Advisory Committee), and Interior Designers of Canada (BGIS Industry Engagement Representative). Bryan has also been an educator, having taught courses in Professional Practice and Ethics as well as Budgeting at Algonquin College’s CIDA-accredited Bachelor of Interior Design Program.

Peter holds a B.S. in Interior Design from Virginia Tech and has served on professional advisory boards at Virginia Tech and Radford University.

Moderator:

Michelle Warren; Founder and President; Catalyst Consulting Group

Michelle Warren, Founder and President of Catalyst Consulting Group, leads a dynamic firm specializing in delivering strategic solutions tailored for small business manufacturers. With a focus on enhancing sales, positioning, and distribution within the vertical markets of the public sector, Michelle has played a pivotal role in the firm’s remarkable growth over the past three years.

Under Michelle’s guidance, Catalyst Consulting Group has evolved into a robust team of six professionals boasting a cumulative experience of over 125 years in selling to the public sector within the commercial furniture industry. Drawing upon her extensive 27-year background in the commercial furniture industry, both on the dealer and manufacturer sides, Michelle stands out as an innovative force in selling to diverse sectors, including the Federal Government, State/Local Government, Higher Education, and through Cooperative Purchasing agreements.

With a passion for fostering meaningful connections, Michelle encourages you to connect with her! Reach out at: Michelle@strategic-catalyst.com, connect on LinkedIn or visit www.strategic-catalyst.com