William Conerly

Biography

Dr. Bill Conerly connects the dots between the economy and business decisions. As a consultant, he not only forecasts the economy but also helps business leaders understand how their challenges will change with the evolving economy. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Duke University and was formerly Senior Vice President at First Interstate Bank.

Conerly is an on-line contributor to Forbes and the author of Businomics: From the Headlines to Your Bottomline -- How to Profit in Any Economic Cycle. He is co-author of Thinking Economics, a multi-media high school economics curriculum used in 34 states.

Dr. Conerly has been interviewed on the News Hour with Jim Lehrer, CNN and local television and radio stations across the country. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and USA Today.

Dr. Conerly is chairman of the board of Cascade Policy Institute, a member of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber`s Council of Economic Advisors, and a Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis.

Publications

BUSINOMICS:
From the Headlines to Your Bottom Line -- How to Profit in Any Economic Cycle

Business leaders know that the economy affects their sales, costs and profits. But they often fail to translate economic news into action steps that will protect and grow their profits.

The solution is Businomics From the Headlines to Your Bottom Line: How to Profit in Any Economic Cycle, which connects the dots between the economic news and business decisions.

Knowing that a business cycle is on its way is not enough. Businomics walks the executive through the steps that must be taken in a recession, covering staffing levels, inventories, financial structure, capital spending and marketing all the tough decisions needed for your company to survive. This content, combining economics and business management, is not taught in school. Businomics provides a vital checklist for managing in times of crisis and in times of recovery.

Titles

"The Economic Outlook"
This presentation is always laced with commentary on current events and anecdotes about current business challenges, such as maintaining financial flexibility in a recession, getting ready for the recovery, facing foreign competition. Specific content varies with the economy and the audience.

What are the big changes coming in the next decade? Demographics, globalization, finance and technology are covered with a focus on what businesses should do today to prepare for tomorrow.

"Business Planning in Uncertain Times"
Caterpillar`s business was hit terribly hard by the last recession, but the corporation came out of the downturn smelling more like a rose than a big yellow machine. The key, according to Fortune magazine, was economic contingency planning.

A business leader cannot manage the economy nor the many other external factors that impact the firm, but leaders can manage the business`s plans. With good plans, a company can thrive in the fat years and use the lean years to gain market share from careless competitors. This workshop will help business leaders learn how to do that. The goal will be for all participants to be able to help their companies survive harsh events when they occur, as well as take advantage of good fortune when it arises.

"The Next Decade: What Businesses Should Do TODAY to Prepare for Tomorrow":
Bill Conerly is an expert on what business leaders should to right now to create a more profitable business future. Bill looks at the big changes we can expect in the next decade - demographics, globalization, finance, and technology - avoiding speculation as much as possible. Instead, he relies on business history, current trends and comprehensive research to make his forecasts. At every step he connects future scenarios with action plans that leaders should put in place now. Specifics are adjusted for the particular audience, and often include how to prepare for the coming demographic time bomb, how to use advances in data capture and storage to set more profitable prices; how to use new social networking tools to improve employee productivity and increase customer loyalty.

"The Small Business Financial Crisis"
How the mortgage crisis is affecting the availability of credit--and what small and medium business can do about it to ensure that they can meet their borrowing needs. Along the way we`ll explain how globalization is changing the world of finance, how securitization is impacting all business borrowers, with a clear emphasis on action steps that should be started today.

"Freedom and Prosperity: The Case for Optimism".
In this substantive yet inspiring presentation, Bill Conerly explains the mechanism for economic growth around the world. He draws upon sources ranging from professional economists to commentators such as Francis Fukuyama (The End of History) and Thomas Friedman (The Lexus and the Olive Tree), weaving in Nike and Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo. He connects economic freedom and political freedom with economic performance, leading to a surprising burst of optimism for the fate of the world in the coming hundred years.

"What We`ve Learned About Investments from Bear Stearns, Enron, Tech and the Housing Bubble"
Is a timely presentation which presents academic lessons in common-sense language. Bill usually targets an audience of bright people with no particular expertise in finance. He explains what went wrong with many people`s investment plans, and how to set it right for the long run.