Session 1: Life and Leadership Lessons Learned in Sports Used in Business

EVENT SPEAKERS:

David Saad
Before his business career, David Saad was a world-class judo champion, competing in the European, PanAm and World Championships as well as the Olympics. He won a gold medal in the PanAm Games, represented Lebanon in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and was selected as team captain of the Canadian team that boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. After judo, he took up tennis and now plays in USTA tournaments as a nationally ranked player on the senior tour. David has lived in Lebanon, France, Canada, India and the U.S., speaks 3 languages with native fluency and has a PhD in Computer Sciences with high honors from the University of Paris. He is a serial entrepreneur who has been the founding CEO of 5 start-ups, including 4 software companies and a hip hop, R&B and rap music label. He is currently an advisor to tech businesses, but no doubt also has at least one new venture brewing.



Sasha Poljak
As a teenager, Sasha Poljak was a 2 time World Champion in water polo with Yugoslavia. At Pepperdine, he was a 4-time NCAA all-American, Big West Conference MVP, team captain, in 3 Final Fours and still the 2nd all-time scoring leader. Elected into the Pepperdine University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. Born in Yugoslavia (Croatian national), he spoke very little English in 1985 when he arrived in the U.S. as a poor student on an athletic scholarship. Armed with discipline, drive, personality and smarts, he had a very successful career in sales at 3 healthcare companies, rising through the ranks to become a manager, Senior Director then a VP of Sales. He then held COO, CEO and ownership positions at smaller ventures. Today, Sasha is an investor and board member in early-stage companies where he also works in an active advisory-mentor capacity.



Steve Beuerlein
As a quarterback in his senior year, Steve Beuerlein led Anaheim’s Servite High School to win the state championship, a #4 national ranking and was named Player of the Year. At Notre Dame, he broke nearly every passing and offensive record. During his 17-year career in the NFL, Steve earned a Super Bowl ring with the Cowboys and, in 1999, made a Pro Bowl appearance after leading the NFL in completions (343) and total yards (4.436) while also breaking the Panthers’ single season passing record. For the past 10 years, he has been a college and NFL analyst-commentator for CBS Sports and, since 2011, has concurrently been a Vice President with Willis Insurance Services. Steve is active in a variety of community services, including the launch of Do the Right Thing, a non-profit focused on mentoring youths.



 John Quinn — Moderator
As Managing Partner in Lucas Group’s Military Division, John connects client companies to the US Military’s elite performers – top talent that consistently delivers impressive business and operational results. John helps his clients to develop and fulfill critical staffing initiatives across key functional areas, including general management, operations, engineering, marketing, and business development. Prior to joining Lucas Group John served in several planning, finance, marketing, and corporate development roles, including Vice President of Client Development for a start-up network switching and routing manufacturer and Finance Business Manager for a Fortune 100 corporation. Preceding his time in business, John served five years as a US Navy Nuclear Submariner, where he received the Operations Tactics Award as the top performer in his peer group (1 of 150).  Graduating Phi Kappa  Phi, with Distinction, from the US Naval Academy in 1991, John earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering while gaining leadership distinction, as he was ranked in the top five of 970 classmates in leadership and received the award as the most distinguished athlete in academics, athletics, and leadership.  He was also recognized for the athletic talent he displayed as a four –year starter on the lacrosse team, being named Division I All-American, Academic All-American, and member of the North-South All-Star team.  In 1998, John earned his MBA with Second Year Honors from Harvard Business School.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association’s Orange County Chapter and plays competitive pick-up basketball with luminaries such as Tony Gonzalez and AC Green.

 
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