Success Beneath the Surface

In episode 49 of Success Beneath the Surface, host Deborah Fell spoke with Torey Carter Conneen, CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. One key theme was simplifying complexity. As the leader of a trade association with diverse constituents, Torey sees his role as uniting everyone around a shared mission.
Deborah reflects that whether in complex organizations like Torey's or simpler ones, complexity can quickly arise from a lack of listening and leadership. Without the air of inspiration, problem-solving focus, and commitment to achieving better outcomes together, complexity takes over.
Torey shares how his roles have been driven by a deep connection to organizational missions and purposes that align with his own values.
About Torey Carter-Conneen
An accomplished executive leader with over 20 years of experience, Torey Carter Conneen formulates strategies and plans to drive organizational success. As COO of AILA, he oversees operations, education, conferences, publications, finance, and more to support the 15,000+ immigration attorney members. He led the development of strategic and operating plans and ensured accountability against goals. As SVP, Finance, and CFO at the Center for American Progress, he oversaw accounting, administration, and IT for the $50M organization and advised the President & CEO as part of the executive team. As Acting President & CEO of the Victory Fund and Institute, he partnered with leaders and the Board on strategic, operating, and financial plans during the CEO’s sabbatical. He excels at managing deadlines and challenges while delivering immediate results. Skilled at cultivating engaging work environments to promote performance excellence.
Torey Carter-Conneen on LinkedIn
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders

In this insightful commentary episode of Success Beneath the Surface, host Deborah Fell shares her key takeaways from her conversation with Alexei Miller, Managing Director of DataArt. Discover the secrets behind DataArt's impressive employee referral and loyalty metrics, which have remained strong over decades of growth. Alexei emphasizes the importance of a culture-based organization, where informal ties, trust, and freedom fuel employee longevity and willingness to refer others. However, as the company scales, maintaining this culture becomes increasingly challenging. Alexei candidly discusses the difficulties of passing on the company's culture to new hires as DataArt expands rapidly. Despite these challenges, DataArt's employee loyalty metrics remain high compared to industry standards. To dive deeper into Alexei's masterclass on building culture and retaining people, be sure to listen to the full episode:
EP52: Humble Beginnings to Global Success - The DataArt Story
Links from this episode:
Alexei Miller on LinkedIn
DataArt
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders
About Alexei Miller:
Alexei Miller is a Managing Director at DataArt. He leads strategic sales and client engagement efforts for global technology consultancy, focusing on IT strategy, new system development, and technology innovation. Alexei joined DataArt when the company was founded, in 1997, and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2002. Over the past two decades, he has been overseeing product and service development, delivery, sales and management of key accounts and has built DataArt’s Finance practice. Alexei has been instrumental in establishing DataArt’s position as a global technology leader dedicated to service excellence and helping to significantly grow the company's operations on a global scale.

Step into the world of Alexei Miller, managing director at DataArt, as he engages in a captivating discussion with host, Deborah Fell on Success Beneath the Surface. Alexei's story is one of curiosity, adaptability, and the power of a strong company culture, from his humble beginnings in a little town in the north of Russia, beyond the polar circle, to his 27-year journey to being part of a team leading DataArt, a global software engineering firm. He shares his insights on fostering employee loyalty, navigating the ever-changing landscape of AI, and creating an environment where people can thrive. Alexei's passion for his work and people shines through in this thought-provoking conversation, leaving listeners with valuable lessons on leadership and success in the tech industry. Tune in for an engaging exploration of what it takes to build a company that stands the test of time.
Links from this episode:
Alexei Miller on LinkedIn
DataArt
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders
About Alexei Miller:
Alexei Miller is a Managing Director at DataArt. He leads strategic sales and client engagement efforts for global technology consultancy, focusing on IT strategy, new system development, and technology innovation. Alexei joined DataArt when the company was founded, in 1997, and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2002. Over the past two decades, he has been overseeing product and service development, delivery, sales and management of key accounts and has built DataArt’s Finance practice. Alexei has been instrumental in establishing DataArt’s position as a global technology leader dedicated to service excellence and helping to significantly grow the company's operations on a global scale.

In this episode, Deborah shares her anticipation for the upcoming Chief Outsiders National Conference, where she will be recapping the event and conducting insightful interviews. Reflecting on the growth and success of Chief Outsiders over the years, Deborah emphasizes the importance of vision casting and fostering a culture of collaboration. As we look forward to the conference highlights, Deborah encourages listeners to revisit Art Saxby's full episode for valuable insights on strategic growth. Stay tuned for exciting recaps and interviews from the conference on "Success Beneath the Surface"!
EP25: Scaling Your Business - Curiosity and Leadership

Deborah Fell unpacks key insights on gaining alignment from her conversation with Torey Carter-Conneen, CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. With multiple stakeholders to consider, Torey shares how he approaches creating change and uniting his team behind a common vision. Deborah reflects on how a lack of alignment in an organization, though often invisible, manifests in lower scores and sales momentum. Torey stresses the "trust equation" - communicating the why behind decisions while listening carefully to staff and members. For CEOs leading their teams through change, this commentary offers takeaways on fostering trust and strategic alignment. Tune in to hear Torey's advice on maintaining focus amidst competing priorities.
About Torey Carter-Conneen
An accomplished executive leader with over 20 years of experience, Torey Carter Conneen formulates strategies and plans to drive organizational success. As COO of AILA, he oversees operations, education, conferences, publications, finance, and more to support the 15,000+ immigration attorney members. He led the development of strategic and operating plans and ensured accountability against goals. As SVP, Finance, and CFO at the Center for American Progress, he oversaw accounting, administration, and IT for the $50M organization and advised the President & CEO as part of the executive team. As Acting President & CEO of the Victory Fund and Institute, he partnered with leaders and the Board on strategic, operating, and financial plans during the CEO’s sabbatical. He excels at managing deadlines and challenges while delivering immediate results. Skilled at cultivating engaging work environments to promote performance excellence.
Listen to his full episode here.
Links from this episode:
Torey Carter-Conneen on LinkedIn
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders

Do you aspire to lead with purpose and service? This week’s Success Beneath the Surface podcast features a remarkable discussion with Torey Carter Conneen, CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Host Deborah Fell artfully draws out Conneen's inspiring path to nonprofit leadership guided by his family’s ethos of community service.
From his first nonprofit role out of college to helming major associations today, Conneen walks the talk of mission-driven business. He shares the CEO mindset needed to align strategy with core values during difficult decisions, constantly engaging stakeholders while moving change forward. For growth leaders who want their organizations to balance purpose, service and sustainability while thriving financially, this is an episode you can’t miss. Tune in for an uplifting dose of wisdom.
About Torey Carter-Conneen
An accomplished executive leader with over 20 years of experience, Torey Carter Conneen formulates strategies and plans to drive organizational success. As COO of AILA, he oversees operations, education, conferences, publications, finance, and more to support the 15,000+ immigration attorney members. He led the development of strategic and operating plans and ensured accountability against goals. As SVP, Finance, and CFO at the Center for American Progress, he oversaw accounting, administration, and IT for the $50M organization and advised the President & CEO as part of the executive team. As Acting President & CEO of the Victory Fund and Institute, he partnered with leaders and the Board on strategic, operating, and financial plans during the CEO’s sabbatical. He excels at managing deadlines and challenges while delivering immediate results. Skilled at cultivating engaging work environments to promote performance excellence.
Torey Carter-Conneen on LinkedIn
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders
 

When established "truths" in business become outdated, companies that fail to adapt often struggle. In this episode commentary, host Deborah Fell explores a Mark Twain quote on questioning assumptions with guest Barry Traylor, co-founder of Sales Mastery. Barry explains why the "perfect prospect profile" can limit a company's vision and relationships. He advocates customizing outreach to understand individual customers’ needs better rather than treating everyone equally. He also discusses how adding value and sharing insights, not just selling, builds meaningful business connections over time. For growth-focused executives, re-evaluating internal "certainties" periodically and implementing more nuanced, customer-centric strategies can yield better long-term results.
Link to Barry's full episode here.
About Barry Trailer
Barry is Co-Founder of Sales Mastery Advisors, a sales research and advisory services firm started in 2018. Earlier, he was the founder and CEO of a successful SMB CRM company (acquired in 2000) before co-founding and helping lead CSO Insights, which he and his partner sold to Miller Heiman (2015-2017). Barry has been published three times in Harvard Business Review, most recently in Nov-Dec 2022, and has twice been the keynote at their Sales Summit in Poland. He is an Accenture Luminary and has been involved in complex B2B sales for over 35 years. He’s intrigued with how it’s changed/changing and what this means to Sales as a Profession (SaaP). 
 
Links from this episode:
Barry Trailer on LinkedIn
Sales Mastery website
Sales Master on YouTube
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders

Learn how to boost your company's sales strategy. Deborah and her guest, Barry Trailer, Co-Founder of Sales Mastery Advisors, discuss research-backed approaches to building customer relationships and implementing effective sales processes. Discover common pitfalls in forecasting, analytics, and sales team structure and how to avoid them. You will gain insights from Barry on shifting dynamics between buyers and sellers, plus practical steps to capture more business. Whether you lead a startup or enterprise company, this episode provides battle-tested wisdom to navigate uncertain waters and accelerate revenue growth.
 
About Barry Trailer
Barry is Co-Founder of Sales Mastery Advisors, a sales research and advisory services firm started in 2018. Earlier, he was the founder and CEO of a successful SMB CRM company (acquired in 2000) before co-founding and helping lead CSO Insights, which he and his partner sold to Miller Heiman (2015-2017). Barry has been published three times in Harvard Business Review, most recently in Nov-Dec 2022, and has twice been the keynote at their Sales Summit in Poland. He is an Accenture Luminary and has been involved in complex B2B sales for over 35 years. He’s intrigued with how it’s changed/changing and what this means to Sales as a Profession (SaaP). 
 
Links from this episode:
Barry Trailer on LinkedIn
Sales Mastery website
Sales Master on YouTube
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders

In this week's episode of Success Beneath the Surface, host Deborah Fell gives commentary on her conversation with turnaround executive Andrei Soran on balancing profitability and access in the healthcare industry. Having spent his career improving healthcare organizations, Andrei provides valuable insights into the opposing forces at play, where the drive for profits conflicts with the moral imperative to provide care. As Deborah notes, these dynamics place immense pressure on leaders to make difficult trade-offs. Tune in to hear more from Andrei on how countries around the world are grappling with this "balancing act" and his thoughts on how for-profit and nonprofit models can learn from each other. To access the full discussion from last week's episode, listen here.
About Andrei Soran: Chairman ConnectNet and Principal eXact Partners
A strategic health system leader, Andrei leverages 25+ years of CEO experience driving growth, turnarounds, and value creation for hospitals and health systems. He has led multiple successful acquisitions, restructures, and exits, building high-performing teams and aligning stakeholders. Passionate about quality, safety, and physician relationships, Andrei partners closely with medical staff to champion patient care. Most recently, he steered Pipeline Health through an in-court restructuring, paving the path to financial sustainability. Andrei has turned around numerous hospitals, including boosting Detroit Medical System’s EBITDA by $100M. With prowess spanning operations, technology, and vision-setting, his analytical abilities and empathetic leadership equip him to solve complex strategic challenges.
About eXact:
Today, we’ve been highlighting an organization that has been making waves in the business world – eXact. eXact is the leader in healthcare organizational restructuring and business turnaround. At eXact, you'll find a team of seasoned executives who specialize in guiding healthcare companies through complex and uncertain times. They understand the challenges businesses face and are here to help you navigate them. eXact offers tailored solutions that establish effective organizational frameworks, revamp your operational processes, and transform your business strategies.
So, whether you're experiencing financial turmoil or need a fresh approach to revitalize your business, eXact has the expertise you need. To learn more about how eXact can help your company thrive, visit their website at exactleaders.com.
Links from this episode:
Andrei Soran on LinkedIn
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders

When hospitals face financial distress, every decision becomes crucial and partners like lenders gain outsized influence. Yet few leadership teams have deep expertise in navigating corporate turnarounds. This lack of experience can lead to missed opportunities and severe consequences. What struggling hospitals need are advisors intimately familiar with managing cash crunches, forecasting future runways, and making bold moves when required.
Andrei Soran and his team of seasoned healthcare executives have led successful restructurings and helped organizations strategically shrink certain services to reallocate resources. They understand hospital economics better than any generalized consulting firm. Their relationships with lenders can smooth the path to recapitalization. By complementing leadership capabilities, they can create plans addressing immediate threats while positioning for long-term viability. During this industry crisis, partnering with their turnaround specialists could prove transformational for many hospitals.
About Andrei Soran: Chairman ConnectNet and Principal eXact Partners
A strategic health system leader, Andrei leverages 25+ years of CEO experience driving growth, turnarounds, and value creation for hospitals and health systems. He has led multiple successful acquisitions, restructures, and exits, building high-performing teams and aligning stakeholders. Passionate about quality, safety, and physician relationships, Andrei partners closely with medical staff to champion patient care. Most recently, he steered Pipeline Health through an in-court restructuring, paving the path to financial sustainability. Andrei has turned around numerous hospitals, including boosting Detroit Medical System’s EBITDA by $100M. With prowess spanning operations, technology, and vision-setting, his analytical abilities and empathetic leadership equip him to solve complex strategic challenges.
About eXact:
Today, we’ve been highlighting an organization that has been making waves in the business world – eXact. eXact is the leader in healthcare organizational restructuring and business turnaround. At eXact, you'll find a team of seasoned executives who specialize in guiding healthcare companies through complex and uncertain times. They understand the challenges businesses face and are here to help you navigate them. eXact offers tailored solutions that establish effective organizational frameworks, revamp your operational processes, and transform your business strategies.
So, whether you're experiencing financial turmoil or need a fresh approach to revitalize your business, eXact has the expertise you need. To learn more about how eXact can help your company thrive, visit their website at exactleaders.com.
Links from this episode:
Andrei Soran on LinkedIn
Deborah Fell on LinkedIn
Chief Outsiders