Speaker Bios

Alycia leads the Professional Services team and has more than twenty years’ experience helping lawyers and executives accelerate sales performance and revenue growth. She is particularly passionate about helping individuals create greater impact in how they lead, work, and sell by unlocking strengths and research-based insights to power individual, team, and organizational growth.

Prior to her current role, Alycia oversaw the business development and marketing functions at Goldberg Kohn and McDermott Will & Emery. Alycia is also passionate about elevating the profession of law through various volunteer leadership roles, including with the Legal Marketing Association (LMA), currently serving as the co-chair of the Talent Development Committee. She also served as LMA’s President of the International Board of Directors, as well as the Board President for the Midwest Region and has served on the advisory board of the Legal Sales and Service Organization. Alycia is a frequent speaker on business development topics, which includes guest teaching appearances at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Clients often remark that working with Alycia to accelerate sales performance feels like they have been to the gym, the spa, and the therapist all at the same time.

Alycia received her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and her BA from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Alycia chairs the board of the Inclusive Collective, a campus ministry group at UIC. She resides in Oak Park, IL and, when not with clients, can often be found on the sidelines of a sports game for one of her two teenagers. She’s an avid bookworm and it’s always worth asking about her current favorite read.

Amanda M. Bruno is the global chief business development officer at Morgan Lewis. In that role, Amanda leads a team responsible for working with the Chair and firm’s senior leadership team to develop and implement client-centric business development priorities for Morgan Lewis.

With almost 20 years of experience in the legal industry, Amanda works with key stakeholders across the firm to drive client-centric strategy and ensure delivery of exceptional client service inside and outside the firm.

Amber Larson is the marketing leader at Bartlett & West, which is an approximately 450-person, 100-percent employee-owned engineering company with offices spanning the Midwest from North Dakota to Texas. She has worked in the AEC industry for more than a decade and in marketing and communications for 25 years.

In addition to her professional career, she owns a tattoo parlor with her husband in downtown Mandan, North Dakota. She was elected to serve on Mandan’s City Commission from 2018-2022 in a dramatic fashion, beating the incumbent by a narrow margin of 11 votes. She chose not to seek reelection after her term but is currently involved in many local and State boards with hopes to be in public office again someday.

This is Amber’s second time speaking at CXps, which aligns perfectly with her passion for all things client and employee experience.

No longer is the status quo the sure bet. In today’s world, standing still makes you a sitting duck. Disruption is inevitable. But if anyone’s going to disrupt your company, shouldn’t it be you?

As the world’s leading Innovation Architect, Carla Johnson has spent 20 years working with leaders, conducting research, and authoring numerous books. She’s developed frameworks that teach people how to redefine what innovation means to them and then equips leaders to make innovation everybody’s business.

Carla’s approach transforms organizations by fusing visionary creativity with pragmatic innovation strategies. The result is a culture that becomes a playground of limitless potential while also experiencing unprecedented growth and alignment.

Chad Simmons is a seasoned civil engineering professional with over 20 years of experience specializing in client service and expectation management. As a leader at WithersRavenel, he serves as the primary point of contact for clients, ensuring seamless project execution across all delivery Practice Areas. His strategic approach to client engagement drives successful project outcomes and fosters long-term partnerships. With a strong focus on growth and relationship management, Chad plays a key role in leading strategic pursuits and ensuring client satisfaction.

Beyond his direct client responsibilities, Chad leads a team of development-focused Client Experience Managers, guiding them in enhancing client relationships and delivering exceptional service. His leadership emphasizes collaboration, accountability, and a commitment to meeting client needs, making him a trusted partner in the civil engineering industry.

Danny McPhaul is a seasoned client experience leader with 20+ years of cultivating authentic client relationships within the public and private sectors, ranging from niche tech startups to Ivy League universities to multi-billion-dollar international conglomerates. He’s brought his unique brand of relationship-building, active listening, advocacy, and strategic thinking to every problem or person he’s encountered, ensuring that they always feel seen no matter their job title.

Danny is living proof that being an accomplished “corporate professional” never has to come at the sacrifice of one’s personal brand. His approach to leadership and client success has directly led to achieving critical organizational metrics such as significant increases in NPS, client retention, and company revenue. And he’s done it all while donning one of his signature Golden Girls t-shirts!

Denise Schmitz, CXMP, is an Associate at Neumann Monson Architects and leads the firm’s marketing and business development efforts. She directed the firm’s evolution to inbound marketing through written and video content.

She coordinates efforts with the firm’s core seller-doer BD team and serves on the CX and EX strategic teams. Being part of shaping Neumann Monson into a regional and national CX/EX leader has been gratifying and a notable firm differentiator.

Liz Boehm directs and provides strategic oversight for the firm’s client development services and business development initiatives. She facilitates efforts to provide clients with an excellent experience, leads preparation for client and potential client meetings, presentations, and opportunities, and conducts client feedback interviews.

Liz also oversees responses to requests for proposals and coordinates sales strategy and sales pipeline tracking for business opportunities. She leads the firm’s competitive and marketing intelligence research team, conducts business planning for attorneys, and implements attorney training and coaching programs.

A past president of the Legal Marketing Association’s (LMA) Ohio Chapter, former LMA Midwest Regional Board member, and LMA International “Rising Star” award winner, Liz currently serves on LMA’s 2025 International Annual Conference Advisory Committee. Liz likes fitness, spending time outdoors, traveling, and enjoying life with her husband and two sons.

As director of Client Development and Strategic Growth, Jenna Schiappacasse leads a team of skilled business professionals who implement and execute on client-focused initiatives that improve service excellence, drive revenue growth, and strengthen client loyalty by prioritizing the voice of the client in all decisions. She strategizes alongside lawyers and firm leadership with a keen focus on identifying opportunities for expanding client relationships while identifying and elevating client value.

Jenna is a driven, creative, passionate leader with nearly two decades in the legal industry. She began her career at an AmLaw 100 firm in Washington, DC, before spending 14 years at a mid-sized firm headquartered in Baltimore. There, she most recently held a client-facing role focused on coaching lawyers on client development, creating and executing successful client teams and client feedback programs, and connecting the dots between the firm and its client base.

A dedicated volunteer leader, Jenna has served in various leadership roles of the LMA Mid-Atlantic chapter since 2010, including as board president in 2019. She served as co-chair of the Legal Sales and Service Organization’s Conference in 2021. Jenna speaks and writes frequently on topics surrounding the elevation of legal client service, the importance of client feedback, and the business of law.

Jim Holz has been involved with all aspects of community development, including the planning, financing, and implementation of community development efforts, such as infrastructure improvements, housing rehabilitation programs, and downtown revitalization. In addition, he has implemented a Client Experience (CX) Program to improve our internal processes and exceed our clients’ expectations.

Karen Jackson is Managing Partner of C-ChangeWork, is a management consulting firm that specializes in optimizing business performance through innovative customer experience solutions, enhanced employee engagement strategies, and accelerated profitable growth initiatives.  Karen’s track record of successful leadership spans 6 continents, 14 countries and multiple industries. 

Robyn Charles developed and manages Husch Blackwell’s client feedback program, and she creates and presents a variety of attorney training curricula, including orientation for new partners and pitch training for attorneys at all levels. In addition, Robyn manages and mentors a large team of dedicated client development strategists and client account managers and is co-chair of the firm’s Women’s Employee Resource Group.

With a decades-long career working with clients, Robyn draws on an extensive background of more than 20 years in business development for professional services firms. She began her career in sales, where she discovered a passion for professional sales and working directly with companies. Robyn was soon recruited to establish a business development program for an accounting firm, an experience that showed her how much she loved transforming client services by helping professionals learn how to better understand and meet client needs.

Robyn still loves nothing more than creating new client service or attorney training programs, or simply finding ways to improve existing programs. A true highlight of her work is the opportunity to help attorneys grow and develop their client service skills from the very beginning—Husch Blackwell’s client service training begins as soon as associates join the firm, not after they become partners. Robyn’s aim is to ensure that the firm’s attorneys place a high priority on knowing and understanding clients and client needs—and on making sure that clients understand how much the Husch Blackwell team cares.

Robyn serves as founding co-chair of HB WE, the firm’s women’s Employee Resource Group.

Ryan Suydam co-founded Client Savvy in 2004 to help firms create fierce client loyalty by designing, implementing, and measuring Client Experiences. He has coached over 700 organizations and over 30,000 professionals on the skills required to be “client savvy.” His clients are twice as likely to be recommended by their clients, three times as likely to realize above-average financial returns, and consistently attract and retain better employees.

Ryan studied architecture at N.C. State University before beginning a career in an architectural firm. He quickly began leveraging technology and processes to solve new problems creatively, leading to the creation of the Client Feedback Tool and later the foundation of Client Savvy.

He speaks at events across the nation, including national conferences such as the Lean Construction Congress, the American Council of Engineering Companies Annual Convention, the American Society of Quality, and the Society for Marketers of Professional Services.

In 2015, Ryan also founded the Client Experience in Professional Services (CXps) group, hosting an annual conference bringing together professionals to share ideas and strategies that advance their firms’ ability to deliver differentiated client experiences every time.

Sally Obernolte, AIA, CXMP, is a Principal at Neumann Monson Architects, a Midwest architecture firm recognized for its pragmatic and sustainable design. Across her 24-year career, she has managed projects that emphasize environmental stewardship, community engagement, and social impact.

She has led the firm’s CX team and client listening program since its inception to build a Client Experience program that aligns with the firm’s commitment to design excellence. She is an active voice in the industry, sharing insights on client engagement and sustainable design through speaking at conferences across the country. 

Tasneem K. Khokha has spent over 20 years as an executive leader in the professional services space working with lawyers and other professionals to grow their businesses by helping firms make the most of their relationships with their clients, their talent, and their recruits.

Prior to joining GrowthPlay, Tasneem was a partner and the Director of Marketing at Katten Muchin Rosenman, where she led the firm’s marketing and business development team. Tasneem previously practiced law in the corporate department of Latham & Watkins and the restructuring group of Kirkland & Ellis.

Clients value Tasneem’s prior experience as a practicing professional and executive leader in professional services organizations, as well as her relentlessly optimistic approach. Tasneem speaks frequently on topics related to new business development, selling professional services, marketing, client experience, leadership, inclusion, and women in professional services. She has spoken at several law schools, including Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, University of Chicago Law School, and University of Illinois College of Law.

Tasneem graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and earned her Bachelor’s degree, with honors, from the University of Chicago. Tasneem serves on the board of directors of Latinos Progresando, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides immigration legal services.