CEO Summit
2025
CEO SUMMIT
Leading Through Change
May 9, 2025 | 9 am – 1:30 pm
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
By invitation only. Registration is open through March 31.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Leading Through Change
Museum CEOs are facing change at an unprecedented pace. Unrelenting financial instability, evolving employee expectations, and disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence are just a few of the forces reshaping the field.
In this environment, the challenge for leaders is not simply to adapt to external changes, but to use it as a vehicle to drive effective organizational change. Yet global research reveals a sobering reality: only 25–30% of change initiatives succeed.
How can you defy the odds and successfully lead organizational change? What strategies will guide your team and board to success?
Traditional approaches to organizational change often focused on identifying and fixing errors, deficiencies, or gaps. However, a paradigm shift has emerged—a positive, strength-based approach that has transformed fields from medicine to psychology.
At the forefront of this evolution is Appreciative Inquiry, a groundbreaking approach to change management that focuses on identifying and amplifying the strengths, successes, and potential within an organization. Instead of focusing on problems as deficits, Appreciative Inquiry emphasizes building on what works well and engaging stakeholders to co-create a desired future.
Developed at Case Western Reserve University, Appreciative Inquiry has revolutionized the field of organizational change and has been proven to significantly increase the success rate of change initiatives. By leveraging collective strengths and fostering innovation, Appreciative Inquiry empowers leaders to drive meaningful, lasting transformation.
What You Will Gain from Attending the CEO Summit:
Proven Tools for Success: Learn to turn challenges into opportunities and achieve better outcomes using a strengths-based approach.
Confidence in Complexity: Acquire skills to navigate today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment with clarity.
Hands-On Practice: Engage in foundational Appreciative Inquiry techniques to foster collaboration and build on shared strengths among stakeholders.
Actionable Results: Develop practical strategies to apply Appreciative Inquiry principles immediately for lasting impact.
If you’re ready to lead transformative, positive change with confidence and clarity, this program will equip you with the tools and insights to succeed.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Ronald Fry
Ronald Fry, the B. Charles Ames Professor of Management at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, is a distinguished educator and leader in organizational behavior, honored with the Academy of Management’s Distinguished Educator Award in 2024. A co-creator of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), Ron has made significant contributions to organizational development, team building, and executive development. He has authored 11 books and over 70 scholarly articles, including Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Approach to Building Cooperative Capacity and Appreciative Team Building. As Faculty Chair of the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit, he has spearheaded global efforts like Aim2Flourish.com, a platform showcasing over 5,000 stories of business innovation aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Ron has facilitated large-scale, multi-stakeholder change processes across diverse organizations, including General Electric, World Vision, ArcelorMittal, and the U.S. Navy, applying Appreciative Inquiry principles to foster sustainable growth and innovation. He has conducted the Weatherhead International Certificate Program in Appreciative Inquiry globally and directed a world inquiry project that has evolved into a global student mobilization effort. Recognized for his lifetime contributions to education and research, Ron holds a BS in Engineering from UCLA and an MS and PhD from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
AGENDA
The CEO Summit will take place at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Times are listed in Pacific Time and are subject to change.
Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Bus transportation from the Los Angeles Convention Center to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be provided.
9:00 am: Welcome & Program Overview
9:10 am: Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry
What it is and isn’t
Why take a strengths-based approach
Lessons from the field: key foundational ideas about human systems change and development
9:40 am: Exercise
Appreciate interviews in pairs
The power of stories to connect
10:20 am: Break
10:30 am: Appreciative Learning: The “5D” Process
Case examples
Words Create Worlds: Reframing problems into opportunities
11:10 am: Breakout groups
Brainstorm how to apply Appreciative Learning at your organization
12:00 pm: Summary: What you can do to begin exercising Appreciative Leadership
12:15 pm Luncheon
1:30 p.m. Bus departs to Los Angeles Convention Center
REGISTRATION
Registration to the CEO Summit is $750 and includes full registration to the 2025 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo. Invitations are non-transferable and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited. Registration closes on March 31.
The American Alliance of Museums’ mission is to champion equitable and impactful museums by connecting people, fostering learning and community, and nurturing museum excellence.
