2016 WLP Fall Symposium Program

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Failing Fast
University Club
There’s a common trait shared by many successful people: they act quickly, even if they may fail. Before you
begin to set in motion a series of actions – a project which may fail or succeed, faster or slower, sooner or later
– you already have in mind some kind of outcome – the effect – that you’re aiming for. It could be a financial
one, a stakeholder one, a process one, a people one. With that in mind, there are going to be a range of causes
that may or may not result in that effect. With a vision in place, you can set objectives. Along with those
objectives, you can establish measures of success (measures of failure?) with associated targets, to help guide
the actions/ initiatives. Supporting the why/what/how, you’ll now determine who/when/where – very tactical
things. So, failing faster is really just a current colloquialism for the same thing. In the end, though, all its
saying is: try. If it doesn’t work out, you’ve probably learned either a lot of good things for the next attempt or a
decision to focus on something else. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. In this session, you’ll learn how to develop
the right visioning strategy that will aid you in “failing faster”...successfully!
Penny Parks
Owner, Links Financial LLC
MODERATOR
Spanning a professional career of more than 25 years, Penny Parks has worked for premier firms
in the financial services industry. Her areas of focus have been arranging more than $2 billion in
corporate debt financings, real estate and corporate problem loan resolution and restructuring,
business acquisitions and numerous interim financial leadership roles. Now in its 10th year, Links
Financial, the company that Parks founded, arranges and restructures debt for middle market
companies, arranges financings for real estate projects and sells family-owned businesses. As
president of Links Financial, she identifies the most appropriate and creative financing structure,
provides referrals to well-suited funding sources and advocates for her clients throughout the
process. A proud member of WLP, Parks earned a B.S. degree in mathematics and business,
graduating cum laude from Wake Forest University, and a MBA with a finance concentration,
graduating with the highest honors, from the University of Tampa. Prior to founding Links Financial,
her banking career included senior positions with Bank of America, Northern Trust and the Royal
Bank of Canada’s US subsidiary.
Karen Buesing
Partner, Akerman LLP
Karen Buesing has represented management in employment law matters for more than 30
years. She is one of only about 200 lawyers in Florida who are board certified by the Florida Bar
as specialists in labor and employment law. She has represented businesses, small and large, in
litigation matters before local, state, and federal agencies, state and federal courts, and arbitration
panels. Her experience includes discrimination and harassment claims, investigation, and litigation,
whistleblower litigation, wage and hour litigation, non-compete and trade secret litigation,
employment contract negotiation and litigation, litigation of fiduciary obligations, litigation of
minority shareholder/partner disputes in closely held entities, and all aspects of employment
counseling and training. Buesing has been recognized by Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in
America, and has been named one of Florida’s Top 100 Lawyers and Florida’s Top 50 Women Lawyers.
Buesing was the recipient of the 2014 Florida Supreme Court Tobias Simon Award, the state’s
highest pro bono service award. She is a former management co-chair of the ABA Equal Employment
Opportunity Committee.
30 #USFWLP • 11 TH ANNUAL WLP FALL SYMPOSIUM