Executive Forum was founded in 1980 in Portland, Oregon, with the goal of bringing outstanding speakers and authors to the area to share their state-of-the-art perspectives with Northwest companies

Although our mission has expanded over the years to include a broad range of offerings and formats, we still believe that the foundation of successful, sustainable organizations and vibrant communities is effective leadership, encouraged at every level and developed through programs that combine regional concerns with the latest thinking from the nation’s most powerful thought-leaders.

The Executive Forum Team

John Cochran
Robin Lakamp
Barbara Barde

 

John Cochran

John Cochran is the President of Executive Forum. As an experienced General Manager and Corporate Director, he understands first-hand the business issues and challenges facing companies throughout the Northwest. John has an extensive background as a leader of sales, finance, technology and operational teams. His strategic planning experience encompasses general management activities in several business sectors, including manufacturing and healthcare. His strong project management and leadership skills have been tested in both domestic and international merger and acquisition settings, where effective leadership has been key to success. Active in the community, John has also lent his leadership and team building skills to his church and youth athletic programs.

Prior to joining the Executive Forum team, John was Managing Director of Manitowoc Foodservice Europe in Italy, where he successfully managed the merger of a family-owned business with a multinational U.S. corporation. As General Manager of Flomatic International, John spearheaded changes that resulted in significant improvements in operating income, gross margins and new product development for the specialty manufacturer. In the healthcare industry, working for American Healthcare Management, Inc., John spent nearly a decade managing operational functions and accounting for several large hospitals.

Robin Lakamp

Robin Lakamp is Executive Forum’s Director of Programming. She has over 10 years of experience as a Human Relations Generalist and Administrator, and understands the importance training and development programs can have for the long-term viability of an organization. Throughout her career, she has worked to enhance the effectiveness of organizations using applied development programs and by modeling and communicating mutual respect, trust, and continuous improvement in human resource processes.

Prior to joining Executive Forum, Robin was responsible for both Human Resource management and executive administration at Flomatic International. She also participated in the corporate strategic planning process, developed and managed HR objectives and performance measurements, and managed the Oregon Quality Award application process. Robin’s expertise includes program management, budget administration and event coordination for several companies in the Northwest.

Barbara Barde

Barbara Barde joined the Executive Forum team in the summer of 2007. For over 15 years, she has been involved with the growth and development of companies in the Portland area. Barbara brings to Executive Forum an exceptional range of skills in building relationships and managing organizations, as well as project management and implementation. Prior to joining Executive Forum, Barbara was engaged as a technical recruiter, responsible for identifying, locating, attracting and recruiting top talent for a leading IT and Engineering consulting firm. Previous positions have included the development and management of recruitment, marketing, sales and support programs for membership-based organizations, as well as serving as the coordinator for regional youth activity programs.