Wisdom from the Corner Office

The boardrooms of Kansas City are humming with a distinct blend of pragmatism and passion. The leaders steering the region’s most influential organizations are navigating a confluence of generational change, civic identity, and the relentless pressure to innovate.

We hear that again in this, the 10th installment of the Ingram’s 250.

This year, their collective voice, drawn from surveys sent to every member of this elite group, provides a unique compass for the region’s business community. Those insights come into view through the lenses of three topics, in particular—the impact of Baby Boomer retirements (inside the organization and with vendors and clients), and the contentious issue of how—or whether—to keep the Chiefs and Royals anchored here. 

Perhaps their most valuable insights for other business leaders in the region fall under the category of “Lessons Learned”—how one as a leader should respond to a failed business initiative in moving forward.

From their collective observations, a clear narrative emerges: one of resilience, unity, and a forward-looking focus forged in the fires of experience.

Effects of the Boomer Exodus: A Passing of the Baton, Not a Crisis

The retirement of the Baby Boomer generation is not a distant threat but a present-day reality reshaping the nation’s workforce. This region is not exempt from the impact, which comes in two main forms: loss of institutional memory and organizational effectiveness, and potential loss of customers and clients as longstanding relationships risk dissolution.

Yet, the prevailing sentiment among executives who responded to the survey is not one of panic, but of proactive management and opportunity. The exodus is viewed as a natural cycle of renewal, demanding strategic foresight.

For many, the primary challenge is the transfer of invaluable institutional knowledge. As Bob Page, CEO of The University of Kansas Health System, notes, many long-serving team members are deeply “committed to the mission of caring, teaching, healing, and discovering.” Their eventual departure necessitates a deliberate focus on “passing down institutional knowledge while embracing fresh ideas from new leaders.” 

This is a common theme: the need to codify the wisdom of the past without stifling the innovation of the future. Jani Johnson of Saint Luke’s Health System points to “strong retention and a culture that inspires team members to stay for decades” as a key defense against knowledge loss, while Ed Schatz of HeartLand LLC, the commercial maintenance-services giant, confirms that retirements are “prompting stronger succession planning, leadership development, and recruitment.”

This planned transition often manifests as a powerful mentorship culture. Michael Hoehn of Automatic Systems, Inc., reframes the departure of senior leaders as a catalyst for growth at all levels. “It’s a reminder that no one’s role or contributions are static,” he observes. “We should all be growing and learning, because every senior leader was a junior role player, and not that long ago.” 

That creates a dynamic where, as Kirsty Melville of Andrews McMeel Universal sees it, “Long-tenured staff mentor rising associates to sustain continuity and culture,” leading to “seamless transitions.”

The flip side of this loss, of course, is the potential for infusing new energy into an organization.

Matt All of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas declares that retiring Boomers are “making way for Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, whose fresh ideas are already shaping the organization.” Julie Quirin of St. Luke’s (BJC Health System’s West Region) highlights that Generation Z now constitutes nearly one in five of its employees, “bringing fresh perspectives and collaboration styles.” This change isn’t just internal; it affects customer relationships, as Adam Hill of The Scarbrough Group notes that customer retirements shift dynamics, bringing “new ideas, new expectations, and new relationships.”

Perhaps the most poignant perspective comes from Debbie Wilkerson of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, who sees the exodus extending beyond the workplace into philanthropy. 

“As more of our donors retire after successful careers, they are shifting their focus to philanthropy,” she says. “They built assets in their donor-advised funds during their income years, and now they are ready to focus on giving it away. Sometimes they engage younger generations of family members in their decisions, and we’ve seen generations connect in meaningful ways when they give together.” 

In this view, the Boomer Exodus is not an end, but a transformation of legacy from corporate leadership to community impact.

On the Royals and Chiefs: A Unifying Cry for Regional Pride

If the Boomer Exodus reveals Kansas City’s pragmatic planning, the debate over the future homes of the Chiefs and Royals reveals its heart. Here, the message from the business leadership is strikingly unified, transcending state-line parochialism in favor of a broader regional identity. The overwhelming consensus is that the teams are indispensable assets, and their location is secondary to their presence. A comparative few would prefer to see at least one of the teams—and fewer still, both—relocate to the Kansas side, with the Kansas Speedway region in Wyandotte County receiving multiple votes.

The dominant refrain, though, is one of regional unity. Steve Bernstein of Bernstein-Rein speaks for many when he says he supports keeping both teams in Kansas City, “regardless of state lines, noting their importance to regional unity and pride.” 

Schatz believes “Kansas City is strongest when teams are accessible to the entire region,” and decisions should focus on “unity, economics, and fan experience rather than state borders.” 

This sentiment is echoed by David Brain of Enfinite Capital and Doug Van Meter of GBA, the latter adding that as the civil engineering firm behind the original stadiums, the teams’ presence is “especially meaningful.”

While unity is the priority, specific preferences emerge. A Downtown baseball stadium garners significant support. 

Anne St. Peter of Global Prairie favors it “to further energize Kansas City’s growth,” a vision shared by Owen Buckley of LANE4 Development, who believes it “could solidify momentum for Downtown.” Tim Dunn of JE Dunn Construction—who has a particular interest in the issue, being part of the Royals’ ownership group—concurs, calling Downtown baseball his “preference to boost the entire region and strengthen the core.” 

For the Chiefs, opinions are more varied, with some, like Jeff Spencer of Holmes Murphy and Associates, envisioning a “fresh start with a retractable roof at the Legends,” while others, like Tim Paulson of Emery Sapp & Sons, advocate for keeping the team at Arrowhead to expand development.

Beneath the support, however, lies a clear-eyed business perspective. Mark Brandmeyer of Brandmeyer Enterprises supports a move to Kansas only if structured fairly, cautioning against public-private partnerships that are “lopsided in favor of billionaire owners.” When it comes to baseball operations, Brandmeyer knows of what he speaks: His holdings include the Kansas City Monarchs, whose home turf is the stadium in Wyandotte County’s Village West.

The ultimate bottom line, as Ann Konecny of Foley Equipment Co. starkly puts it, is the unthinkable alternative: “If we step back and recognize how big a loss it would be to lose one or both teams completely, then the Kansas vs. Missouri debate becomes less important.” 

For leaders like Bill George of the transportation specialists WHC Worldwide, the details are almost irrelevant: “As long as the team names start with ‘Kansas City,’ I’m supportive of whatever they decide to remain competitive.” This stance transforms a potential political fissure into a point of collective pride, a testament to the region’s ability to prioritize a shared identity over divisive boundaries.

Lessons Learned: The Unifying Philosophy of Intelligent Failure

Across every industry, from health care to finance to construction, Kansas City’s executives share a common and powerful philosophy toward failure: it is not an end, but an essential beginning. The collective wisdom treats setbacks not as embarrassments to be hidden, but as invaluable data points and learning accelerators.

The first step in this process is a blameless, honest assessment. 

Roy Jensen of The University of Kansas Cancer Center advocates for “an honest and forthright autopsy of the reasons that led to the failure,” calling it “the most useful business exercise you ever experience.” 

Jeff Cloud of IBT Industrial Solutions stresses that failure becomes useful only if leaders “identify the root causes, address them, and ensure they aren’t repeated.” This requires a culture of psychological safety, as championed by Spencer, whose insurance brokerage and benefits consultancy has “always encouraged our employees to fail. It gives them the assurance that it’s OK to try new things.”

The insights from this analysis are then channeled into improvement. Tammy Peterman of The University of Kansas Health System embodies this by focusing on “fixing process, not people.” George looks for “what we missed when we developed the plan,” and Bill Ryan of Shamrock Trading uses failures as “reminders to listen more closely to customers and deliver real marketplace value.” 

The goal, as Tucker Trotter of Dimensional Innovations notes, is “preventing repeat mistakes.”

This pragmatic approach is coupled with an emphasis on resilience and speed. The mantra “fail fast” is a common thread. Charlie Shields of University Health lives by the philosophy to “fail fast and move on—turning setbacks into momentum.” His crosstown peer, Page, offers a concise recipe: “Don’t blame. Take ownership. Fail fast. With an open mind and without pride, ask yourself what could have been different, then keep moving forward.” 

Mariner Kemper of UMB Financial Corp. advises taking measured risks and “failing fast to minimize setbacks,” arguing that mistakes “make us smarter and enable us to withstand future challenges.”

Underpinning it all is a fundamental humility. David Brain finds that a failed initiative’s greatest value is “the humility it teaches.” Brad Oddo of Basys agrees: “Embrace humility, extract the insight, and use it to build resilience.” 

This humility allows leaders to model vulnerability and growth, turning individual missteps into collective strength. As Jamie Battmer of Creative Planning simply puts it, the lesson is to “Never quit trying and learning from every single one of them.” In this view, failure is not the opposite of success, but an integral part of its achievement, a notion perfectly captured by Sam Huenergardt of AdventHealth: “It’s a matter of win or learn.”

Conclusion: The Kansas City Way

The observations of Kansas City’s business leaders paint a portrait of a region characterized by its steadiness and its spirit. The Boomer Exodus is met not with resistance but with thoughtful succession planning and a celebration of new talent. Their outlook on the stadium issue reveals a community that places regional unity above partisan squabbles. And their takeaway from painful experiences demonstrates a mature, resilient business culture that values growth over perfection.

Together, these three themes form a blueprint for leadership in a time of transition: honor the past while embracing the future, prioritize common ground over narrow interests, and treat every setback as a stepping stone. It is a narrative of confidence—not in the absence of challenges, but in the collective ability to navigate them with wisdom, unity, and an unwavering commitment to moving forward. This is the Kansas City way.