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Phil has over 30 years of professional expertise in building great teams, cultures, and strategies that navigate complex and dynamic relationships, projects, and environments. Phil served 21 years as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) throughout the U.S. and overseas with expertise in violence prevention, counter-terrorism, intelligence, crisis management and hostage negotiation, crimes against children, undercover work, behavioral analysis, and broad investigative experience. He has led complex investigations, regularly deployed on domestic and international kidnappings and hostage-takings, and received numerous FBI and US Department of Justice awards. He is an Adjunct Instructor of negotiation, business intelligence, leadership, and ethics at DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and Department of Management & Entrepreneurship. Phil is also an Adjunct Instructor of Crisis and Conflict Management and Policing with Compassion at Northwestern University Center for Public Safety. He serves as an Advisory Board Member for Chicago-Kent School of Law’s Center for a National Security and Human Rights Law, a Crisis Management expert for Tell Your Story, and a Negotiation expert for the Schranner Negotiation Institute.

He is relied on for strategy, policy, and planning expertise by Chicago's City-wide Violence Reduction Working Group – a public/private effort to coordinate data, strategy, and resources to reduce gun violence. He has served on the City of Chicago's Office of Violence Prevention Advisory and the Governor of Illinois' Public Safety Transition and Chicago Mayoral Public Safety and Accountability Transition Committees. Phil led the Archdiocese of Chicago's Violence Prevention program, where he was responsible for community partnerships and safety for the nation's most extensive private school system of 180 schools and 300 Parishes and coordinated efforts to triage services to violence-affected communities.

Phil is an inspiring speaker with a unique personal story of resilience and survival that motivates individuals and organizations to prepare and engage in positive and effective ways. He serves as an instructor at the FBI Academy and as an expert in crisis management, negotiation, behavior analysis and undercover work. Phil has keynoted, consulted and trained clients globally. Prior to the FBI, Phil practiced law in Chicago and managed a violence prevention organization. He is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law and the University of Illinois, which he attended as a scholarship athlete - twice captaining the Illini Swim Team. Phil is a recipient of a U.S. House of Representatives Award for Outstanding Courage and Heroism, a nominee for the NCAA Valor Award, a recipient of the Illinois State Bar Association Service Award and is an inductee into Loyola Academy's Athletic Hall of Fame. He remains avid about water sports and directs an annual open water swim race.

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As a founding partner of PAX Group, LLC, Paul brings his 30 years of professional experience and expertise to advise on building more effective teams, driving organizational change, coaching for performance, creating alignment within organizations operating in diverse, complex and global environments allowing organizations to grow and achieve better outcomes.

Paul has over 25 years of experience as owner and Chief Operating Officer of Radio Flyer, Inc. Paul co-lead the process of transitioning Radio Flyer from a manufacturing driven Chicago-based metal stamping factory to a profitable, award-winning global consumer products company.

His experience in complex and new environments honed Paul’s skills as a cross-functional, multi-skilled leader. Paul selected, built, and led high performing operations teams in both the US and China that included product engineering, cost engineering, manufacturing engineering, procurement, logistics, and QA/QC, successfully integrating these functions to create a united Radio Flyer organization.

Essential to Paul's success wis his skill in the development and implementation of best business practices integral building award-winning high performing company cultures.

Paul oversaw the conversion of an antiquated manufacturing facility into award-winning corporate offices and product innovation center. In partnership with his brother, at the company created by their grandfather, Paul, created and developed an award-winning workplace with honors and recognitions that include: Fortune Magazine’s #1 Best Places to work, The Wall Street Journal Top Small Workplaces, 4-time Winner of Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies, , 2017 Emmy Award Winner, Crain’s Chicago Business Patents Per Capita Award Winner, and Crain’s “The 15 Coolest Offices in Chicago” Award Winner and more.

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Steve brings 35 years in communications and branding experience, working alongside and for Fortune 500 companies in shaping brand messaging and crisis management. As a consultant, he led response teams through multiple crises related to product liability, corporate restructuring, labor relocation, union disputes, mergers and acquisitions, and executive malfeasance.

Steve served in leadership positions with KemperLesnik/KemperSports, Brunswick Corporate and subsidiary Life Fitness. In addition, he led the Chicago office of CushmanAmberg Communications.

A Southern California native, Steve earned degrees in Journalism and Economics from Indiana University. His early career work supported political candidates and public initiatives, serving on media strategy teams for federal and municipal elections.

Steve resides in the Chicago area with his wife Julie and college-aged children Max and Zoey.

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Julie worked with CNN at the network’s Atlanta headquarters, as a copy editor, writer, field producer, and general assignment reporter. While with CNN, Julie pitched and reported a series of family and home stories, “In Your House.” Her exclusive reporting about special needs student abuse highlighted systemic problems within a large Georgia public school system.

Julie won an Emmy® award for PBS documentary “You’re Not Alone” as the film’s sole producer, and worked in local television markets as a news reporter and field producer.

Following her family’s move to Chicago in 2012, Julie founded independent production company, Audlank Media. Operating as a one-man-band multimedia journalist, her videos featured everyday people like a popular garbage collector, an opioid addict’s family, a small-town postal clerk, and a young coffee barista. This project garnered both an Emmy® nomination and a Telly Award win.

Julie also worked as part of the start-up team for NewsNation, the cable television network of Fort Worth-based NexstarMedia. She contributed as a field producer, guest booker, and researcher.