Our Guests for the September 11th/12th edition of PlayMakers Talk Show:

David Walls, CEO, Austin Industries

Rick Ortiz, CEO, Great Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Join us every Friday afternoon at 3:00 and Saturday at 2:00 on 770 KAAM (KAAMRadio.com)

Right click to download | Subscribe to the PlayMakers Talk Show Podcast

David Walls, CEO, Austin Industries

David B. Walls is president and CEO of Austin Industries, one of the nation’s largest privately held, employee-owned organizations. Austin’s operating companies – Austin Bridge & Road, Austin Commercial, and Austin Industrial, have projects including commercial office buildings, airports, hospitals, hotels, stadiums, universities, educational facilities, bridges, railroads, and roads and highways.

David began his career with Austin in 1980 where he became one of the premier field project managers before being named vice president and director of operations in 1988. He has served as president of Austin Commercial and is currently serving as president of Austin Bridge & Road in addition to his CEO position.

David currently serves as a trustee of Baylor Scott & White Health Care System and as a director on the TEXO board. TEXO is the largest commercial contractors association in Texas (serving North and East Texas) and one of the largest affiliated with the national Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Austin-Ind.com

Phone: (214) 443-5500

Host, Steve A Klein, David Walls

Rick Ortiz, CEO, Great Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Rick Ortiz is CEO and President for the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is in his 3rd year as the leader of this 76-year-old organization.  Under Rick’s leadership, the GDHCC has become the 2nd largest chamber in North Texas with over 2,000 members.

Rick has been active with the GDHCC since 2005 and served as chairman of the board from June 2009 to December 2010.

Prior to joining the GDHCC, Rick served as a Dallas attorney who specialized in business and tort litigation, managing cases up through the trial stage in state and federal courts.

GDHCC.com

Phone: (214) 521-6007

Rick Ortiz, Host, Steve A Klein

Our Guests for the September 4th/5th edition of PlayMakers Talk Show:

Wyman Roberts, CEO, Brinker International & President, Chili’s Grill & Bar

Rosa Navejar, CEO, The Rios Group

Join us every Friday afternoon at 3:00 and Saturday at 2:00 on 770 KAAM (KAAMRadio.com)

Right click to download | Subscribe to the PlayMakers Talk Show Podcast

Wyman Roberts, CEO, Brinker International & President, Chili’s Grill & Bar

Wyman T. Roberts currently serves as CEO and President of Brinker International, Inc., which owns or franchises more than 1,600 restaurants around the globe on behalf of the company’s Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy® brands. He also serves as President of Chili’s.

Wyman joined Brinker in August 2005 as Senior Vice President and Maggiano’s President. In March 2009, he added Brinker Chief Marketing Officer (for Chili’s, Maggiano’s and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina) to his responsibilities. In November 2009, he was promoted to President of the Chili’s brand. Wyman assumed the responsibilities of CEO and President of Brinker in January 2013.

Prior to joining Brinker, Wyman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for NBC’s Universal Parks & Resorts and is also a 17-year veteran of Darden Restaurants, Inc., where he held numerous senior level positions, most recently Executive Vice President of Marketing for the Red Lobster brand.

Brinker.com

Chilis.com 

Maggianos.com

Rosa Navejar, CEO, The Rios Group

With a mind for business and a heart for service, Rosa Navejar builds upon her 37 years of operations and management experience to lead The Rios Group, Inc., an M/WBE (Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise) certified subsurface utility engineering and utility coordination firm based on Fort Worth. Founded in 2012, The Rios Group offers client-focused services across various markets including transportation, aviation, rail, water, electric transmission, and site development.

After 23 years of client service in the financial industry, Rosa’s operations and business acumen allowed her to make history as the first female to lead the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2001 as President and CEO. Under her leadership, the FHWCC optimized its internal business practices and set procurement policies for utilization of M/WBE businesses.

In 2013, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood appointed Rosa to serve on the National Freight Advisory Committee.

Rios-Group.com

Fort Worth: (817) 345-7500     Dallas: (214) 333-0922

Houston: (281) 419-2453         Austin: (512) 719-9933

Host, Steve A Klein, Rosa Navejar, Wyman Roberts