Michelle Werner is a Professional Placement Consultant at Hatch Staffing Services with more than 30 years of experience in the staffing industry. Having held nearly every role within the company, she brings deep market insight and a practical understanding of today’s workforce challenges. Michelle is known for connecting top talent with the right opportunities and delivering creative, effective solutions for her clients. A graduate of Marquette University, she remains active in her network and the Milwaukee business community.
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Culture as an Operating System
How manufacturers build culture into operations to strengthen retention, accountability, and recruiting.
Join us Tuesday, May 19th for a focused discussion on how strong companies build culture into the way they operate. This session will explore why retention is not a standalone initiative, but the result of intentional systems, accountability, hiring practices, and workforce development.
Hear from industry leaders and advisors as they share practical insights on building a culture that supports retention, operational performance, and long-term workforce strength in manufacturing.
Location: Chortek Headquarters
N19 W24133 Riverwood Dr. #305
Waukesha, WI 53188
Agenda
- 8:30–9:00 a.m.
Arrival and Breakfast
Check in, connect with fellow attendees, and enjoy breakfast before the program begins. - 9:00–9:45 a.m.
Corporate Culture Dynamics
Explore how culture shapes retention, accountability, and business performance, and why strong companies build it into the way they operate.
Presented by David Goetz, Burnham Capital and Tim Padgett, Pepper Group - 9:45–10:00 a.m.
Practical Steps You Can Take to Operationalize Your Culture
Learn practical ways to embed culture into day-to-day operations so it supports retention, accountability, and workforce development.
Presented by Renee Luedke, Chortek - 10:00–10:15 a.m.
Best Practices for Recruiting in Manufacturing
Hear actionable strategies for attracting and hiring talent in a competitive manufacturing labor market.
Presented by Michelle Werner, Hatch Staffing Services
Meet the Presenters
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David Bogetz
Burnham Capital
David Bogetz, through his firm Burnham Capital Partners, consults with companies to sharpen their strategies in ways that drive growth and increase equity value. He takes a practical, common-sense, hands-on approach, working with people at all levels to understand both the opportunities and roadblocks affecting performance. From there, David helps bring teams together to build and nurture a strong culture rooted in collaboration and accountability. He has found that this kind of environment consistently leads to better business performance and lasting value creation.
David's background includes experience as a banker, turnaround consultant, venture capital and private equity investor, and business owner. In private equity, he worked hands-on with portfolio companies to drive organic growth and execute and integrate acquisitions, leading to profitable exits. That experience gives him a well-rounded perspective on challenges from strategic, financial, and operational angles.
Tim Padgett
Pepper Group
Tim Padgett started Pepper Group in 1994. Today it has grown to be one of Chicago’s elite B2B marketing firms. Pepper Group focuses on helping companies that look to intentionally grow rapidly—more than 60% of their clients are private equity-owned portfolio companies. From the beginning, culture was at the forefront of Tim’s business plan. For the last 14 consecutive years, they have been selected as one the Best & Brightest Companies to Work for in Chicago. Pepper Group features a suite of services to help their clients attract and retain top talent through advanced communication techniques. Tim is a 5-time entrepreneur, and an investor in multiple ventures.
Renee Luedke
Chortek
Renee Luedke is a strategic and innovative talent leader who translates business vision into impactful HR initiatives that drive performance, profitability, growth, and employee engagement. She is known for her ability to support executives with a clear perspective that human capital is an organization’s greatest asset, turning complex challenges into actionable, value-driven strategies.
Renee currently serves as Head of HR and Talent at Chortek. Prior to joining Chortek, she spent 20 years in a variety of HR, talent development, and recruitment roles within the manufacturing industry.
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