A standing-room-only audience attended this week's keynote speech by four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and television personality Terry Bradshaw, which was held at the Four Seasons Ballroom on Monday afternoon. Bradshaw’s keynote was titled “Why Not Be Your Best?,” and this theme was evident not only in his roughly hour-long talk, but also in reinforcing comments made by key officers from the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP).

The AMPP officers who preceded Bradshaw were Amir Eliezer, Chair of the AMPP Board of Directors; Chris Conner, Chair of the AMPP Global Center Board of Directors; and Bob Chalker, AMPP CEO. The 2023 AMPP conference will be Chalker’s last as CEO, and he is slated to be succeeded by Alan Thomas, effective April 1. In introducing Bradshaw to the stage, Chalker announced the themes to be expounded upon by the former Pittsburgh Steelers great, namely a focus on leadership and presenting the best version of oneself as a leader.

In his keynote, Bradshaw engaged the audience with his trademark down-home humor and his years of experience as both a championship QB and an award-winning broadcaster. One of Bradshaw’s key points was the importance of greeting people with a smile—it was his contention that this simple act was enough to elevate a team, whether it’s a football team or AMPP’s all-star team of corrosion and coatings specialists.

Along with a smile, Bradshaw emphasized the importance of a touch of a hand, which he reinforced by exhorting audience members to shake hands with the people sitting next to them.

Another key theme from Bradshaw’s keynote is the need for honest self-evaluation. “It’s so important to know who we are, and what we aren’t,” Bradshaw said. Using an example from his exemplary football career, Bradshaw said he hated to throw short-yard passes but loved throwing deep, which he characterized as “no problem” for him. This self-knowledge made him successful in both his playing and post-playing careers, and Bradshaw believes that this quality can make anyone successful in their careers—as well as their lives.

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