Karl Schlegel is one of The Ortus Club’s veteran moderators, having facilitated executive conversations across sectors including cybersecurity, big data, the Internet of Things, and blockchain. His path into moderating began through his involvement with Minority Business Enterprises, where he helped craft and host conversations at organisations such as the Metropolitan Transit Authority and Bank of New York, and where a single, well-crafted slide shown at IPG first earned him a seat in the room. He has also spoken on blockchain and healthcare at the Blockland conference in Cleveland.
As Managing Partner for Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, Karl applies the same facilitation principles beyond the roundtable, connecting heads of ecosystems and C-suite executives to create high-value collaborations. A musician who plays violin in a reggae rock band, he believes that showing up authentically — as a whole person — is what allows a moderator to build the trust that meaningful conversations require.
How did you find your way into moderating executive conversations?
Karl reflects on how raising his hand and seeking to add value led to his first moderating opportunities.
“My journey actually started through getting involved in Minority Business Enterprises and helping to put together an event on the sponsorship side. From there, an opportunity came up to have a conversation about cybersecurity, big data, and the Internet of Things, which gave me the chance to help craft the table, shape the direction of the conversation, pull in some colleagues I had worked with, and moderate an event at Bank of New York.
The first event I ever moderated was at the Metropolitan Transit Authority. It was a conversation about speed-pass programmes to help minority business enterprises accelerate their access to funding, so they could meet the demands of major companies like Skanska, who were doing $50 million a week in subcontracting and needed the right contractors. It was exciting to move that conversation from a purely financial one into the nuances of the human relationship — the trust, the capability, and the gap in the market.
I was selected the same way I have approached a lot of things: I raised my hand, and I dove in, seeking how I could add value. I put together a single slide that was shown at IPG, which encapsulated a colleague’s value proposition and caught the attention of the head of diversity. From there, I was invited into the backroom conversations, and simply being present, offering suggestions, and asking questions led to being asked whether I would moderate.”
What makes the private roundtable format different from a scripted panel?
Karl explains why The Ortus Club’s private setting enables a more authentic, organic exchange than a scripted event.
“One of the things I love about The Ortus Club format is that it is really about knowledge sharing. Because of the private nature of the setting, you can get into meaningful conversation that does not have to toe a party line or an industry line on behalf of a company, so you can go deeper. In other settings you are often trying to conform to a particular message for a particular audience, and you end up pulling out sound bites rather than allowing an organic conversation. Putting the cameras aside for a moment and really diving in lets people show up as individuals, with their own thoughts and ideas, while still creating value for their companies. That has been the big shift for me.
In the past, the events I moderated were much more scripted and more organisation-focused than participant-focused. There is real benefit in having conversations beforehand with the people who will be in the room, especially on a panel, because the way you interact, ask questions, and set the energy comes through very differently when you have prepared together.
When I spoke on blockchain and healthcare at the Blockland conference in Cleveland, we had a powwow beforehand and a few conversations, so we understood each other’s rhythm, and on the panel, it felt effortless and authentic. The unscripted conversations, where you have the freedom to dive deep and be present, feed off the energy of the other participants — and that is what the private executive roundtable provides that a panel discussion does not.”
How much does preparation matter once you are in the room?
Karl describes the moderator’s craft — from building trust with hosts to actively, rather than passively, guiding the room.
“Having already connected with the hosts is really important, because as the moderator, you are given permission to craft and take the direction of the conversation forward. I almost think of it like a pilot being handed the controls — suddenly it becomes your table, and you are given that trust. If you do not have the right relationship with the host already established, friction can creep in. So a little preparation beforehand, hearing how each other thinks, helps the moderator and the host co-create the energy and set the tone in the room. It also matters that you do not simply sit straight down at the table. If there is no time to mix, mingle, and have a drink in hand, you lose the kind of energy that allows people to open up and be more authentic.
A moderator’s role is never passive. A colleague once told me I needed to smile more, and the energy you bring — calm, cool, and collected — really translates. But you have to be willing to step in, respectfully redirect, or ask someone to hold a thought if they have been speaking a lot, and to bring quieter people in without making them uncomfortable.
I remember one Ortus Club event where someone from a particular industry had a great deal to share and was simply waiting for the invitation. This is more than a script; it is the crafting of the energy in the room and connecting the dots between what has been said and where the conversation is going. I have taken some basic acting classes, and the Meisner technique — which, unlike method acting, is about showing up as yourself within the given circumstances — is a wonderful methodology for anyone who wants to moderate. You bring yourself authentically and stay present with the other people in the room.”
What has surprised you most about senior leaders?
Karl shares what high-level conversations have taught him about vulnerability, peer-level collaboration, and trust.
“I have been really impressed by the way senior leaders seek not only to receive knowledge, but to be vulnerable. I do not mean overexposing themselves; I mean having the opportunity to be curious and to say, ‘We do not have it figured out,’ in a safe environment. The leaders who have impressed me most have shown up curious, ready to collaborate, thoughtful, and introspective. That surprised me, because I always assumed that the higher you climbed, the more bulletproof you needed to be. Instead, I have watched C-suite executives put themselves on an equal level with others so they could collaborate as peers and learn from everyone in the room, including those who might be considered below their level.
The second thing that struck me is how much everyone needs human connection. In these conversations, that connection moves the needle from simply discussing mission, vision, and values to actually building trust — and trust is essential to execution, especially at the enterprise level. In an increasingly AI-driven world, you can do all the research and build all the plans you want; you can put a flawless case in front of someone, but if you do not have that know, like, and trust, you will not get anywhere. There are deals aplenty waiting to be tapped into, and what is so often missing is the right facilitation of human connection. That is what is amazing about the work done with Ortus: facilitating the room actually leads to billion-dollar deal-making.”
What still makes you nervous before an event?
Karl explains why he welcomes pre-event nerves and the one question that continues to guide his work.
“I am always nervous before an event, and I think that is a good thing. You feel as though you never prepared enough, and with AI, you can now research the companies and the guests and be tempted to manufacture the conversation. When I was studying acting, my teacher said: ” You prepare, you prepare, you prepare, and then you let it go — and if you have done the work, you trust your craft, and it will be there for you. I feel that every single time I step in to moderate. Once you are in the room and fully present, you get locked in, and, as in Top Gun, you do not think, you do. The temptation to over-prepare comes from a fear of having a deficit, but if you stay locked into that mindset, you will not be present enough to facilitate effectively.
Someone once said there is a difference between anxiety and excitement — they are two sides of the same coin — so I choose to step into the excitement while treating the nervousness as a positive sign that something amazing is about to happen. I also recall hearing that you do not gain confidence before you do the thing; you do the thing, and the confidence comes as a result. If there is one question I will never stop asking, it is: how can I serve others?”
Join the Conversation: The Ortus Club’s Executive Network
As Karl Schlegel’s experience shows, the most valuable executive conversations are rarely the most scripted ones. Genuine insight emerges when senior leaders are given a private, trusted space to set aside the party line, show up as individuals, and engage with their peers authentically.
His view that facilitation and human connection — not research or strategy alone — are what ultimately drive high-value outcomes reflects a broader reality: in an AI-driven world, trust remains the catalyst for execution and deal-making.
At The Ortus Club, we host curated executive roundtables that bring senior leaders together for exactly this kind of open, high-value exchange. Step away from the panel format and the scripted sound bite, and join the conversations where real relationships — and real opportunities — are built.
FAQs Section
Q: What does a moderator do at an executive roundtable?
A: Far more than read from a script. A moderator shapes the direction of the conversation, co-creates and sets the energy of the room with the host, redirects respectfully when needed, and draws quieter participants in — all while connecting the dots between what has been said and where the discussion is heading.
Q: How should an aspiring moderator prepare?
A: By building a relationship with the hosts beforehand, allowing time to mix and mingle before the formal conversation begins, and preparing thoroughly before letting go to stay fully present. The aim is to bring calm, authentic energy rather than to control the conversation.
Q: Why are private roundtables more effective than panel discussions?
A: Because the private setting frees participants from toeing a company or industry line. Without cameras and rehearsed messaging, leaders can show up as individuals, share knowledge openly, and have the kind of organic, trust-building conversations that panels rarely allow.
Q: What is the Meisner technique, and how does it apply to moderating?
A: The Meisner technique is an acting methodology centred on showing up authentically as yourself within the given circumstances, rather than channelling past experiences or imitating someone else as in method acting. For a moderator, it reinforces the value of being genuinely present and authentic with everyone in the room.
Q: Why does human connection matter in business development?
A: Because even the most compelling, data-driven case will stall without trust. In an AI-driven world where deals and opportunities are plentiful, the differentiator is the facilitation of genuine human connection — the know, like, and trust that ultimately enables high-value deal-making.
