Su Joun

Principal, Diversity@Workplace Consulting Group

Su Joun (she/her/hers) is the Principal of Diversity@WorkplaceConsulting Group LLC  (http://www.diversityatworkplace.com) that specializes in innovative, implementation-focused,no-frills Diversity & Inclusion training and consultation.  Su is alsoan adjunct professor at Suffolk University where she teaches Global HumanResources Management, Organizational Behavior and Career LAUNCH classes.

She was the Vice President of Talent, Diversityand Inclusion at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) where she ledthe enterprise diversity and inclusion, talent acquisition, performance managementand leadership development, and associate engagement teams.  In addition to expertise in Diversity &Inclusion and talent management, she has held leadership roles in IT & operations,marketing, sales and call centers in various organizations and industries. Su hasalso founded and operated a publishing company. This breadth of experiencesenables her to fully understand and “speak the language” of the variousbusiness areas and leaders allowing for true partnership to champion Diversity& Inclusion goals and programs.

Su received her MBA from Suffolk University andher MS in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University.

Her thought-leadership on Diversity &Inclusion and talent overall has been showcased in the Skillsoft video libraryand on the Urban Update.  She has presented to various audiences suchas the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, NAAAP, CFO Roundtable, UMASS Centerfor Collaborative Leadership, NEHRA, HUBweek, General Assembly, Skillsoft Conference,Design Museum Boston Workplace Innovation Summit, Northeastern University Open Classroomand the Boston Bar Association. 

Stefanie Smith

Consultant, Diversity@Workplace Consulting Group

Stefanie A. Smith is a consultant with Diversity@Workplace Consulting Group leveraging her previous experience and extensive background as DEI Subject Matter Expert.  Stefanie has partnered with clients, government entities, media agencies, corporate partners and brands to develop quality initiatives and programs maximizing diverse representation, tangible metrics, and effective action.

As a certified diversity practitioner, speaker, and moderator some of her biggest professional accomplishments include her work alongside diversity leaders such as Dennis Kennedy of the National Diversity Council and Glenn Singleton of the Pacific Education Group/Courageous Conversations About Race.  Stefanie is a proud advocate for multicultural diversity spaces and bases her work in the needed research and policy suggestions on those cultures.  

Stefanie leans on her natural abilities to empathetically read the state of corporate culture to inform effective long-term strategy and implementation plan development.  Notably she developed DEI framework, programming and educational learning paths for consulting change management giant Kotter International.  Her imprint and previously seeded works are still being replicated today due to her natural ability to meticulously elevate diversity across all business lines and employee levels including c-suite and boards. 

Stefanie acquired her bachelor’s degree from Salem State University and obtained her first masters at UMass Boston and second masters at Baruch College Marxe School of Public and International Affairs via National Urban Fellows accelerated MPA program.  

Although originally born in Atlanta, Georgia Stefanie calls Boston and the Northeast her forever home.  Mostly you will find her joking along with friends, family and spending her spare time somewhere warm and fun.

Phil Strazzulla

Founder, SelectSoftware Reviews

Phil has always been interested in business, having started investing at the age of 12. This led him to NYU where he studied finance. After graduation, Phil started his career working as a venture investor at Bessemer Venture Partners. Subsequently, he attended Harvard Business School to get his MBA where he taught himself how to program and started his entrepreneurial journey.

Phil got into the HR world when he founded NextWave Hire in 2015. NextWave helps companies build their employer brands through better career websites, talent communities, employee testimonials and more.

Phil is originally from the South Shore but now lives in Boston's South End. He's an aspiring golfer, meditator, and chef - but all three of these are still a work in progress.

Phil Strazzulla is the Founder of SelectSoftware Reviews, a website that helps HR leaders buy the right software through free online guides.

Tracy Burns

CEO, NEHRA

Tracy Burns has served as NEHRA’s Chief Executive Officer since November of 2010. Prior to this role, she spent nearly 20 years working in corporate HR, holding leadership positions across various industries, including financial services, higher education/healthcare, publishing and food/beverage.

Tracy is the author of,Before and After Resumes: How to Turn a Good Resume Into A Great One. In 2016 she received SmartCEO’s Brava Award as one of 40 female leaders in Greater Boston. In 2017, she was featured in Boston Business Journal’s series “Women of Influence”. A sought after expert in “all things HR”, Tracy is often quoted in local and national media outlets and has been featured on various industry related podcasts, including The Hennessy Report and HR Rebooted.

In 2017, Tracy and business partner Mim Minichiello developed and launched Hytched (www.hytched.co), an on-line platform connecting companies who need interim HR expertise with experienced HR professionals. Currently in its second iteration, Hytched has seen early success as a growing “gig” resource and landed Tracy on the “Top 300 Women to Watch in HR Tech”.

Tracy is actively involved in the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), as well as the American Society of Association Executive (ASAE). She sits on the HR Management Advisory Board at Bryant University and the Work Without Limits Business Advisory Council at UMass Medical School in Worcester, MA.

Tracy holds a bachelor’s degree in business/human resources from California State University and a master’s degree in Organizational Development from Lesley University. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Tracy has called the Boston “home” since 1996. She is passionate about advancing female leaders, raising two fabulous boys and her bulldog Moose.

David Weaver

President, Compensation and HR Group

David is President of the Compensation & HR Group and is responsible for all consulting functions within the organization.

Prior to joining the Compensation & HR Group, David spent 20 years managing a human resources membership and consulting organization. He has also held positions with industry leaders Liberty Mutual, Honeywell and Hewlett-Packard as a corporate human resources professional. During this period, he gained essential hands-on experience in compensation program development, marketing and internal communications.

A graduate of The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, David has also made his mark in academia, having served as adjunct faculty member for both Northeastern University and Newbury College where he taught courses in Compensation Management and Human Resource Management. He also worked as an instructor for the certification courses at the Compensation Analyst Academy, WorldatWork and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Daniel B. Klein, Esq.

Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Daniel Klein is a partner in the Labor and Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw's Boston office. Mr. Klein's practice includes the representation of management in employment and non-competition litigation matters before state and federal courts, at trial and appellate levels, as well as federal and state agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights & Opportunities.

Mr. Klein also counsels national, regional and local employers on a wide variety of employment matters, including disability accommodation, family and medical leave, workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance, commissions disputes, performance assessment and discipline, terminations, reductions-in-force, training, background checks, whistleblower claims, defamation, handbook and policy review, and trade-secrets protection strategies.As a member of the firm's Complex Discrimination Litigation Practice Group, Mr. Klein has defended employers in a variety of complex discrimination cases, including multi-plaintiff discrimination lawsuits, EEOC pattern and practice cases, and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Mr. Klein also has defended employers against the full spectrum of cases involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, defamation, and wage and hour violations, as well as representing employers in non-competition and contract disputes.Mr. Klein regularly assists clients in drafting employment contracts, severance agreements, non-competition, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, personnel policies and company handbooks. He has represented employers in a variety of industries, including healthcare, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, staffing, professional services, transportation, and technology.Mr. Klein lectures frequently on a variety of employment law topics for human resource specialists and in-house counsel, including regular presentations on behalf of the Northeast Human Resources Association, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education.

Mr. Klein served as a legal intern at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. From 2005 through the present, Boston Magazine and Law and Politics have named Mr. Klein one of Massachusetts' and New England's "Super Lawyer Rising Stars." Mr. Klein received his J.D., from Boston College Law School, and his B.A. from Colgate University.

Gina Abudi

Founder, Abudi Consulting Group

Gina Abudi, MBA has 25+ years’ experience working with organizations of all sizes – from smaller businesses, non-profits, through to large, global organizations – providing expertise around projects, processes and people. Additionally, she works closely with a variety of clients to develop and deliver customized workshops/seminars and training programs to meet long term strategic needs.

Gina keynotes and speaks at conferences, forums and corporate and industry events on a variety of topics. She has written a number of white papers and articles on various management and project management topics, which can be found on her blog: http://www.GinaAbudi.com. Gina is leading author of Best Practices for Managing BPI Projects: Six Steps to Success, J Ross Publishing, 2015 and author of Implementing Positive Organizational Change: A Strategic Project Management Approach, J Ross Publishing, 2017.

Gina is active with the Northeast Human Resource Association (NEHRA), Association for Talent Development (ATD), and the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP).

Gina is adjunct faculty at Granite State College teaching in both the Masters of Science in Leadership and Masters of Science in Project Management Program, as well as an adjunct faculty at the University of New Hampshire and New England College, facilitating ACG’s workshops for their corporate clients.

Charla Bizios Stevens, Esq.

Director, Litigation Department & Chair of the Employment Law Practice Group

Charla is chair of the firm's Employment Law Practice Group and practices in the Education and Health Care Practice Groups. She has extensive background addressing litigated and non-litigated employment issues such as discrimination, harassment, employee classification and wage and hour claims. She assists employers in responding to labor audits, preparing personnel policies and minimizing risk in the hiring, discipline and termination of employees. She conducts management and anti-harassment training and works with employers to maintain legal compliance in a cost-efficient and effective way.  

Charla has served as the lead external investigator on a number of significant matters for private employers, independent schools and colleges and universities.  She also trains individuals on how to conduct effective internal investigations into issues ranging from workplace complaints to education on sexual misconduct.

Charla regularly advises independent schools regarding crisis and risk management.  She writes handbooks and policies related to student and adult issues ranging from bullying, hazing, harassment and discrimination and conducts student safety reviews for independent schools.  Charla frequently presents to human resources and education organizations such as National Business Officers Association (NBOA) and Independent School Association of Northern New England. 

She also has a diverse health care practice representing physician practice groups, health centers, mental health practitioners and ancillary providers regarding compliance, licensing, discipline and other issues.  Charla serves as Vice Chair Human Resources, Health Care, and Workforce Development Committee for the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire (BIA).

Her litigation background includes practice in the state and federal courts and before numerous state and federal administrative agencies such as the State and Federal Departments of Labor, the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Charla received her J.D., cum laude, from Boston College Law School and her B.A., cum laude, from Merrimack College.

Areas of Focus

• Labor & Employment Law
• Education and Independent Schools
• Healthcare Law

Adam Hamel, Esq.

Director, Litigation Department & Vice Chair of the Employment Law Practice Group

Adam is a director in McLane Middleton's Litigation Department and vice chair of the firm's Employment Law Practice Group, concentrating his practice in the areas of business, employment and probate litigation. Adam regularly assists clients on a variety of commercial and employment litigation matters, including claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, and violations of restrictive covenants. Adam also has extensive experience working on will contests, fiduciary litigation and guardianships.

Adam received his J.D., magna cum laude, from New England Law / Boston in 2005.

Areas of Focus

• Business Litigation
• Labor & Employment Law
• Probate Litigation

William Alpine

Director of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave

William Alpine was appointed Director of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave in February 2019.  He is responsible for implementing and overseeing the day to day administration, finance, and operations of this newly created program. He previously served as corporate counsel for a nationwide environmental consulting company. He oversaw the company’s environmental claims and cost recovery program. He was previously the Executive Director of the Commonwealth’s Petroleum Product Cleanup Fund. In that role, he was responsible for developing the day to day administrative functions of the Commonwealth’s environmental claims program. William holds a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

Mary Tibma

Manager of Customer Engagement and Experience, Department of Family and Medical Leave

Mary Tibma joined the Department of Family and Medical Leave as the Manager of Customer Engagement and Experience in March 2019. In this capacity she provides services to both employers and employees in order to successfully contribute towards, apply for and receive benefits. This involves working with the business process design and driving the strategy for Agency wide campaign for “Customer Success.” Mary previously worked at the Mass RMV where she served as Deputy Registrar for External Services. She managed the 30 service centers across the Commonwealth as well as the 34 AAA branches that deliver limited RMV services. Prior to her work in state government she was co-owner of a residential design and construction firm for 15 years and has also worked in large corporations and the non-profit sector.

Shilpa Pherwani

Principal, IBIS Consulting Group

Shilpa Pherwani, the principal of IBIS and a leading expert in diversity and inclusion, has been guiding global organizations for over 12 years on leveraging diversity as a business advantage. An organizational psychologist by training, she partners with organizations to effect sustainable organizational change by conducting cultural assessments, developing comprehensive strategic diversity action plans, and designing compelling and interactive classroom-based and online training.

Shilpa collaborates with key stakeholders to strategically plan, implement, and measure diversity initiatives. Shilpa has worked with global organizations to guide management and executives on being effective across cultural and geographical boundaries. She delivers outcome driven and systemic consultation to diversity committees, senior members of HR and business leaders. Shilpa’s clients include Aetna, Barclaycard US, Boeing, Campbell Soup, Framingham State University, Grainger, Genzyme, Microsoft, Nestle, Progress Software, Sun Life Financial, State Street Bank, Texas Health Resources, Thrivent Financial of Lutherans, Tredegar Corporation, and Williams Sonoma.

Shilpa Pherwani graduated from Kanpur University (India). She received her Master’s from Springfield College in Industrial/Organizational Psychology where her focus was on Organizational Development.

Melissa James

Strategic Partnerships Lead, IBIS Consulting Group

Melissa James is the Strategic Partnerships Lead at IBIS. Over the past 10 years, she has successfully helped early stage companies grow revenue and scale their internal capacity. She is a seasoned HR professional with experience in strategic partnership development, a passion for increasing diversity and inclusion, and a proven strategist for effective diversity recruitment initiatives.

Melissa is also the author of  “When Are You Going To Get A Real Career: A Guide to Designing a Career You Would Be Proud Of!”,  a roadmap for millennials starting out in their career and experienced executives crafting their next move. Shared stories and experiences provide insightful knowledge and steps for anyone navigating different aspects of their career.

She is also the recipient of the U.S. Presidential Service Award, the UMass Distinguished Young Alumni Award, and the 2015 Pursuer Award from the African Youth Excellence organization for her relentless commitment to the community. Born and raised in Boston, Melissa graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a bachelors in journalism and legal studies. In 2019, Melissa was presented with the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Pine Manor College.

Cheryl Jacobs

Senior Vice President, MCG Partners

Cheryl Jacobs is Senior Vice President, Executive Coach, Leadership Developer & Facilitator at MCG Partners, a women-owned consultancy specializing in leadership and talent optimization. With over 20 years’ experience leading teams and organizations to sustainable success, Cheryl develops and delivers a broad spectrum of customized training and development programs. Her program participants span various organization levels, industries, and cultures, and speak to Cheryl’s ability to create personalized learning experiences and transformative and sustainable changes.

A skilled interactive and collaborative facilitator, Cheryl has extensive expertise in solving the leadership challenges of individuals and organizations. She specializes in employee and leadership effectiveness, succession planning, organizational innovation, change and alignment. Cheryl is a Harvard Business School executive coach providing coaching and advisory services to attending global executives. Previously, Cheryl leveraged her passion for developing people and founded Talent Transformation, a coaching, training and talent management consulting firm.

Cheryl also served as the Executive Director of Sales for The Providence Journal Company, a multimedia organization owned by Belo Corporation. At The Providence Journal Company, she oversaw a sales and marketing staff of 60 and drove strategies, revenue, and multimedia product development with a $50m budget. Prior to the Providence Journal, Cheryl spent 10 years in Sales and Strategic Planning at Boston.com and The Boston Globe.

Cheryl holds a BA from Boston College and a MBA from Suffolk University. In addition, Cheryl is a certified Executive Coach through the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is a certified Analyst in the Predictive Index® (PI®) and DiSC®. She is also certified in several 360 assessments. She is also a faculty member of the Northeast Human Resource Association (NEHRA), a SHRM chapter.

Cheryl lives outside of Boston, MA with her husband and three boys.

Melissa Hartman

Director of Human Resources, Chestnut Hill Realty

Since joining Chestnut Hill Realty in 2002, Melissa Hartman is responsible for the management of all human resources operations, systems, and programs, ensuring legal compliance at the federal, state, and local levels. 

These responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of the recruiting, hiring, and exit processes, health and retirement benefit administration, payroll processing, communicating with employees, managing performance reviews, providing management training and support, and coordinating with senior leadership.

As Director of Human Resources, Melissa has played an indispensable role in improving the work-life experience of CHR's many employees. She has created a company benefits fair; helped institute CHR's mentoring program, serving as the program coordinator; introduced Create Healthy Results, a nationally recognized wellness program; and launched a volunteer program in which employees can accrue paid time while providing charitable service in and around CHR's various communities. Additionally, she has helped facilitate the newly formed Senior Leadership Team and serves as Chair of the Wellness Committee, co-Chair of CHR's University initiative, and is on the Strategic Operations Committee.

Melissa is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management, Northeast Human Resources Association, and World at Work. She received her bachelor's degree from Stonehill College.

Myra Carmona

Vice President of Talent and Culture, MassHousing

A seasoned professional with more than 15 years of experience in Human Resources, Myra Carmona oversees MassHousing’s investment in staff development and organizational improvement; drives employee engagement, inclusion and recognition; and leads the Agency’s learning and professional development programs.

Prior to joining MassHousing, Ms. Carmona led a human resources team for the City of Manassas Park, Virginia, working closely with the city’s police and fire departments in recruitment, leadership development and performance management. As Director of Human Resources at The Community Builders, she developed a recruitment process; managed employee relations, performance management systems and a mentoring program; and helped to create efficiencies with the use of technology.

Julie Lynch

Principal & Founder, Uncommon Consulting / UPSchool

Described as a Motivation Catalyst, a Communication Wizard and an Uncommon HR Practitioner, Julie Lynch is Principal of Uncommon Consulting and founder of UPschool. She facilitates inspiring, energizing programs on motivation, management and meaningful work and provides practical tools to get the results you seek.

Julie brings over 25 years of experience in human resources leadership, management development, and personal motivation. She has been a speaker for the Northeast Human Resources Association, Human Capital Institute and Achieve Engagement. Her programs are designed to connect people more meaningfully to the work they choose to do. The results are greater motivation, better management, increased productivity, improved relationships and more meaningful work at every level.

Phil Strazzulla

Founder, SelectSoftware Reviews

Phil has always been interested in business, having started investing at the age of 12. This led him to NYU where he studied finance. After graduation, Phil started his career working as a venture investor at Bessemer Venture Partners. Subsequently, he attended Harvard Business School to get his MBA where he taught himself how to program and started his entrepreneurial journey.

Phil got into the HR world when he founded NextWave Hire in 2015. NextWave helps companies build their employer brands through better career websites, talent communities, employee testimonials and more.

Phil is originally from the South Shore but now lives in Boston's South End. He's an aspiring golfer, meditator, and chef - but all three of these are still a work in progress.

Phil Strazzulla is the Founder of SelectSoftware Reviews, a website that helps HR leaders buy the right software through free online guides.

Kari Heistad

CEO, Culture Coach International and Diversity Dashboard

Kari Heistad has been working in the fields of diversity, equity and inclusion and cultural competency for over 30 years. With diversity as the hallmark of her work, her experiences have brought her into contact with world leaders, inner-city youth, non-profit organizations and business people.  She leads two teams - one for Culture Coach International and the other for the Diversity Dashboard. Both companies are supporting diversity professionals in providing programs and services that promote diverse and inclusive workplaces. She has worked across a wide range of industries, has spoken before more than 18,000 people, has developed more than 300 products and tools and has served as a media resource. 

Sarah Scala

President and Principal Consultant, Sarah Scala Consulting

As a dynamic consultant, executive coach, and educator, Sarah Scala has over 20 years of experience in supporting organization development, leadership, coaching, talent management, learning design, team effectiveness, and change management for diverse client organizations. Sarah brings high energy, optimism, and adaptability to new challenges. She has led talent development initiatives for start-ups to Fortune 100 companies as a partner and trusted adviser. She is passionate about creating solutions that strengthen interpersonal skills and support positive change with individuals, teams, and organizations.
Education:
 Masters degree in Organization Development and Adult Education from Alverno College
 Bachelor degrees in Business Management and Adventure Recreation from Green Mountain College.

Sarah’s Formal Credentials:
 International Coach Federation - Certified Coach (ACC)  Gestalt International Study Center - Certified Gestalt Coach
 Emotional Intelligence (MSCEIT ™) - Certified practitioner
 Situational Leadership II ® - Certified practitioner
 MBTI ®, FIRO-B ®, and Thomas Kilman Conflict Instrument ® - Certified practitioner

Ongoing Education: I love to learn and completed these courses in addition to reading 50+ books annually:
 Wharton School of Business: People Analytics
 Stanford University: Learning Technology Design and Sustainability
 Case Western Reserve University: Coaching, Learning, Leadership and Change
 Case Western Reserve University: Leading Positive Change through Appreciative Inquiry
 Case Western Reserve University: Inspiring Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence
 Cape Cod Institute: Creating Resonance in Your Life as a Leader
 Cape Cod Institute: Developmental Coaching for Leadership Agility  Cape Cod Institute: Developing Better Leaders through Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, Renewal and Resonant Relationships
 GISC: Cape Cod Training Program
 GISC: Enhancing Your Therapeutic Skills  GISC: Working with the Body in Mind 1 and 2

AFFILIATIONS:
Sarah is the Founder and Chair of the Granite State Learning and Organizational Development Round Table, a professional association that provides learning and development to HR and Learning leaders. Sarah serves as Professional Associate for the Gestalt International Study Center and Coach for Babson College’s Coaching for Teamwork and Leadership Program (CLTP) . In addition, Sarah is a member of the International Coach Federation, Human Resource Leadership Forum, Organizational Development Network, and Association of Talent Development / American Society of Training & Development. In her free time, Sarah enjoys cycling, kayaking, cross-country skiing, and travel. She also enjoys volunteering to provide meals to those in need, and frequently speaks at conferences and events for organizations that support Human Resource leaders and entrepreneurs.

Melissa Christenson

President, Creative Training Resources

Melissa Christenson, president of Creative Training Resources (CTR), has over thirty years of progressive experience in learning and organizational development. Melissa’s passion is helping individuals, sales teams, and executives enhance their communication and public speaking skills to ensure they are delivering the right message in the right way.

In addition to providing presentation training and coaching, Melissa has designed and delivered numerous programs, including communication skills, customer service, interviewing techniques, interpersonal skills, team building, management development, meeting management, performance management, and a variety of client specific programs. She holds certifications in change management, management/leadership development, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and time management. Melissa has also received three National Telly Awards for her video-based learning programs. Prior to founding CTR in 1998, Melissa was the worldwide training manager at Reebok International where she implemented the corporate development strategy and oversaw all programs within The Reebok Professional and Management Development Center.

Melissa has been a speaker at the Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD) and the Society for Human Resources Management international conferences. She has served as part of the New England Human Resources Association’s (NEHRA) faculty delivering sessions on Enhancing Executive Presence for the Leadership Level Human Resources and the Executive Development for Female HR Leaders series for the past five years. She also served on the Board of Directors for VideoNitch, an enterprise learning company. Melissa received both her Master of Education in Organizational Development and Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Jamie Resker

Founder & Practice Leader, Employee Performance Solutions

Jamie is a recognized innovator in the area of performance management.  She has a uniquely singular focus - optimizing employee performance through reshaping communications between managers and employees based on two-way informal conversations designed to drive and align performance expectations.   She helps organizations make the shift away from reviewing and rating past performance to building the capacity of everyone in the organization to speak regularly and candidly about strengths, accomplishments, and more methodically re-direct off-target performance.  Her ground-breaking work as the originator of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method® and Conversations to Optimize Employee Performance training program provide managers and employees with the skills to engage in continuous performance discussions.  The work is based on the principles of neuroscience and Appreciative Inquiry.  It's particularly effective when unproductive or disruptive behaviors need to be addressed.  The framework has broad application; transcending organization industry, size, geographical location, and culture.Jamie is known for being ahead of her time and has dedicated half of her three-decades long HR career to re-framing performance management.  As a thought leader on the topic of modernizing performance management, she is a frequent contributor on the subject.  She holds a BA in Business from Emmanuel College, and is an instructor at the Boston University Corporate Education Group. She is also on the faculty for the Northeast Human Resources Association, is a contributor to Halogen Software's Talent Space Blog, and is an editorial advisory board member for HR Examiner.

Bob Hewes, PhD

Senior Partner, Keystone Partners

Bob serves as an executive coach as well as Keystone Partners' Leadership Development Practice Lead. He has designed and delivered executive coaching and leadership development services across multiple industries, impacting hundreds of clients, including the Organizational Leaders Program (OLP). Bob’s areas of expertise include strategic thinking, decision making, communication, innovation and change leadership, collaboration, and development. His specialty is working with experts making the shift to becoming broader business leaders.

Bob brings 25 years in management consulting, including his time as the Managing Director and Partner of Strategic Decisions Group where he led the Power and Gas Industry practice and was a member of the executive committee.

Omar Saldana

Vice President, Keystone Partners

Omar serves as a trusted advisor to organizations to achieve their business goals through leadership development and career management.

He joined Keystone Partners with more than 20 years’ experience in management and human resources, with expertise in performance management, leadership development, career development, and compensation. Previously, Omar worked in the biotechnology, professional services, technology, and higher education sectors for organizations including Harvard University, Genzyme, and Cubist. He is SPHR certified and is fluent in Spanish.

Omar is an active member of NEHRA and HRLF, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts as well as its Board Nominating and Development Committee, and its Membership Committee. He holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern Graduate School of Business and a BS in Consumer Economics from Cornell University.

Nancy Ortega

Partner, Keystone Partners

Nancy works with leaders to help raise their game in situations of growth, challenge, and change.

Nancy is able to quickly assess human capital needs against business strategy and customize an executive coaching program to meet those needs. She has extensive international experience working and living in Latin America, Asia/Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe.

Nancy has coached senior executives and leaders of all levels in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, professional services, healthcare, financial services, higher education, etc. Nancy utilizes her broad coaching background to customize engagement for Keystone clients. Nancy’s coaching style is straightforward, candid, and thorough.

David Brendel, MD, PhD

Partner, Keystone Partners

David empowers clients to enhance their leadership skills by making critical mindset and behavior changes to drive growth and success. He has many years’ experience coaching executives and high-level professionals in healthcare, biotech, pharma, technology, financial services, higher education, insurance, law, and manufacturing. A Harvard-trained psychiatrist, David specializes in applying evidence-based psychology to help individuals and teams manage stress and reach peak performance.

David is an experienced author, blogger, teacher, public speaker, and thought leader in these areas of expertise. As the Coaching Practice Lead, he provides teaching and consultation for associates to ensure high-quality services for all Keystone Partners clients. He also trains and provides certification for executive coaches.

Margarete Dupere

Senior Partner, Managing Director, Keystone Partners

Marge leads the leadership development division of Keystone Partners. She oversees a highly skilled team of coaches, consultants, and faculty who help client organizations build leadership capability that drives business results and unleashes the potential of individuals and teams.

Earlier in her career, she was SVP of Global HR with State Street Corporation, leading talent management, diversity and inclusion, and corporate communications. She was also Global Head of Organization Development for Analog Devices and a Consultant with Hay Group, and was formerly Treasurer and Board Member of Worldwide Association for Cooperative Education.

Mark Millett

Human Resources Manager, A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies

Mark Millett is the Human Resources Manager at A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies.  He has been in the HR profession since 2001, setting and implementing the strategy, design, and delivery of effective HR programs for multiple companies. He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Northeast Human Resource Association, and is a past president of the Central MA Chapter of the Association for Talent Development.

Dani Monroe

Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at Mass General Brigham

Dani Monroe has led the c-suites of Fortune 100 companies to success in global diversity, inclusion and organization effectiveness - favorably impacting their bottom line, reputation and business potential. Over a 20 year career, she has brought definition and depth to the dialogue about diversity and set the pace for change and precedence in strategies of global diversity and inclusion.

Monroe's valued expertise in strategy and international practice defined her success as Senior Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion at the Pfizer Corporation, the world's largest research-based biomedical and pharmaceutical company with revenues of $48.4 billion. Her work impacted the company's 85,000 employees and thousands of people globally. In this highly visible global role, Monroe designed and facilitated organization change strategies that integrated all components for the diversity and inclusion strategy -- from metrics and accountability for senior leaders to leadership curriculum and inclusive work processes.

Shilpa Pherwani

Principal, IBIS Consulting Group

Shilpa Pherwani, the principal of IBIS and a leading expert in diversity and inclusion, has been guiding global organizations for over 12 years on leveraging diversity as a business advantage. An organizational psychologist by training, she partners with organizations to effect sustainable organizational change by conducting cultural assessments, developing comprehensive strategic diversity action plans, and designing compelling and interactive classroom-based and online training.

Shilpa collaborates with key stakeholders to strategically plan, implement, and measure diversity initiatives. Shilpa has worked with global organizations to guide management and executives on being effective across cultural and geographical boundaries. She delivers outcome driven and systemic consultation to diversity committees, senior members of HR and business leaders. Shilpa’s clients include Aetna, Barclaycard US, Boeing, Campbell Soup, Framingham State University, Grainger, Genzyme, Microsoft, Nestle, Progress Software, Sun Life Financial, State Street Bank, Texas Health Resources, Thrivent Financial of Lutherans, Tredegar Corporation, and Williams Sonoma.

Shilpa Pherwani graduated from Kanpur University (India). She received her Master’s from Springfield College in Industrial/Organizational Psychology where her focus was on Organizational Development.

David Stott

Sr. Solutions Consultant, Workhuman

David has over 20 years of broad HR leadership experience, including senior level roles in Talent Management, HR Operations, Compensation, L&D, Social Responsibility, and Diversity at leading, global organizations such as GE, PepsiCo, Symantec, Priceline, and Criteo. Dave is passionate about building amazing workplace cultures through the power of recognition and continuous performance management, where people are inspired and empowered to do their best work, and organizations achieve improved business outcomes.