The Evolving Workplace

Julie Crowley is the Vice President of Talent at Point32Health, responsible for attracting, developing, and retaining top talent to drive business performance and workforce agility. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, she leads Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Learning & Development, Colleague Experience, and Change Management. Julie partners with senior leaders to align people strategy with business imperatives, enhancing leadership pipelines, colleague engagement, and enterprise performance management. She plays a key role in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and shaping the organization’s employer brand and colleague value proposition.

With over 20 years of experience, Julie has a proven track record in talent strategy, leadership development, workforce planning, and business transformation. She previously served as Vice President of Human Resources at Point32Health, where she led HR Business Partnerships, Employee Relations, and HR Compliance, playing a critical role in the organization’s combination-related integration, organizational design, and leadership selection. Since 2019, she has spearheaded enterprise-wide initiatives that have strengthened talent pipelines, enhanced leadership effectiveness, and driven organizational growth.

Before joining Point32Health in 2015, Julie was the Director of Finance and Administration at Suffolk University Law School, overseeing human resources, budget, operations, and administrative services. She began her career in corporate finance roles at Raytheon and Sunoco, bringing a data-driven, business-aligned approach to HR leadership.

Julie holds an MBA from Suffolk University and a B.S. in Business Information Systems from Lehigh University. She has served on advisory boards for Work Without Limits and the Perkins School for the Blind, and she is experienced in managing ADA interactive processes and developing workplace gender transition guidelines. Passionate about building high-performing cultures and driving change, Julie excels in fast-paced, mission-driven organizations that prioritize innovation and colleague experience.

Barry has more than 35 years of experience in Human Resources in industries as the diverse as Financial Services, Legal Services, and Hospitality. He was named Chief Human Resources Officer at Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBank Boston) in 2013. As CHRO, Barry is responsible for the overall leadership, vision, strategic direction, and oversight for FHLBank Boston’s human resources activities and operations, facilities management and administration, as well as the Bank’s diversity and inclusion efforts. 

In his role, Barry provides advice and guidance on strategic and business initiatives to the Board of Directors and Senior Leadership. He serves on various FHLBank Boston committees, including the executive leadership team, providing invaluable guidance by leveraging his expertise, insight, and collaborative approach. Barry also serves as a member of the FHLBank Systems Human Resources Officer and Diversity & Inclusion Groups. 

Throughout his career, Barry has focused on being a valued business partner. He has extensive domestic and international experience working in the Financial Services, Online Publishing, and Professional Services industries where he has delivered effective performance consulting, influenced decision making, and contributed to driving business results in complex environments. Barry is recognized for his commercial orientation, customer centric focus, and exceptional relationship building skills that deliver organizational results. 

Barry earned his B.S. in Management from the University of Massachusetts.

With over 20 years’ experience in management, training, and sales, Dave consults on employee transitions/outplacement and advises organizations on robust leadership development and executive coaching programs. 

Dave hosts “The Hennessy Report” podcast – a free flowing conversation with leaders in Human Resources talking about the industry, themselves, and their work. “The Hennessy Report” is produced by Keystone Partners in cooperation with NEHRA. 

A member of NEHRA’s Board of Directors, he holds an MBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and a BS in Mathematics and Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“I truly feel that I have been put on the planet to encourage people and my favorite phrase to say is “we got this!”. I believe that a good benefits consultant should have the heart of a teacher and be in the trenches to “do life together” with our clients.”

Matt has been with Brown & Brown for 11 years most recently as Associate Practice Leader for the Employee Benefits practice. Matt has over 25 years of experience with employee benefits. In his current role, he leads both the Manhattan, NYC office and Parsippany, NJ office for Brown & Brown, as well as serving as one of the senior Employee Benefits leaders in the Dedham, MA office. 

Matt manages a team of over 18 leaders and consultants across the New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts area for Brown & Brown and believes that life is all about relationships. As an Employee Benefits leader, he helps his teams and clients design innovative solutions that drive engagement, cost containment, and strategic innovation.

Prior to his consulting experience (which started with Mercer), he spent 11 years working for insurance carriers (CIGNA, Aetna, and UHC) in a variety of roles including claims management, data analytics, underwriting, procurement, and operations.

Matt is also very passionate about making sure that employees feel seen, heard, valued, and understood. He is one of the national co-leaders with Brown & Brown’s LGBT Teammate Resource Group.

Marianne Monte is chief people and administration officer at Shawmut Design and Construction, a leading $1.6 billion national construction management firm. As CPAO, Monte is responsible for strategy and processes that serve the core operating needs of the firm, including Human Resources, Marketing, Legal, and Information Technology. She drives the continued growth and success of the organization, working with executive leadership to drive seamless execution and development of key talent to meet business objectives.

She advises on business strategy, using her effective executive coaching, talent management, and business partner leadership to create an inclusive work environment where employees thrive. Since starting, Monte’s work has been integral to Shawmut continually being named Best Workplace by Fortune Magazine.

Prior to joining Shawmut, Monte served as the vice president of human resources for The Hanover Insurance Group.

Monte was named a Crain’s New York Woman of Influence, a Providence Business News Outstanding Mentor, and a GlobeSt.com Diversity Champion. Monte is on the board of trustees for The Gordon School and the Rhode Island State Post-Secondary Board of Education. She is also an active volunteer with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).

Monte graduated from Providence College with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and government and earned her juris doctor degree from Suffolk Law School. In addition, Monte has a certificate in human resources management from the University of New Hampshire and is a Certified Executive Coach.

Dr. Shanna B. Tiayon is a Social Psychologist and the Founder and CEO of Yes Wellbeing Works, LLC. She has a rich academic and professional background in human centered work, starting with her experience as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, followed by more than a decade as a senior leader in the field of international development as a Director of Finance and Administration and later providing Human Resources consultative services. Combined she has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources. While in academia she was a National Science Foundation and Ford fellow and her academic research focused largely on mental and physical health in minority populations. 

During her doctoral studies she continued to work in the field of Human Resources and she noticed a gap in the training, knowledge and capacities of HR professionals to develop structures that support the psychosocial needs of employees, key drivers of employee productivity. It was at the intersection of her academic and professional experience that Yes Wellbeing Works was born, a consulting firm focused on partnering with organizations to effectively support employee wellbeing. Yes Wellbeing Works has been recognized by the American Psychological Association and Dr. Tiayon was a Culture Amp 2024 Top 25 Emerging Culture Creator, a global recognition.

Dr. Tiayon also writes on the topic of wellbeing and the ways we may infringe upon the wellbeing of others. Her writing has appeared in Greater Good Magazine, The Guardian, Longreads, Yes! Magazine, AARP, Pipe Wrench, Food and Wine, Narratively and other media outlets. She was a 2019 Best American Travel Writing Honoree and a 2022 National Magazine Award Finalist.

Kelvin is an accomplished high-impact human capital consultant who has implemented HR strategies to transform and sustain improved business performance. He is a differentiated partner with a diverse background in HR, operations, systems, analytics and finance who blends a cross-functional to drive business and talent impact. He has a demonstrated track record for being a catalyst in driving organizational transformation with data-driven approaches, and recognized as a thought-leader in creating successful employee experience programs and innovating in the HR industry. Kelvin’s specializations include organizational design/development, change management, talent analytics, talent management, succession planning, diversity & inclusion, M&A, performance management, process improvement and organizational effectiveness.

Misty Palmer is a seasoned HR and benefits leader with over 25 years of experience specializing in Global Health & Welfare, Defined Contribution, Defined Benefits, and Leave of Absence programs. 

She has built a distinguished career across multiple industries, including Energy, Oil & Gas, Financial Services, and, most recently, Retail.

For the past three and a half years, Misty has served as the Director of Benefits at Bob’s Discount Furniture, where she oversees the company’s comprehensive benefits and leave of absence programs. 

In addition to managing benefits for the organization’s approximately 5,300 employees, she also leads Bob’s continuing education and scholarship initiatives, helping to foster professional growth and development within the company.

With experience managing benefits programs for organizations ranging from mid-sized teams to those with 50,000 employees, Misty brings a strategic and people-focused approach to benefits administration. 

She currently leads a dedicated team of three, ensuring that employees receive the support and resources needed to thrive. Her passion for employee well-being and her deep expertise in benefits make her a vital asset to any organization committed to fostering a strong and engaged workforce.

Josh Varone brings more than 20 years of experience in HR, with a strong focus on fostering an inclusive, supportive workplace. He has been instrumental in developing Centreville Bank’s workforce strategy, enhancing recruitment, and strengthening employee engagement initiatives that position the bank as an employer of choice. Varone holds a master's degree from Providence College and is designated as a Certified Professional (CP) from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). He also serves on the Board of Directors for Special Olympics of Rhode Island and the Northeast HR Association (NEHRA). Under Varone’s leadership, Centreville Bank has gained national recognition for its commitment to employee wellness, diversity, and professional development.

Ishita Sengupta is a Principal in Mercer’s Workforce Strategy and Analytics practice in Washington D.C.

She has 17 years of experience as a Labor economist. Her analytical research has been published in various trade journals over the years. At Mercer for the last 6 years, she has worked on internal labor market analysis for the private sector, government, and non-profit organizations including educational institutions. She is experienced in predictive modeling including pay equity analysis, turnover analysis and business impact modeling. She has also worked on Diversity and Inclusion analytics for the financial services sector.

Ishita has directed research activities on comparing labor costs for firms across similar industry and has liaised with advocacy, labor and business groups to ensure accuracy of her findings.  She has also testified in state senate hearings. Before joining Mercer in 2015, Ishita worked in National Academy of Social Insurance for 12 years as Director of Workers’ Compensation.

Ishita is also an adjunct faculty at Georgetown University and teaches Human Resource Analytics to graduate students.

She received her PhD degree in Economics from the University of Connecticut.