Business Acumen

Mike brings over 35 years of business experience having held senior positions in Fortune 500 companies and as the head of his own consultancy. His experience spans more than 25 industries including consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, financial services, energy, transportation, retail, advertising, and technology.  Mike is a highly skilled instructor and trainer and serves as senior faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership.  He is responsible for a variety of open enrollment programs and is also involved in early discovery, development and program delivery for a diverse portfolio of custom clients on all aspects of innovation, including innovation leadership. 

Mark S. Fogel is currently a Director for Clifton Larson Allen’s National HR consulting practice. He is a former CHRO for Leviton, Marcum, and Success Academy Charter Schools, Mark has been the recipient of several national awards including SHRM’s Human Capital Leader of the Year in 2007, SHRM’s Innovation in a Down Economy in 2009, and HR Executive Magazine’s Honor Role in 2010. He has also been recognized as a 50 around 50 award recipient by Long Island Business News. Mark is also a part-time educator employed as a Senior Adjunct Professor of distinction at Adelphi University in their MBA program. Additionally, he facilitates the SHRM SCP/CP prep class for HR Jetpack. Mark has presented over two dozen times at SHRM and World at Work national, regional, and local conferences on a broad range of HR topics. Often Quoted in national media, Mark brings a refreshing point of view to every HR discussion.

Joseph (“Joe”) Beachboard is a nationally recognized employment lawyer who also closely tracks the most important developments at the U.S. Supreme Court impacting the business community. He has more than 30 years of experience representing management in a wide variety of employment and labor matters in perhaps the most challenging state in the nation for employers – California.  Mr. Beachboard speaks regularly before human resource and employer groups on cutting edge employment law topics.  He is a member of SHRM and has been an annual presenter at both the SHRM Annual Conference and the Employment Law and Compliance Conference for two decades.  Mr. Beachboard is frequently quoted in such leading publications as HR Magazine, National Law Journal, Los Angeles Times, NY Times, HR Executive and Workforce, and has been published in dozens of legal and business journals. Throughout his career in Los Angeles, Mr. Beachboard has represented dozens of studios and entertainment properties.  He cites his most interesting project as working with the cast and crew of the television show The Office, from its pilot through the final season.

 

 

Devin is owner and president of Success Labs, a strategic organizational and leadership development management consulting firm. Success labs has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and performance.  Devin’s experience includes creating custom leadership development, talent management and succession planning processes for local and global companies, including: Albemarle, Beaulieu International Group, Axiall-Westlake, Shin-tech, and CF Industries. She was the 2013 Baton Rouge SHRM Professional of the Year and a 2016 Baton Rouge Business Report Influential Women in Business recipient. Additionally, Success Labs made the 2016, LSU 100 list as one of the fastest-growing companies throughout the world owned by an LSU graduate. 

John Doran has over 25 years of experience counseling and successfully representing employers in all facets of labor and employment law matters. John represents employers in employment, wage/hour class and collective action litigation, as well as employment discrimination, public accommodations discrimination, and wrongful termination litigation. He represents management in traditional labor law, including the defense of unfair labor practices charges, the orchestration of campaigns to prevent workplace unionization, representation proceedings, and arbitrations. John represents employers in restrictive covenant and trade secret matters in state and federal courts. He also regularly counsels clients on prevention strategies, executive employment contracts, downsizing, personnel policies, and merger/acquisition employment issues.

 

Mr. Wilkinson is the Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc. - a leadership training and strategy consulting firm specializing in group facilitation. He is considered a national leader in the facilitation industry. • Author of The Secrets of Facilitation and The Secrets to Masterful Meetings. • Board member of the International Institute for Facilitation. • Founder of the FindaFacilitator database. • One of the first five Certified Master Facilitators in North America. • Named Facilitator of the Year in 2003 by the Southeast Association of Facilitators. Active in both the private and public sectors, he has provided leadership training and strategy development assistance to such diverse organizations as The Coca-Cola Company, Unisys, Sears, EPA, CDC, KPMG Peat Marwick, and the American Cancer Society. Mr. Wilkinson is a much sought after facilitator, trainer and speaker, both in the U.S. and around the globe. He has completed international assignments in Bangkok, Brisbane, Glasgow, Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Milan, Singapore, Sydney and Wellington. Past participants have commented that his dynamic presentation style, combined with his unique insights, make for an intense, power-packed session. Prior to Leadership Strategies, Mr. Wilkinson spent six years with ADP and eight years in the information technology practice of Ernst & Young's Manage¬ment Consulting Group. He is a High Honors graduate from Dartmouth and resides with his wife and two children in Atlanta.

Mr. Wilkinson is the Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc. - a leadership training and strategy consulting firm specializing in group facilitation. He is considered a national leader in the facilitation industry. • Author of The Secrets of Facilitation and The Secrets to Masterful Meetings. • Board member of the International Institute for Facilitation. • Founder of the FindaFacilitator database. • One of the first five Certified Master Facilitators in North America. • Named Facilitator of the Year in 2003 by the Southeast Association of Facilitators. Active in both the private and public sectors, he has provided leadership training and strategy development assistance to such diverse organizations as The Coca-Cola Company, Unisys, Sears, EPA, CDC, KPMG Peat Marwick, and the American Cancer Society. Mr. Wilkinson is a much sought after facilitator, trainer and speaker, both in the U.S. and around the globe. He has completed international assignments in Bangkok, Brisbane, Glasgow, Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Milan, Singapore, Sydney and Wellington. Past participants have commented that his dynamic presentation style, combined with his unique insights, make for an intense, power-packed session. Prior to Leadership Strategies, Mr. Wilkinson spent six years with ADP and eight years in the information technology practice of Ernst & Young's Manage¬ment Consulting Group. He is a High Honors graduate from Dartmouth and resides with his wife and two children in Atlanta.

Ruth Stricklen Pullins is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Truman Medical Centers. In this role, she builds strategy around enhancing employee engagement, investing in corporate culture, and inspiring Truman’s nearly 4000 employees. In addition, she serves as strategic partner to the CEO regarding all Human Resources areas and is the chief negotiator and spokesperson for the organization in all management labor issues. In less than one year on the job, Pullins has created solutions for building future leaders and for reinvigorating current leaders. She has also put plans in place to further Truman’s diversity initiatives.

Her leadership philosophy is creating a vision that she can then engage and motivate teams to build and execute the plan. Pullins believes in establishing a collaborative and high integrity culture.

Morag is a sought out speaker and author of Cultivate. The Power of Winning Relationships. As the CEO of SkyeTeam, an international HR and leadership development firm, she’s had the opportunity to support more than 3,000 leaders, from 20 countries and on 4 continents. She’s a regular contributor to CIO.com, Entrepreneur.com and the American Management Association.

Morag's global experiences result in a rich and challenging learning experience. Morag understands the challenges of running a business as well as the complexities of leading and managing the people that are part of that business.