Global & Cultural Effectiveness

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group.  Michael concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country on subjects including harassment prevention; diversity, equity and inclusion; combatting implicit bias; performance management; discipline and discharge; hiring and recruiting practices; performance evaluations; FMLA, ADA and FLSA compliance; leave of absence policies; LGBTQ+ issues in the workplace; substance abuse testing; workplace violence; records retention; conducting background checks; and more. Michael also has conducted investigations into claims of harassment and discrimination and has drafted employee handbooks, employment agreements, non-compete agreements and post-termination agreements. Michael regularly conducts in excess of 200 trainings each year.  He has represented clients throughout the country in EEO and other administrative proceedings.

Michael has been cited as a national authority on employment issues by The New York Times, The Associated Press, USA Today, MSNBC.com, HR Magazine, SHRM On-Line, Employment Law 360, Inside Counsel Magazine, as well as many other publications. Michael serves as an Advisory Board Member of GenHERation and as a Board Member of Serve, Inc. Michael is a 1997 magna cum laude graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law and a cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Denise Pirrotti Hummel, J.D., is a Human Capital Principal at EY, where she leads national culture integration and optimization across the globe. She is the former CEO and Founder of Universal Consensus, LLC, a culture transformation firm. Her team helps clients improve global business results and build lasting performance by enhancing corporate, national, gender and generational culture, key components of enterprise financial success. In addition to serving clients, she leads a team of 40 engineers, computer scientists, curriculum specialists and researchers that operationalize EY’s global culture tools used for H.R. transformation and M&A culture integration. Hummel is a member of the prestigious U.S. State Department Worldwide Speaker and Specialist Program and a speaker on culture and change management at SHRM 2013 and SHRM 2014. She has consulted for a myriad of Fortune 100 companies in every sector, as well as the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon. Prior to founding Universal Consensus, Hummel was an attorney practicing commercial and employment law, and D&I internationally. That experience has enabled her to effectively link a client’s HR and cultural considerations with the overall enterprise risk management impacts. Denise was recognized by the American Bar Association as one of the top twenty young attorneys in the United States in 1992. She is a published author and speaks multiple languages.

Graduate in business administration, with specialization in business management, has over 26 years of experience in the HR area in segments such as metallurgy,  automation and power technology, telecommunications, automotive, consumer goods and petrochemical. He has already  implemented  organizational and HR transformation programs , cultural change , leadership development programs, build and implement HR strategy,  and internationalization of HR policies and practices. Has developed his career within some global companies such as ABB, Unilever, Fiat Chrysler Automotive and Braskem.

Brendan Browne has the uncommon privilege of leading recruitment for the company that has and continues to completely redefine and transform the world of talent...LinkedIn. He has been in recruiting and HR for 15+ years and is fortunate to have had amazing experiences working in markets across the globe from coast to coast in the US, across EMEA and throughout APAC with incredible colleagues solving hard and meaningful problems.  Brendan has worked at organizations big and small from Microsoft to Northwestern Mutual to start-ups in Silicon Valley and is passionate about education and serves on the Board of the Jean Weingarten Children's Center in Redwood City California.

Brendan Browne has the uncommon privilege of leading recruitment for the company that has and continues to completely redefine and transform the world of talent...LinkedIn. He has been in recruiting and HR for 15+ years and is fortunate to have had amazing experiences working in markets across the globe from coast to coast in the US, across EMEA and throughout APAC with incredible colleagues solving hard and meaningful problems.  Brendan has worked at organizations big and small from Microsoft to Northwestern Mutual to start-ups in Silicon Valley and is passionate about education and serves on the Board of the Jean Weingarten Children's Center in Redwood City California.

Denise Pirrotti Hummel, J.D., is a Human Capital Principal at EY, where she leads national culture integration and optimization across the globe. She is the former CEO and Founder of Universal Consensus, LLC, a culture transformation firm. Her team helps clients improve global business results and build lasting performance by enhancing corporate, national, gender and generational culture, key components of enterprise financial success. In addition to serving clients, she leads a team of 40 engineers, computer scientists, curriculum specialists and researchers that operationalize EY’s global culture tools used for H.R. transformation and M&A culture integration. Hummel is a member of the prestigious U.S. State Department Worldwide Speaker and Specialist Program and a speaker on culture and change management at SHRM 2013 and SHRM 2014. She has consulted for a myriad of Fortune 100 companies in every sector, as well as the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon. Prior to founding Universal Consensus, Hummel was an attorney practicing commercial and employment law, and D&I internationally. That experience has enabled her to effectively link a client’s HR and cultural considerations with the overall enterprise risk management impacts. Denise was recognized by the American Bar Association as one of the top twenty young attorneys in the United States in 1992. She is a published author and speaks multiple languages.

Susie has been living and working in senior organizational development and HR roles in Beijing, China since the Spring of 1981, and was instrumental in the start-up of the UK firm, Rolls-Royce International operations in China, where she held senior roles from 1981 thru to the late 90s. 

Susie has held senior HR roles in China within Xin De Telecom, a Siemens/CITIC finance leasing joint venture, and, up until the summer of 2011,  was the Vice-President for Human Resources & Recruitment for the United Family Healthcare group, with overall responsibility for the recruitment of healthcare providers, nursing staff and healthcare professionals for the group’s China-wide operations. 

Susie joined the Interpublic Marketing Services group in Beijing, China in April 2013, where she holds the position of Director of Human Resources & Talent with China-wide responsibility providing HR leadership to the group’s six agencies in China, including Weber Shandwick, Jack Morton, Golin Harris, Octagon, DeVries PR and FutureBrand.  

Susie is a firm believer in developing home-grown talent within an organization, and lists amongst her values, Passion, Integrity, Commitment and life-time growth; she plays  an active role in the HR Forums of both the European and British Chambers of Commerce,  is a long standing member of the US Society of Human Resource Management, the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and the UK Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, and is a frequently invited speaker at both Chinese domestic and international Human Resources and Organizational Development events.

Cesar Aguirre is the Vice President of Human Resources for the EMEA/LATAM Division at American Tower Corporation. In that capacity, Cesar provides leadership in the development and integration of the company’s Human Resource programs for ATC existing markets in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Ghana,  Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and Uganda.

For the past 30 years, Cesar has held senior executive HR positions at  ATC, Tyson Foods International, Human Assets Group, Sony Electronics, Microsoft, CIGNA International, and Data General Computers, amongst others, involving the full spectrum of HR responsibilities, including organizational culture assessment and change, change management, leadership development, human resources generalist.  Additionally, has been an instructor at the Executive and Professional Education Department, College of Business Administration of the Florida International University in Miami. He has been a regular speaker at industry and HR forums and conferences.

Cesar holds a BS degree in Industrial Engineering from Chihuahua Mexico Technological College and a diploma in HR Management from ITSM in Chihuahua.  In addition, he completed the Senior HR Executive Development Program at the University of Michigan. He is a GPHR and a current member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Cesar Aguirre is the Vice President of Human Resources for the EMEA/LATAM Division at American Tower Corporation. In that capacity, Cesar provides leadership in the development and integration of the company’s Human Resource programs for ATC existing markets in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Ghana,  Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and Uganda.

For the past 30 years, Cesar has held senior executive HR positions at  ATC, Tyson Foods International, Human Assets Group, Sony Electronics, Microsoft, CIGNA International, and Data General Computers, amongst others, involving the full spectrum of HR responsibilities, including organizational culture assessment and change, change management, leadership development, human resources generalist.  Additionally, has been an instructor at the Executive and Professional Education Department, College of Business Administration of the Florida International University in Miami. He has been a regular speaker at industry and HR forums and conferences.

Cesar holds a BS degree in Industrial Engineering from Chihuahua Mexico Technological College and a diploma in HR Management from ITSM in Chihuahua.  In addition, he completed the Senior HR Executive Development Program at the University of Michigan. He is a GPHR and a current member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Howard A. Wallack has been the Deputy Chief Human Resources & Administrative Officer since 2016 in the Global Human Resources (GHR) department at Jhpiego in Baltimore, MD, an international, non-profit health organization, affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. Jhpiego is dedicated to improving the health of women, children, and families in lower-resourced countries, with approximately 4,200 employees worldwide in 38 countries. At Jhpiego, Howard spearheads the organization’s leadership development program and leads a team of 5 regional HR business partners who support country HR operations, himself currently backstopping Ghana, Guatemala, and Mozambique. During his 40-year career with experience in nearly 90 countries, Howard has had senior-level positions in HR, training and development, global business development, and program management in for-profit and non-profit businesses and the US Peace Corps. In April 2023 Howard was recognized with an OnCon Icon peer-voted award among the “Top 50 HR Professionals” for having made a considerable impact on their organization and/or previous organizations; made strong contributions to their community through thought leadership; innovated in their role/career; and exhibited exceptional leadership. He has advanced degrees in international affairs and international human resources and globalization and holds multiple professional certifications, including the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and the GPHR® & SPHRi™ qualification from the HR Certification Institute. As a volunteer he has served on the Board of Directors of Cultural Vistas since 2011.