Global & Cultural Effectiveness

Since 1986, Ms. Young and her associates have helped their clients develop vision and strategies and implement “change” in their businesses worldwide. They coach and develop globally competent and multiculturally versatile leaders on the individual and group basis in order to help mold a new organization that is nimble and flexible in order to meet its customers’ needs around the world.  Ms. Young is a faculty member of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, Organization System Development Programs where she trains coaches in the theory, concept and application of Gestalt in the development of “Whole Person” leadership, teams and organization.   She is an adjunct professor for Pepperdine University, School of Business.  Ms. Young is also a professional speaker on Pacific Rim cultures, cross-cultural communication, organizational behavior, organizational change, multicultural leadership, diversity and creativity, and global business strategies.   Ms. Young has a BA in Business Administration from Fu-Jen University in Taiwan, a MBA in Marketing from Michigan State University and a MA in Counseling Psychology from Pepperdine University.

David W. Ellis is internationally recognized in the area of executive compensation, employee benefits and pension funds. He is exceptionally fluent in international executive mobility, particularly in the design and taxation of compensation payable to expatriates, inpatriates and globally mobile employees. Mr. Ellis is immediate past chair of Baker & McKenzie, LLP’s Global Employment Practice Group.

Mr. Ellis represents and advises management on all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation locally and internationally. He advises multinational companies on tax, labor, securities and data privacy aspects of equity compensation programs and management participation programs. He also advises both buyers and sellers on US and non-US labor and pension funding issues that arise in cross-border transaction.

William D. Wight is a partner in the Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. offices and is the chair of the firm's International Employment Practice Group.  He counsels employers on various global employment, compensation and benefit issues related to employees abroad, as well as foreign nationals working in the U.S. and the employment of the U.S. permanent residents and citizens abroad.  Bill has worked with compliance issues related to hiring, retention and separation of employees in a multitude of jurisdictions.  His experience with global employment issues has helped him assist our clients with international operations on all sevel continents including Antarctica.  Bill has assisted clients with the implementation of strategic planning and policy development with respect to global HR practices and policies.  He has also assisted clients with the management of litigation and employment controversy matters in numerous international jurisdictions.  Bill has also counseled clients based outside the United States with the special considerations that are required when complying with U.S. employment and employee benefit rules and regulations. Bill is regularly involved with resolving questions related to privacy and data protection issues.  

Steve Fussell is Executive Vice President, Human Resources. He has led Human Resources at Abbott since 2005. Mr. Fussell joined Abbott in 1996, as Divisional Vice President, Compensation and Benefits. He was promoted to Vice President, Compensation and Development in 1999, and to Senior Vice President, Human Resources in 2005. Prior to Abbott, he held human resources leadership positions at Nestle and Shell.  Steve believes that human resources professionals are stewards of a company's most valuable resource, its people.  In the world's most successful and enduring companies, HR helps a company's leaders find and develop talent, align human capital around important business priorities, and celebrate and sustain a company's achievements.

James J. McDonald, Jr. is a partner in the Irvine, California and Tampa, Florida offices of Fisher & Phillips LLP, where he is a litigator, trial lawyer and strategic advisor to employers regarding labor and employment law matters.  He is author of the SHRM-published book, California Employment Law: An Employer’s Guide, and he is a frequent speaker on employment law issues.  He is a cum laude law graduate of Georgetown University and a member of the California and Florida Bars, and he holds the SHRM-SCP certification.

Avalyn C. Langemeier, a Partner with Foster LLP's Houston office, graduated cum laude from Harvard University and the University of Texas at Austin Law School. She handles a wide variety of employment and compliance-based immigration matters. Her practice includes assisting public and private employers in the management of immigration processes for key personnel. Ms. Langemeier works closely with employers in the healthcare industry, academia and oil industry to prepare and file the necessary petitions and applications on behalf of physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, professors, researchers, administrators and professionals. She also works with religious workers. Ms. Langemeier assists in filing for work visas and for permanent residence based on PERM labor certification applications (basic, special and hybrid) and petitions based on extraordinary ability, being an outstanding researcher or professor or international manager, and national interest waiver petitions. She provides clients her expertise in connection with Form 1-9 audits, workforce compliance, J-1waivers, and H-1B site visits. Ms. Langemeier is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the State Bar of California, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and the Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth  Circuits. Ms. Langemeier is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, serves on the AILA Health Care Professionals Committee, and continues to serve and has served as liaison for the American Immigration Council's Creative Writing Contest for Fifth Graders for several years. She is an invited member of the International Who's Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers and was nominated for Best Lawyer in Immigration Law. Ms. Langemeier is a frequent speaker on immigration matters, including having spoken at conferences hosted by the Texas State Bar, the AILA Texas Chapter and AILA National, the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA), and universities and healthcare organizations.

Internationally recognized as an expert in the field, Mr. Kushner is one of the nation's most sought after speakers on HR strategy and employee benefits. He has advised four U.S. Presidents on health care and has testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the U.S. House Small Business Committee on employee benefit issues.

A frequent resource to the media, Mr. Kushner contributes to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, AP, Knight-Ridder, the Kiplinger Washington Newsletter, CNN News, Fortune, MSNBC and Good Morning America among others. More importantly, he and his wife Tamis have five children and four wonderful (and amazing!) grandchildren.

Mary Jo Burfeind has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance and healthcare industries and currently leads Enterprise Organizational Effectiveness, Talent Management and Professional and Executive Learning and Development for HCSC. Her teams are responsible for the design, development and delivery of effective organizational models, learning products and talent services for 16,000+ employees and subsidiaries. Formerly, Mary Jo was a Vice-President in HCSC’s Internal Operations divisions, a Senior Manager of Education Design and Delivery with Allstate Insurance, a Chief Learning Officer for a Midwest healthcare system, and the owner of an independent performance consulting firm.

Mary Jo holds a BA in English, an MA in Human Performance and Training, and has completed post-graduate work in adult education (ABD, Ed.D), with a concentration in human resources and organizational development.

Mary Jo is an Advisory board member of the Healthcare Business Women’s Association, a former board member of the Society of Insurance Trainers & Educators, and a member of the Executive Learning Exchange’s Chief Learning Officer/Chief Talent Officer consortium.

As a consultant in Hogan’s Global Alliances practice, Michael manages distribution channels and alliance partners throughout Asia-Pacific. He developed his professional background overseas in the Netherlands and Mainland China while gaining hands-on experience in emerging markets. Michael is well practiced in coaching through feedback, workshop facilitation, and executive assessment. He is a graduate of Hofstra University’s Industrial/ Organizational Psychology program, and has spoken at professional and academic conferences in Hong Kong, China, Australia and the United States.