Leadership (Behavioral)

Anita Martin is a highly experienced human resources leader with over 25 years of progressive experience in various industries. Currently, she serves as the leader for human resources and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) functions for the Houston Texans, a position that places her on the executive leadership team of the organization.

Throughout her career, Anita has demonstrated her expertise in human resources across diverse sectors, including oil & gas, information technology, manufacturing, retail, finance, and sports & entertainment. Her roles in these industries have been increasingly impactful, showcasing her ability to navigate and contribute to different business environments.

Anita is recognized for her professional certifications, holding the status of a senior certified professional in human resources and being certified as a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) leader. These certifications highlight her commitment to maintaining high standards in HR practices and promoting diversity and inclusion within the organizations she serves.

Active in professional associations, Anita has been a member of HR Houston, the local SHRM affiliate, and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for over fifteen years. She currently holds a position on the Board of Directors for HR Houston, showcasing her leadership and involvement in shaping the local HR community. Additionally, Anita is a member of YMDQ (Young Mothers Don’t Quit) and WISE (Women in Sports and Entertainment), underlining her commitment to supporting various causes and professional networks.

Anita Martin earned her Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Houston Baptist University, reflecting her dedication to continuous learning and academic achievement in her field. Overall, her extensive background, certifications, and involvement in professional organizations demonstrate Anita's commitment to advancing human resources and fostering diversity and inclusion within the workplace.

Roni Jacknow is the CEO of RJ Coaching & Consulting. She is a champion for gender equity, workplace wellness and employee engagement. Roni recently retired from her 37+ year corporate career at Kaiser Permanente, a $93 billion healthcare business. In her role at one of the largest integrated healthcare institutions in the world, with more than 88,000 physicians and nurses to provide care to 12.6 million members. As Senior Director Office of Talent Development, Roni was responsible for employee and leadership development and equity, inclusion and diversity for the Finance and Enterprise Business Services organizations. 

Roni is a super-connector and transformative leader dedicated to cultivating a culture rich in learning, gratitude and belonging. She is also an enthusiastic advocate for employee wellbeing. She has launched innovative and best-in-class learning and development offerings and programs to enable all employees to reach their full potential. Roni led the first of its kind Women in Leadership and Gender Allyship Programs at Kaiser Permanente. She has served as executive sponsor to the WE@KP women’s business resource group and on the KP Leadership University steering committee. Roni facilitated and sponsored the company-wide implementation of Belong@KP to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and is a certified Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace facilitator. She served as a Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Advocate and was recognized two years in a row as a Culture of Health Champion Manager.

Roni is a certified leadership and executive coach through New Ventures West, Linkage, and the International Coaching Federation. She is certified to facilitate Mindfulness in the Workplace offerings, Linkage AWL program, Multipliers workshops, Coaching Circles and Appreciation in the Workplace offerings. She is also a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and a long-time practitioner.

Roni serves as a mentor for the Women in Leadership Foundation and as an advisor to the California State University Executive Education Women in Leadership program.

Prior to Kaiser Permanente, Roni served in a variety of finance and business leadership and executive roles at Charles Schwab and Chevron. Roni thrives by practicing yoga, reading, traveling, walking her dog Zola and spending time with her family.

Hunter Lott is an HR problem solver. He has delivered over 4000 “on stage” events, over 17,000 presentation hours and reviewed over 1200 employee handbooks. Hunter won accolades as a senior course leader for the American Management Association. Hunter is an award winning speaker with Vistage and has earned Speaker of the Year, Impact Speaker of the Year and Top Performer Vistage honors.

Hunter attended Tulane University in New Orleans, graduated from Iowa State and has a Master’s Degree in Employment Law from NSU Shepard Broad College of Law.

Hunter Lott is an HR problem solver. He has delivered over 4000 “on stage” events, over 17,000 presentation hours and reviewed over 1200 employee handbooks. Hunter won accolades as a senior course leader for the American Management Association. Hunter is an award winning speaker with Vistage and has earned Speaker of the Year, Impact Speaker of the Year and Top Performer Vistage honors.

Hunter attended Tulane University in New Orleans, graduated from Iowa State and has a Master’s Degree in Employment Law from NSU Shepard Broad College of Law.

Christine Mixan is a Talent Management leader and Executive Coach with eighteen years experience in leading enterprise-wide initiatives for Fortune 500 companies in leadership development, executive coaching, team effectiveness, culture and succession planning.

Christine holds her advanced PCC credential from ICF and a Master’s in Communication and Organizational Development from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

In her current role, Christine leads the strategy and execution of General Motor's Talent Planning processes and solutions. Christine has also held Talent Management positions across industries, including retail, insurance, government, and financial services where she has built leadership systems from the ground up.

Katrina “KT” Thornton is Taco Bell’s Sr. Executive - HR and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Since joining Taco Bell in October 2021, KT has been energetically leading Taco Bell’s efforts in advancing Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (EI&B). She leads with the belief that EI&B needs to be woven into the business strategy and rooted in action. She is leading Taco Bell’s equity evolution with over 15 years of experience. Before her time at Taco Bell, KT spent her career with Kellogg’s, Sears Holdings Corporation, and Target Corporation in multiple HR leadership assignments.

Tracy Layney is the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Levi Strauss & Co. Tracy is responsible for LS&Co.’s people strategy on a global scale, including diversity, equity & inclusion, recruiting, employee engagement, talent management, compensation, and benefits, HR technology and HR communications.

Tracy brings more than 20 years of experience in human resources and organization strategy to her role. Prior to joining LS&Co., she served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Shutterfly, Inc., the leading retailer of personalized photo-based products. Before Shutterfly, Tracy spent 10 years at Gap Inc., where she held numerous senior leadership roles in HR, most recently serving as the senior vice president of Global Human Resources and Communications for Old Navy. Prior to Gap Inc., Tracy held positions at LS&Co. and PricewaterhouseCoopers/IBM Business Consulting Services where she worked with Fortune 500 clients in the high tech, financial services, retail, and healthcare industries on projects ranging from organization design and development to strategic change management.

Tracy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated magna cum laude. She is active in the HR thought leader community and serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Foundation. In her free time, Tracy loves to cook and share great food and wine with family and friends. She has a life-long love of dance, theater, and art, and is passionate about travel, visiting destinations near and far with her husband and son.

Karl Ahlrichs specializes in helping organizations solve their talent shortage. 

He is a national speaker, author, and consultant, presenting on the people issues in all industries with a focus on solving the talent shortage, and is often quoted in the local and national media. 

He has held senior level positions in multiple Professional Services firms, and was a founding partner of ExactHire, bringing his HR, operations, diversity & belonging, and learning & development skills with him.

He loves intentionally improving with all manner of hobbies including writing haiku, mastering photography and learning Spanish. He wishes he had stuck with his guitar lessons in high school.

He was named the SHRM Human Resource Professional of the Year for the State of Indiana. He is on the Boards of several organizations, including the Maryland CPA Society.  He has lived in Scotland and Spain and is passionate about exploring new experiences with his family and friends.

Karl Ahlrichs specializes in helping organizations solve their talent shortage. 

He is a national speaker, author, and consultant, presenting on the people issues in all industries with a focus on solving the talent shortage, and is often quoted in the local and national media. 

He has held senior level positions in multiple Professional Services firms, and was a founding partner of ExactHire, bringing his HR, operations, diversity & belonging, and learning & development skills with him.

He loves intentionally improving with all manner of hobbies including writing haiku, mastering photography and learning Spanish. He wishes he had stuck with his guitar lessons in high school.

He was named the SHRM Human Resource Professional of the Year for the State of Indiana. He is on the Boards of several organizations, including the Maryland CPA Society.  He has lived in Scotland and Spain and is passionate about exploring new experiences with his family and friends.

Valerie helps companies improve their bottom line by elevating employees from tactical thinkers to strategic leaders.

She served in senior leadership roles at RollsRoyce Aircraft before helping to found InterActiveCorp, parent company to Expedia, Home Shopping Network and TicketMaster. She then went to work for Oprah Winfrey, helping to found the Oxygen channel which was later sold to NBC Universal.

Valerie obtained her mechanical engineering degree from Kettering University and her MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Val’s book, Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality, helps leaders manage multiple generations in the office.

Karie Willyerd is the Chief Customer Strategy Officer for GP Strategies and is a fractional CLO in residence for Skillable and Uplimit. A six-time Chief Learning/Talent Officer, she was most recently the SVP and CLO for Visa. She is the only CLO to have taken two companies to number one in the world as recognized by ATD.

Karie is the coauthor of the award-winning The 2020 Workplace and Stretch, an Amazon Editor’s Pick. ATD honored Dr. Willyerd with the 2017 Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award. She is on the advisory board for Ezra Coaching and the CSU business school.