Leadership & Navigation

Mary Faulkner is a talent strategist and business leader with 15 years' experience in helping organizations achieve their goals. After working on the Operations side of start-ups and small companies, Mary landed in HR by way of learning and development, with extensive experience in leadership and organizational development, coaching, key talent planning, talent acquisition, performance management, business partnering, HRIS, process and policy creation, and instructional design.

In addition to her work within companies, Mary authors a leadership development blog (survivingleadership.blog) to continue the dialogue around the challenges of leadership - both being a leader AND being led. 

Mary is also the co-chair of the Denver chapter of DisruptHR - a new way to network and think about people and work.

The Houston Chronicle calls Robin Ryan “America’s top career expert.” Robin has offered advice on “Oprah,” “Dr Phil,” "CNN,"  "NBC Nightly News" and more than 1,500 other TV & radio shows. This popular speaker and bestselling author motivates people to enhance their skills, land new jobs, improve their professional lives and succeed in today’s workplace.
 
Robin’s high-energy speaking style, coupled with her informative and engaging message, has had her in front of over 1,200 audiences. She’s been a keynote speaker at numerous national and regional conferences, and is often in front of employee groups, association members, or seen on college campuses talking to alumni and students.
 
Robin Ryan is the best-selling author of seven books including:
Over 40 & You’re Hired!
60 Seconds & You’re Hired!
Winning Resumes
Winning Cover Letters
What to Do with the Rest of Your Life
Soaring on Your Strengths
What to Do with the Rest of Your Life
 
A licensed vocational counselor, Robin Ryan holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Education from Suffolk University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Boston College. She is the former Director of Counseling Services at the University of Washington.

JoAnn Corley is an experienced human resource professional and a dynamic, inspiring speaker-trainer, author & coach. She has a contagious passion and energy for the topics she teaches and has shared that passion with thousands through-out North America specializing in seminars on Effective Management and Leadership, Time & Organizational Management, Personal Empowerment, Emotional Intelligence, Creative and Innovative Thinking,  Team Productivity & Collaboration. She has the unique distinction of having conducted seminars in every state in the U.S. and every major city.

She is author of the newly released book, Organizational Strategies for the Overwhelmed, How to Manage Your Time, Space, & Priorities to Work Smart, Get Results, & Be Happy, Wisdom@Work and The 1% Edge – Power Strategies to Increase Your Management Effectiveness. She is also contributing author to the book, Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Success, a collaborative effort with some of the top female motivational speakers in North American and hailed by Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame as a must read.

James is a rare mix of management consultant, change specialist, adventurer and motivational speaker. James helps turn busy and over-worked managers into inspirational leaders.

Tim is a leadership development professional committed to helping individuals and organizations reach their greatest potential. He is a frequent leadership speaker and the author of two books: “Peak Leadership Fitness: Elevating Your Leadership Game” and “Your Leadership Story: Use Your Story to Energize, Inspire, and Motivate”. Tim is currently Vice President of Franchisee Onboarding and Learning for Choice Hotels International. Previously, he was Vice President of Global Learning and Leadership Development at Marriott International. His work was recognized with multiple industry awards including the 2018 Chief Learning Officer Trailblazer Award, the 2017 Global CCU award for Outstanding Services to the Learning Industry, and the 2014 Chief Learning Officer Global Learning Award among others.

John Austin is the P.D. Merrill Endowed Chair and Dean of the newly formed Honors College at University of New England. He also works with organizations around the world to improve the foresight skills of their leaders and future proof strategies and initiatives. Dr. Austin holds a BA in economics from The Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in management from Boston College. He is the author of Unquestioned Brilliance: Navigating a Fundamental Leadership Trap and Leading Effective Change: A Primer for the HR Professional published as part of the SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series. 

Will Knecht is the CEO of Wendell August, America's oldest and largest forge, producing hand-wrought ornamental giftware in aluminum and other metals since 1923. On March 2010, two days after receiving its largest order ever, a fire destroyed millions of dollars in equipment and materials, their offices and their flagship store. Instead of ceding to the devastation, Wendell August Forge upped its workforce, struck distribution deals with 600 stores nationwide and broke ground on a new facility. While Will Knecht credits divine intervention and a supportive staff and community for his company's revival, he said rising from the ashes challenged him to take Wendell August Forge higher than it had ever been before. "We were forced to rethink how we did business and what we were as a company. We already had a solid foundation of incredible customers and loyal employees, but suddenly we had an absolute blank canvas to paint on," Will says. "Our insurance team told us to prepare to be out of business for nine months. But the team, the community, all of Western Pennsylvania rallied together, and we had the workshop up and going in five days."

Been there – done that!  With 30 years of HR and business experience – Lori has walked in your shoes.  A recovered HR Generalist, she built a consulting company that she sold to Arthur J Gallagher after 7 years and then reinvented her current business – HR Topics -  training, speaking and developing content for HR professionals.  Lori delivers facts, tips, tricks and best practices in a way that appeals to human resource and business leaders: with a sense of humor, a bias toward actions that improve their operations right away, and practical resources and tools to support their progress.  As an annual speaker at the National SHRM conference, she has leveraged her masters in HR, SPHR and SHRM-SCP background to elevate the position of all HR professionals!

Todd is author of Better than Average: Excelling in a Mediocre World and a frequent speaker leading programs and training for corporations, associations, and colleges and universities who want to become Better than Average in order to stand out from the crowd. As a business consultant, he works with organizations and leaders to define their niche to create a strategic advantage.
His blog, www.betterthanaverageblog.com , invites readers to examine their current situation, challenge traditional assumptions, and break the mold.

Todd has served in leadership positions in worldwide non-profits, sales engineering at a major global telecommunications company, and regularly consults with businesses on strategy, marketing, and technology. This varied background helps him bring practical field knowledge to organizations, leaders, and frustrated business professionals to help them stand out from the crowd.
 

Jennifer Currence is a Senior Partner of HR Soul consultancy firm in Tampa, Florida, where she delivers results through strategic HR solutions, customized training, and coaching programs for organizational and HR leaders. She is the creator of The SOTO Approach to Leadership and the content architect for the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) international People Manager Qualification (PMQ).

Jennifer is regularly published and featured in industry magazines, webinars, and podcasts, and is the author of three HR books on behavioral business competencies.

Jennifer was named one of the top 100 Influential HR professionals in Leadership and Development in 2023 and Tampa Bay’s HR Consultant of the Year in 2017.  She is a faculty member for SHRM and a former management professor at the University of Tampa.