Leadership & Navigation

Marlene Chism is a consultant, speaker and author of Stop Workplace Drama, (Wiley 2011.) Marlene is a seasoned national speaker who has the unique ability to speak across the boundaries of many types of audiences: from the fortune 500 executives to managers dealing with workplace drama to franchise owners, small business owners and nonprofit CEOs.

On stage, Marlene is an engaging story-teller with the ability to take complex subjects and universal principles and make them immediately applicable to her audience. She is known for her thought-provoking yet down to earth practicality, her sharp wit, balanced by a sense of humor and her ability to create an intellectually stimulating and transformational experience.

Marlene brings her experience in manufacturing, business, entrepreneurialism, and story of reinvention to engage and inspire her audiences to discover, develop and deliver their unique gifts to the workplace and to the world.

Glory Perazzo has over ten years of professional experience working with different organizations. She earned her Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management and Development from New York University. Prior to joining High Rise, Glory worked in several industries, including consumer goods and financial services, and has held diverse roles in sales, supply chain management, and human resources management. 

Glory is primarily responsible for the creation, development, growth, and expansion of the Human Resources Department for High Rise. She is directly involved in managing change within the organization, and wears multiple hats in her roles as business partner, trusted advisor, change agent, and employee advocate. She is passionate about human capital development and specializes in talent management and recruiting.

John Vlastelica draws from  20 years of recruiting experience, including almost 10 years as a corporate recruiting leader and over 8 years as a recruitment management consultant and trainer. He was the Senior Director, Global Recruiting for Expedia, a Recruiting Director at Amazon.com, and the engineering recruiting leader for two start-up divisions of McCaw/AT&T Wireless. In 2002, he started Recruiting Toolbox to help other companies improve their in-house recruiting capabilities.

John has provided training and recruitment management consulting services to companies of all shapes and sizes, including leading organizations in high-tech, bio-tech, healthcare, financial services, and retail. John has shared his expertise with colleagues as an entertaining and credible repeat presenter at regional, national, and international recruiting conferences (including ERE Expo, SourceCon, RecruitingTrends, AIRS Symposiums, Talent42, SmartResourcing UK, Australalsian Talent Conference, iRecruit Europe, and SHRM’s national HR conferences), through online webinars, and as an instructor for various Sourcing and Recruiting Leadership workshops and academies.

Nicole Oliver’s recruiting career began in 2007 with Robert Half International and continued with AppleOne Employment Services, where she served as a branch leader for 4 years.  In 2012, Ms. Oliver transitioned into corporate recruiting as the Director of Talent Acquisition for a specialized financial services company.  Under her leadership, the organization was able to acquire the necessary talent to expand their business services into emerging markets and grew from 700 employees to over 2000 in just 14 months.  Currently she serves as a Recruiting Business Partner for Meritage Homes, providing talent advisory services to business leaders as they expand their operations across the southeast. 

With expertise in workforce planning, sourcing strategies, selection methods and leadership development, Ms. Oliver has a track record of successfully delivering ambitious talent solutions.  She believes that the purpose of recruiting isn’t simply to fill requisitions or achieve a headcount goal.  It’s an opportunity to serve others by uncovering their needs and connecting them to solutions that empower and elevate everyone involved.

Luke Williams is a globally recognized authority on innovation leadership. He works with organizations on challenges ranging from creating new products and services, to transforming organizational processes and behaviors. He is Professor of Innovation and executive director of the Berkley Entrepreneurship Center at New York University's Stern School of Business and a fellow at Frog, one of the world's most influential innovation companies. Williams is a sought-after commentator on disruptive innovation, entrepreneurship and cultural change. He is invited to speak worldwide, and his views are regularly featured in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fast Company, GQ, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and MSNBC. He is the inventor of over fifty United States patents and the best-selling author of Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business.

Nancy Kasmar is a Principal of Compensation Connections. Ms. Kasmar has over 25 years of management experience in addition to eight years in human resources.  She received her Master of Science degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and a Certificate in Management from the University of California, San Diego. Nancy holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation with an additional certification as a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP).  She is also certified as a SHRM-SCP. 

Over the past seven years Nancy has worked with hundreds of companies throughout North America as a compensation consultant.  She is the 2105 Certification Director for the Washington State HR Council. She was the 2014 President of Lake Washington Human Resource Association, a local SHRM affiliate with nearly 1,400 members. In addition to her professional and volunteer responsibilities, Nancy delivers presentations on HR topics, including compensation and benefits, mentorship, and invisible disabilities throughout Washington State.

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.

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.