Organization (Technical)

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.

As a “Recovering HR Manager" Richard Fagerlin, has led Peak Solutions, a leadership development firm for the last 20 years.

Born out of the simple idea that we should love what we do and who we do it with, Peak Solutions is dedicated to helping build wise leaders, strong teams & healthy cultures & has served countless organizations in over 50 countries worldwide. Richard is also a leading authority on the topic of Trust and is the author of Trustology: The Art and Science of Leading High Trust Teams.

Richard is from Fort Collins, Colorado where he enjoys an active lifestyle following the interests and passions of his four boys and making memories and enjoying experiences every step of the way.

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Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally.

As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers and the workplace. Recognized as one of the “300 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America” for 2024 by Savoy Magazine and one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s capital by Washingtonian Magazine, Mr. Taylor is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, "Ask HR."

Mr. Taylor's career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit spaces. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/InteractiveCorp, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

He is the author of the national bestseller, RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval, which immediately upon its release in September 2021, was in the top three of The Wall Street Journal’s list of best-selling hardcover business books.

Mr. Taylor is a member of the United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees and serves on the corporate boards of XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO), Flores & Associates, and Guild Education. He previously served on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the Trump Administration.

The Women Business Collaborative (WBC) named Mr. Taylor as one of its 2023 Trailblazers in Gender Equity and Diversity for his work to achieve equal position, pay and power for all women in business. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management, and he was named 2021 ALA Professional Society CEO of the Year by CEO Update.

He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth Bille is an employment law attorney and currently serves as the subject matter expert on the prevention of harassment and discrimination in the workplace for EVERFI. Prior to joining EVERFI, Elizabeth was general counsel and chief ethics officer of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); served as a legal and policy advisor to the Vice Chair of the EEOC; and counseled employers at the law firm of Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells). Elizabeth's work has been cited by several news outlets such as National Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times.

Mari Ryan, CEO and founder of AdvancingWellness, is an expert in workplace well-being. She leverages over 30 years of business experience in a variety of industries. For the past decade, Ms. Ryan has been creating thriving workplaces, through her consulting work and speaking on worksite well-being. Mari earned a Bachelor Degree from Lesley University, an MBA from Boston University, a Master’s degree in Health Promotion from Nebraska Methodist College.  Mari is an active member of the National Speakers Association. Mari is the author of award-winning book The Thriving Hive: How People-Centric Organizations Ignite Engagement and Fuel Results.

HuffPost calls Greg Schwem “Your boss’ favorite comedian.” Whether performing live or virtually, Greg has shown companies such as Microsoft, McDonald’s, Southwest Airlines and even the CIA the value of humor at work, particularly in a post-pandemic environment.  More than just a speaker, Greg is also a Chicago Tribune humor columnist, host of the streaming TV series, A Comedian Crashes Your Pad and author of the best-selling business book, The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar.

Psychologist and humorist, Bruce Christopher, is America's foremost "Enter---Trainer" today. He has earned this distinction because of his high-energy style and humorous presentation of his material. He is a licensed psychologist holding degrees in Professional Psychology and Interpersonal Communications. Bruce has Enter-Trained audiences internationally because of his humorous approach to today's hot topics which impact our personal and professional lives. He combines excellent content with loads of laughter and contagious comedy.  He has earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation (CSP), which is the speaking profession's highest merited international measure of professional platform competence.Psychologist and humorist, Bruce Christopher, is America's foremost "Enter---Trainer" today. He has earned this distinction because of his high-energy style and humorous presentation of his material. He is a licensed psychologist holding degrees in Professional Psychology and Interpersonal Communications. Bruce has Enter-Trained audiences internationally because of his humorous approach to today's hot topics which impact our personal and professional lives. He combines excellent content with loads of laughter and contagious comedy.  He has earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation (CSP), which is the speaking profession's highest merited international measure of professional platform competence.

Strategic Design Phd Student at Unisinos. International Executive MBA at FIA – SP. Master in Business Administration at PUC/MG and FDC. Graduation in Psychology at PUC/RS. Global Director of People and Social Responsability at Gerdau, a Brazilan Multinational Enterprise. More than 18 years of experience in Human Resources in many business areas, all HR process and different regions and countries. International experience as an expatriate in Tampa – FL – USA, lived in Italy (Palermo), Toronto and Vancouver (Canada), traveled to China and continuous business travels to India, Spain, USA and other Latin America countries. Professional with wide experience in HR leading and implementing processes such as Talent Acquisition, Corporate Education, Leadership Development, Career and Succession, Competencies and 360 Assessments, International Transfers, Performance Management, Internal Communication, Organizational Environment, Change Management, Business Culture,HR analytics, among others.  Leader of many Global Strategic Projects such as Gerdau 2022 related to Cultural Transformation,  Leadership Development Global Project, Global SAP Implementation, Revison and Structure of HR area in Center of Expertise, Purpose Project and Strategic HR roadmap among others. Team of 5 senior direct reports and whole structure of 280 people in HR and Sustainability. Board member at the People Painel in the Joint Venture of Gerdau and Metaldom. Member of ABRH Commite who builds the CONARH – bigger HR congress of Latin America.

Sherri Merbach is an engaging speaker who provides interactive audience learning honed through her years as a Disney Institute edu-train-ment facilitator.  Sherri is a business executive first, having earned her CPA designation while working with a top-5 global accounting firm and subsequently earning her MBA degree.  She is the Managing Director of C-Suite Analytics where she helps companies cut employee turnover 30% and more.  She delivers bottom-line results by leveraging business skills, data analytics, strategic thinking, and tactical training to radically improve retention and engagement outcomes.