Relationship Management

Helen Frew is Director of Permits Foundation and has 18 years of international advocacy experience spent in the UK, Brussels and The Hague, representing organisations from both the public and private sphere and working in and around the EU institutions. At Permits Foundation she develops strategy to work with governments worldwide, aiming to improve legislation to facilitate work access for partners and spouses of mobile employees. “Global mobility advocacy is such an exciting field to work in. There is never a dull moment and so much potential for contributing to change that benefits employee integration, company talent acquisition and country attractiveness as a place to do business.

Des McKell has spent 30 years in the world of relocation and global talent mobility, working for Relocation Management Companies and now with NetExpat, the world’s leading provider of Intercultural training and Relocating partner assistance. During his career, Des has helped organisations across all sectors and industries to build talent mobility programmes designed to deliver “experience” led support and is an advocate managed intercultural and partner support which if mis-managed, can become a “hard” risk to organisations talent strategy and financial investment. Des is based out of the NetExpat UK office in London and is Regional Director for UK & Ireland. LinkedIn profile

Susan Collins PHR, Cl is the Director of Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding at Talbots. Perpetually inspired by people, processes, and ideas—Susan is always on the hunt for inspiring leaders that live and breathe the Talbots Brand. Her no-nonsense approach along with her insatiable curiosity has and continues to bring genuine, top talent through the doors of any company she works with or for. She is also responsible for strategy, technology & education around the recruitment function and is driven by the possibilities of making every day just a little better than yesterday for those around her.

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.

Buddy Bush is an inspirational facilitator and keynote speaker who is dedicated to enhancing the work of individual contributors and inspiring better team dynamics. With a diverse management background spanning corporate real-estate to work/life benefits, Buddy brings energy, enthusiasm and a real-world approach to each engagement. Buddy has collected stories from a wide range of clients including Harvard, PepsiCo, Digitas, Mintel, and PVH Corp.  She applies her passion for business through a blend of tactical insights and memorable levity—because if people are laughing, they are listening. 

Buddy holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she did not go vegan or wear tie-dye.  When she is not presenting, she is holding high plank on her yoga mat or sprinting around her neighborhood chasing her kids and puppy.

Gregory Tall is a trainer and facilitator with over 15 years of experience helping high-growth organizations acquire & develop diverse talent and build top workplaces. Gregory now travels the country delivering interactive workshops that combine his signature high-energy facilitation style with provocative content and experiential learning as part of his obsessive work to help people become better communicators.

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.