Liz Vollmar has more than 25 years of hands-on experience in planning and implementing cost-effective welfare benefit plan designs and compliance strategies. As a senior member of Willis' National Legal and Research Group (NLRG), she provides expertise and leadership within NLRG and works closely with Willis consultants and clients across the country. Liz's wide-ranging expertise with respect to welfare benefits includes particularly in-depth knowledge of ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA and health care reform. She has also worked extensively with consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs), wellness programs, cafeteria plans, and welfare benefits issues in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

David Lindgren is a Senior Manager with Flexible Benefit Service Corporation (Flex), a fullservice wholesale insurance firm and administrator of tax-advantaged benefit plans based in Rosemont, Illinois. David oversees the Compliance and Public Affairs departments at Flex and brings fifteen years of experience to his role.

He is a subject matter expert in the areas of ERISA, HIPAA, Cafeteria Plans, Healthcare Reform and various Employee Benefit Programs, including consumer-driven plans that incorporate Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and wellness programs.

Kevin Cope is the #1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author of Seeing the Big Picture: Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career, and Company. A renowned trainer and speaker, Kevin has spent the last 25 years working with top organizations including 30 Fortune 50 companies. His 5 Business Drivers model and ideas, shared with millions through his book, articles, and courses, have been praised for being relevant and actionable; they help you come to the table prepared.

 

John G. Blumberg is inspiring a movement on building value with core values. Leaving behind an HR career he loved, in 1996, John began his journey as a full-time professional speaker. He works with leaders who deeply believe their most genuine business strategy comes from a clearly defined personal and organizational core. As a Certified Speaking Professional, John has received the highest earned designation in the speaking profession. He is also the author of Silent Alarm: A Parable of Hope for Busy Professionals as well as GOOD to the CORE: Building Value with Values.

As SVP HR global categories & R&D for Unilever, Ms. Laird is responsible for managing the development of talent, organizations and culture across the region in alignment with Unilever’s global HR strategies. She is specifically responsible for HR operations, labor relations, continuous improvement, and change management for Unilever’s businesses within North and Latin America. She serves as a member of both the Americas Leadership Team and Unilever’s Global HR Leadership Team. Ms. Laird also serves as the head of Communications for Unilever Americas. In this role, she is responsible for delivering a cohesive communications strategy in the region, ensuring the integrity of the Unilever brand, and effectively linking together Unilever’s internal and external communications efforts, including media relations, public affairs, corporate responsibility and employee communications. She serves as a member of the Unilever’s Global Communications Leadership Team. Ms. Laird joined Unilever as labor and employment counsel for Unilever United States in 1991. In 1994, she moved to Human Resources to support the Unilever Foods North America business group and was subsequently appointed to the board of Lipton as vice president, Human Resources in 1998. In 2000, she was appointed senior vice president, Human Resources for Unilever Bestfoods North America, and in 2005, senior vice president, Human Resources and Communications for Unilever Americas. Prior to joining Unilever, she practiced law at the New York law firm of Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, Alexander & Ferdon. Ms. Laird is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde where she completed a double major program in English and history. She holds a J.D. degree with honors from Case Western Reserve University

Two themes are woven throughout Lauraine Bifulco's diverse career: a passion for a job well done and a zest for continual learning and improvement.  Lauraine infuses Vantaggio HR with these qualities every day. When she founded the firm in 1994, Lauraine combined her rare talent in understanding what a client needs and her gift of business foresight to create a company that can service the HR and management consulting needs of small and large companies equally well.  Today, Vantaggio serves clients across the country from their offices in California, Hawaii, Colorado, and New York. 

Her Career experience helps employers realize their HR goals and adapt to the shifting HR landscape.  Lauraine is a veteran HR executive and entrepreneur with 25 years of international, corporate, and consulting experience. Her bold career has taken her to employment and business opportunities in Europe and multiple U.S. cities. She serves as co-chair of the California Small Business Administration's committee on Labor Issues which reviews and makes recommendations on pending labor/employment laws, keeping her abreast of legal developments.                                                                            

Delivering over 30 presentations and webinars each year, Lauraine is a well-respected, and highly sought after guest lecturer and speaker on a variety of business management and HR-related topics for both state and national organizations including Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA), American Payroll Association (APA), Next Concept HR Association (NCHRA), Paylocity annual Elevate Conference, and HR Star Conference to name a few. She has been invited to review, develop, and deliver certificate programs for SHRM, and has developed and delivered curriculum for businesses throughout the U.S.                                                                   

Lauraine received a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and conducted graduate level studies in linguistics at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Jennifer Shaw provides regular advice and counsel on workplace issues to various private and public sector employers throughout the country. Named by Northern California Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys in California for 2009 and 2010, Jennifer is a frequent speaker on employment law topics, and has been a guest on CNN and local television and radio. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Jennifer graduated magna cum laude from the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she was the editor-in-chief of the law review. Before founding Shaw Valenza LLP in 2006, Jennifer was a partner at Jackson Lewis LLP.

Dana Cotham is an attorney, law professor, and nationally-sought after speaker.   Dana considers herself a workplace advocate and enjoys making complicated employment law issues easy to understand.  She provides customized, in-house training and public seminars to her clients throughout the United States discussing human resources and employment law topics including the FMLA, ADA, Sexual Harassment, and Retaliation.  Dana has written policies and procedures for both large and small employers including the Nevada Supreme Court.