Sebastian manages industry and client engagement for the Workplace Wealth Solutions teams as well as corporate client communications. He joined UBS in 2019 as a consultant and became an employee in 2021. His 20+ years of experience in the finance industry in various employee and client engagement roles has allowed him to continuously focus on building relationships with organizational leaders to assist, counsel, develop and execute event management, communications, and marketing strategy campaigns.

Sebastian is also active in DEI initiatives, appointed and serving on the UBS Americas DE&I Council. He’s also an Ambassador for the UBS Americas Advisory Council and is involved with several volunteer committees in his local New York City community.

Before joining UBS, Sebastian’s professional background was in community affairs, employee engagement, corporate communications, program management, business analysis and event management. He is continuously recognized for outstanding work to deliver positive experiences through high-quality client care and relationship management.

Sebastian has a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a Master’s degree from New York University. He’s also received professional certificates from University College London, Columbia University and New York University.

Marilena Acevedo serves as the Sr. Vice President of People and Culture at Moove, a leading fuel and lubricants distributor headquartered in King of Prussia, PA with 53 locations throughout the US.  Marilena is a highly skilled, experienced Human Resources Executive whose career began a little over 20 years ago as Personnel Assistant providing her the unique experience and opportunity to learn from the ground up.  The experience of running a one person HR Department for a number of years along with progressive growth within the HR field prepared Marilena for her current role.

Marilena holds a degree in Human Resources from DePaul University and has authored, served as subject matter expert on panels, and was interviewed for HR publications including SHRM’s HR Magazine, Freightwaves, and Transport Topics, to name a few.   A native of Chicago, Marilena and her husband currently reside in the greater Philadelphia area.

Marilena’s advice for up and coming HR professionals:  Never turn down an opportunity to learn.  Be a sponge.  Learn all you can even if it doesn’t pertain to your current role.  Volunteer for projects.  All of this experience will come in handy someday and it will make you a more rounded individual.  Lifelong learning is not overrated and it will lead to growth and innovation regardless of the field or expertise area you choose.

Stephanie Karlin, PHR, is a seasoned HR Professional with over two decades of progressive experience. She began her career at a small technology firm, where she played a pivotal role in scaling the workforce from 8 to over 100 employees while spearheading essential business strategies and processes. Throughout her career, Stephanie has held key leadership positions, including Senior Director of HR at Haier America. In this role, she was instrumental in devising and implementing HR strategies that significantly contributed to business performance and organizational growth. Currently, Stephanie serves as a Senior Presales Solution Consultant in the midmarket segment at UKG, where she leverages her extensive expertise to provide strategic HR solutions. 

Tisha Danehl is the SVP of Ecosystem Partnerships at LHH Recruitments Solutions. She is responsible for the growth and acceleration of human capital & talent solutions within the LHH verticals:  LHH Recruitment Solutions, LHH Career Transition and LHH Leadership Development.    She collaborates with US Sales leaders to identify opportunities across the Adecco Group Family of Brands ( LHH, Akkodis & Adecco) to create tailored solutions for companies across the US.  Prior to her current role, Tisha lead the charge with Ajilon’s brand expansion to 3 thriving practice areas today -Human Resources, Supply Chain and Healthcare.  With 20+ years of experience in the staffing industry, Tisha has developed a passion for connecting and collaborating!

As SVP, Head of Enterprise, Gretchen leads sales and delivery for General Assembly's upskilling, reskilling, and talent solutions business. General Assembly's products enable workforce transformation for the technology teams of global enterprises like Disney, Accenture, and Adobe.

Gretchen has spent the last 7 years at organizations developing innovative models to address the global tech skills gap. Prior to working in the education and talent space, she started her career in investment banking, and thus has first-hand knowledge of the grit required to execute a career pivot. She's passionate about unlocking the potential of every individual and every team to thrive in today's rapidly-evolving world of work.

Jarrod Edge is the Director of SharePoint Services for Spindustry. His job is to help companies through their SharePoint journey. Jarrod helps them with Governance, turning around bad experiences and non-efficient implementations as well as end-user adoption. Jarrod and his team help our clients through migrations, development, training and more.

Jarrod has twenty plus years as a Microsoft Certified Trainer and has crossed the globe training and consulting on SharePoint and other Microsoft products. He has worked with small to large companies and in all different industries.

Jarrod holds the following certifications: MCT, MCPD, MCITP, MCSD, MCTS, MCAD, MCP, CTT, CTT+

Will Flanagan is the Head of Programs and Partnerships with the VSP Global Innovation Center, leading a variety of initiatives designed to bring outside shifts into VSP’s line of sight, including its Futurist Report series and Innovation Challenge. Previously, Flanagan oversaw strategy and product for American Inno, a network of data and digital media properties catalyzing local tech and startup ecosystems. He lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife and 2 children.

Sascha Mayer is cofounder and Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of Mamava, the creator of freestanding lactation spaces for breastfeeding on the go. Sascha is a recognized expert on lactation space design, family-friendly workplace policies, and social entrepreneurial leadership. A seasoned brand strategist, she’s worked with HP, Levi’s, Lululemon, Nike Women, and Seventh Generation. Sascha is also the host of The Bodacious Optimist, a podcast focussed on design, brand, advocacy, and the people who have inspired her entrepreneurial journey. When she’s not designing new ways to support breastfeeding parents, she’s gardening and tending her chickens.

Senior leader in education technology with a proven track record of supporting enterprise clients. My team develops and implements learning solutions that support organizations’ strategic goals.

As a former systems administrator and instructional designer, my technical knowledge and people skills drive a systems approach when I conduct needs assessments and design solutions. My focus is building sustainable options for my clients that are adaptive to evolving needs and challenges.

In my current role with Open LMS, I work with three learning management systems building solutions for clients in higher ed, non-profit, government, and corporate sectors.

Dr. Dieter Veldsman is a renowned figure in the field of organizational psychology and HR, with a distinguished 15-year career in Strategic HR, Organizational Design, and Development. Throughout his professional journey, he has held key positions, including Group Chief Human Resource Officer, People Effectiveness Executive, and Principal Consultant, allowing him to make impactful contributions to organizations across regions like EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.

Dr. Veldsman's expertise in the HR sector has earned him prestigious recognition, including the 'Chief HR Officer of the Year' by the CHRO SA Society in 2021 and the 'Practitioner of the Year Award' by the Society for Industrial Psychology South Africa in 2018.

As a sought-after speaker at global conferences, he delves into crucial topics such as HR, The Future of Work, and Organizational Development. Additionally, he hosts "The HR Dialogues," a compelling videocast where he engages with leading HR professionals worldwide, sharing valuable insights and experiences. Over the last 12 years, he has spoken at over 100 conferences and published over 80 articles on HR and the future of work. 

Currently serving as the Chief HR Scientist at the Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR), Dr. Veldsman is dedicated to spearheading thought leadership, subject matter expertise, and research initiatives to empower and educate 100,000 HR professionals by 2025.