Teresa Black serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, North America Surety for Chubb, a position she was appointed to in December 2022.  In this role, Ms. Black provides underwriting leadership and strategic direction to the Commercial and Construction underwriting teams in the U.S. and Canada. Ms. Black also plays a critical role in developing and cultivating new client and broker relationships and in ensuring that clients and distribution partners leverage Chubb’s growing international surety capabilities. She works collaboratively with the underwriting teams outside the U.S. to execute the business plan for domestic surety clients and to ensure the attainment of growth and profitability targets for the North America Surety business. Ms. Black is based in New York City.  

With over 25 years of insurance industry experience, Ms. Black joined Chubb Surety in 2013 as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the U.S. business. Ms. Black previously served as Senior Vice President, Distribution Management, Vice President, National Segment Leader for New York, and Assistant Vice President, Financial Lines, where she co-created and implemented a two-year training program for professional liability underwriters that is still in place. Prior to her tenure with Chubb, she served in an underwriting management capacity for several carriers, focusing on Directors & Officers (D&O) product lines. 

Ms. Black received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University, located in Binghamton, New York, and an MBA in Finance from The Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. Ms. Black is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spencer Educational Foundation and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Central Westchester County, New York.  

Chubb is the fifth largest surety underwriter in the U.S., representing more than 70 of the Engineering News Record top 400 contractors. The business offers a wide variety of surety products and specializes in underwriting both commercial and contract bonds and has the capacity to issue bonds on a global basis. 

Shanti Das is an accomplished entertainment industry veteran, speaker, author, andPhilanthropist.

Shanti worked in the entertainment business for over 25 years. Her music industry career (from intern to Executive Vice President) included promotions & marketing positions at Capitol Records, LaFace Records, Columbia Records, Sony Urban Music and Universal Motown where she worked directly with some of music’s top talent like OutKast, Usher, Prince, TLC, Toni Braxton, Erykah Badu, and more.

On a personal note, Shanti has suffered from depression/anxiety over the years and has also experienced loved ones affected with mental health disorders. This led her to step away from the labels in 2009 to begin using her pain for purpose in her community of Atlanta, Georgia and beyond. So, because of Shanti’s extensive community work in the 2010 decade, she decided to establish her very own nonprofit, The Hip-Hop Professional Foundation, Inc. The foundation was rebranded under the name Silence the Shame, Inc., the mental health movement that lead the way since 2016.

Silence the Shame, Inc. has received global awareness and has become a commonly used hashtag to normalize the conversation in America. In 2018, the National Day Calendar recognized May 5th as National Silence the Shame Day! The foundation curates community conversations and care, wellness trainings, creates content and broadens awareness & education around mental health and wellness. (In 2019, Silence the Shame was awarded one of five awards by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation for advancing minority mental health). In addition to running her nonprofit, Shanti is a public speaker. She speaks live at companies/universities sharing her inspiring story and now facilitating virtual webinars around mental wellness with licensed mental health clinicians. Companies include Warner Chappell Publishing, National Geographic, SB Projects, Translation agency, NBA, Sony Music Publishing, EA Sports, LVMH, Sony Music UK, Freddie Mac, BMI, Clinton Foundation, Dechert LLC, Spotify, Cushman & Wakefield, Warner Media, PUMA,
Warner Music Group, Reebok, Def Jam records, Freddie Mac, Dillard University, Syracuse University, Alabama A&M and more.

In 2023, Shanti formed a new brand mibo focusing on mind and body wellness. The brand is launching a new podcast called the mibo show, where Shanti will interview musicians, actors, athletes, corporate executives, and high achievers around their mental and/or physical wellness journey. The show will also curate live conversations throughout the year in various states.

Awards and Honors:
• 2019 - Shanti was named a Top Changemaker in the World (#7 out of 100) by a UK
publication called The Big Issue!
• 2019 - The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) has named
Shanti Das as the recipient of the 2019 Media Award for her program entitled,
Silence the Shame, which openly addresses the stigmas and misconceptions on
mental health.
• 2020 – NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) awarded Shanti Das their 2020
Multicultural Award.
• 2020 Named an Essence magazine Essential Hero in Mental Health
• 2021 Culture Creators Health and Wellness Award

Starla Sampaco joins us again this year to serve as SHRM24's Main Stage host! She is a Filipino-American columnist, host, and international speaker with a background in TV news for Seattle's PBS Channel. She is a contributor to Forbes and Harvard Business Review, where she focuses on teaching women and people of color how to advocate for themselves in the workplace. She also leads keynotes for clients like Microsoft and AT&T. As an extension of this work, Starla taught graduate students as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington Communication Leadership Master's Program, where she developed a course on executive presence, public speaking, and communication strategy. Prior to anchoring for PBS, she covered Washington state politics as a legislative reporter and hosted a technology news show.

Tamla Oates-Forney is an innovative thought leader and speaker, women’s advocate, wellness champion, philanthropist and investor. She serves as CEO of Linkage, a SHRM company, a global leadership development firm committed to advancing women and accelerating inclusion in leaders and organizations.

Tamla previously served as EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for USAA, where as a member of the Executive Council she led USAA’s team of more than 500 HR professionals spanning talent development, talent acquisition, pay and benefits, culture and employee services for 37,000 teammates.

Prior to joining USAA, Tamla served as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at WM (previously Waste Management). She spent the majority of her career (20 years) at General Electric, where she held multiple leadership roles, including HR Leader for GE Africa, Chief Diversity Officer for GE Appliances and Lighting, and Vice President of HR for GE Energy Connections.

Tamla is also an independent director and member of the Human Capital and Compensation committee for Summit Materials. She serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for her alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and is a sought-after speaker, advisor and thought leader for several HR-related technology startups.

She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration. A renowned expert in her field, she has received multiple honors, including being featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business and Savoy’s 2020 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. She is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a network of black CEOs and business leaders who support the development of diverse talent and the promotion of social justice.

Tamla enjoys spending time with her husband, Warren, and their two children, Annia (25) and Camden (15). She also enjoys traveling to Africa, discovering new vegan restaurants, working out, and watching interior design shows on HGTV. She is a member of the 1% club having completed a marathon in 2018.

Shannon Bayer, JD, is a Principal Consultant with over a decade of consulting and facilitation experience. Shannon brings in-depth expertise and a passion for designing and implementing programs focused on advancing women in leadership—and empowering each leader with the knowledge they need to transform how they show up in their role and drive change in their organization. Shannon has led strategic engagements across a variety of industries, ranging from government to financial services, healthcare, insurance, and consumer products and goods. 

As a keynote speaker, Shannon brings stories from her personal leadership journey to the forefront, connecting her real-life experiences and work with leaders globally to key leadership concepts designed to help participants reflect on their own journey and take control of their path forward. 

Shannon holds a BS in animal science from the University of Vermont and a JD in international law from Suffolk University. 

Shannon was a rower in college and still loves to get on the water when she can. She enjoys spending time outdoors and will travel for a good hike or beach day with her dog and son, Max. Currently, Shannon resides in the greater Indianapolis, IN, area of the US after living in New England for over 25 years. 

Magie, whose birth name is Magdalena De La Cruz Cook Garcia, is a Latino businesswoman who was born in an orphanage in Mexico. She grew up in poverty along with 68 brothers and sisters. She missed her opportunity to play basketball for the Mexican National team because she broke her collarbone. Shortly after she immigrated to the US on a basketball scholarship at the University of Charleston.

After obtaining her college degree, and not being able to find a job, Magie became homeless and lived on the streets. When someone recognized her, she was given a place to stay. A few weeks later, she entered a Fresh Salsa competition for the State of West Virginia and won unanimously. At this event, she was given $800 to start her business.

Not knowing anything about business and with perseverance, she created Maggie’s All-Natural Fresh Salsa’s & Dips, a company that grew into a multi-million-dollar business within 4 years and distributed products across 38 states to major supermarkets such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods and many more. At the height of her success in 2015, Maggie’s Salsa sold to Campbell’s Soup. Shortly after, she went back to Mexico and rescued 31 orphaned children from a drug cartel.

As a CEO, Magie shares her unconventional and unique techniques that made her super successful in life and in business. She was given a Nobel Entrepreneurial Prize in Mexico, the Small Business Administration gave her the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the University of Charleston Awarded her into the Hall of Fame, and West Virginia inducted her into their Generation Next, 40 under 40. Magie is a board member of AFIRE Pinellas, an organization that provides educational scholarships to kids with disabilities.
Magie’s company has been mentioned and featured on the following news and Television Networks: CNN, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, NBC, USA Today, The Washington Post, Fox News, Daystar, the American Dream Television, The Shelby Report, Kiplinger, Executive Magazine, ABC, CBS, the show Ask Dr. Nandi, and has been featured in many more tv, radio shows, magazines and newspapers.

Magie is the author of the book Mindful Success™ - How to use your mind to transform your life (Amazon). She’s also the founder of success workshops and a success masterminds for personal and professional development for individuals and companies. She founded a movement with an idea to solve the generational issue of human (sex) trafficking. In 2019, she began working with the AOF Hollywood Dreams International Film Festival to make a feature film about her story.

Kat Cole is CEO at AG1, a global health company focused on foundational nutrition. In her role, she is responsible for leading AG1’s next phase of growth, global expansion, and innovation. Cole is a seasoned business leader and sought-after advisor with more than 20 years of operational, brand, and executive leadership experience. Prior to AG1, she was President and COO at Focus Brands, where she oversaw the company’s nine presidents and businesses generating billions in sales around the world. In addition to her role at AG1, she serves on the boards of Slice and Milk Bar. She has been a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, a member of the United Nations Global Entrepreneurs Council, and named to Fortune’s annual 40 Under 40 list.

Jo Bass served in the U.S. Air Force for over 31 years. In August 2020, she was selected as the 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the first woman to become the highest senior enlisted leader in any military service, making her a unique trailblazer and role model to hundreds of thousands of men and women. She retired from that position in March 2024 and continues to champion national security and policies that impact veterans and their families using her influence and platform.  

Jo has vast whole-of-society leadership experience from cutting-edge technology to our nation's most sensitive relationships. She has written and spoken extensively on leadership, national security, innovation, risk management, international affairs, workforce strategy, and the understanding of generational diversity.  

Jo is the founder and president of The Bass Group LLC, developing the leaders our nation needs and fostering a leadership style that breaks barriers, challenges convention, and ignites innovation. She is also an Honorary Board Co-Chair for the Women in Military Service for America Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors for the Robert Irvine Foundation, Adjunct Senior Fellow to Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and Strategic Advisor to the President of Columbia Southern University. 

Jo was raised as an Army dependent, living in several overseas and stateside locations, and calls Hawaii home. She graduated with honors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and now splits her time between Texas and Washington, DC. 

Herminia Ibarra is the Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. She started her career at the Harvard Business School, where she served on the faculty for 13 years before joining the INSEAD faculty in 2002.

An authority on leadership, Thinkers 50 ranks Ibarra among the top management thinkers in the world. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, a judge for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, one of Apolitica’s 100 most influential people in gender policy, a Fellow of the British Academy, and the 2018 recipient of the Academy of Management’s Scholar-Practitioner Award for her research’s contribution to management practice.

She is the author of two best-selling books, Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader and Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career. Her most recent article, The Leader as Coach, won the 2019 Warren Bennis Prize for the best leadership article in the Harvard Business Review. Ibarra writes regularly in leading academic journals and business publications including the Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times and speaks internationally on leadership and organizational transformation.

Herminia is a governor of the London Business School. She chaired the Harvard Business School’s Visiting Committee, which reports to Harvard University’s Board of Overseers, and served on the INSEAD Board of Directors.

A native of Cuba, Ibarra received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University, where she was a National Science Fellow.