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.

Elizabeth Moore is the Vice President of Development of Holmes Corporation and manager of the SHRM Learning System. She has over 25 years of combined Product Management, Project Management, and training and development experience.  She has managed the design and development of SHRM certification and education courses for over 10 years, working directly with HR experts, employers, educational partners, instructors and students from around the globe. Elizabeth’s insights and expertise have helped shape the SHRM Learning System into the premier HR Certification preparation resource and advanced the careers of thousands of HR professionals worldwide.  

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.

John Austin came to SHRM in February of 2016 and served as the Operations Manager for the Knowledge Center for three years. Prior to joining SHRM, he served in various operational and managerial capacities. John is currently the Manager of Certification Relations, where he is responsible for managing operational planning and oversight of market/constituency growth initiatives for the Certification Department. John holds an MBA from the University of Maryland, University College and earned his bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University. 

Amber Clayton is the Senior Director of Knowledge Center Operations at SHRM.  Amber leads a team of HR experts who field an average of 60,000 HR-related inquiries from members a year.  She is frequently sought after as a speaker and expert for webinars, conferences, and media interviews.  Amber co-hosts a podcast called Honest HR.  She is SHRM-certified with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore.  She also holds specialty credentials in California law, inclusive workplace culture, and workplace investigations.  Prior to joining SHRM in 2011, she had years of HR experience in healthcare and retail.

Liz Lacey is the Director of Educational Programs at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Liz is responsible for and oversees the execution and growth strategy of SHRM’s Educational Programs, which equips HR professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to hone their expertise and lead within the changing workplace demands of the future. This strategy includes the planning and delivery of our instructor-led programming (including in-person and virtual synchronous deliveries), self-paced eLearning offerings and our blended SHRM Specialty Credential programs.

Diego Salmon, Vice President Global Enterprise Sales, is a highly experienced executive with more than three decades of experience in professional services, education and corporate learning and development.  

Prior to join SHRM, Salmon worked for not for profit and profit organizations. During his career with Berlitz Corporation, the global-leader in foreign language and cultural education and training, he held positions from Director to company President to Regional Managing Director. He has achieved success in business development, brand awareness and product mix expansion in the North and South America both organically and through joint ventures.

He’s a people-focused, result-driven leader who has thrived in turnaround, partner integration and rapid growth business environments.

Stuart Nisbet is Cadient Talent’s Chief Data Scientist.  He is an internationally acclaimed speaker who enjoys discussing emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and deep learning and their impact on the world. Stuart received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from NC State University.