Amy J. Wheelock is Chief of the Verification Division (VER) in the Immigration Records and Identity Services (IRIS) Directorate of USCIS. Ms. Wheelock has led initiatives that improve the agency’s ability to process cases, manage work and prepare for and embrace change by leveraging technology and process efficiencies. At VER, she is optimizing the use of technology in mission execution and applying agile concepts to managing knowledge work. She is focused on enhancing the integrity, accuracy, and efficiency of the E-Verify and SAVE programs while streamlining and improving the digital experience for employers, employees and benefit granting agencies and applicants.

Chaitanya Peddi is the co-founder of Darwinbox. Rated highest globally on Gartner Peer Insights, Darwinbox is used by 900+ growing businesses and enterprises to manage their end-to-end HR needs.

As a subject matter expert in both HR and technology, Chaitanya's experience as an HR consultant has equipped him to understand the specific needs of the HR tech market. This has enabled him to build a world-class product that not only automates and simplifies HR processes but also empowers HR to be a strategic, game-changing function.

Chaitanya strongly believes the HR function can be a source of great competitive advantage for an organization. And also, that this underlying potential can be optimally harnessed through technology.

Phill Haig leads Early Career Programs at Visa. This includes Apprenticeships, Internship and Rotation Programs and more. Phill initially joined Visa in 2019 leading their European Early Careers team from London, before moving to into his current global role based in San Francisco in 2022. He has been responsible for launching Visa’s flagship Apprenticeship program in the US and as well as establishing global frameworks for Visa’s legacy internship and rotation programs. Prior to working at Visa, Phill has long career in the Early Career space working for large corporates such as Cisco and Johnson and Johnson.

Lauren Fast is the Chief People Officer at iS Clinical and a seasoned Executive Coach, known for her transformative impact on organizational culture. With two decades of leadership experience, Lauren excels in leveraging HR strategies to drive business results. She combines strategic foresight with a hands-on approach, effectively merging business intelligence with people solutions.

Lauren holds advanced certifications including SHRM-SCP, GPHR, and SPHR, underscoring her deep expertise in human resources. She also possesses a master’s in engineering management, a bachelor’s in business, and a certificate in domestic and international employment law and labor relations. A trusted advisor, Lauren guides leaders through growth and change, turning strategic plans into real-world successes. Her deep understanding of the balance between profitability and prioritizing people makes her an invaluable partner in navigating business challenges and fostering a thriving organizational culture.

Carrie A. Picardi, Ph.D. is an Industrial/ Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience spanning human resource management positions, as a researcher and consultant, and as a dedicated educator.

Carrie has led HR initiatives in job analysis/design, talent acquisition, selection, training and development, compensation/total rewards, performance management, employee engagement, and technology/systems assessment. She has partnered with organizations including MetLife, UNICEF, and Habitat for Humanity on consulting projects in leadership development and coaching, assessment centers, competency model design, culture change, and building high performance teams.

In addition to several peer-reviewed research journal publications on employee performance management and job satisfaction, Carrie is the author of three textbooks: Research Methods-Designing and Conducting Research with Real-World Focus (Sage, 2013), Recruitment and Selection: Strategies for Workforce Planning and Assessment (Sage, 2019), and Leadership Essentials (Vibrant Publishers, 2021).

Carrie holds a Ph.D. in Applied Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Cornell University.