Howard Behar is the former President of Starbucks Coffee and is also an author / speaker. For 21 years Behar led Starbuck’s domestic business as President of North America, and he became the founding President of Starbucks International opening the very first store outside of North America in Japan. During his tenure, he participated in the growth of the company from only 28 stores to over 15,000 stores spanning five continents.  He is committed to the development of leaders and an advocate of Servant Leadership. His book It’s Not About the Coffee has been widely celebrated. Learn more at HowardBehar.com

JD Dillon is one of the most prolific authors and speakers in workplace learning today. With his practical approach, JD integrates science, technology, storytelling and pure common sense to enable employees, improve performance and drive business results.

For 20 years, JD has executed strategies for global organizations, including The Walt Disney Company, Kaplan, Brambles, and AMC Theatres. He is the founder of LearnGeek, a corporate advising and education services firm.

JD is also the chief learning architect with Axonify, where he partners with an award-winning team to solve business problems for leading organizations through modern learning practices and cutting-edge technology.

Dr. Natalie Baumgartner is an engagement and culture thought leader and evangelist. She has spent her career translating engagement and culture research into SaaS based software, helping organizations to achieve high performance.

Dr. Baumgartner holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Strength-Based Psychology. She serves on several boards, including that of the Consulting Psychology division of the APA, and has long advised senior leaders on issues related to culture and engagement. Dr. Baumgartner is a popular speaker and regularly engages audiences on topics related to the employee experience – including a TEDx talk on the importance of culture fit.

Dr. Dale J. Albrecht is an expert in business transformation, culture, and human resources.  He is the Executive Vice President of People and Performance for Alonos and a member of the Forbes HR Council.  He’s an Adjunct Professor for the University of Texas and Texas Woman’s University, and he is also the author of the book, “Organizational Design that Sticks!” Dr. Albrecht has fulfilled C-Suite leadership roles as Chief Human Resources and Risk Officer.  He also has experience in general management, operations, and engineering, which enables him to bring a holistic focus to enabling business success. 

Professor Jonathan Smilansky is an international expert on management development and employee engagement and a consultant to leading organizations in Israel including IAI, Bank Leumi, Maccabi, Amdocs, etc.

He is the Academic Director of the Career Management Center at the Tel Aviv University Business School and a leading lecturer in the field of Human Resource Management.

Previously, he was the Global Human Resources EVP at Universal (New York) and at the Meridien hotel chain (London), VP Internal Services at Visa International EMEA (London) and a Partner at Hay Management Consultants (London).

He published numerous professional papers including one of today's leading books in the field of management development: "Developing Executive Talent" (Wiley).