Virtual Pass

Dr. Whitehead, a certified SHRM and diversity practitioner is a versatile and award-winning senior leader, speaker, strategist, mediator, mentor and coach with over 25 years’ experience in building high performing, inclusive teams. Dr. Whitehead has excelled at "people" work across industries, leading strategic organizational change as well as providing consulting expertise to corporate, non-profit and higher education sectors. Dr. Whitehead has been called a “inclusionist” due to her unique approach to systemic humanity throughout the employee life cycle. Honing her lens of systemic humanity as the “willful interrogation of every element of our “system” of being, acting, communicating and providing access to resources that reflect the foundational belief that all people hold value that is solely connected to their humanity” has helped her “meet employees at all levels, where they are”. A John Maxwell certified coach and leader; Nicole holds several degrees and certifications, however her passion for utilizing her experiences to evolve culture and climate through transformative leadership.

George Rivera III serves as the Senior Vice President of Enterprise Solutions at the Society for Human Resource Management.  He is responsible for broadening the awareness of SHRM's mission to enhance workforce development by building and strengthening partnerships with some of the largest enterprise organizations across the globe.  In addition to helping bring to market the top ideas and innovations through outreach, representing all things workplace, workers, and work.     

George is a proven business development thought leader who places a deep emphasis on people, with more than 15 years of experience building and scaling highly productive, results-driven sales organizations.  Prior to joining SHRM George spent over a decade honing his expertise in HCM cloud technology, retirement, insurance, and other employee benefits, as well as HR services and PEO offerings as he led sales efforts of Paychex Inc., a top HR consulting organization.  In addition to business-growth responsibilities, George also led critical cross-functional company initiatives throughout much of the organization including Learning and Development, Marketing and Lead Generation, Finance, and Talent Acquisition, but the most rewarding experience, by far, was his service on the board for the annual United Way Campaign.  

George Rivera III recognizes that strong leaders build strong businesses and strong businesses build strong communities. George is firm believer in focusing on strategic growth for all partners.

When not at work, Rivera serves as Vice President for SHARE International a Non-Profit that aims to support the indigenous peoples of the Amazon in Peru. 

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. 

Brian Gutman is Learning Care Group’s senior expert on federal and state early care and education policies. He leads LCG’s advocacy with federal and state policymakers, and early childhood education organizations to close the gaps in access and opportunity for all children. Brian joined Learning Care Group from the Midwest office of The Education Trust, where he was the Director of External Relations and Public Engagement. Previously, he worked on policy with a state agency and was legislative and budget director for an elected official. Brian is admitted to practice law in Michigan, Massachusetts, and New York.

Eric Cutler is one of the original founders of TOOTRiS, the first and only Child Care technology platform built for business, that is revolutionizing the Child Care space. Eric helped launch the company so that all parents – especially women – have the same opportunities for career advancement and so that every child, regardless of family income or zip code, has access to quality Child Care. A Columbia Business School graduate and frequent speaker to national organizations, Eric passionately believes that solving the Child Care crisis is the key to enabling every human to live more meaningful, abundant, and equitable lives.

Since joining North Highland in 2014, Bombeck has led the firm in a variety of areas including digital and experience design, data and analytics, agile transformation, and North Highland’s revenue and growth strategy. He has also served as a member of North Highland’s board since 2018, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s board of directors since 2022.

Over the course of 15 years with Havas Worldwide, Bombeck served in several leadership roles including Chief Strategy Officer – Marketing Services, President – Havas Digital, President – CRM & Analytics, and Chief Digital Officer.

In a client management capacity, Bombeck was previously Worldwide Account Director at IBM for 15 years, North American Digital Account Director at Intel for five years, and North American Digital Brand Director at multiple Diageo brands for seven years. He also oversaw the digital and direct marketing strategies of global brands such as BMW, Volvo, Charles Schwab, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Novartis, and Schering-Plough.

Bombeck holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Vermont. He also completed the Executive Education Programs in Leadership Excellence and Accounting & Finance at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Bombeck is a certified scrum master and product owner, co-author of Getting from Zero to Digital, a multiple Effie Award Finalist, and in 2017
he was named a top 25 global consultants by Consulting Magazine.

Since joining North Highland in 2014, Bombeck has led the firm in a variety of areas including digital and experience design, data and analytics, agile transformation, and North Highland’s revenue and growth strategy. He has also served as a member of North Highland’s board since 2018, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s board of directors since 2022.

Over the course of 15 years with Havas Worldwide, Bombeck served in several leadership roles including Chief Strategy Officer – Marketing Services, President – Havas Digital, President – CRM & Analytics, and Chief Digital Officer.

In a client management capacity, Bombeck was previously Worldwide Account Director at IBM for 15 years, North American Digital Account Director at Intel for five years, and North American Digital Brand Director at multiple Diageo brands for seven years. He also oversaw the digital and direct marketing strategies of global brands such as BMW, Volvo, Charles Schwab, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Novartis, and Schering-Plough.

Bombeck holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Vermont. He also completed the Executive Education Programs in Leadership Excellence and Accounting & Finance at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Bombeck is a certified scrum master and product owner, co-author of Getting from Zero to Digital, a multiple Effie Award Finalist, and in 2017
he was named a top 25 global consultants by Consulting Magazine.

Dr. Caroline Brookfield is a veterinarian, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and award-winning innovator. She discovered the joy of merging her creative and scientific sides, and loves to share how to engage a creative mindset to make life better. Although she can’t sing Happy Birthday, she expresses her creativity through comedy, writing, and problem solving, like sneaking vegetables into smoothies. She holds a Certificate of Professional Management, a DVM, and is a creative problem solving facilitator. She lives in Calgary, Alberta, where her lectures go unheeded by her family. The dog listens, if treats are involved.