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Taryn Mackenzie Williams is the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy. In this position, she advises the Secretary of Labor on how the Department’s policies and programs impact the employment of people with disabilities and leads the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), which works with employers and all levels of government to promote evidence-based policy that improves employment opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities.

Previously, Williams was the managing director for the Poverty to Prosperity Program at American Progress, which works on progressive policies focused on a broad range of anti-poverty strategies. Before joining American Progress, she worked at ODEP on a variety of issues related to education, workforce policy, Social Security, Medicaid and civil rights. In her role as director of youth policy, Williams led agency efforts to coordinate education and employment policy in support of improved labor force outcomes for disabled youth. From 2014 through 2016, Williams served as ODEP’s chief of staff. She also undertook detail assignments as associate director for public engagement and liaison to the disability community at the White House from 2014 through 2015 and as a policy adviser on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions from 2012 through 2013.

Prior to joining the federal government, Williams worked as the research coordinator for leadership programs at the Institute for Educational Leadership and as the director of programs at the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues headquartered in Chicago. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Brown University and a master’s degree in education with a concentration in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University. She resides in Washington, DC.

Rob Grubka is chief executive officer (CEO) of Health Solutions for Voya Financial, Inc., which helps Americans plan, invest and protect their savings — to get ready to retire better.

In this role, Grubka is responsible for driving Voya’s customer experience and profitable growth — delivering planning, investing and protection solutions to and through the workplace to help individuals and employers from “hire through retire.” As part of the company’s focus on health and wealth solutions, Grubka leads product development and management, as well as the end-to-end customer experience. Grubka also serves on Voya’s Executive Committee.

Grubka brings nearly 30 years of actuarial, product management and leadership experience to the role. Most recently, he served as president, Employee Benefits for Voya — and prior to that was the chief risk officer (CRO) for Voya’s Retirement and Annuity businesses. In the latter role, he partnered with Voya’s businesses in developing strategies that balanced risk with opportunities to achieve their goals.

Prior to joining Voya, Grubka led the Group Protection business at Lincoln Financial and held leadership roles in the retirement and annuity businesses. Previously, he held a variety of actuarial roles at Nationwide Financial. 

Grubka earned a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science from The Ohio State University. He holds FINRA Series 6 and 26 licenses and is a fellow in the Society of Actuaries. Grubka also serves on the board of Junior Achievement North and is the Executive Sponsor of Voya’s Volunteerism employee-led council.

Serving the financial needs of approximately 14.3 million individual customers, workplace participants and institutions in the United States, Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $4.2 billion in revenue in 2021. The company had more than $707 billion in total assets under management and administration as of March 31, 2022.

Bradley Byrne has more than 30 years of experience as an attorney in private practice and more than two decades of public service. He served as an elected member of the Alabama State Board of Education and the Alabama State Senate and was appointed as the Chancellor of Alabama’s two-year college system. In that role, Bradley was tasked with reforming the system’s mission and processes, substantially increasing Alabama’s educational standards and accountability measures. He also chaired Alabama’s Workforce Planning Council.

Bradley spent four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives with his background as a labor and employment attorney and in education policy, Bradley was a natural fit on the Education and Labor Committee, where he chaired the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. His experience in labor law, workforce training, and education policy gave him a unique perspective. Bradley has led initiatives that have increased access to education and job training, benefiting both the workforce and businesses alike. As a former education policymaker and higher education leader, he has worked on significant issues with the Department of Education, as well as various workforce training and apprenticeship programs.

Bradley is an avid sportsman and small forest owner.

Andréa Backman is dedicated to helping students achieve meaningful employment opportunities and economic mobility through education. At Strategic Education, Inc., she chairs the Office of Employability, focused on bridging the gap between graduates and employers, and ensuring that students achieve a positive return on their educational investments. 

Andréa also serves as President of Strayer University, where she sets the vision for an innovative, impactful education that equips students with the skills needed to compete in a global economy. In this role, she is focused on educational access, holistic support and lasting employability gains for students and alumni. 

As one of the first in her family to earn a college education, and as a single mother to two boys, Andréa understands that the complexities of balancing career, school and family requires hard work and dedication. 

As a leader, Andréa is guided by her previous role as Dean of the Jack Welch Management Institute, where she was mentored by Jack Welch himself—an experience that significantly shaped her views on the role of education and mentorship for others. 

Andréa holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Marna C. Whittington, PhD, serves on the board of directors of Phillips 66, where she is chair of the human resources and compensation committee and serves on the nominating and governance, public policy and sustainability, and executive committees. She has been a director at Oaktree Capital since June 2012, and she is on the board of directors of Macy’s, Inc.

Marna was chief executive officer of Allianz Global Investors Capital, a diversified global investment firm, from 2002 until her retirement in January 2012. She was chief operating officer of parent company Allianz Global Investors from 2001 to 2011. Prior to that, she was managing director and chief operating officer of Morgan Stanley Asset Management. Marna started in the investment management industry in 1992, joining Philadelphia-based Miller Anderson & Sherrerd. She was executive vice president and CFO of the University of Pennsylvania and, earlier, secretary of finance for the state of Delaware.

Marna earned a PhD and master’s degree in quantitative methods from the University of Pittsburgh, and received her bachelor’s in mathematics from the University of Delaware.

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.

As Convivial Brands Chief Human Resources Officer, Mary Dale is responsible for human capital management, total rewards program development and execution, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, and leadership development for multiple companies under the Convivial Brands umbrella to include Design Design, Verdant Graphics, Tableau, Style Life, and the High Five Grand Rapids. In this role, she leads human resources initiatives for team members across 41 states. 

 
Before joining Convivial Brands in November 2019, Mary was the Chief Human Resources Officer for Metron Integrated Health System where she was responsible for accelerating Metron’s Human Resource transformation through leadership, differentiated talent models, creating strategies for attracting and retaining top talent, and building a culture of engagement. Under Mary’s leadership, Metron implemented a new talent acquisition strategy, compensation philosophy and structure, total rewards package, employee recognition program, and new HR model. Prior to her work at Metron, Dale was the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Clinical and Human Resources/HIPAA and OSHA Compliance Officer for Orthopedic Associates of Michigan (OAM) in Grand Rapids for over six years. Under Mary’s leadership, OAM was named one of the 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in West Michigan for over five years and the 101 Best and Brightest in Wellness in Michigan for two years. She also led Metron to win their first ever 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in West Michigan in 2018 and again in 2019. While working at OAM, Mary was also involved in the implementation of the BPCI-Bundled Payments program and the opening of OAM NOW, a walk-in urgent care clinic for the practice. Prior to her work at OAM, Mary was a Senior Account Manager for Kforce Professional Staffing, where she was recognized as one of the top 10% of Account Managers/Recruiters Nation Wide in Monte Carlo. 

Ms. Dale is a frequent speaker at industry events and has spoken at the LEAP Healthcare HR conference, Disrupt HR Grand Rapids conference, MISHRM Annual Conference, How Women Rise Leadership Event, HR Unite, and HCAM (Health Care Association of Michigan) Annual Conference. She serves on various boards to include: The University of Michigan Health West Foundation Board of Directors, MISHRM State Board as the Membership Director, Grand Rapids Council for Ferris State University as their Co-Membership Chair, as an Advisory Board Member for the Communications program at Ferris Big Rapids, and as a founding member of the Grand Rapids International Network (GRIN). Mary previously served as a Board Member on the Ferris State Alumni Relations Board for three terms. Aside from her Board Memberships, Ms. Dale was named to the 2018 40 under 40 Class, was awarded the HR Unite Purpose and Inspire awards in 2021, and was highlighted in Profile Magazine for top HR professionals. 

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University in Communication with a minor in Psychology, DEI Workplace Certification from University of South Florida College of Muma, and is certified by HRCI and SHRM as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Certified Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-CP). 

Subha Barry is a C-suite leader and an Advisor who brings a unique perspective on the alignment of corporate culture to talent strategy and business results. As a transformational change agent, she has a proven record of identifying and accelerating new business creation, driving sales, and increasing profitability.

She is president of Seramount, now part of EAB. Seramount is a strategic professional services firm dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Here, she drives the firm’s vision, strategy, and business development.

Prior to Seramount, Subha was SVP and Chief Diversity Officer at Freddie Mac, where she served on the firm’s management committee and led their Foundation. During her 20+ years at Merrill Lynch, Subha was a Managing Director and the company’s first Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, driving strategy, infrastructure and execution with a lens on both global and local community. 

She has taught Gender Policy at Columbia University and speaks passionately about the ability to drive innovation by embracing diversity and creating a culture of inclusion. She serves on a number of boards aligned with her passions—education, cancer research, and women’s advancement.

 A native of India, Subha holds a BA from Bombay University and an MBA and MS in Accounting from Rice University. She enjoys golfing, reading poetry and rallying for social change. She has two grown children and lives in Naples, Florida and New Hope, PA with her husband.

At 18, Daniel pioneered the first youth-led America’s Promise effort in Pittsburgh under Retired General Colin Powell, landing him a seat on the national board of directors and recognition from President George W. Bush. Daniel has 20+ years of experience working in the business and nonprofit sectors, fueled by his commitment to increasing others’ access to relationships and growth opportunities. 

At CoLabL, Daniel is working at the intersection of talent development and community building, creating and facilitating brand, relationship and skill-building experiences that support existing and future talent. 

He has worked with brands including Starbucks, Nike, Apple and LinkedIn, schools, nonprofits and government agencies. Daniel has served on boards including City Year DC, Community Foundation of the National Capital Region, Team Kids, and Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership. Named one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40 Honorees, Daniel has facilitated hundreds of training experiences, published articles on Forbes.com, and authored Tell Me I Can’t…and I Will.  

Christine is a rewards consultant with almost 20 years of experience in PwC's human resource consulting practice and is the co-lead of PwC's global reward capability. Her career has been focused on helping clients design and maintain rewards and well-being programs and policies that are consistent with their people, business, and financial goals. Her experience has covered multiple industries and employer sizes.

Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy are the co-authors (and Liz is the illustrator) of the bestseller No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotion at Work. Their new book Big Feelings: How To Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay, was published in April 2022 by Penguin. 

Liz leads Content at Humu, where she helps leaders and their teams take small steps towards profound improvement. Prior to joining Humu, Liz designed and led workshops for executives at Google and Nike on how to create inclusive cultures. Her writing and data visualization projects have appeared in CNN, The Economist, The Financial Times, and NPR. 

Mollie was previously an Organizational Design Lead at global innovation firm IDEO and a research associate for the Dean of Harvard Business School. She has worked with companies of all sizes to develop good workplace culture. Her writing has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Quartz, and Entrepreneur, and she’s taught design courses at Stanford and USC. Learn more at lizandmollie.com or by following them on Instagram @lizandmollie and Twitter @lizandmollie

Sinikka Waugh, President of Your Clear Next Step, spends her days helping people have better workdays. Sinikka is known for consistently helping people improve their emotional intelligence and find innovative ways to solve problems and get things done at work. Putting her 20+ year background in languages, literature, and project management to good use, Sinikka has provided compassionate leadership in transformation initiatives and helped over 50,000 people have better workdays since 2008. Her clients value how her results-driven professionalism blends seamlessly with her down-to-earth, “try this now” approach and her relentless passion for helping others achieve even better.