Concurrent Session

Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group.  Michael concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country on subjects including harassment prevention; diversity, equity and inclusion; combatting implicit bias; performance management; discipline and discharge; hiring and recruiting practices; performance evaluations; FMLA, ADA and FLSA compliance; leave of absence policies; LGBTQ+ issues in the workplace; substance abuse testing; workplace violence; records retention; conducting background checks; and more. Michael also has conducted investigations into claims of harassment and discrimination and has drafted employee handbooks, employment agreements, non-compete agreements and post-termination agreements. Michael regularly conducts in excess of 200 trainings each year.  He has represented clients throughout the country in EEO and other administrative proceedings.

Michael has been cited as a national authority on employment issues by The New York Times, The Associated Press, USA Today, MSNBC.com, HR Magazine, SHRM On-Line, Employment Law 360, Inside Counsel Magazine, as well as many other publications. Michael serves as an Advisory Board Member of GenHERation and as a Board Member of Serve, Inc. Michael is a 1997 magna cum laude graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law and a cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Amanda Andrade is the Chief People Officer for Veterans United Home Loans, an award winning organization including Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Great Places to Work. Amanda’s responsibilities focus on employee growth, innovation, success, health, happiness and the preservation of Veterans United’s company mission to Enhance Lives Every Day.

In addition to leading human resource organizations in both the public and private sectors, Dr. Andrade has served as an Adjunct Professor for various colleges, including most recently Stephens College and the Jack Welch Management Institute. 

Howard Ross is lifelong social justice advocate, and is considered one of the world’s seminal thought leaders on identifying and addressing unconscious bias.  Howard has delivered programs in 47 states and over 40 other countries to audiences including Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities, and major institutions within healthcare, government, and non-profit sectors. He authored the Washington Post best seller, Everyday Bias:  Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives, ReInventing Diversity: Transforming Organizational Community to Strengthen People, Purpose and Performance. His latest  book, Our Search for Belonging: How the Need for Connection Is Tearing Our Culture Apart, published by Berrett-Koehler in 2018, received the Nautilus Gold Medal for Social Change and Social Justice. His next book, Building Belonging: 9 Pathways to Creating Inclusive and Joyful Organizational Communities, will be published in 2020.

 

Ran is in charge of SHRM’s business development and operation in the Greater China region, with responsibilities including establishing and implementing business strategy, developing effective relationships with the government, business, academic and professional world, and representing SHRM in China. He is instrumental in designing and delivering SHRM HR certification programs, research and survey, acts as a member of the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge (SHRM BoCK™) Committee, and chairs the SHRM China HR Summit. Ran has over 30 years of experience as a practitioner, trainer and consultant in the fields of strategic HR management and planning, HR effectiveness, management development, sustainability, development of HR profession and higher education, etc. He’s a frequent speaker at HR events in Asia-Pacific and North American Regions. Prior to joining SHRM in 2005, Ran led consulting projects and provided solutions for large multinational, state-owned and private enterprises in China to improve their organizational performance. Ran earned his Ph.D. from Brunel University in London, MBA from the University of Wales, Diploma in Education (Dip/Ed.) from the National University of Singapore, and B.A. from Sichuan University of China. He is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Penny Zenker is a productivity expert, strategic business coach, international speaker and trainer, and best-selling author of "The Productivity Zone". Her P10 Productivity Accelerator System balances the skills and mindset to recognize and change unproductive behaviors. The program is based from her extensive experience as a Master Neuro-Linguistics practitioner and Neurostrategist, as a successful entrepreneur, founding and selling her own multi-million dollar business, and as a Tony Robbins Business Coach, coaching highly successful business leaders around the world. She will challenge you to think differently and inspire you to be your best. Most importantly, her easy to understand frameworks make implementation fast and easy.

Dr. Jody Janati teaches in the Communication Studies Department at the University of Minnesota. She has an Ed.D. degree in Organizational Leadership and her primary interest area pertains to interpersonal conflict resolution strategies. As an author and independent consultant, she offers a variety of public and professional workshops on conflict reduction tactics and effective interpersonal communication skills. Follow Jodi on Twitter @jjanati.

Anthony Raja Devadoss is Managing Director & Regional Head of PERSOLKELLY Consulting Asia Pacific - a consulting business delivering HR Business Services, HR Certifications, Talent Management Technology, Career Transition Solutions & Leadership Development.

With over 20 years of experience, Devadoss is also a Global Board Member of the Career Partners International, and actively involved in Malaysia’s and Asia-Pacific’s HR and Technology industry development and holds memberships in various local and international associations.

Devadoss holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Bachelor’s Degree in Life Sciences. He holds the SHRM-SCP credentials and has recently attended the INSEAD Global Business Programme.

Alexander Alonso, PhD, SHRM-SCP is the Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM's) Chief Data & Insights Officer leading operations for SHRM's Certified Professional and Senior Certified Professional certifications, research functions, and the SHRM Knowledge Advisor service. He is responsible for all research activities, including the development of the SHRM Competency Model and SHRM credentials.

During his career, he has worked with numerous subject matter experts worldwide with the aim of identifying performance standards, developing competency models, designing organizational assessments, and conducting job analyses. He was also responsible for working on contract task orders involving the development of measurement tools for content areas such as job knowledge (like teacher knowledge of instructional processes) and organizational climates (like organizational climate forecasting in military health care).

Dr. Alonso received his doctorate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Florida International University in 2003. His works have been recognized for their contribution to real-world issues. They include being recognized by the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology (Division 14 of the APA; SIOP) with the 2007 M. Scott Myers Award for Applied Research in the Workplace for the development of the federal standard for medical team training, TeamSTEPPS; being awarded a 2009 Presidential Citation for Innovative Practice by the American Psychological Association for supporting the development of competency model for team triage in emergency medicine; and receiving the 2013 SIOP Distinguished Early Career Contributions for Practice Award.

Throughout his career, he has published works in peer-reviewed journals such as Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, Journal of Applied Psychology, International Journal of Selection and Assessment, People and Strategy, Personality and Individual Differences, Quality and Safety in Health Care, and Human Resources Management Review. He has also authored several chapters on community-based change initiatives in workforce readiness, as well as co-authoring Defining HR Success: A Guide to the SHRM Competency Model in Practice.

Dr. Alonso also served as a columnist analyzing major trends in the workforce for The Industrial Psychologist and HR Magazine. In addition, he has served on several professional society boards including the SIOP and the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington.

Jan is a Leadership Consultant who partners with leaders to drive business results. Previously Director of Learning at The Weather Channel, Jan has received the John O Wynne Leadership Award, The Cable and Telecommunications Best Practices Award, and has authored two books endorsed by leadership experts Stephen M R Covey and Dr. Ken Blanchard. A summa cum laude graduate of GSU and Georgia Tech Guest Lecturer, Jan is a contributing author in Center for Creative Leadership’s Developing Your Conflict Competence.

Jan is a Leadership Consultant who partners with leaders to drive business results. Previously Director of Learning at The Weather Channel, Jan has received the John O Wynne Leadership Award, The Cable and Telecommunications Best Practices Award, and has authored two books endorsed by leadership experts Stephen M R Covey and Dr. Ken Blanchard. A summa cum laude graduate of GSU and Georgia Tech Guest Lecturer, Jan is a contributing author in Center for Creative Leadership’s Developing Your Conflict Competence.