Concurrent Session

Jennifer McCollum is CEO of Linkage, Inc., where she oversees the strategic direction and global operations of the Boston, MA-based leadership development company. With a mission to “Change the Face of Leadership,” Linkage has dedicated 30 years to improving leadership effectiveness and equity in hundreds of organizations globally. Linkage provides assessments, training, coaching, consulting and conferences, with Solutions designed to Accelerate Purposeful Leaders; Advance Women Leaders; and Create Inclusive Organizations. 

Jennifer is a highly sought-after consultant and speaker, with a deep expertise in Inclusive Leadership and Advancing Women Leaders. She has delivered workshops, keynotes, webinars and podcasts to thousands of leaders globally on live and virtual stages, including 100 Leaders Live (Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches conference), Chief Learning Officer Exchange, Chester Elton’s “Leading with Gratitude” LinkedIn Live, John Baldoni’s “Grace under Pressure” LinkedIn Live, Candy O’Terry’s “The Story Behind Her Success” podcast, and VoiceAmerica radio broadcast. She is a contributing author to Leadership in a Time of Crisis and has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Chief Talent Development Officer, CEO Refresher, and Real Leaders. She is a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches.

Background & Experience:

Jennifer has 20 years of experience building and leading businesses in the leadership space. Prior to Linkage, Jennifer spent a decade growing businesses within Korn Ferry and Corporate Executive Board (CEB), now Gartner. At CEB, she led product management within the leadership division, driving innovative solutions that helped organizations select, develop and place leaders at all levels. She also ran CEB’s Leadership Academies business, which developed more than 30,000 professionals in 2,100 companies throughout 50 countries and grew revenue at a 97% combined annual growth rate across five years. 

Previously, Jennifer served as CEO of IntraVision, a leadership consultancy she founded and grew over the course of eight years. She worked with public companies, start-ups, associations and nonprofits. Her passion is creating vision, executing strategy and managing cohesive teams toward aspirational goals, with a special focus on supporting women in leadership roles.

She is an avid tennis player and skier, and lives in Bethesda, MD, with her husband and three children.

Education & Training:

Jennifer has a master’s degree in communications from the University of Stirling in Stirling, Scotland, and an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University in psychology and communications.

For over 20 years, Allison West has used her employment law background in delivering customized workplace training, conducting investigations, coaching executives/managers, serving as an expert witness, and specializing in conflict resolution and facilitated discussions to create more collaborative work environments. 

Allison is a top-rated speaker at the SHRM Annual Conference as well as other HR/diversity conferences, and is a national expert on harassment, discrimination and investigations. She has appeared on PBS, CBS This Morning and in O Magazine discussing workplace harassment issues. 

She is a member of the State Bar of California and holds her SHRM-SCP certification and AWI-CH (investigation) certificate.

Valerie helps companies improve their bottom line by elevating employees from tactical thinkers to strategic leaders.

She served in senior leadership roles at RollsRoyce Aircraft before helping to found InterActiveCorp, parent company to Expedia, Home Shopping Network and TicketMaster. She then went to work for Oprah Winfrey, helping to found the Oxygen channel which was later sold to NBC Universal.

Valerie obtained her mechanical engineering degree from Kettering University and her MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Val’s book, Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality, helps leaders manage multiple generations in the office.

Omari Faulkner is President and CEO of Blue Fire Fed, a strategic communications and development company.  As a trailblazing business leader, driven by service and a passion to address the needs of the military community, Omari delivers solutions and provides thought leadership to Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, universities, and nonprofit organizations.  He ensures veterans, military families, and active military members transitioning to civilian life are fully integrated into the civilian workforce and culture; filling an untapped niche in the global workplace.

He has traveled to over 45 countries as a U.S. Department of State Special Envoy and is the author of Athlete for Life, a book providing student-athletes, parents, coaches, and the sport development community with a blueprint for success and lifelong accomplishment.  Today, he remains an active Public Affairs Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.  

Jennifer McCollum is CEO of Linkage, Inc., where she oversees the strategic direction and global operations of the Boston, MA-based leadership development company. With a mission to “Change the Face of Leadership,” Linkage has dedicated 30 years to improving leadership effectiveness and equity in hundreds of organizations globally. Linkage provides assessments, training, coaching, consulting and conferences, with Solutions designed to Accelerate Purposeful Leaders; Advance Women Leaders; and Create Inclusive Organizations. 

Jennifer is a highly sought-after consultant and speaker, with a deep expertise in Inclusive Leadership and Advancing Women Leaders. She has delivered workshops, keynotes, webinars and podcasts to thousands of leaders globally on live and virtual stages, including 100 Leaders Live (Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches conference), Chief Learning Officer Exchange, Chester Elton’s “Leading with Gratitude” LinkedIn Live, John Baldoni’s “Grace under Pressure” LinkedIn Live, Candy O’Terry’s “The Story Behind Her Success” podcast, and VoiceAmerica radio broadcast. She is a contributing author to Leadership in a Time of Crisis and has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Chief Talent Development Officer, CEO Refresher, and Real Leaders. She is a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches.

Background & Experience:

Jennifer has 20 years of experience building and leading businesses in the leadership space. Prior to Linkage, Jennifer spent a decade growing businesses within Korn Ferry and Corporate Executive Board (CEB), now Gartner. At CEB, she led product management within the leadership division, driving innovative solutions that helped organizations select, develop and place leaders at all levels. She also ran CEB’s Leadership Academies business, which developed more than 30,000 professionals in 2,100 companies throughout 50 countries and grew revenue at a 97% combined annual growth rate across five years. 

Previously, Jennifer served as CEO of IntraVision, a leadership consultancy she founded and grew over the course of eight years. She worked with public companies, start-ups, associations and nonprofits. Her passion is creating vision, executing strategy and managing cohesive teams toward aspirational goals, with a special focus on supporting women in leadership roles.

She is an avid tennis player and skier, and lives in Bethesda, MD, with her husband and three children.

Education & Training:

Jennifer has a master’s degree in communications from the University of Stirling in Stirling, Scotland, and an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University in psychology and communications.

Melanie Booher is passionate Culture Coach who utilizes her 20+ years of business experience to help organizations THRIVE.

- President of PEOPLEfirst Talent & Consulting Solutions

- Creator of the THRIVETM Model

- and a newly launched business tool which gamifies culture and drives results called: Cards for Culture©

MB demonstrates the importance of intentional Culture – and more importantly, how to Bring It To Life.

Conscious Culture (her best-selling Amazon book!) creates a pay-it-forward legacy – leaving the world a better place than we found it. One leader, one game plan, one great workplace at a time. Join the movement – because together we THRIVETM! 

Melanie resides in Cincinnati, OH with her husband and 3 children.

Sandy Michelet is a dynamic leader with a focus on developing a high-performing culture. She is the Director of People Strategy for Sparkhound, a digital transformation company, and is an active speaker in the HR community. Sandy holds several professional certifications and a master's degree in workforce development. She is a powerful voice for the childless community, having launched TheChildlessLife.com dedicated to supporting women unable to have children. She has been recognized as a World Childless Week Champion. Sandy is also a lead singer with Trilogy, a South Louisiana horn band.

As CEO of Titus Talent Strategies, Jonathan is a visionary, entrepreneur, and game-changer. He is energized by inspiring company leaders and equipping them with unique approaches to better understand their people, foster organizational alignment, and create optimum performance among their team members. His fun stories and British accent will draw you in, while his cutting-edge ideas and practical strategies will leave you empowered to implement change.  

Jonathan is a bestselling author of Right Seats, Right People: A Leaders Guide to Hiring and Developing Top Talent and currently leads a unique team of talent consultants that has been on Inc. 5000's list of fastest growing companies for 4 years in a row. 

Cheryl Brown Merriwether brings over two decades of experience in corporate HR management, addiction recovery awareness, and adult education to the International Center for Addiction and Recovery Education (ICARE). As VP and Executive Director, she directs the administration, operations, and student support services for ICARE’s three divisions. Cheryl is the former two-term President of the Greater Orlando Society for Human Resource Management (GOSHRM), an active Board Member of Project Opioid, a former Chairman of the Board of Regents of the Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM) and a former adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix and Strayer Universities.

Steve Lowisz is a successful entrepreneur, TEDx and keynote speaker, educator, trainer, and investor. He founded Qualigence International in 1999 and has since founded other businesses under the Qualigence brand. The additional companies include Qualigence Leadership Institute, Recruiting Education Institute, and others.

Steve prides himself on tailoring every speaking engagement to educate the audience, as a result, he has received requests to speak at corporations headquartered around the world including Starbucks, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Coca-Cola, Cisco Systems, Whirlpool, and more. Steve is a contributor to the Forbes Human Resource Council and the founder of the HR Executive Council.