General Session

Andy brings 10+ years of experience as a Human Resources leader, practitioner, and consultant. He began his career at PwC, where he led global HR transformation engagements for Fortune 500 clients, founded PwC's Learning Solutions consulting practice, and served as the Product Owner for PwC's Change Navigator platform.
 
As Director of Talent Development at Target Corporation, Andy led a team responsible for Training, Leadership Development, and Change Management for over 100,000 store team members. During his time at Target, he also led the organizational readiness efforts for Target's enterprise Operating Model Transformation, impacting +2,000 retail stores and more than +250k employees.
 
As a founding team member at the Josh Bersin Company, Andy lead the HR Advisory Services practice and delivered consulting engagements across all areas of HR, serving many clients in the Fortune 100. Additionally, he served as the Chief Learning Officer for the Josh Bersin Academy.
 
Now the Chief Transformation Officer at SHRM, Andy drives the execution of the SHRM global strategy, ensuring the development and successful delivery of innovative products, unparalleled services and transformative experiences to the diverse audiences SHRM serves.

Rachel Sheerin, CPBA is an award-winning keynote speaker, emcee and employee engagement consultant on a mission to help people feel better, think better and do better - together!

A Certified Professional Behavior Analyst, audiences are transformed and recharged with energy and leave equipped with strategies and tangible tools. What makes Rachel connect is the fact that she has been on all sides of business - sales, operations and executive leadership.. She's built multi-million dollar sales teams for organizations that want to grow profits and boost happiness and delivered organization-wide training for different vocations from machinists to executive director, SVP and beyond.

She's also burned out, failed and ruined her career a couple of times - which makes her messages of burnout prevention, happiness and success sincere, impactful and hilarious. With a strong dash of vulnerability, Rachel meets audiences where they are and with her background in meetings and events, gives planners and executives the 5-star surveys they want most.

With Fortune 500 clients such as The Ritz Carlton, WAL-MART, National Associations in Healthcare and Banking, Hilton, Berkshire Hathaway and many more, Rachel is also Co-Founder of MAGNET METHOD, an employee engagement and retention consulting firm for growing cultures.

Rachel's continued research and motivational content around burnout, happiness and success can be seen regularly on her LinkedIn profile and read in her upcoming book, BETTER: How to Feel Good as You Live, Lead and Succeed (8/8/23, Hawthorn Road Press).

Currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Association for Women in Events (AWE), Rachel is a proud member of Meeting Planners International (MPI), supporter of the Appalachian Bear Foundation and can often be found playing ping pong badly with her husband, Jeff.

Nilanjan (Neel) Adhya is the Chief Digital Officer of BlackRock. In his role, Neel actively collaborates with marketing, design, product and sales teams at BlackRock to reimagine all aspects of digital experiences, create new digital innovations, build great experiences and accelerate transformation across the digital ecosystem.

Neel has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of technology, platforms, and people to help global organizations leverage new business models and drive growth.

Sherri Shepherd is a Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show host, comedian, actress, and best-selling author who brings her inimitable, authentic and comedic perspective to daytime with her own #1 new nationally syndicated talk show, SHERRI. Hailed as "TV's New Feel Good Queen," Shepherd’s warm, relatable and engaging personality shines through as she offers her comedic take on the day’s entertainment news, pop culture, and trending topics with her daytime audience. As America's favorite girl next door, her comedy-driven show features celebrity interviews, informative experts, moments of inspiration and amazing everyday people to create an hour of entertainment escapism.  

With an illustrious career spanning three decades, Shepherd’s longevity serves as a testament to her immense talent and undeniable appeal. Shepherd's ability to connect with audiences of diverse backgrounds and her commitment to authentic storytelling have undoubtedly contributed to her success. Her recent triumphs include winning two 2023 NAACP Image Awards, where she took home awards for Outstanding Talk Series for SHERRI; and Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast for her podcast Two Funny Mamas with fellow comedic actress Kym Whitley. Shepherd and Whitley also won in 2022 for Outstanding Lifestyle and Self-Help podcast.  

In addition to her NAACP Image Awards victories, Shepherd also garnered recognition for her exceptional work in the daytime television realm. Her talk show, SHERRI,  garnered four 2023 Daytime Emmy Awards nominations for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host, Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup, Outstanding Costume Design / Styling and Outstanding Promotional Announcement. Her recent nominations confirm her commitment to excellence and her ability to consistently deliver standout performances that resonate with viewers. 

Whether on stage or screen, Sherri Shepherd’s magnetic personality and hilarious sense of humor never fails to delight audiences. Shepherd’s multifaceted career includes roles in several acclaimed television and film projects. She can currently be seen in the HBO MAX series Sex Lives of College Girls; and had a guest starring role on the new season of Amazon’s HARLEM. She co-starred in the Netflix hit comedy series Mr. Iglesias; and as a recurring guest star on ABC’s Call Your Mother. Shepherd’s other television credits include 30 Rock, Trial and Error, Rosewood, Man With a Plan, How I Met Your Mother, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends and The Jamie Foxx Show. Her film credits include her first theatrical lead role in Brian Banks, Netflix’s A Week Away, Lifetime’s "Imperfect High, Precious, Think Like A Man, Top 5, Ride Along 2, Walk. Ride. Rodeo, Jean of The Joneses, Woodlawn, One For The Money, Abducted: The Carlina White Story, Guess Who, Beauty Shop, and more.  She was the first African-American woman to host a game show as host of four seasons of “The Newlywed Game. She made history portraying the first African-American version of the Evil Stepmother in the Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. 

 As a standup comic, Shepherd is always ready to bring the laughs and excitement to the stage. She toured with legendary musicians KEM and Babyface, hosting “The Full Circle Tour.” Shepherd also opened for fellow comedian and friend Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias at his history-making comedy show at Dodgers Stadium, selling out more than 45,000 seats, making it the third biggest comedy show ever and the biggest ever in Los Angeles. In 2019, Shepherd co-headlined the all-female led comedy tour, “Ladies Night Out Comedy Tour,” with Loni Love, Kym Whitley and Adele Givens. 

Through her own production company, Faith Walker, Shepherd launched, and executive produced the NAACP Image Award-winning podcast Two Funny Mamas that she co-hosts with fellow actress Kym Whitley. A New York Times best-selling author, Shepherd released two books, “Plan D: How to Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes (Even If You Don't Have It),” and “Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break." 

 Beyond her accolades, Shepherd's impact extends beyond the screen. She has become a prominent voice in championing inclusivity and representation, using her platform to advocate for underrepresented communities, children with special needs and women in the workplace. Her dedication to using her influence for positive change is truly commendable and showcases her commitment to making a lasting impact in both the entertainment industry and society as a whole. 

With an undeniable presence and a talent that knows no bounds, Sherri Shepherd continues to redefine what it means to be a powerhouse in the entertainment industry. As she continues to push boundaries, inspire others, and captivate audiences worldwide, Sherri Shepherd remains a force to be reckoned with, leaving an indelible mark on the industry for years to come. 

Jessica Jensen is Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Indeed. She is responsible for brand, communication, product and acquisition marketing globally.  Before joining Indeed, Jessica was CMO at OpenTable. Prior to OpenTable, she led B2B marketing for Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and other Meta platforms. She has held leadership roles at Apple and Yahoo! and started her professional career at the Boston Consulting Group. Jessica holds an MBA from INSEAD, a Masters in International Relations from University of California San Diego and a B.A. from Amherst College.

Svenja Gudell. Ph.D. is Chief Economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association for Business Economics. Prior to joining Indeed, Svenja was Chief Economist at Zillow Group. Previously, Svenja worked on economic, financial and strategic consulting for Analysis Group, and was an assistant economist in the research group of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Svenja has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Rochester, a master’s degree in economics from New York University, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Rochester, and a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Rochester.

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally.

As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers and the workplace. Recognized as one of the “300 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America” for 2024 by Savoy Magazine and one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s capital by Washingtonian Magazine, Mr. Taylor is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, "Ask HR."

Mr. Taylor's career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit spaces. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/InteractiveCorp, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

He is the author of the national bestseller, RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval, which immediately upon its release in September 2021, was in the top three of The Wall Street Journal’s list of best-selling hardcover business books.

Mr. Taylor is a member of the United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees and serves on the corporate boards of XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO), Flores & Associates, and Guild Education. He previously served on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the Trump Administration.

The Women Business Collaborative (WBC) named Mr. Taylor as one of its 2023 Trailblazers in Gender Equity and Diversity for his work to achieve equal position, pay and power for all women in business. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management, and he was named 2021 ALA Professional Society CEO of the Year by CEO Update.

He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

Al Roker is the weather and feature anchor of NBC News’ TODAY as well as the co-host of third hour of TODAY. He joined in January 1996.

From July 2009 to September 2015, Roker served as co-host of the morning show “Wake Up with Al” on the Weather Channel.  Until January 2000, he also served as the weekday weather forecaster for News Channel 4’s early evening newscast Live at 5 on WNBC-TV, NBC’s flagship owned and operated station in New York City.

Roker came to WNBC-TV as a weekend weathercaster in December 1983 from WKYC-TV, the NBC television station in Cleveland. Roker began his broadcasting career while still in college by landing a job as a weekend weatherman at WTVH-TV in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1974. After graduation he moved on to weathercasting jobs in Washington, D.C. (1976-1978) and Cleveland (1978-1983).

Roker has been named Best Weatherman twice by New York Magazine. He is a recipient of the American Meteorological Society’s prestigious Seal of Approval and has been a pioneer in the use of computer graphics for weathercasting. Roker has won three Daytime Emmy Awards as part of TODAY’s recognition as the best morning newscast (2007, 2009, 2010).

Roker also co-hosts Sirius XM’s “Off the Rails” with Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones and hosts “Cold Cuts with Al Roker” on Today.com and YouTube. He made his Broadway stage debut in “Waitress” in October 2018 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York City, playing the part of Old Joe.

In November 2014, Roker made history on TODAY for “Rokerthon,” in which he broke the Guinness World Record for the Longest Uninterrupted Live Weather Report Broadcast by providing 34 hours of continuous weather coverage. The following year in October 2015, “Rokerthon 2” broke the Guinness World Record for the Fastest Time to Report a Weather Forecast from All 50 US States and the District of Colombia, which he completed in one week. In March 2017 for “Rokerthon 3,” Roker visited five colleges across the country in five days and helped college students break additional Guinness World Records. In August 2020 for “Rokerthon 4,” Roker enlisted the help of nearly 70 renowned chefs, including Bobby Flay, Priya Krishna, Sandra Lee, Marcus Samuelsson and Andrew Zimmern, to set a new Guinness World Records record for the most people in an online sandwich-making relay.

Throughout the years, Roker has reported live for TODAY from some of history’s worst storms and natural disasters including Hurricane Wilma, Hurricane Isaac, Superstorm Sandy and the earthquake in Haiti.

Among many highlights of his career as an interviewer, Roker conducted an exclusive interview with Peanuts creator Charles Shultz shortly before his death from colon cancer. Additional interview highlights include Willie Nelson, Burt Reynolds, James Earl Jones and B. Smith.

Since 1985, Roker has co-hosted the annual Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting. He also co-hosts the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Bowl Parade. For ten years, from 2001 to 2010, and in 2017, Roker’s “Lend a Hand Today” initiative took him across the country and raised millions to help small charities work towards improving conditions in their communities. 

In 1994, Roker founded Al Roker Entertainment, Inc. (ARE), a thriving multimedia company involved in the development and production of network, cable, home video, and public television projects.  ARE produces programming for a diverse clientele including NBC News, Lifetime Television, A&E, The History Channel, E!, Discovery Networks, PBS, TV ONE, Oxygen, The Cartoon Network and NBC Television Stations Group.

Roker is a bestselling author with 13 acclaimed books to his credit: “The Morning Show Murders”, “The Midnight Show Murders”, “The Talk Show Murders”, “Al Roker’s Big Bad Book of Barbecue”, “Don’t Make Me Stop This Car: Adventures in Fatherhood”, “Al Roker’s Hassle Free Holiday Cookbook”, “Never Goin' Back : Winning the Weight Loss Battle for Good”, “Big Shoes: In Celebration of Dads and Fatherhood”, “Been There Done That: Family Wisdom For Modern Times”, “The Storm of the Century”, “Al Roker's Extreme Weather,” “Ruthless Tide,” and “You Look So Much Better in Person.”

Roker is a member of several professional organizations including the Friars Club, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Meteorological Society.

Raised in Queens, New York, Roker received his B.A. in Communications from the State University at Oswego in 1976, and he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the school in 1998. He resides in Manhattan with his wife, ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts. Roker has two daughters and one son.

Follow Al on Twitter and Instagram: @alroker
 

Betty Thompson is Booz Allen Hamilton’s Senior Executive Advisor. Ms. Thompson joined the firm in 2008, bringing more than 20 years of experience directing human capital strategy and human resource functions for large corporations. As the head of people services, Ms. Thompson ensures that the company has the best-in-class talent to solve their clients’ evolving needs. She is also instrumental in a creating a world-class employment experience for all staff. In addition to leading the day-to-day human resources functions, Ms. Thompson is a driving force behind the firm’s people strategy. Designed to enable key business imperatives, her people strategy focuses on workforce planning, talent management, critical skills and expertise, and employee engagement. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Thompson most recently served as Vice President of Human Resources for Fannie Mae. There she was responsible for all aspects of human resources management and operations. Ms. Thompson led company-wide organizational redesign and staffing efforts, as well as initiatives to improve productivity and reduce costs. She was also responsible for developing the company's people strategy to increase the performance, utilization, and engagement of Fannie Mae's workforce. Prior to her tenure at Fannie Mae, Ms. Thompson also held several human resource leadership roles with IBM, after holding key line positions in marketing and customer service operations. Ms. Thompson holds a master’s in human resources and personnel management from American University in Washington, DC.

Reshma Saujani is a leading activist and founder and CEO of Moms First.  She is also the founder and former CEO of Girls Who Code. She has spent more than a decade building movements to fight for women and girls’ economic empowerment, working to close the gender gap in the tech sector, and most recently advocating for policies to support moms impacted by the pandemic. Reshma’s newest book Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think) presents a bold plan to address the burnout and inequity harming America’s working women today.  She is also the author of the international bestseller Brave, Not Perfect, and her influential TED talk, “Teach girls, bravery not perfection,” has more than five million views globally. 

Reshma began her career as an attorney and Democratic organizer. In 2010, she surged onto the political scene as the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress. During the race, Reshma visited local schools and saw the gender gap in computing classes firsthand, which led her to start Girls Who Code. She also served as New York City’s Deputy Public Advocate, where she created innovative partnerships to support DREAMers and promote campaign finance reform, among other initiatives. 

In her nine-year tenure as the CEO of Girls Who Code, Reshma grew the organization to one of the largest and most prestigious non-profits in the country. Today, Girls Who Code has taught 300,000 girls through direct in-person computer science education programming, and reached 500 million people worldwide through its New York Times-bestselling book series and award-winning campaigns. In 2019, Girls Who Code was awarded Most Innovative Non-Profit by Fast Company.

In response to the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on America’s moms, Reshma launched the Marshall Plan for Moms to advocate for policies that value women’s labor in and out of the home. Reshma has successfully worked with House and Senate leaders to introduce “Marshall Plan for Moms” legislation at the federal level and is continuing to act as an outside agitator to change culture through creative awareness campaigns. In 2023, Marshall Plan for Moms became Moms First, a reflection of the progress made in the last two years and a rallying cry to expand the movement we’re building together.

Reshma is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Yale Law School. Her innovative approach to movement building has earned her broad recognition on lists including: Fortune World’s Greatest Leaders; Fortune 40 Under 40; WSJ Magazine Innovator of the Year; Forbes Most Powerful Women Changing the World; and Fast Company 100 Most Creative People, among others. She is the winner of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. 

Reshma serves on the Board of Overseers for Harvard University and on the Board of Overseers for the International Rescue Committee, which provides aid to refugees and those impacted by humanitarian crises. In addition, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Economic Club of New York, and as an ex-officio Trustee of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Reshma lives in New York City with her husband, Nihal, their sons, Shaan and Sai, and their bulldog, Stanley. 

As executive vice president and chief human resources officer, Kathleen Hogan empowers 220,000+ global employees to achieve Microsoft’s mission. In her role, she focuses on making Microsoft an exceptional place for employees to work, and ensures that the company is creating a culture that attracts and inspires the world’s most passionate talent.

Hogan previously served as corporate vice president of Microsoft Services, a team dedicated to helping businesses and consumers maximize the value of their investment in Microsoft technologies. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2003, she was a partner at McKinsey & Co. and a development manager at Oracle Corp.

In 2021, Hogan was named “HR Executive of the Year” by Human Resource Executive magazine for her leadership and people strategy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. She sits on the board of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) as well as the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Executive Council. As a breast cancer survivor and former board member of the Puget Sound affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, she lends her personal and business perspective to that board of directors. Hogan is also involved in the Seattle community and is a board member of the Alaska Air Group.

Hogan earned her bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and economics, magna cum laude, from Harvard University. In addition, she holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Bethany is an American entrepreneur and CEO of Humane. 

Prior to co-founding Humane with her husband Imran Chaudhri in 2019, Bethany previously led the teams behind some of Apple's most transformational products. As a Director of Software Engineering, she was responsible for all software project management for iOS and macOS and also played a key leadership role in the execution of critical projects such as the launch of the original iPad.

Prior to her time at Apple, Bethany studied physics, worked in astrophysics research, and was a data management and software development consultant. Bethany is passionate about building and leading high-performing teams to solve complex problems.

Humane

Humane is an experience company creating the technologies and platforms for the intelligence age. Founded by Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno in 2019, Humane’s mission is to deliver the next era of personal mobile computing, which will be one driven by AI.

In November 2023, Humane launched Ai Pin - the first wearable device and software platform built to harness the full power of AI. Ai Pin marks a new beginning for personal consumer technology, offering users the ability to take AI with them everywhere in an entirely new, conversational and screenless form factor. It was available to order in the US from November 16th, starting at $699 for the complete system, and will begin shipping in March 2024.

In May 2023, Imran publicly gave a preview of Ai Pin for the first time on the TED stage in Vancouver, during his TED Talk: The disappearing computer - and a world where you can take AI everywhere. The full form factor of the device was then shown at Paris Fashion Week in September 2023, worn for the first time publicly by Naomi Campbell during Coperni’s show.

In March 2023, Humane announced it raised a $100 million Series C round, led by Kindred Ventures, and secured a roster of significant new partners including Microsoft, OpenAI, Qualcomm, LG and Volvo. 

Humane believes that Ai presents a huge opportunity for us to redefine our relationship with technology and that it will enable personal mobile computing to become faster, more powerful and easier to use.