Leadership & Development

Karl Ahlrichs specializes in helping professionals make order from chaos. He is a national speaker, author, and consultant, presenting on the people issues in all industries, and is often quoted in the local and national media. 

Karl’s experience is ideally suited to times of organizational change as he pulls on risk management and organizational development theories to replace “best practices” with “next practices”. He owes much of his communications mastery to working as a writer and editor in daily media, to on-the-job writing experience and to the process of becoming a published author.

He joined Gregory & Appel in 2010 after serving as a founding partner of ExactHire, bringing his HR, operations, diversity & belonging, and learning & development skills with him. Karl’s affinity for design, composition and learning started at a very young age, by taking and examining thousands of boring pictures with the goal of improving his craft. He loves deploying that practice-to-improve approach with all manner of hobbies including writing haiku, mastering cutting-edge technology and learning Spanish.

In 2003, he was named the SHRM Human Resource Professional of the Year for the State of Indiana. He is on the Boards of several organizations, including the Maryland CPA Society.  He has lived in Scotland and Spain and lives to explore new experiences with his wife and family.

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.

Julie Burch has spoken at 2 SHRM National Conferences, 5 state SHRM conferences, and countless regional and local SHRM events. She was also inducted in to the Speaker Hall of Fame at the Society for Human Resource Management’s Southwest Conference in 2017. She has spoken in all 50 states, 3 countries, and 3 U.S. Territories. Where she has designed programs for industry leaders in a wide range of industries

Julie is the comedienne with content! Julie’s presentations are high energy, highly interactive and packed with real world, tangible techniques the audience can implement immediately. Julie also loves to make them laugh! She has discovered the more her audience laughs the more they learn. “Solid Business Strategies. Brilliant Comedic Humor.” It’s not just her tag line, it is her promise in every presentation!

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.

Before becoming CEO of Leadership Pipeline Institute, Kent Jonasen was Deputy Head of Group Human Resources in A.P. Moller – Maersk since 2003 up to 2008 responsible for talent management, leadership development, executive development and executive compensation. Previously to his deputy position, Kent was Regional HR Manager for Europe Region from 2000 to 2003.

In A.P. Moller – Maersk Kent lead the implementation of a companywide integrated leadership development initiative based on the Leadership Pipeline concept to impact more than 10,000 leaders in more than 100 countries. The project secured reliable executive succession plans and a 90% hit ratio on talents in the executive talent pool. During his time in A.P. Moller - Maersk he was member of the US Conference Board Council on Development, Education and Training.

Since founding the Leadership Pipeline Institute Kent has lead the implementation of the Leadership Pipeline and Specialist Pipeline concept with regards to development, selection, and assessment in more than 25 different large international organizations.

Kent is author of the book “Specialist Pipeline – how to winning the war for specialist talent” and he is co-author the 3rd edition of the book “Leadership Pipeline – Developing leaders in the digital age”.

Before joining Human Resources in A.P. Moller – Maersk in 1996 Kent was employed in the financial industry. He worked in retail banking for two years and in the capital market business for three years dealing with various interest rate and currency derivatives.

Anita Martin is a highly experienced human resources leader with over 25 years of progressive experience in various industries. Currently, she serves as the leader for human resources and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) functions for the Houston Texans, a position that places her on the executive leadership team of the organization.

Throughout her career, Anita has demonstrated her expertise in human resources across diverse sectors, including oil & gas, information technology, manufacturing, retail, finance, and sports & entertainment. Her roles in these industries have been increasingly impactful, showcasing her ability to navigate and contribute to different business environments.

Anita is recognized for her professional certifications, holding the status of a senior certified professional in human resources and being certified as a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) leader. These certifications highlight her commitment to maintaining high standards in HR practices and promoting diversity and inclusion within the organizations she serves.

Active in professional associations, Anita has been a member of HR Houston, the local SHRM affiliate, and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for over fifteen years. She currently holds a position on the Board of Directors for HR Houston, showcasing her leadership and involvement in shaping the local HR community. Additionally, Anita is a member of YMDQ (Young Mothers Don’t Quit) and WISE (Women in Sports and Entertainment), underlining her commitment to supporting various causes and professional networks.

Anita Martin earned her Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Houston Baptist University, reflecting her dedication to continuous learning and academic achievement in her field. Overall, her extensive background, certifications, and involvement in professional organizations demonstrate Anita's commitment to advancing human resources and fostering diversity and inclusion within the workplace.

Roni Jacknow is the CEO of RJ Coaching & Consulting. She is a champion for gender equity, workplace wellness and employee engagement. Roni recently retired from her 37+ year corporate career at Kaiser Permanente, a $93 billion healthcare business. In her role at one of the largest integrated healthcare institutions in the world, with more than 88,000 physicians and nurses to provide care to 12.6 million members. As Senior Director Office of Talent Development, Roni was responsible for employee and leadership development and equity, inclusion and diversity for the Finance and Enterprise Business Services organizations. 

Roni is a super-connector and transformative leader dedicated to cultivating a culture rich in learning, gratitude and belonging. She is also an enthusiastic advocate for employee wellbeing. She has launched innovative and best-in-class learning and development offerings and programs to enable all employees to reach their full potential. Roni led the first of its kind Women in Leadership and Gender Allyship Programs at Kaiser Permanente. She has served as executive sponsor to the WE@KP women’s business resource group and on the KP Leadership University steering committee. Roni facilitated and sponsored the company-wide implementation of Belong@KP to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and is a certified Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace facilitator. She served as a Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Advocate and was recognized two years in a row as a Culture of Health Champion Manager.

Roni is a certified leadership and executive coach through New Ventures West, Linkage, and the International Coaching Federation. She is certified to facilitate Mindfulness in the Workplace offerings, Linkage AWL program, Multipliers workshops, Coaching Circles and Appreciation in the Workplace offerings. She is also a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and a long-time practitioner.

Roni serves as a mentor for the Women in Leadership Foundation and as an advisor to the California State University Executive Education Women in Leadership program.

Prior to Kaiser Permanente, Roni served in a variety of finance and business leadership and executive roles at Charles Schwab and Chevron. Roni thrives by practicing yoga, reading, traveling, walking her dog Zola and spending time with her family.

Dr. Amy Beacom is credited as the trailblazer who built the vertical broadly referred to as parental leave support. Amy conceived of and began developing the field of parental leave coaching and consulting in 2006. In 2014 she founded the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, the first full service consultancy in the US to focus exclusively on parental leave strategy, research, and training. Drawing on over 25 years in executive leadership development and coaching, Amy consults with organizations of all sizes to drive talent development, attraction, and retention while improving the employee experience.

Roy is a digital marketing consultant and CEO of Digital Revamp Communications. Digital Revamp Communications is a leading digital marketing and advertising agency that creates digital communication strategy, launches creative websites and social media content campaigns to grow brands or executives presence and connect them with their audience.

Roy advises C-level executives on digital storytelling, online strategy integration, executive personal brand and paid media.

Through monthly collaboration, content creation, and social media engagement with Digital Revamp’s team, SHRM has amplified its online presence to become the leading voice on the future of the workplace with a content reach over 5 Million views annually. 

The latest achievement of SHRM’s partnership with Digital Revamp is the recognition of its CEO among LinkedIn’s “Top Voices for Associations and Advocacy,” alongside figures like Justin Trudeau, Bill Gates, and others. Roy advised the Military Health System (MHS) for the Department of Defense on communication strategies and is also a speaker for the US State Department. Roy also serves as a certified Clifton Strengths and High Performing Team coach.

Prior to Digital Revamp, Roy worked for Gallup consulting. In his work with Gallup, Roy directed various social and digital communications, as well as provided guidance in advertising and brand messaging. Roy led project communication for Gallup clients such as the International Labor Organization and the World Bank Financial Inclusion index.