David is founder and CEO of Fosway Group, Europe’s No. 1 HR analyst. A major commentator on the HCM, talent, and learning technology industry, David is a strategic advisor to many major corporate and supplier organizations in the U.K. and Europe.

David personally leads Fosway’s HCM and talent research and corporate advisory agenda. He is the author of more than 150 research papers and articles on HCM, talent, and learning technology and innovation, as well as being a leading speaker at major conferences in the U.K. and Europe.

With his extensive market knowledge and detailed insight of corporate projects and experiences, David continues to influence the thinking of many of the leading companies and vendors operating in the market today.

David’s areas of expertise include HR technology and strategy, vendor solutions, market trends, industry research, and providing corporate advice.

Mark is the founder of IA HR, applying more than 20 years of experience in the implementation of internal and external HR transformational initiatives for public and private sector clientele worldwide. Mark manages a market-leading consulting firm in support of the most complex human resource decisions in the world. Through deep and embedded partnerships with client organizations, Mark guides HR transformation by creating business cases for change, selecting sustainable third-party service providers, and supporting organizational and operational change management. By offering unbiased and candid advice to C-level leaders in nearly all geographies and vertical market segments, Mark has brought over $3.5 billion worth of value to his clients and employers. Mark is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and resides in San Francisco.

Michael is a principal and chief strategy officer of Brandon Hall Group. Along with his corporate responsibilities, he oversees consulting, strategic services, and advisory support for the company’s members. Michael is also one of the company’s principal analysts covering learning, talent, sales and marketing, and executive management.

In his role at Brandon Hall Group, Michael has led strategic engagements for large organizations, including Emerson, Intel, Land O’Lakes, PGA, Adobe, and Citrix, as well as a variety of small and medium-size companies. Michael has also worked with many leading solution providers, providing business advisory services for the learning, talent, sales, and marketing sectors.

Michael brings nearly 30 years of experience in commercial and operational strategy and execution, including human resources, information technologies, sales, marketing, business development, strategic and financial planning, program management, and business operations in Fortune 500 and venture-backed startup organizations.

Michael has served senior and executive team roles at Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, Quonova LLC, International Clinical Laboratories, SmithKline Beecham, Genzyme/Integrated Genetics, and RedPath Integrated Pathology.

In addition to his corporate experience, Michael has also held management consulting roles. At Employee Information Services, Michael was vice president and a member of the executive team responsible for leading the employee services and human resources consulting practice and client service operations. He was also a senior consultant and principal at RSA, an industry-leading employee services management consulting firm.

Michael received his B.A. from Assumption College and MBA in Management and Organizational Behavior from Bryant University.

He is also a graduate of the following certification programs: Kirkpatrick Four Levels™ Evaluation Certification Program; Balanced Scorecard Collaborative — Certification Programs; and Strategy Focused Organization and Office of Strategic Management.

Jacki serves as the Americas regional market leader for the data, surveys, and technology line of business at Willis Towers Watson. In addition to this leadership role, she has also provided consulting services to large global organizations and has extensive experience specializing in organizational diagnostics and employee research. During her tenure, she has worked to help organizations better understand and improve their organizational cultures. Jacki uses tailored organizational measurement techniques to uncover links between corporate culture, employee engagement, and business performance.

Jacki has worked with HR leadership and executive teams in leading global organizations across industries, including financial services, retail, telecommunications, and manufacturing.

Some of Jacki’s recent projects include designing an employee engagement research and action planning initiative for a leading financial services organization; leading the development of a leadership integration and culture assessment for a global manufacturing company during a merger; facilitating a leadership and culture alignment process for the executive team of a leading manufacturing company undergoing a divestiture; and implementing measurement techniques to create a framework for total rewards research.

Jacki earned her M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology as well as graduated cum laude from Pace University with a B.A. in Psychology. She is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and routinely presents at their annual conferences.

Adam is Willis Towers Watson’s global employee insights leader. For nearly 20 years, Adam has worked with clients to better understand and improve their organizational cultures, leading projects for global clients across diverse industries. Adam uses tailored organizational surveys to uncover links between corporate culture, employee engagement, and business performance. Adam has presented his findings from this work and consulted on their interpretation and impact to CEOs, boards of directors, and senior management teams of Fortune 500 companies.

Adam’s thoughts on organizational culture and performance have been featured in several popular and industry media, including most recently, Bloomberg Television, Crain’s, The Chicago Tribune, HR.com, and Human Resources Executive®.

Prior to joining Willis Towers Watson, Adam taught psychology, social research methods, and statistics at New York University. He also conducted empirical research on a diverse range of topics, including attitude formation and change and interpersonal influences on coping with stress. Adam’s research on these topics has been published in premier academic journals, including Psychological Science, The Journal of Personality Social Psychology, and Psychology and Marketing.

Adam received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Rochester, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude in 1992. Adam received his M.A. and Ph.D. from New York University in 1997 in the field of Social Psychology with a concentration in Statistics. Adam is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the Academy of Management, and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Michael is the CEO and principal analyst for ExcelHRate Research and Advisory Services, which provides strategy and advisory services to HCM vendors, and is the founder of MMM & Associates, an HCM consultancy.

Michael’s areas of expertise include the processes and technologies that support performance management, employee engagement, well-being, social technology, and analytics. She conducts research and writes and speaks on a wide range of topics, including learning, organizational culture, social capital, HR analytics, employee engagement, and well-being.

Prior to starting her own firms, Michael most recently served as the research director for Aberdeen Group’s Human Capital Management practice. She also has 15 years of experience as an HR practitioner, working for Thomson Reuters, Vistaprint, Aon Hewitt, Raytheon, and John Hancock. She received her Ph.D. in Human Capital Management from Bellevue University, an M.S. in HR from Suffolk University, and an M.M. in Musical Theatre from the Boston Conservatory. Currently, Michael resides just south of Boston, Mass., with her daughter, Mia, and when not denying her role as a soccer mom, spends her free time playing in her garden.

Jason is a talent strategist and innovator who will challenge you to think differently about talent and the workplace.

A former corporate human resources executive, Jason is currently the director of client success for Quantum Workplace, where he leads a team dedicated to helping organizations make work better for employees every day. He also leads the research team behind Quantum’s Best Places to Work program, which collects survey responses from employees at more than 6,000 companies each year to identify, celebrate, and promote some of the best workplaces in the world.

Jason is an accomplished keynote speaker and co-author of the book Social Gravity. Some people may know him as the tall dancing guy with Talent Anarchy.

Chris is president and CEO of Bluewater, and has been transforming the learning and talent management field for more than 20 years through his leadership, articles, speaking engagements, and consulting services.

Leveraging Chris’ insights into the long-term value of learning and talent investments and the impact of ensuring business alignment with the learning and talent processes, Bluewater has helped hundreds of companies to identify and solve for talent gaps, recognizing that licenses alone don’t solve business problems.

By combining strategic thinking, people development, process development, user experience, and the effective use of technologies, Chris has helped clients meet or exceed organizational goals that impact bottom-line financial growth and corporate success. A sampling of clients includes names like BP, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Lilly, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Mazda, McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc., Neiman Marcus, Univision, HEB Grocery Company, and Medtronic.

Chris launched Bluewater in 2003. His diverse industry background and thought leadership were quickly recognized and he is sought after as an authoritative voice in the learning and talent industries. His passion, creativity, and experience have inspired the Bluewater team to share his commitment to putting the client first. He has been the guiding hand in Bluewater’s recognized ability to instill confidence, supply creative solutions, and deliver measurable business results to its clients.

Leading Bluewater in Europe, William actively builds strong and successful relationships with the company’s clients and partners across the region. He is trusted to deliver results in the most complex and challenging situations, and is a world-class expert in talent and learning transformation, outsourcing, and SaaS and cloud learning solutions. William has extensive talent and learning technology and transformation expertise gained from a wide range of major client programs. He has particular experience in delivering effective learning outcomes and valid business results in complex and regulated financial services and life science organizations.

William has been at the forefront of talent and learning innovation for global organizations, and has successfully led major projects with global and European industry leaders such as Lloyds Banking Group, Aviva, BP, Pfizer, Merck Group, and Zurich Insurance. He has developed deep knowledge and insights into the strengths and limitations of leading HCM enterprise solutions from working with SaaS and cloud technologies in HR for more than a decade.

William is based at Bluewater’s European headquarters in Munich, Germany.

As chief marketing officer, Kristen is responsible for building Cielo’s brand reputation and creating market momentum for the company across the globe. Kristen drives the firm’s global marketing vision, brand strategy, marketing programs, and communications. Kristen brings a wide variety of experience gained during her 20 years in the HR industry, and excels at pairing that expertise with a drive for innovation and continuous learning. Under her leadership, Cielo has received numerous awards for its excellence in marketing practices, including being recognized as the 2015 Business Marketing Association’s Marketer of the Year and leading the 2015 Marketing Team of the Year. Kristen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in French and a Master of Science in Management and International Business from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She resides in Menomonee Falls, Wis., with her husband and two children.

Lance is a practice leader at The Starr Conspiracy Intelligence Unit, the research, consulting, and publishing arm of The Starr Conspiracy. Before joining The Starr Conspiracy Intelligence Unit in early 2013, he was an editor at ERE Media for over three years. He also served as editor-in-chief for SourceCon, the leading publication and biannual conference for sourcers and recruiters. Lance is a regular speaker, having spoken at the Society for Human Resource Management annual conference, HR Technology® Conference, ERE Recruiting Conferences, IHRIM's HRMS Strategies Conference, and numerous other local and regional events and webinars. His writing has been featured on the Harvard Business Review blog and he is regularly interviewed as an expert on HR and recruiting issues by The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC.com, HR magazine, Workforce Magazine, Fast Company, and BNET.com.

Anne is the author of The Career Engagement Game, and she is CEO of Fuel50 Career Pathing. She has also been a registered organizational psychologist for more than 20 years. Anne is a recognized global expert in career management systems and has presented her research on career agility and engagement trends in New York, London, and Sydney to much acclaim, and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Talent Management Magazine, and Harvard Business Review.

The Career Engagement Group is the creator of the innovative Fuel50 Career Management Cloud Technology that enables your employees to “own” their careers and get a visible line of sight to career opportunities. An executive-level influencer, Anne has worked alongside a number of award-winning HR practitioners to design HR initiatives and solutions that significantly raise business performance through engagement.

Roberta is practice leader of strategic marketing in The Starr Conspiracy Intelligence Unit (TSCIU). As part of the Intelligence Unit, she is responsible for delivering growth-oriented strategies, research, and advisory services to B2B companies in the HCM industry.

Prior to joining TSCIU, Roberta worked directly with enterprise software companies — primarily in the learning technology space — and consulted them on all aspects of marketing, in particular messaging, content strategy, and thought leadership. She is known for her international approach and has successfully helped European learning tech companies enter the U.S. market and gain traction.

Roberta is also co-founder of two separate software startups, both in the field of business intelligence and social analytics. She contributes regularly to a number of blogs and online magazines that focus on social media, marketing, learning tech, and HR tech.

An ex-resident of Tokyo, Japan and Paris, France, Roberta speaks four languages and currently resides in Southern Europe with far too many cats. In her spare time she volunteers for local animal welfare and rescue organizations.

Matt believes that healthy competition and recognition are vital. That’s why he founded The Employee Engagement Awards in 2014 — to shine a light and celebrate the great work that was being ignored by organizations internally and externally and to help educate those seeking to improve.

In two short years, The Employee Engagement Awards have established themselves in North America and the U.K., and recently launched in Asia-Pacific. Along the way, The Employee Engagement Awards have added a conference and content element. During 2016’s U.S. conference in Chicago, #EmployeeEngagement was the No. 3 trending hashtag across North America, usurping even Donald Trump in the process.

Global insight from the world’s biggest businesses such as Ford, MetLife, Delta, DHL, and BMW provides Matt with a unique perspective into all facets of employee engagement as it continues to evolve and improve.

Matt began his professional career in communications, living and working in London and Sydney, advising Fortune 500 companies before establishing a successful customer engagement business. It was during this time that he realized the immense value for businesses to focus on internal engagement.

Jennifer is a technology consultant with the Employee Benefits National Practice at Wells Fargo Insurance. Jennifer has in-depth experience with the HR technology industry and specializes in benefits administration and ACA technology service providers.

Jennifer focuses on national strategy and developing and enhancing relationships with service providers. She consults with organizations of all sizes that wish to change, enhance, or add to their current benefits technology. She provides value as a result of her specialized expertise and an objective viewpoint. This allows her to assist customers in finding the right service provider for their needs, time, and budget. She also provides coaching, resources, and education to team members across 37 offices. Jennifer has been with Wells Fargo Insurance since 2001 and has focused solely on benefits technology solutions since 2005.

As Lockton’s director of HR technology and outsourcing, Brad supports his clients with selection and implementation of the optimal mix of HR technology and business process outsourcing to minimize resources dedicated to their non-core business operations, such as employee benefits, payroll, or talent management.

Employers can call on Brad’s 12-plus years of experience in human resources and technology to help automate the business processes providing the foundation of their business. As businesses seek to “do more with less,” Brad and his team offer insight into technology direction, vendor management, and assistance with return-on-investment analyses. The HR Technology and Outsourcing Practice serves clients ranging in size from 48 employees to 48,000 employees; the current average client is around 4,000 employees. Areas of specialization include benefits administration, midmarket BPO, payroll and tax, vendor selection, and implementation.

Brad has achieved and maintains numerous industry designations through the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (CEBS). He was named a top benefit technology innovator by Employee Benefit Adviser.

Sean Clem is responsible for overseeing the vetting and implementation of new technology, marketplace (exchange), and consumer engagement solutions. Sean joined Pacific Resources from Aon Hewitt, where he spent more than 14 years consulting on a variety of employee benefits topics and working in a number of areas, including benefits plan design, pricing, contributions, union bargaining, Medicare Part D, healthcare exchanges, and benefits administration.

Most recently, Sean was a vice president in the Health and Benefits Practice at Aon Hewitt’s Chicago office. During his time with Aon Hewitt, he worked with multiple Fortune 25 clients. As the practice revenue manager for the New England, New York, and Chicago markets, he was responsible for over $38 million in revenue annually. Prior to his work in the Health and Benefits Practice, Sean was part of Aon Hewitt’s Outsourcing Practice, where he worked on many Aon Hewitt internal process control projects and created significant process and technology efficiencies.

Sean’s experience before joining Aon Hewitt includes roles in the pharmaceutical and pre-hospital clinical settings and serving as a director of data management and technology at Indiana University. Sean holds an A.S. in emergency medical science from Fayetteville Technical Community College and a B.A. in criminal justice from Indiana University.

An accomplished entrepreneur in talent acquisition technology, Terry Terhark continues to build on more than 30 years of experience in the recruiting industry with his latest endeavor, randrr — a free jobs app built for the common good. A recognized leader in the talent acquisition field, Terry has founded and grown several highly successful enterprise technology brands. Terry leverages his wealth of industry expertise and strategic vision to build successful businesses that increase opportunity for all.

Prior to founding randrr, Terry served as president of ADP Talent Acquisition Solutions, leading 1,000 ADP associates across the globe to ensure clients benefited from HCM services, including RPO, screening and selection, ADP Recruiting Technology, I-9 verification, and AIRS.

Terry founded Selective Staffing Inc. and sold it to Aon in 1998. In 2003, he founded The RightThing and sold it to ADP in 2011.

For Terry, life is most rewarding when experienced through meaningful relationships. By forming randrr, Terry’s vision is to help people work together for the common good, creating a platform for all people, all jobs, and all functions.

Andrew is a director on William Blair's Technology Investment Banking team, and is based in San Francisco. Andrew is focused on providing advice to HR technology companies and, more broadly, cloud-based businesses, having completed over 70 transactions, including M&A and equity offerings. Prior to joining William Blair in 2004, he was part of the technology investment banking team at WR Hambrecht + Co. and began his banking career at The Shattan Group LLC, a boutique investment bank focused on private equity placements.

Andrew is a graduate of Columbia University and the Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley. Andrew lives in Piedmont, Calif., with his wife and two children.

Leela is chief marketing officer at Lever, where she partners with the HR and recruiting teams on employer brand and is responsible for all aspects of marketing. Previously, Leela served as VP of marketing at OpenTable, where she built product marketing from scratch and established the foundations of a B2B marketing team. Prior to that, Leela spent four and a half years as a marketing director in LinkedIn's Talent Solutions business, co-founding the Talent Connect conference and the LinkedIn 100, while publishing a wealth of recruiting best practices and research content. Additionally, she worked in management consulting for Bain & Company in San Francisco and London, and has several years of experience in sales and sales management. The work of Leela and her teams has been recognized by SiriusDecisions (Influencer Program of the Year), Demand Gen/Content2Conversion (Killer Content Award), and ON24 (Most Social Webinar Award). Leela earned her MBA in general management from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and her M.A. in history and English literature from the University of Edinburgh in her native Scotland.

Kevin is a partner at The Starr Conspiracy and managing director of the Tech Unit (TSCTU), which leverages its unparalleled industry insights to help organizations maximize their investment in sales and marketing technologies, such as marketing automation platforms and advocate marketing platforms. Kevin specializes in helping organizations eliminate waste in their processes to increase the velocity of opportunities as they flow through sales and marketing systems. Kevin also oversees the media planning and digital strategy teams, which are responsible for driving a significant percentage of the revenue generated from paid media in the HCM space.

Mark is CEO and founder of AppLearn. He is an entrepreneur with a vision to make the future easy to use for everyone. His current passion is advancing the IT space to help global businesses realize their investment in technology and thrive.

AppLearn created ADOPT, the world’s leading software adoption platform, and is one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the U.K. with a truly international customer and market base. Mark has extensive experience in SaaS applications and the field of software adoption.

He created his first IT business, IT Counsel PLC, in 1993, sold it in 1999, and invested the profits from the sale into a series of new business enterprises, including Hasgrove PLC, which he co-founded in 2005. The company delivered $35 million turnover before its sale in 2006. He also went on to build a multimillion-pound technology division for a major U.K. FTSE 200 company.

Steve is a partner at The Starr Conspiracy and chief of its Intelligence Unit (TSCIU), which delivers growth-oriented strategy, research, and advisory services, providing the guidance and key insights needed to grow market share and increase profitability. He specializes in strategy, content, and consulting for employee engagement, human resources, and human capital-focused technology companies. He’s developed messaging, positioning, brand, thought leadership, and content marketing strategy for dozens of enterprise software companies and written hundreds of white papers and research reports for HCM clients. Steve is based in San Francisco and runs the company’s office there.

As the chairman and CEO, Pete has managed Inspirus since he acquired the company in 1997. Under his skillful leadership, Inspirus has tripled in size and now offers expanded services and solutions to companies that understand the transformative power of workforce recognition.

Pete’s leadership in the industry is well known. While colleagues cite his innovation, development acumen, and introduction of technology-based solutions to Fortune 1000 companies around the globe, others note his unfaltering integrity, authenticity, and servant’s heart as qualities that truly set him apart. It’s not surprising that the latter means the most to Pete. After all, as the in-house “culture whisperer” at Inspirus, Pete makes sure the golden rule reigns supreme.

Pete is a graduate of Texas Christian University and attended the Master of Business Administration program at the University of Texas. He is a member of Recognition Professionals International, and is a Certified Recognition Professional. Pete is a past president of the West Texas chapter of Young Presidents' Organization and continues to be an active member.

Although he is proud of Inspirus, Pete is quick to tell you that his wife, Raney and their three daughters mean the world to him.

Matt is the CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. An award-winning leader who has always challenged the status quo, Matt took CareerBuilder to the No. 1 position in online recruitment within five years. Under his direction, CareerBuilder continues to outpace competitors in technology innovation and revenue, and is quickly expanding its global footprint as it evolves into a leading HR SaaS provider.

Focused on empowering employment, Matt has transformed CareerBuilder into a world-class organization that has revolutionized recruitment and job search with the convergence of advertising, software, and data. He has taken CareerBuilder beyond operating the largest job board in the U.S. to a global company that offers everything from labor market intelligence to talent management software and other recruitment solutions. His ongoing commitment to delivering the greatest ROI to clients has driven dynamic growth that sets the bar for the industry.

Working with top employers in more than 60 markets worldwide, Ferguson is often called upon to provide insights into the labor market, as well as job search and workplace trends. He has appeared on CNBC Squawk Box, ABC World News, CBS Evening News, Bloomberg TV, The Today Show, Fox Your World with Neil Cavuto, Nightly Business Report, and CNN, among others. He was named to Crain's Chicago Business "40 Under 40" and ranked in the top 10 list of Glassdoor.com's "Highest Rated CEOs."

Matt joined CareerBuilder in 2000, serving as senior vice president of business development and COO before taking on the role of CEO in 2004. Prior to CareerBuilder, Matt developed strategic partnerships for DigitalWork.com. He also started two entrepreneurial ventures, and practiced law at Baker & McKenzie. Matt holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago and a law degree from Northwestern University.

David founded WORKTERRA in 2006, leading the company from a concept to a leading provider of enterprise human capital management applications. He is not only the president and CEO of WORKTERRA, he is also the CTO/technology leader. In this role, he’s responsible for the overall technology vision and strategy, as well as the product architecture and design for the complete suite of WORKTERRA products.

David has more than 20 years of software application development and delivery experience. He has held executive positions for many of the most recognized names in the e-health, insurance, and human capital management space, including WebMD, Channel Point, and ProBusiness.

Sergey is an e-learning professional and speaker who dedicated his career to eliminating boring learning from workplaces around the world.

Sergey currently serves as CEO of BranchTrack.com, an innovative branching scenarios platform for instructional designers. BranchTrack.com is an HR technology startup that has raised capital internationally and works with some of the biggest global brands.

Sergey started his career in e-learning in 2009 after co-founding the award-winning e-learning development company INTEA. In his role as CTO and creative director, Sergey led the development of several hundreds of e-learning projects.

Chris is the co-founder and CEO of LifeDojo, the grassroots workplace well-being company that achieves exceptional population-level engagement and compelling, long-term health behavior change rates for large employers worldwide. Prior to LifeDojo, Chris spent over a decade founding, leading, and implementing nationally recognized federally funded evidence-based behavior-change programs in low-income communities in New York City and Los Angeles. The common thread in Chris’ work is a passion to shift population health programs away from top-down, centralized designs to the grassroots, choice-based empowerment model found in some of the world’s most effective public health interventions. A fierce advocate for the self-determination framework, Chris is asked to speak internationally about the power of choice in driving unprecedented engagement and lasting behavioral change within corporate, school, and community environments.

In his role as CEO at LifeDojo, Chris leads the strategic design of technology and health coach training systems, ensuring every element of the program is evidence-based and employee-loved. Having seen firsthand the sad reality of failed employee health implementations, Chris spends much of his time looking at data and listening to customers to decipher what’s working and what can be continuously improved to maximize results.

Chris received his M.S. in Social and Economic Development from Washington University’s Brown School in Saint Louis, and is a Healthcare Transformer with the prestigious StartUp Health network. Among several distinctions, Chris has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, The Huffington Post, and MSNBC, where his message of grassroots health improvement continues to spread.

Chris lives with his wife in San Francisco and spends most of his free time hiking, enjoying theatre, and spending time with his family and friends.

Jason is currently a leading analyst, thought leader, consultant, and keynote speaker in the areas of human resources, the future of work, and the impact technology has on that future.

Jason co-founded Knowledge Infusion LLC in 2005. In 2012, the company was sold to Appirio and Jason served as CEO. He was responsible for the company’s groundbreaking vision and strategy. He served as the chief business innovation officer at Appirio Inc., where he led Appirio’s human capital management business. He held the position of CEO of The Marcus Buckingham Company (TMBC) from 2014 to 2016, leaving to focus on his thought leadership and analyst career.

Jason has more than 20 years of experience in the HR and technology industry. He worked with industry-leading companies around the world to transform their HR organizations into strategic partners. Prior to founding Knowledge Infusion, he served as senior director of PeopleSoft Global Product Marketing, where he was responsible for marketing, including packaging and positioning of PeopleSoft’s flagship product line. Prior to PeopleSoft, he served as director of organizational readiness at Ceridian.

He has served as a director of international association for Human Resource Information Management Inc. Along with being cited in numerous publications such as BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal as an industry thought leader in the HCM space, he has delivered keynote presentations for events worldwide, including HR Technology World in London and Paris, The Conference Board, The Society for Human Resource Management, and HR Technology®. He’s currently acknowledged as one of the top three thought leaders globally on the future of work and listed in the top 100 leaders globally influencing the future of work and the HR function. His latest book, HR From Now to Next, was published in 2014 and is used in over 19 universities around the world today. Jason holds a B.A. and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

Jason is currently in process of starting his next company, which will once again revolutionize the future of work. He’s also in the process of writing his second book, a follow-up to HR From Now to Next.

Heather is the practice leader of research-based insights at The Starr Conspiracy Intelligence Unit. She has worked with numerous enterprise software and service brands across HR technology. Every day, Heather helps organizations develop a better understanding of their buyers, recognize how they stack up against their competition, and make better decisions through research. She works with The Starr Conspiracy Intelligence Unit to publish pioneering thought leadership content and push the boundaries of what it means to be a great B2B marketer.

With more than 20 years’ experience in the recruitment and HR world, Kirstie Kelly's passion for people and business never wanes. "I'm convinced that it's possible for the world of work to be a positive place, and that technology is the disruptor that may actually force change at last." Currently a part of the senior team and one of the founding directors of LaunchPad, a fast-growth video-led SaaS technology, she's at the sharp end of the industry, convincing businesses to change entrenched behaviors. "At LaunchPad, our quest has always been to find ways to get the right people into the right job — simple as that. But rather than focus our attention on the world of attraction, we're building really systematic and very engaging processes to help with decision-making. We want to turn gut feel into something more measurable!" An active speaker and blogger, you'll often find Kirstie musing over the subjects of the changing face of HR and business, where fairness and inclusion matter.

Jonathan is the managing director of The Starr Conspiracy Intelligence Unit (TSCIU), the agency’s consulting, research, advisory, and publishing arm. He attempts to lead the Agile way — placing a premium on staying out of the way of very talented people or otherwise removing blockers to their success. Jonathan is first and foremost a part of the agency resource team, co-creating with clients across research, market positioning, messaging, product strategy, thought leadership, branding, and promotions. Jonathan is based in Fort Worth.

Ben started his career in 1979 as human resources manager in a Belgian SME executing international industrial electrical projects. After a career of seven years, he left the organization as HR and finance manager.

During the next five years, he discovered his entrepreneurial skills and built a privately owned holding with activities in electrical installations, human resources, and facility management. Following a successful MBO, Ben joined Stork Nolte Belgium from 1991 to 1993 as managing director, Belgium.

In January 1997, following a three-year period as private investor, he joined an international management consultancy, where he built an international career. From 2003 to 2004, he combined the roles of co-director for Belgium and international business director.

In June 2005, he created his own strategy and HR activities business, The ASTYRE Group.

In 2010, this led to the spin-off, Thalento®, developed as a model in 2006 within The ASTYRE Group.

Today, Thalento® is a rapidly expanding leader in online e-assessment and talent management technology.

Trish is author of the HR Ringleader blog, the CEO of H3 HR Advisors, and CEO and co-founder of HRevolutionize LLP. She is an HR executive and analyst with over 15 years of experience in Big 4 public accounting, PR, healthcare, and IT. She works with global companies to expand their reach and refine their HCM strategy.

Trish co-founded HRevolution, a conference that highlights emerging trends and the future of HR. She also co-founded the Women of HR blog in order to give a voice to practitioners who are passionate about issues affecting women in the workplace.

Trish is the co-host of the most-listened-to HR industry podcast, HR Happy Hour. She joins her co-host, Steve Boese, in episodes that focus on what is important to the HCM industry and leaders. She has been a featured author on Glassdoor.com, SocialMediaToday.com, and many industry-focused blogs. She has also been cited in the Business Journal publications, USA Today, and Human Resource Executive® magazine online.

David is the director of research at Fosway Group, Europe’s No. 1 HR analyst.

With more than 25 years of experience working with Europe’s leading brands, David is a commentator and independent advisor. He delivers Fosway’s research and supports advisory projects for Fosway’s international clients.

David is also the author of research papers and thought leadership in HR innovation, including Fosway’s 9-Grids™ for HR technologies. With his deep solutions knowledge and practical insights, David provides pragmatic independent advice that delivers real results.

David’s areas of expertise include HR technology, vendor solutions, market insights and corporate trends, industry research, and corporate advice.

Bret is founder and CEO of The Starr Conspiracy, a marketing agency that has served thousands of clients around the world since 1999. He has dedicated his career to developing brands, messages, and marketing strategies that help businesses connect with buyers on a human level. Bret is an author and a speaker, but spends most of his time researching new marketing models, strategies, and tactics, and consulting directly with clients. His agency has been the recipient of more than a dozen local, state, and national “best places to work” awards, along with numerous marketing awards. Bret lives with his wife and two children in Fort Worth, Texas.

The areas of Bret’s expertise include branding, message, advertising, public relations, mergers and acquisitions, market research, and management consulting.

George has more than 25 years of experience in the HCM industry. A former practitioner in talent acquisition, talent management, and HR, he turned technology vendor executive for some of the market's largest brands. George is now an HCM market analyst and advisor who focuses on users and developers of HR technology. He is also the publisher of #HRWins research and reports on workforce trends and related innovation in technology. George helps employers understand the trends that are impacting their workforce today and in the future. He helps HR technology vendors by providing a unique perspective on partners, channels, influencers, analysts, integrators, implementors, and others in their ecosystem. George’s advisory focuses on strategy and go-to-market consulting. #HRWins research focuses on the HCM, talent acquisition and management, employee engagement, and core HR segments.

Haley brings The Starr Conspiracy incredible strength in bridging the gap between clients and our media and creative teams to create cohesive campaigns that speak with one strong voice and one clear message while driving innovation in marketing strategy, client engagement, and brand-awareness generation. Haley started her career in media planning for a large agency in downtown Dallas, where she learned the importance of managing budgets and negotiating the best deals. Although media planning fascinated her, she felt like something was missing. She shifted her focus to client management, and that’s where she found her niche. Haley has successfully directed accounts for clients such as Harrah’s, AT&T, Bimbo Bread USA, Route 66 Casino Hotel, Shooting Star Casino, SumTotal, Virgin Pulse, and Thomson Reuters. Haley has worked with local, national, and global clients within the hospitality, financial, telecommunications, consumer goods, and HCM categories. She’s been responsible for the development and execution of strategic and innovative media and creative campaigns, in addition to managing day-to-day operations, and currently focuses on developing and maintaining strong relationships with current clients by understanding their business needs, communicating effectively, and maximizing results.

Ben Eubanks, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is an author, speaker, and HR leader from Huntsville, Ala. Previously the HR director for a $15 million government contracting firm, he currently runs Lighthouse Research & Advisory, a human capital research and advisory services firm. With more than seven years of tactical and strategic experience spanning all areas of HR, Ben is a nationally recognized author and speaker on trends and best practices in human capital management. In addition, he founded upstartHR, a human resources site with a global audience of over 20,000 monthly readers. Ben also co-founded the HRevolution “unconference” for HR and recruiting leaders and is one of four members who holds this annual event, attracting hundreds of attendees from around the globe since its inception. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management from Athens State University.

Bill used to have a real job where he wore a suit and everything. Now he does what he describes as “stuff he gets paid for.” He’s worked in and around the recruiting space for the last 30-something years. As the founder of #tru (the recruiting “unconference”), he has hosted 100 events over the last 12 months, travelling to 65 countries and speaking and listening to more than 2,000 people who work in and around the recruiting space about how to collectively make recruiting better for everyone.

He’s a lead advisor to the talent technology companies RolePoint, Take the Interview, Work4 Labs, Jobandtalent, iGrads, and The Job Post, among others. He advises corporate companies such as KPMG, Oracle, BBC, and Hard Rock Cafe on adopting new technology and work practices. Bill is also a judge for the U.K. edition of the Candidate Experience Awards and a regular speaker and disruptor at conferences.

Madeline’s primary focus over the last 12 years has been on the talent management market, specializing in talent acquisition. Her work helps companies validate and re-evaluate their strategies and understand the role technology can play in driving business outcomes. She has watched HCM transform from a back-office function to a strategic company initiative, with a focus on partnerships, experience, and efficiency. Before Aptitude Research Partners, Madeline held research roles at Aberdeen, Bersin by Deloitte, ERE Media, and Brandon Hall Group. She is co-author of Best Practices in Leading a Global Workforce and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Yahoo News, and The Financial Times. She also is a frequent presenter at industry conferences, including the HR Technology® Conference & Exposition, SHRM, IHRIM, and HCI’s Strategic Talent Acquisition Conference.

Kevin Mulrane is Vice President Global Revenue & Customer Success at Madison Logic. He has more than a decade of experience in B2B marketing and advertising. During the last four and half years, he's been working with Madison Logic customers to help them understand how they can maximize their ROI from their ABM programs. Prior to Madison Logic, Kevin was Regional Sales Director at AOL, where he learned everything digital.

Steve Goodman has been a part of the HR tech industry for 20 years, with four companies. His previous company, Bright, was a technology algorithm business that programmatically matched resumes to job requisitions to determine the fitness of incoming candidates. LinkedIn bought the company In 2014 for $130 million, and today Bright's technology powers LinkedIn's Talent Business. Previously, Steve had been vice president of business development for Skillsoft, the world's largest technology-based corporate learning company. Steve's current company, Restless Bandit, provides talent rediscovery solutions through data science and machine learning.