Innovation in HR

A Director in Human Resources with a focus on benefits management. Working with large participant groups ensuring that benefits and human resources programs align with corporate and financial goals, Mary Jo has implemented programs that have increased organizational efficiency and effected benefits cost effectiveness. Through her considerable experience in human resources, Mary Jo has initiated programs that support the credo that the workplace functions best when employees love what they do and are appreciated and celebrated for their successes Her experience includes working with the financial, technology, and advertising industries.

Beverly R Daniel, MS, MBA, founder of the CareerGrowth Group, is a well-known career coach and has helped numerous professionals in charting their own career planning and career growth through her career coaching services. She has more than 22 years of experience in executive search and Human Resources management consulting. As a retained an executive search consultant to Colgate-Palmolive, Exxon-Mobil, Citi, JP MorganChase, Deloitte Consulting and McKinsey & Company, she led searches in the accounting, finance, HR, marketing and strategy functions.

Beverly is a well-known speaker and panelist and has spoken recently at Columbia Graduate Business School Alumni Club of New York, University of Michigan Business School, Brandeis University Leadership Conference, Financial Executives Networking Group (FENG), Financial Executives Institut (FEI), New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA), The Union League Club, The Parents League and the Junior League. She runs the Women’s Career Networking Group at the Princeton Club, which includes Columbia Club and Williams Club members. Beverly holds an MS in Psychological Counseling and an MBA in Management.

John Paul Engel is an internationally known executive recruiter, consultant, speaker, and author. He has worked in 12 countries for Fortune 500 companies, emerging businesses, and the Japanese Government. He began his career on the research staff of the Federal

Reserve Board where he prepared briefing materials for then Chairman Greenspan and other members of the FOMC. His clients have included Citibank, Japan National Oil Company, NTT Communications, Decathlon, Progressive Insurance, Lloyds TSB, Valeo, and dozens of other companies.

John is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Iowa where he earned the Collegiate Scholar Award, the university’s highest honor. He went on to earn an MBA with an International distinction from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. John is frequently sought out expert by the national business press including the Wall Street Journal, Inc, US News and World Report, CIO Asia, MSNBC, CBS Money Watch, and over 100 other media outlets.

John is the founder of the consulting firm Knowledge Capital Consulting and two nonprofits; The Siouxland Triathlon Club and Project Be The Change.

Dr. Robyn Odegaard (aka Doc Robyn) is a nationally known speaker/consultant who is passionate about meeting people where they are and helping them advance to where they want to be by showing them how to use language powerfully.

She holds a doctorate in psychology and is the CEO of the Champion Performance Development where she combines executive coaching, organizational development and sport psychology to show her clients how they can achieve success in business and in their personal lives.

She founded the Stop The Drama! Campaign and authored the book ‘Stop The Drama!’ because she believes the skills proven to support success should also be provided to students. She is dedicated to pursuing her dream of making a positive difference in the world by benefiting as many people as she can touch and is avid in her support of driven, high performers.

She lives by the motto, “Worst case, I want to be a neutral to everyone I meet. My goal is to make a positive difference.”

Simone has over 10 years of Human Resource and Recruitment experience with a specific focus in the hospitality industry. She is the Founder and CEO of Magnus HR Solutions—a Human Resource Consulting Firm that offers Compliance Services, HR Administration, Management Training and HR Consulting to Small Businesses. As a solid HR professional, she has gained the reputation for working collaboratively with business owners and its employees as an experienced business partner who understands their needs and consistently provides HR solutions with their best interest in mind.

Simone also has extensive training & experience in Talent Acquisition, Onboarding, Wage & Hour Compliance, Employee Relations and Performance Management.

Simone graduated with a master’s degree in human resource management from New School University, and earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology with a minor in industrial organizational psychology from Christopher Newport University.

Alexia Vernon is a career and workplace author, speaker, coach, and trainer who specializes in helping companies effectively recruit, train, manage, and grow their young professional workforce and next generation leadership. She is the author of the new book, “90 Days 90 Ways: Onboard Young Professionals to Peak Performance” and has shared her advice with CNN, NBC, CBS MoneyWatch, Fox Business News, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes.com.

Donna Sweidan is a career coach and sought-after speaker and trainer of social media. She is founder of Careerfolk.com a provider of holistic career management services and social media training.

As a trained psychotherapist, she offers a unique blend of psychological counseling and concrete coaching that takes her clients on a journey from soul search to career satisfaction. Donna is also dedicated to helping job seekers leverage social media tools to develop their professional online identity and is well known for her ability to demystify social media, turning her audience into confident and savvy users.

She is passionate about educating people on the new rules for career management and creating income security in the new economy. She conducts regular webinars and training programs to help people learn what it takes to create and manage a successful career in an unpredictable world.

Brian Cousin is a member of SNR Denton’s Global Labor and Employment Practice and the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group, specializing in employment litigation and counseling, ERISA and benefits litigation, commercial and financial litigation, and executive contract negotiations.

Brian advises US and multinational companies and executives in all aspects of employment law, including drafting and negotiating employment and separation agreements, corporate restructurings and reductions in force, employment advice related to corporate transactions, internal corporate investigations, handbooks and policy manuals, sexual harassment and other sensitivity training, protecting against employee raiding and theft of confidential information, and compliance with all federal, state, and local discrimination laws.

Allison Cheston is a career advisor, marketer and expert in executive search. Allison works with mid-career executives and young adults, to help them identify their unique value in the marketplace and explore alternative careers. Allison’s upcoming book, “In The Driver’s Seat: Work-Life Navigation Skills for Young Adults”, provides high school and college students a systematic approach for identifying their natural aptitudes and interests, exploring how they can fit in the world of work, and applying that learning to productive summer internships and work experiences. Allison writes on careers for several notable publications, such as Fox News and Forbes.

Joshua Waldman is recognized as one of the nation’s top authorities in using Social Media to drive an executive level search. He is the author of “Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies”. Joshua is in demand across the nation for radio, TV, and press interviews. He is conducting trainings, speeches and webinars for career and professional organizations.

Joshua is the National Account Manager of Avature, a talent aquisition solution – a CRM and social media optimised career site.