Speaker Bios

Al is the Founder of Livelihood.io and The Future of Work Project, an ongoing endeavor highlighting leading practices and innovative ideas into how individuals, teams, groups, organizations, and educational institutions can more effectively prepare, collaborate, and transform in the Age of Ai and Perpetual Disruption. On these topics Al hosts leaders, academics, practitioners, and others on the People Data for Good Podcast, the My Future of Work Podcast, and Al Adamsen Podcast. Al is a global industry analyst, keynote speaker, educator, advisor, and promoter of the ethical and responsible use of people data, analytics, and Ai in the workplace.

Alex Haitoglou founded Ovida, the world's first AI platform aimed at enhancing the fundamental communication skills for leadership and coaching. Ovida supports leaders and coaches in their growth by providing AI-generated objective data, video reviews for self-reflection, and expert human mentoring.

With a background in Business Economics and German, Haitoglou worked with Procter & Gamble in global business leadership roles while also leading the Grow Coaching program, training hundreds of leaders in coaching skills. He later assumed executive positions at Walgreens Boots Alliance working across geographies in healthcare. Moving into entrepreneurship, Haitoglou built a health-tech business that was acquired by a major European retailer, and in 2020 launched Ovida with his partner Bryan Watson.

Alicia Hullinger, Ph.D., is the Executive Director/VP of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Thought Leadership Institute, where she leads its evolution into the futurist hub for ICF and the coaching profession. She oversees futures research and foresight initiatives that explore the future of coaching in a rapidly changing world, translating cutting-edge insights into actionable strategies for coaches, organizations, and society.

As a Cultural Sociologist and visionary strategist, Alicia explores how emerging trends—technological advancements, economic shifts, and societal transformations—shape the coaching landscape. She is passionate about creating futures-driven frameworks that position coaching as a catalyst for human and planetary well-being.

Dr. Alison Eyring is the Founder and CEO of Produgie, a B2B SaaS building leadership capacity for better business growth. She is an award-winning author [Pacing for Growth (2017)], adjunct Professor at the NUS Business School, and serves on the Advisory Board to Shop Up in Bangladesh. In 2000, Alison founded Organisation Solutions in Singapore and led the business to become a global consultancy building growth leader, team, and organisation capabilities across 5 continents. In 2021 she spun off Produgie (www.produgie.com) to empower inclusive growth by offering premium growth leadership services as affordable, scalable pay-as-you-go products. With Produgie individuals and teams grow-in-the-flow of everyday work as their business scales growth capabilities. Alison earned her MA and PhD in Industrial/Organisational Psychology. Her domain expertise lies in large-scale organisation design and transformation.

Andrew Pek is the President and Founder of Amiko XR, a pioneering extended reality coaching and learning platform that delivers AI-powered, immersive experiences for enterprise leaders and professionals. A recognized thought leader in leadership, creativity, and innovation, he is a bestselling author and has held senior roles as a partner at Korn Ferry, Mercer, and Accenture.

In addition to his corporate experience, he is a sought-after speaker, guest lecturer, and educator, teaching at institutions such as NYU, Cornell, Illinois Tech, Villanova, and Wharton. He also hosts Consulting Unplugged, a popular podcast featuring bestselling authors, top executives, and entrepreneurs.

NYU School of Professional Studies Dean Angie Kamath has had a distinguished career in higher education and government. Exemplified by her deep expertise in partnering with industries on skills-based education and workforce development, Kamath is a champion for fostering equal opportunities through higher education and workforce programs that provide immediately applicable skills in hospitality, real estate, publishing, global affairs, sports management, AI technology, and functional business leadership, among other growing and emerging fields.

Grounded in research, Kamath is an expert on workforce development and skills-based training, providing foresight into the future of work. Passionate about developing programs with industry leaders, she has created partnerships with national and local organizations to innovate academic initiatives and advance access to education. Under her leadership, NYU SPS has been ranked as a top higher education institution with its career-connected, industry-focused degrees and courses. Kamath was also instrumental in having NYU SPS endorsed as a talent development partner by OneTen, a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies, committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and upskilling, hiring, and advancing one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs over the next 10 years.

Dr. Anna Tavis is Clinical Professor and Chair of the Human Capital Management Department at NYU’s School of Professional Studies. As Department Chair, she leads three MS degree programs in the Human Capital Management Portfolio: Human Capital Management; Human Capital Analytics and Technology and Executive Coaching and Organizational Consulting. Additionally, Dr. Tavis manages five HCM certificate programs. She is the co-author of Humans at Work: The Art and Practice of Creating the Hybrid Workplace (Kogan Page, 2022). Her newest co-authored book, The Digital Coaching Revolution (Kogan Page, 2024) was released in the spring of 2024.

Prior to joining the NYU faculty, Dr. Tavis navigated a diverse global career in business, consulting and academia. In business, Dr. Tavis was the Head of Motorola’s EMEA OD function based in London, Nokia’s Global Head of Talent Management based in Helsinki, United Technologies Corporation’s Chief Learning Officer, and she was the Global Head of Talent and Organizational Development with AIG Investments. In academia, Dr. Tavis was on the faculty at Columbia University, Williams College, and Fairfield University.

Christal Wang, ACC, is the Co-founder and CEO of Shimmer, the #1 coaching platform designed for adults with ADHD. Chris started Shimmer after she was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, and is now on a mission to create a more neuro-inclusive world for all neurodivergent individuals. Chris is a recognized Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur with a strong belief in using business as a force for good, proving the thesis that profit and social impact not only coexist but amplify each other. Chris is deeply invested in advocating for and supporting various communities she’s a part of, including LGBTQ+, AAPI, women/non-binary, and the neurodivergent.Before founding Shimmer, Christal worked as a Consultant at Bain with a focus on Private Equity & Social Impact, led International Launch Operations at Drop, and was a Social Impact Consultant at Value for Good. Chris's educational background includes an HBA from Ivey Business School and she is currently on leave from pursuing an MBA at the University of California, Haas School of Business, as well as an MPH at the University of California, School of Public Health.

Clarisse Pamies, based in Paris, FR, is currently a Chief Executive Officer at Omind Neurotechnologies. Clarisse Pamies brings experience from previous roles at Omind Neurotechnologies and The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Clarisse Pamies holds a 2008 - 2009 MPA in Public Management @ Columbia | SIPA.

Danny Shea is the Chief Brand Officer at Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company founded by Arianna Huffington in 2016 with the mission to improve health outcomes and productivity. As an executive team member of Thrive since its inception, Danny has played a key role in building and scaling Thrive's AI-powered platform, which has been deployed across more than 200 organizations in over 160 countries. Prior to joining Thrive, Danny spent over ten years at The Huffington Post, where he helped build the company from a startup into the world’s leading online publication.  He graduated with honors from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs.

One of the founders of the coaching profession, David Goldsmith worked closely with Thomas Leonard, served as the first president of Coach U, and later went on to lead CoachInc.com. He trained the first Japanese coaches, wrote the Dear Coach column for the Sunday London Times and co-founded the Foundation of Coaching, which later became the Institute of Coaching at Harvard.

Dr. Diego Salinas is a neuroscientist, physician, and health coach. He is passionate about helping coaches grow their impact in the health and wellness space.

As the co-founder of Vibly, he equips coaches with the tools and support to build thriving practices and create lasting change.

Blending medical expertise with coaching experience, Dr. Salinas specializes in behavior change, mental well-being, and the role of coaching in healthcare. On the podcast CoachConnect, he explores the strategies and successes of top coaches, sharing actionable insights. A strong advocate for coaching in healthcare, he speaks at industry events and works to make quality coaching more accessible.

Dr. Terrence E. Maltbia is a faculty member for the Department of Organization and Leadership, Teachers College, Columbia University, where he is teaching courses in collective intelligences in organizations (i.e., emotional intelligence, social intelligence, and cultural intelligence), qualitative data analysis, strategic learning and leadership. He is also the Director of The Columbia Coaching Certification Program, a strategic partnership between the Corporation Learning Solutions Group at Teachers College and Executive Education The Columbia Business School.

Erinn Chang specializes in integrative consulting and coaching, with a holistic perspective infused with 20 years of extensive experience in the holistic health and wellbeing space. Erinn has conducted over 35,000 client sessions, created and facilitated hundreds of  programs and workshops, supporting thousands of individuals in transformative experiences. She is known for a highly energetic presence, facilitating sessions which are insightful, informative and inspiring. Erinn's work focuses on high-performance, high-profile, high-intensity, high-impact individuals and organizations with integrative coaching and consulting. She is the founder/owner of multiple businesses including BE Holistic Consulting, equestriOM, Body Mind Energy Wellness and Sanctuary Holistic Health & Yoga Center.

After 30 years of service, Sergeant Major Fenton Reese retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2011 with expertise in operations management, team leadership, needs assessment, and global logistics. Wanting to explore new career paths, he then earned an MBA from NYU Stern, as well as an MS in Executive Coaching and Organizational Consulting (ECOC) from NYU SPS.

So when Reese noticed an alarming “gap” in the ability of fellow veterans to transition into civilian work roles, he was about as well prepared to find a solution as anyone could be.

With that goal in place, Reese took the work being done through Veterans in Pursuit of Prosperity, a non-profit he founded, and partnered with NYU SPS and the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services to create the Veterans Coaching Project (VCP). The program, which included 11 veteran client participants and 11 coaches during its launch in Summer 2021, offers coaching and consulting guidance from NYU SPS students and alumni who help veterans develop and hone their career focus and skills.

Gena Smith is the Chief Human Resource Officer for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton North America. A highly experienced human resources executive, Gena ensures that LVMH is best in class at selecting, developing, and retaining senior executive and creative talent. During her tenure with LVMH she has helped to further develop talent at all levels of the organization, including through attracting accomplished senior-level executives, instituting learning and development programs to prepare executives to meet business needs, and promoting mobility for high performing executives across the LVMH brands.

Prior to joining LVMH in September 2011, Gena was Global Managing Director at Karen Harvey Consulting, where she led the luxury & retail executive recruitment practice worldwide. She previously spent 10 years as an executive search consultant at Russell Reynolds Associates and Ray & Berndtson, working with many leading retail, luxury and consumer brands. Her earlier experience included several years in International Education.

Jake Calhoun is the CEO of Wiser, a leadership coaching platform built in partnership with the Hudson Institute of Coaching. Wiser combines world-class coaches and cutting-edge technology to help organizations scale coaching in all its forms, bringing it to every part of an organization. Before Wiser, Calhoun spent a decade as CFO and COO of One Acre Fund, an award-winning social enterprise. During his tenure, he managed the organization through 50x growth, supporting 8,000 staff in providing life-changing services to 1.5 million smallholder farmers across Africa. Calhoun also founded Yum Deliveries, which grew into the leading restaurant delivery app in Kenya.

John Horton is the Practice Manager for the Independent Consultants Network at Hogan Assessments. He provides consulting on assessment solutions, conducts training and education programs for coaches, and supports the delivery of Hogan’s high-quality solutions. He also conducts certification workshops and facilitates client delivery services. John contributes his thought leadership through journal articles and presentations.

Jonathan Kirschner is an executive coach and the Founder and CEO of AIIR Consulting, a coaching and leadership development company that fuses its proprietary leadership framework, proven approach to behavior change, and real-world business expertise to increase the performance of leaders and their organizations. Kirschner founded AIIR Consulting in 2009 when he saw an opportunity to leverage technology to make executive coaching more accessible and impactful. Since then, AIIR has helped clients across the Fortune 500 and around the world build better leaders, better teams, better organizations, and a better future.

Kirschner is also founder and CEO of AIIR Consulting's sister company, AIIR Analytics, a people insights company that empowers organizations with a deep understanding of their leaders. Through its suite of tools, AIIR Analytics helps companies create a leadership pipeline that drives organizational success. Kirschner  resides in the Philadelphia area with his wife and four kids. When not working, Jonathan derives energy from his vegetable garden, reading existential philosophy, mastering the art of BBQ, and playing late night ice hockey for his local team.

Kasia Smith has a wealth of work experience, beginning in 2008 as a Clinical Research Assistant at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center - Yale University and Research Assistant at the University of Connecticut Health Center. In 2010, they joined S.H. Smith & Company Inc. as a Professional Liability Broker, which was later acquired. In 2015, Kasia became a Professional Liability Lead Underwriter at RT Specialty. In 2017, they Co-founded H Baby Co, developing and managing an environmentally friendly e-commerce brand featuring organic cotton children's apparel handcrafted in the U.S. In 2020, they founded and served as an Executive Wellness Coach at Copilot Wellness. In 2021, Kasia joined The Upside as a Consulting Member and Pillar (YC S21) as Head of Health Coaching - Founding Team, providing companies with the workforce and technology to launch or scale a coaching program in-house.

As a member of Korn Ferry’s Leadership & Professional Development practice leadership team, Mr. Gagan leads the firm’s Enterprise Coaching solutions globally.

Mr. Gagan has extensive experience in implementing scalable development solutions at all levels of an organization across a variety of topics including leadership, career mobility, DEI, sales, and transformation. He has expertise in designing and implementing complex, global projects which create positive outcomes for individuals and value for the organization.

Mr. Gagan has worked in consulting and professional services throughout his career as a management consultant, business operator, and board member. 

Kristen Buglione plays a key role in leading strategic initiatives to enhance college student health, well-being and academic success. Prior to joining TimelyCare, she was the Director of Health Education at Johnson & Wales University and has presented at regional/national college health conferences. Passionate about helping individuals and communities enhance health and well-being through sustainable and equitable initiatives, Buglione is also a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Kyle serves Hogan Assessments’ European distributors and their clients as regional director. He supports organizations by providing business
development strategies to integrate personality insights into talent selection and talent development programs and initiatives. Prior to joining Hogan, Kyle served as senior territory manager for Smith & Nephew, a leading global pharmaceutical corporation. During his 20+ year career as a business development leader, Kyle has worked with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies, major league sports franchises,
Hollywood movie and television studios, tech start-ups, manufacturing organizations, and foodservice companies. His work has spanned a
number of business development and organizational development roles, with a specialty in optimizing performance of plateaued business units.

Dr. Laura Rees-Davies is an experienced Coaching Psychologist, Researcher, and Consultant with over 20 years of experience in higher education, coaching, and psychological research. Holding a PhD in Applied Psychology, she has developed expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, intervention development and evaluation. As a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Dr. Laura Rees-Davies has led research projects exploring the impact of coaching in education, teacher retention and recruitment, and the well-being of professionals. She has worked extensively with schools, universities, policymakers, and external organisations about evidence-based coaching interventions, particularly in primary and secondary education.

Lucien Alziari is executive vice president and former chief human resources officer of Prudential Financial, a Fortune 50 financial services company located in Newark, New Jersey.

A U.K. citizen, Alziari has over 30 years of experience in major international companies. From 2012 to the beginning of 2017, he was executive vice president and chief human resources officer of A.P. Moller-Maersk, a global shipping and energy conglomerate located in Copenhagen, Denmark, with operations in over 130 countries and around 90,000 employees worldwide. From 2004 to 2012, he was the chief human resources officer and head of corporate responsibility for Avon Products Inc., based in New York City. Prior to this, he held increasingly responsible roles with Mars Confectionery in the U.K. and PepsiCo Inc. in New York, Vienna and Dubai. Alziari was a non-executive director of C&J Clarks International, a U.K.-based global footwear company with around $2 billion in revenues, from 2016 to February 2021. He is also a fellow and director of the National Academy of Human Resources, a founding member of HR50 and was chair of the board of advisors of the Center for Executive Succession at the University of South Carolina from 2018-2021.

Magdalena Nowicka Mook - CEO of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) brings a wealth of experience in consulting, coaching, association management, and fundraising. Through her leadership, the organization has become the leading voice for the global coaching community with more than 63,000 members and almost 60,000 ICF-credential holders worldwide.

Ms. Mook received her M.S. in Economics and International Trade from the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland. In 2019, Magda was recognized as #1 Coach: Global Influence and a finalist in the Thinkers50 Distinguished Award in Coaching and Mentoring. In 2023, 2024 and in 2025 she was recognized as #10 of Top30 Global Gurus in Organizational Culture. Thinkers50 also recognized Magda in 2024 as one of Coaches50 Top Coach in the world. She is a trained professional coach and systems facilitator. 

Manuela Veloso is Head of AI Research at JPMorganChase and Herbert A. Simon University Professor Emerita in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Veloso pursues research interests in core AI as AI robot and digital agents with perception, cognition, and action. She further aims at a seamless human-AI symbiotic interaction. Veloso is a member of the National Academy of Engineering for “her contributions to artificial intelligence and its applications to robotics and to the financial domain.” She is a past president of AAAI, and a co-founder of RoboCup. Veloso is a fellow of AAAI, IEEE, ACM, and AAAS. She has a BSc. and MSc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from IST, an MA in Computer Science from BU, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from CMU. 

Veloso has doctorate honorary degrees from the Catholic University of Portugal, University of Bordeaux, ISCTE, and University of Orebro.

Martin Ihrig is an associate dean and clinical professor at New York University and a senior fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder and president of I-Space Institute, an applied research and consulting venture that helps organizations create innovation growth opportunities. Prior to joining NYU, Dr. Ihrig was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the Associated Faculty of both the Wharton School and the Graduate School of Education. He received his Master of Business Studies from University College Dublin and his Doctorate in Business Administration from Technische Universität Berlin. 

Dr. Ihrig runs the Division of Programs in Business at NYU’s School of Professional Studies. He is also a faculty member at the Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School, where he teaches strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation. As a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), Dr. Ihrig has taught in the Penn Chief Learning Officer Program and the Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership. At Penn GSE, he also served as the founding academic director of the nation’s first Executive Master in Education Entrepreneurship program. 

A passionate and engaging psychologist and coach with a 20-year track record of helping people thrive at work.

Mary-Clare (“MC”) has spent nearly 20 years coaching individuals and advising businesses on how to create environments where people can thrive. With a career spanning several continents, she has led businesses through rapid growth in both the UK and the US. Her passion is finding innovative ways to apply insights from psychology to the challenges people face at work. She believes that with the right tools and mindset anyone can succeed in their career and in their lives.

A recognized expert in her field, Mary-Clare’s research has been published in leading journals such as Frontiers in Psychology, Mental Illness at Work, and People & Strategy, alongside industry publications such as The Harvard Business Review, People Management, and The Financial Times.

Matt Cooper is Cofounder and CEO of Convogo (www.convogo.ai), a technology company dedicated to multiplying the impact of the world’s top executive coaches and leadership consultants. Convogo began as Matt's mission to help his mom (an executive coach) automate her least favorite part of her job: preparing 360º reports. Prior to starting Convogo, Matt did foundational research on Generative AI at Brown University and built AI for self-driving cars at NVIDIA and Tesla Autopilot.

Matt Breitfelder is partner and global head of human capital at Apollo Global Management, a high-growth, alternative asset management and retirement services firm. He serves as a member of the firm’s management committee. Breitfelder is responsible for Apollo’s talent management, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, learning, performance management, citizenship, compensation and benefits, and recruiting.

Before joining Apollo, Breitfelder was managing director and chief talent officer for BlackRock, where he also served as a member of the operating committee. Previously, he held talent and strategy roles at MasterCard, PwC, and the Corporate Executive Board. Matt began his career at the US Department of Commerce, where he focused on international trade and economic policy.

Maureen is dedicated to teaching and mentoring coaches, helping them reflect, experiment, and grow in their craft. Maureen is currently the Head of Coaching at Bravely, a coaching and learning platform that partners with global organizations such as Autodesk, The New York Times, Pinterest, and Zillow. She leads the growth of a global network of coaches, overseeing coach acquisition, development, and community. Passionate about empowering individuals at all career stages—from entry-level to C-suite—Maureen taps into individual, group, and team coaching to help people unlock their potential.

As adjunct instructor for the Master’s (MS) in Executive Coaching and Organizational Consulting (ECOC), Maureen designs and delivers learning experiences that challenge students to expand their self-awareness, hone their coaching skills, and navigate career transitions with confidence. Her commitment to creating inclusive, high-quality coaching and learning environments drives her to continually innovate and elevate the coaching profession.

Michael Fraccaro is a Mastercard Fellow, responsible for advocating for advancements in human capital; deepening industry partnerships to drive our collective commitments to culture and people; and strengthening Mastercard’s position as an employer of choice. Previously, Michael served as the chief people officer at Mastercard for nine years, a period of transformational growth that saw the company more than double its workforce. Michael will formally retire from Mastercard at the end of 2025.

During Michael’s tenure as chief people officer, he was responsible for all human resources functions globally. His dynamic team oversaw cultural transformation, including the launch of The Mastercard Way values, the integration of more than a dozen acquisitions, and the global launch of an AI-driven growth and development platform. He built a leadership system to ensure breadth and depth of talent for short and long-term succession planning and was integral to the Mastercard CEO transition in 2021. He oversaw a comprehensive location strategy with the launch of Tech Hubs in high-growth markets such as India, Ireland and Canada. His leadership has helped forge numerous recognitions for the brand, including “most valued to work for.” In this role, he was a member of the company’s executive leadership team and management committee, and an active participant with the Mastercard Board of Directors.

Michael Hudson is the CEO of the Hudson Institute of Coaching, a leader in coach training and corporate coaching. Passionate about creating a purpose-driven world, he sees coaching as a catalyst for impactful leadership. Previously, he spent a decade in social entrepreneurship, including leadership at One Acre Fund, helping scale Africa’s largest direct-service NGO. He holds degrees from Colby College and INSEAD and is a Hudson Certified Coach. Michael lives in Santa Barbara, CA, with his wife, Hydie, and their young daughter and son. A dedicated trail runner, he finds inspiration in the mountains.

Michael Patchen is a Co-Founder and CEO of Colleva, which has pioneered a Talent Copilot that transforms how companies hire, develop, and retain their people. A former Partner at AQR Capital, Michael began his career at Goldman Sachs and spent over a decade in high-performance, high-growth environments. Along the way, he saw how hard it is for even the best organizations to deliver consistent, personalized support across the employee journey. That gap inspired the creation of Colleva: an AI-powered platform that uses life-like, face-to-face conversations to conduct behavioral interviews, surface workforce insights, and drive skill development at scale. From identifying top talent to enabling smarter coaching and leadership decisions, Colleva gives HR teams one seamless, engaging solution across the entire talent lifecycle. Michael holds a degree from the University of Pennsylvania and lives with his wife, three children, and two extremely spoiled French bulldogs.

Dr. Moain Abu Dabrh is a distinguished physician-coach, associate professor, researcher, educator, medical humanist, and keynote speaker, recognized for his commitment to evidence-informed, minimally disruptive, and whole-person care. Since joining Mayo Clinic in 2012—first in Rochester, Minnesota, and later in Florida—he has served as Consulting Staff and Faculty, leading transformative research focused on improving the lives of all individuals, especially in those living with chronic and complex conditions. His work emphasizes integrative, lifestyle, and well-being-centered approaches to care.

Originally from Tripoli, Libya, Dr. Abu Dabrh earned his medical degree and specialized in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics before advancing his training in the United States. He completed research fellowships at New York University, earned a master’s degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, and became a board-certified coach. Beyond Mayo Clinic, Dr. Abu Dabrh serves on national and international academic and healthcare boards and contributes to the development of practice guidelines. He currently serves as the Board Chair for the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching.

Nancy Parsons is one of today’s foremost experts in combining the science of assessments with the art of developing people. As CEO & President of CDR Companies, LLC, she sheds new light on personality strengths, inherent risks and motivation and change performance, careers and lives. Esteemed author of the Amazon best-seller, Women Are Creating the Glass Ceiling and Have the Power to End It, Nancy is the 2019 MEECO International Thought Leader of Distinction in Executive Coaching and continues to break barriers in her field. 

In 1998, Nancy co-authored the breakthrough CDR 3-D Assessment Suite®. Combining this scientifically-validated assessment suite with cutting-edge technology, Nancy and her team launched CDR-U Coach in July of 2020.

Nancy provides executive coaching services for the C-Suite and leaders across all sectors, facilitates strategic executive team development sessions, and instructs custom “Authentic Leadership” and “Women in Leadership” workshops. Additionally, she instructs and leads CDR Executive Coaches’ Certification Workshops and teaches advanced coaches’ programs.

Dr. Nicky Terblanche is a senior lecturer and research supervisor on the MBA, MPhil Coaching and PhD programmes at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB), South Africa. His academic interests include both leadership coaching and information system. He also runs an executive and leadership coaching practice. He has an MPhil in Management Coaching, an MScEng in electronic engineering and a PhD in Business Management.

His research interests include transition coaching, transformative learning, Social Network Analysis, complexity theory and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in coaching and management. He has published in a number of international academic journals and regularly presents at international conferences.

Nicole Forward is RHR’s head of Coaching and Development. With over two decades of experience partnering with C-suite and senior executives and successfully aligning coaching and development solutions with business goals and talent strategy, she is a trusted partner in leadership transformation known for her practical applications and getting measurable results within the context of an organization’s unique environment. Recognized as a thought leader in the coaching and development industry, Nicole has deep experience that spans the technology, financial services, retail, manufacturing, nonprofit, professional services, and communications sectors.

Among the executive-level roles she’s held in Fortune 100 companies, Nicole established Netflix’s first executive coaching practice and revitalized the portfolio of executive leadership development offerings at T-Mobile and Citibank. She understands the pressures and challenges of being an internal executive firsthand, enabling her to approach clients with compassion and empathy. As a coach, she’s known for her deep listening skills and her keen ability to quickly identify themes and patterns, helping clients achieve transformative results. 

Dr. Udo is the Program Director of Fielding's Evidence Based Coaching program and Fielding's Masters of Organization Development and Leadership program. He is also the founder and CEO of Soul Engineering, LLC. Dr. Udo is committed to creating the right conditions for leaders to discover or rediscover their true selves and bring that to bear in their work, delivering value for themselves and their organizations. Okokon Udo is an international change management, leadership and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultant. He has served as assistant professor and chair, program in Integrative Health and Wellness at Northwestern Health Sciences University, assistant professor in the MA program in Organizational Leadership at St. Mary’s University, faculty member in the Executive Coaching program of the University of St. Thomas and the Co-Active Training Institute — delivering their ten-month transformational leadership program in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Okokon is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) from the Co-Active Training Institute, a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the International Coach Federation (ICF), a Certified Management Specialist (CMS), a trained Reflective Supervisor and a Certified Spiritual Director. Okokon holds a PhD in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Luther Seminary, MA in Process Oriented Psychology (focused on conflict facilitation and organizational change) from the Process Work Institute (PWI) and a BD (Bachelor of Divinity) from the Theological College of Northern Nigeria.

After a 15-year career leading technology services companies and a 15-year career providing executive coaching to senior leaders, Ms. Krulitz founded Optify. She has combined a wealth of experience as a practitioner, student and teacher of leadership coaching with her roots as a technologist to envision the Optify coaching platform. She is thrilled to tap into the business wisdom she gained growing and selling an IT solutions company twenty years ago to launch and scale Optify.

Pam serves on the faculty of the Georgetown University Leadership Coaching program from which she graduated in 2004. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the College of William and Mary. She is a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation.

Parker Mitchell is an award-winning entrepreneur who deeply understands how to build high performing teams and winning organizational cultures.

Over the past decade, Parker has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, was selected as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, has received two Honorary Doctorates of Engineering, and was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross from the Government of Canada.

As a McKinsey consultant, and later as Deputy to the co-CEO of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, Parker systematized management and culture to build more effective organizations. Most notably, Parker founded and led Engineers Without Borders. During his 10 year tenure, EWB grew into an award-winning social-mission organization whose work was highlighted by the Harvard Business Review, NY Times, Financial Times and many others.

Rachel Cossar is a leader in the field of nonverbal communication and leadership presence facilitation. As a former nationally ranked athlete and professional ballet dancer, Rachel has a knack of translating unique skills into relatable business skills and competencies.

Virtual Sapiens comes as an evolution of Rachel’s combined work as founder of Choreography for Business, a nonverbal communication consulting firm as well as a faculty member with Mobius Executive Leadership and as a leadership presence facilitator with Ariel Group. Rachel has worked with leaders from GE, BCG, Pfizer, Accenture, McKinsey, HBS and more.

With the increased dependency of video events as a way to connect and drive impact across organizations, Rachel and her team at Virtual Sapiens are excited to open up a world of access when it comes to one of the most human, and most important skills in business – communication.

Rebecca Rutschmann is a pioneer in the convergence of coaching technology and artificial intelligence. She is the co-founder of Viva la Coaching, the world's first AI literacy movement bringing AI literacy specifically to coaching and corporate learning. She has also co-founded the AI coaching companion startup evoach in 2019, being responsible for all product development and acting as Co-CEO overseeing product development and marketing. She is the creator of the AI Coach Alpina that was officially launched early March 2023 as one of the first AI Coaches completely integrating generative AI (ChatGPT). As a tech entrepreneur, communications specialist and certified business coach, her expertise shines in crafting outstanding user experiences, a testament to her deep understanding of both technology and human interaction. Rebecca's mission is bold and transformative: she aims to make coaching accessible through designing and developing innovative AI coaching and learning experiences. This groundbreaking work is designed to empower coaches and their clients, unlocking their utmost potential in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Her focus extends beyond theoretical frameworks to practical applications, particularly in coach enablement. She dedicates herself to making AI an accessible and integral tool for coaches, fostering a deeper understanding and practical navigation of AI in coaching. She is an accredited coach with both the International Coaching Federation where she holds a PCC level accreditation and the European Mentoring & Coaching Council where she holds a Senior Practitioner accreditation. Rebecca is not only an EMCC Global trained Assessor but also actively involved as VP Accreditation for EMCC Germany working on ensuring high quality level coaching competencies, while leading a global workgroup on upskilling coaches in AI literacy as part of the Digital and AI Community for practice. She is also member of the ICF AI Task Force and an advisor to the NYU Coaching & Technology Summit.

Dr. Reece Akhtar is a co-founder and CEO at Deeper Signals. He is an organizational psychologist specializing in applied personality assessment and computational psychometrics. As a researcher at NYU and UCL, he has published scientific articles on personality and machine-learning, talent management, and leadership. Previously he led product innovation at RHR International and Hogan Assessments Systems.

Robert Garcia, vice president of ICF Coaching in Organizations is responsible for organizational membership growth and leading the operations that enable global organizations to build coaching capabilities and develop a strong coaching culture. He is committed to securing customer loyalty, implementing innovative strategies to enhance productivity and increase sales, and has established strong business relationships in over 50 countries. He has held senior level positions at Randstad, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Baptist Health, Florida International University (FIU), LHH, ADP, and United Healthcare. He is an adjunct professor in business and human resource management at FIU.

Robert obtained a Master of Business Administration at FIU and has a Bachelor of Science in Management from Nova Southeastern University. He has 5 HR Certifications including SHRM-SCP and GPHR, SPHR, SPHRi, PHRi from HRCI. He is an Executive Coach with the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credentials from ICF and also has the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credentials from ASAE. He is fluent in English and Spanish is a frequent keynote speaker at global conferences and has presented in 6 continents.

Sarah began her career in HR at companies like SiriusXM, Coach, and the Gilt Groupe. At Gilt, she pivoted into a sales executive role at Gilt City, the company's luxury experiences platform, where she led a 65-person team and was responsible for $60M in revenue. It was there that she identified the direct correlation between culture and the bottom line—when employees failed to have a pathway to address issues or work on their individual development colleagues and managers, performance suffered. Sarah’s experience in HR, team management, and tech—combined with an ongoing obsession with helping people, especially women and underrepresented minorities, gain the confidence they need to find meaning in their work—inspired her to co-found Bravely in 2017.

San Diego native Tim Harrison went to Rice University, where he studied Psychology, competed on the D1 basketball team, and served as the President of the Black Male Leadership Initiative. After graduating into a world in crisis with the pandemic and social unrest, he turned down a coveted job offer in consulting to pursue his life mission: “To inspire and equip people to realize their potential.” This led him to create the non-profit EPOG Academy with the mission to make personal development part of education.

As a leader and coach, Tim has received recognition including being appointed to the Advisory Counsel on education by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). With a diverse portfolio featuring executive coaching, business consulting, and social science research Tim's efforts drive progress at the intersection of psychology, education, and social impact.

Vicki A. Walia is the Chief People Officer at Prudential Financial. In this role, she leads the company’s global talent strategy, shaping an innovative, inclusive and high-performing workplace culture. With a deep commitment to empowering people and driving organizational success, Walia is responsible for all aspects of human resources and employee engagement, including talent management, talent acquisition, learning and development, and culture and inclusion.

Prior to becoming Chief People Officer, Walia served as Prudential’s head of HR for the U.S. businesses and Global Asset Management, where she oversaw HR teams across Prudential’s Insurance and Retirement businesses and PGIM, Prudential’s global asset management arm. In her earlier role as Chief Talent and Capability Officer, she led efforts to integrate talent management with organizational capability to advance the company’s strategic goals

Michael “Woody” Woodward, PhD, PCC is BetterUp’s Chief Coaching Officer. In this role, he leads BetterUp’s efforts to enhance coaching excellence and drive innovation across the human transformation platform. Woody is dedicated to continuing to set the global standard for coaching quality, ensuring transformative growth for individuals and organizations worldwide.

A visionary in the field of coaching for more than 15 years, Woody's career blends deep academic expertise with practical impact. Woody contributed to this specialized industry of coaching as a coach, educator, and author. During his time at New York University, Woody is credited with founding the first Master of Science degree program in Executive Coaching in the U.S. accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). This program focused on putting principles into practice by blending coaching and organizational consulting to harness coaching for workforce transformation. He recently co-authored The Digital Coaching Revolution, a groundbreaking book that explores the integration of technology and coaching to drive personal and organizational transformation. He holds a PhD in industrial and organizational psychology from Florida International University and has worked with global Fortune 500 organizations to enhance leadership capacity and performance. His thought leadership has been featured on platforms like The TODAY Show, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes, and his innovative work continues to shape the future of coaching.