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Session 1 | Starting Off Strong – Acquiring The Best

Tony Johnson, Chief Experience Officer, 4xi Global Consulting and Solutions

CIC "Master of Ceremonies"

Tony Johnson is a speaker, trainer and consultant specializing in customer experience, employee engagement and leadership development. He is the Chief Experience Officer for 4xi Global Consulting and Solutions and a top rated global CX professional. Tony is the author of three books on CX and has dedicated his career to helping organizations understand the power of customer experience and how it can be used to drive business results. He is a Certified Customer Experience Professional and professional member of the National Speakers Association.

LinkedIn: Tony Johnson

Tony Johnson

TONY JOHNSON

Chief Experience Officer

4xi Global Consulting and Solutions
"Master of Ceremonies"

Jennifer "Jen" Velazquez, Head of Talent Acquisition - Workplace Experience Group, Aramark

Jen Velazquez began her career at Aramark in 2015 initially working in Operations. In 2018, she transitioned into Talent Acquisition and over the course of the next five years she supported several different lines of business. During this time, Jen was instrumental in leading the development and implementation of business wide recruiting strategy from end-to-end. Jen partners closely with hiring managers and business leadership to establish plans, define strategies and deliver solutions that demonstrate how the company recruits for top talent. In her role, she leads a team of seasoned recruiters supporting nationwide recruitment efforts. Jen holds a bachelor’s of science from the State University of New York at Fredonia.

Session 1: Starting Off Strong – Acquiring The Best

Jen Velazquez2023

JENNIFER VELAZQUEZ

Head of Talent Acquisition - Workplace Experience Group
Aramark

Julie Ann Wilkinson, Senior Group Product Manager, Experience Services, JLL

Julie Wilkinson leads product management and development focused on the workplace and employee experience.  Her team works closely with clients on innovative solutions that enhance the workplace journey, improve employee experience and wellbeing, and increase culture and collaboration in the workplace of the future.  Julie joined JLL in 2015 and has held a range of leadership positions across corporate real estate, soft services, corporate hospitality and supply chain management.  She received her Bachelor of Science of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

LinkedIn: Julie Ann Wilkinson

Session 1: Starting Off Strong – Acquiring The Best

Juliew

JULIE ANN WILKINSON

Senior Group Product Manager, Experience Services

JLL

George Rivera III, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Solutions, Society for Human Resource Management

George Rivera III is responsible for broadening the awareness of SHRM's mission to enhance workforce development by building and strengthening partnerships with some of the largest enterprise organizations across the globe. In addition, he helps bring to market the top ideas and innovations through outreach, representing all things workplace, workers and work. George is a proven business development thought leader who places a deep emphasis on people, with more than 15 years of experience building and scaling highly productive, results-driven sales organizations. Prior to joining SHRM, he spent over a decade honing his expertise in HCM cloud technology, retirement, insurance and other employee benefits, as well as HR services and PEO offerings as he led sales efforts of Paychex Inc. In addition to business-growth responsibilities, George also led critical cross-functional company initiatives throughout much of the organization including learning and development, marketing and lead generation, finance and talent acquisition. He recognizes that strong leaders build strong businesses and strong businesses build strong communities.

Session 1: Starting Off Strong – Acquiring The Best

George Rivera

GEORGE RIVERA III

Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions

Society for Human Resource Management

 

Session 2 | Setting the Pace: Onboarding for Success

Mahlet Tesfatsion, Director, HR Business Partner, Sodexo

Mahlet Tesfatsion started her career as a hourly HR Assistant and has gained experience to grow her 20+ year career with Sodexo. She has diversified experience across Human Resource functions in the hospitality industry. Currently, Mahlet supports Sodexo's corporate services segment based in New York City, which supports accounts across the US. These accounts range from small cafes up to multi-site/multi-million-dollar locations and any combination of frontline, union, management staff (or employees at all levels). She has the pleasure of working with amazing people who truly have a passion for their work and continue to inspire her.

LinkedIn: Mahlet Tesfatsion

Session 2: Setting the Pace: Onboarding for Success

Mahlet Headshot

MAHLET TESFATSION

Director, HR Business Partner

Sodexo

Richard Brown, Strategic Initiatives & Orientation, FLIK Hospitality Group

Richard Brown was born in the Philippines and has had the privilege to live all over the world. His time living abroad informs his passion for diversity, equity and inclusion. Richard began working in food and hospitality at the age of 14, with his first job at Dairy Queen and he has worked in hospitality ever since. His career started in Hotels and 4-star French dining - he then moved in to sports and entertainment for 12 years. For the the last nine years, Richard has been working for FLIK Hospitality / Compass Group where he is currently in charge of orientation, onboarding and part of the DEI leadership team. As a DEI leader, he works within FLIK and Compass group to help create DEI strategies that positively impact their teams and the communities they serve in.

LinkedIn: Richard Brown

Session 2: Setting the Pace: Onboarding for Success

Brown Richard

RICHARD BROWN

Strategic Initiatives & Orientation

FLIK Hospitality Group

Raabia Shafi, Founder + CEO of Raabia Shafi Consulting

Raabia Shafi partners with clients to enhance customer experiences from the inside out, starting with leaders first. She has directed global engagements for 15+ years with deep expertise in business strategy, design thinking and adult learning. Raabia helps clients create and sustain high-performing teams via three essential solutions:

  • Coaching
  • Leadership Development
  • Culture Change

Her sweet spot is helping executives figure out how to be better leaders by empowering their teams and holding them accountable to clearly defined expectations. And she genuinely believes in having fun while working smart.

LinkedIn: Raabia Shafi

Session 2: Setting the Pace: Onboarding for Success

Raabia Shafi Photov1

RAABIA SHAFI

Founder + CEO

Raabia Shafi Consulting

Session 3 | Going the Distance: Retaining the Winners

Lynn M Cowart, Chief Operations Officer, Co-Owner, Talent Dimensions

Lynn Cowart has extensive experience working and consulting in senior-level human resources positions for companies. She has facilitated executive coaching, change management and strategic staffing initiatives, as well as DEI strategy implementation, career transition programs, retention and engagement strategies, assessment interviewing and training. As a career consultant, Lynn has led coaching programs and training events for an array of professional business clients. In addition, she has managed programs designed to instill culture changes within organizations by modifying behavioral tendencies. Throughout her career, she has conferred with corporate business leaders in a broad range of functions such as management and organizational development, communication strategies, career planning and placement and organizational effectiveness. Lynn has led teams responsible for design, development and implementation of corporate university relations and leadership development programs for Fortune 50 companies, resulting in increased diversity and minority representation. Lynn received her MBA from the University of Connecticut. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Communications from SUNY at Buffalo.

Session 3: Going the Distance: Retaining the Winners

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LYNN M COWART

Chief Operations Officer, Co-Owner

Talent Dimensions

Staci Drilling, People and Culture Director, North America, ISS Guckenheimer

Staci Drilling has more than 15 years of experience driving organizational performance and employee commitment through strategic human resources development and alignment. She currently applies her expertise as People and Culture Director, North America for ISS Facility Services. Staci’s core responsibilities in this role include leadership development, organizational transformation, continuous improvement and driving HR process efficiencies for corporate operations performance, IT and ISS Guckenheimer, the company’s food division.

Before joining ISS in 2020, Staci held senior HR leadership roles within the food and beverage industry. Throughout each role, she leads with authenticity and pragmatism to drive business through a people-centric, results-oriented approach. Staci balances business objectives and employee advocacy, inspiring others to achieve peak performance levels. Known as a trusted advisor, Staci is committed to professional and personal excellence.

LinkedIn: Staci Drilling

Session 3: Going the Distance: Retaining the Winners

Staci Drilling

STACI DRILLING

People and Culture Director, North America

ISS Guckenheimer

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