Sanford R. (Sandy) Climan is CEO of Entertainment Media Ventures, Inc. Founded in 1999. EMV is active in media investment and strategic advisory work, with a particular focus on innovative technologies and entities currently impacting the traditional boundaries of business, media, and entertainment. He is an investor, producer and considered a media visionary. Throughout his career, Mr. Climan has held senior management positions in the media and entertainment industry.

He previously served on the senior management team at Creative Artists Agency and was the co-founder of CAA’s corporate practice. Sandy has held senior executive roles across the entertainment industry, including Corporate Executive Vice President and President of Worldwide Business Development for Universal Studios, executive positions in production and distribution for MGM, and as the first CEO of 3D filmmaking pioneer 3ality Digital.

His productions include “U2 3D,” the first digital live-action 3D film, and “The Aviator,” for which he was awarded a Golden Globe and a British Academy Award. He has been an active venture investor and advisor, and has served as a bridge between Hollywood, Silicon Valley, the financial industry, and global corporations. He serves on several charitable boards, including the UCLA School of Theatre Film & Television and the American Cinematheque.

Mr. Climan holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School, a Master of Science degree in Health Policy and Management from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Harvard College.

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.

Prior to Mastercard, Michael spent 10+ years at HSBC in various senior HR leadership roles in Australia and regional headquarters in Hong Kong. He also held senior HR positions in the financial service industry in the Middle East and Australia.

Michael holds a Master of Applied Science, Communication Management from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Bachelor of Education from the Australian Catholic University. He also has accreditation in change management from the Australian Graduate School of Management and attended leadership programs at Duke Fuqua and INSEAD.

Michael serves as Chair of the Board of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City and is on the Board of the HR Policy Association.

Lars N. Minns is currently the Chief HR Officer for Mercedes-Benz, North America with responsibility for the US and Canada serving the organization since March 2015. He currently leads the organization in designing, implementing, and executing HR strategies that directly align with the company’s strategic objectives for the Sales, Marketing, and Distribution of Passenger Cars, Vans and parts in the United States and Canada. Under his leadership, the organization is undergoing one of the largest transformations in the automotive industry in its pursuit to be the most desired electric luxury brand in North America.

Prior to joining Mercedes-Benz, he served as the Sr. Mgr. of Talent Acquisition for The Home Depot’s At Home Services commonly referred to as the “Do it For Me” business. He led his team in executing talent acquisition strategies for the company’s fastest growing business segment.

Lars spent 10 years with The Home Depot and served in roles of increasing responsibility. Most notably serving as the Sr. Mgr. of Talent Management for Operations, Services, Finance, and IT. He supported all facets of Talent Management helping those business areas in several large-scale transformational efforts aimed at increasing overall operational efficiencies.

Prior to The Home Depot, Lars held various roles in IT consulting sales and recruiting during the .com and Y2K eras.

He is a member of the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank’s Human Capital Advisory Council, Leadership Atlanta and a Board of Trustee of Mount Vernon Presbyterian School.

Lars earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University in Hampton, VA. 

A native of Nassau, Bahamas, he and his wife, Moya reside in Sandy Springs, GA with their three children. 

Shivakumar, or Shiv as he is popularly known, is a Bangalore born leader and a management thinker.

 He is currently Operating Partner at Advent International Private Equity. Previously, Shiv has been Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy at Aditya Birla Group, and Chairperson & Chief Executive Officer at PepsiCo Holdings Private Limited, India. Prior to that he was CEO for emerging markets at Nokia.

 Shiv started his career as a management trainee in the Consumer Products Division at Hindustan Ciba Geigy before shifting to Hindustan Unilever Limited where he spent 19 years in sales, marketing and general management positions. He moved to Philips, India as Chief Executive Officer of the consumer electronics division in 2003.

 Shiv joined Nokia in 2006 as the Managing Director, India. Under his management, Nokia built its entire services portfolio, including Nokia Life Tools. He was also instrumental in pushing low-cost mobile devices across rural India, making Nokia a dominant brand in India. He is credited for driving Nokia’s brand from No. 71 to No. 1 in the country. He was instrumental in making Nokia one of the topmost trusted brands. Shiv moved as Sr. Vice President, Emerging Markets (India, Middle East, Africa) in 2011. This market accounts for 40% of Nokia’s global business and comprises of around 90 countries. His contribution during this time have become case studies at Harvard University, ISB and other Ivy League Institutes.

 In 2013, Shivakumar was appointed as the Chairperson & CEO of PepsiCo Holdings Private Limited, India where he managed brand portfolios across beverages, snacks and nutrition. He has been the driving force in bringing PepsiCo’s nutrition portfolio to the forefront with new launches under the Quaker and Tropicana brands. He is known for being the key driver for portfolio transformation and deepen consumer engagement with flagship brands. Apart from overseeing India operations, he also managed PepsiCo’s franchise business across Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

 Thereafter 2018, Shivakumar joined Aditya Birla Group as the Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy. Aditya Birla Group is one of the largest Indian conglomerates with businesses spread across telecommunications, cement, chemicals, mining, textiles, financial services, retail and e-commerce, among others, in 36 countries.

As the Head of Government Affairs for the world’s largest human resources trade association, Emily M. Dickens leads SHRM’s advocacy and policy initiatives. Dickens has been a featured expert on workplace issues and business leadership. In addition, Dickens has testified before Congress and the EEOC on worker and workplace topics like AI, gender bias, and paid leave.

Dickens serves on the boards of the following industry organizations to maximize SHRM’s impact and voice in global, national, and local business and labor policy debates: B20 Brazil Women in Business Action Council (Co-Chair); USCIB-United States Council for International Business (Governance Committee); The Bryce Harlow Foundation; Skill-up, and the National Foundation for Women Legislators. 

Before SHRM, Dickens served as a passionate advocate for access to higher education as the general counsel/head of policy for the DC-based Thurgood Marshall College Fund; Vice President of Public Policy for the Association of Governing Boards for Colleges and Universities; and the Assistant Vice President for Federal Affairs at the University of North Carolina System. She has also worked at Duke University and Fayetteville State University in administrative and external affairs roles.

Actively engaged in board service, Dickens is a member of the North Carolina Central University Board of Trustees and the NCNW Board of Directors (Co-Chair Personnel Committee).

Emily is a graduate of North Carolina Central University and North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Achal Khanna is the CEO of SHRM in India, Asia Pacific & MENA region. SHRM is the world’s largest professional association devoted to human resource & people management. With 340,000+ members in 183 countries, it is the world’s largest HR professional association, impacting the lives of 362 million workers every day.

Achal is responsible for building SHRM APAC & MENA brand, expanding its business, and developing professional relationships with government agencies as well as other HR and business associations.

Dedicated to promoting women’s empowerment, improving work culture, and nurturing leadership development, she works closely with individuals and organizations to advocate for inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive and contribute meaningfully. Recognized with the prestigious “Best Women Executive in India” award, she continuously strives to push boundaries and overcome challenges.

With over three decades of proven leadership, she has consistently demonstrated the ability to navigate complex business landscapes with clarity and finesse. As Managing Director of Kelly India Operations, she led high-impact strategic initiatives with precision and purpose. During her tenure as Vice President at GE, she championed business growth and innovation through transformative strategies. As Country Manager at Polaroid India, she spearheaded market expansion, reinforcing the brand’s presence in a competitive landscape. Her earlier roles at DuPont, ITC, and the Cosmo Group have further enriched her perspective, providing her with deep, cross-industry insights that continue to shape her holistic and future-focused leadership style.

She is a member of SHRM’s global executive team and also serves as an independent director on the boards of select public and private companies in India.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s in English Literature, along with an MBA from New Delhi. Additionally, she has completed the Management Development Program (MDP) at IIM Ahmedabad.

A dynamic and visionary leader with 20+ years of experience spanning Human Capital strategy, organizational transformation, and business excellence in both private and public sectors. Recognized for driving innovation, fostering cultural evolution, and positioning organizations for sustainable growth, with a consistent record of aligning talent and workforce strategies with overarching business and national objectives.

Arda Atalay joined LinkedIn Middle East in 2015. He is based in Dubai and leads LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions team in the Middle East and North Africa. 

Over his 24 years of corporate experience, Arda held senior roles in Sales and Consulting in major IT multinationals in the Middle East region, such as Oracle and SAP. He began his career in the financial services industry as an auditor at PwC before moving to the IT world.