Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management.

With over 300,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM is the largest HR professional association in the world, impacting the lives of 115 million workers every day.

As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers and the workplace. He is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors a weekly column, “Ask HR,” in USA Today.

Mr. Taylor’s career spans over 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit space. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/Interactive Corp, Viacom’s Paramount Pictures and Blockbuster Entertainment Group, McGuireWoods LLC, and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

He is a member of the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and was appointed by President Donald Trump as Chairman of the President’s Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He serves on the boards of the University of Miami, Jobs for America’s Graduates and the American Red Cross and as an adviser to Safe Streets & Second Chances. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

Marc helps the world’s biggest brands and most successful companies elevate the quality and impact of their talent. He leads transformational projects globally in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to consumer products to technology. As the founder and President of the Talent Strategy Group, he leads the firm’s global consulting, education, executive search and publishing businesses.

Marc co-authored the Harvard Business Review Publishing best-selling book One Page Talent Management, often called the “talent management bible.” Companies worldwide apply its discipline of science-based simplicity, accountability and transparency. His most recent book 8 Steps to High Performance (Harvard Business Review Publishing) is quickly reaching best-seller status with its powerful messages about how everyone can elevate their performance.

Marc co-founded the Talent Management Institute at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. It has become the world’s most popular executive education program on talent management with more than 3,000 graduates.

Prior to forming The Talent Strategy Group, Marc served as VP, Talent Management for Avon Products and led Global Leadership Consulting Practice for Aon Hewitt. He was also SVP, Leadership Development for Bank of America and a Congressional Staff Assistant.

Marc has been published in or heard on Fast Company, Financial Times, BBC, Bloomberg Radio, Inc., Harvard Business Review, New York Post, Knowledge@Wharton radio and some of the world’s most popular podcasts. Marc publishes TalentQ magazine which he founded in 2013 to help executives make smarter decisions about how to manage talent.

Marc earned a M.B.A. from the Yale University School of Management and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington.

With a passion to turn every leader into a servant leader, Ken Blanchard shares his insightful and powerful message with audiences around the world through speeches, consulting services, and bestselling books. Universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most influential and compassionate leadership experts in the world, Ken is respected for his lifetime of groundbreaking research and thought leadership. In fact, few people have influenced the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Ken Blanchard.

When Ken speaks, he speaks from the heart with warmth and humor. No matter how large the audience, he is able to communicate with each person as if the two of them were alone and talking one on one. Ken is a sophisticated storyteller with a knack for making the seemingly complex easy to understand.

Dr. Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies®, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California. In addition to being a renowned speaker and consultant, Ken is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, Cornell University, and he also teaches students in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership Program at the University of San Diego.

Ken’s impact as an author is far reaching. His iconic 1982 classic, The One Minute Manager®, coauthored with Spencer Johnson, has sold more than 13 million copies and remains on bestseller lists today. In the past three decades he has authored or coauthored 60 books whose combined sales total more than 21 million copies. His groundbreaking works—including Raving Fans, The Secret, and Leading at a Higher Level, to name just a few—have been translated into more than 42 languages. In 2005 Ken was inducted into Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 bestselling authors of all time.

Ken has received many awards and honors for his contributions in the fields of management, leadership, and speaking. The National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the Council of Peers Award of Excellence. He was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and he received the Golden Gavel award from Toastmasters International. Ken also received the Thought Leadership Award for continued support of work-related learning and performance by ISA, The Association of Learning Providers.

Born in New Jersey and raised in New York, Ken received his master’s degree from Colgate University and his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from Cornell University.

Achal Khanna is the CEO for SHRM India and Asia Pacific Head for Business Development. SHRM India is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), which is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management with more than 2,90,000 members worldwide.

Achal is responsible for leading the India operations of SHRM, as well as Asia Pacific operations including Middle-East. She serves on the global SHRM Leadership Team and is responsible for building the brand, expanding its business and developing professional relationships with government agencies, and other HR and business associations in the region.

Achal has over 30 years of work experience. Prior to joining SHRM, she was Managing Director for Kelly India operations; Vice President for GE; and Country Manager for Polaroid India. She has also worked with Dupont, ITC and Cosmo Group in various capacities.

She is a recipient of the “Best Women Executive in India” award.

Achal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics; a Master’s Degree in English Literature and she is an MBA from Delhi.

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. This includes its Advocacy Team – the “A-Team” – composed of nearly 30,000 HR professionals across the United States positioned front and center in efforts to advance the interests of the HR profession. She oversees government affairs, global policy, legal affairs, and the SHRM Foundation, the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of SHRM. Dickens has been a featured expert on workplace issues and business leadership – with commentary appearing in CBS News, NBC News, AP News, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg Law, Crain’s Business, Marketplace, WTOP, Yahoo Finance, HR Brew, and HR Dive among others. 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. Dickens leverages her higher education background to promote the importance of leveraging the education-to-employment pipeline to address future workforce needs. 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). She is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated where she has served as Chairman of the International HBCU Task Force, and on the sorority’s Education Advancement Foundation Board (AKAEAF).

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

Abdulkarim Alreshaid has gained his bachelor degree in Computer & Information Systems from King Saud University in addition to a number of professional certificates including Executive Leadership Education Programs from IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, Organizational Development from University of Leicester with more than 25 years in the human resources business management for well-known global and national companies and a board member of several committees.

Currently, Executive Vice President, HR & Corporate Services at the Saudi Electricity Company.

During his professional journey, he worked for many well-reputable companies holding several key positions such as:

• Vice president, Human Resources, Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group
• Vice President, Business & Distribution Sector, Olayan Group
• Vice president, Human Resources, Olayan Group
• General Director, Human Resources, PepsiCo International Refreshment Company
• Executive Director, Support & Coordination, L’azurde Co.
• Human Resources in Charge, SABB (Alawwal Bank)

Mr. Holmes’ career spans over 30 years and six countries, where he has undertaken organisational consulting projects across a range of geographies and industries including: industrial, consumer and healthcare. 

In his current roles he is responsible for META, overseeing seven offices and the full spectrum of consulting services of Korn Ferry and leading the professional search & interim business across EMEA. Prior to his current position (from 2011) he was the Managing Director for Korn Ferry’s Korean business for 10 years.

Previously, Mr. Holmes was a consultant with Carre, Orban & Partners which merged with Korn Ferry in 1993 where he initially focused on the consumer goods and healthcare sectors. After the merger, he broadened his practice to cover transnational work across a range of industries in Northern Europe. Mr. Holmes has served as a resident consultant in India, Russia, Singapore and South Korea, where he was responsible for growing the Firm’s business.

During his four years as the Managing Director in Russia, Mr. Holmes successfully made Korn Ferry the leading executive search firm in the Russian market, while personally undertaking projects throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, principally in the Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Subsequently, he managed the Firm’s offices in Mumbai and New Delhi for three years as Managing Director of India. After that, he led the ASEAN practice from Singapore before moving to Seoul.

A British citizen, Mr. Holmes holds a bachelor’s degree of science (with honours) in Geology.

Abdullah ALZahrani is a passionate and innovative consultant, entrepreneur, and people enthusiast with over 18 years of diverse business experience in the Saudi market. He is the founder and CEO of Tharwah, one of the fastest growing management consulting firms in Saudi Arabia, specializing in human capital advisory services.

Abdullah has a proven track record of delivering comprehensive and customized solutions to clients in various industries, including government, semi-government, and private sector. He has expertise in areas such as talent management, organization development, change management, and psychometric assessments.

He holds a master’s degree in human resources and industrial relations and multiple professional certifications from global bodies. Abdullah’s vision is to make Tharwah the top center of expertise in human capital development services in the region, enabling clients and empowering their human capital to achieve their full potential.

A resolute leader with over 12 years of proven results using operational and leadership strengths to solve specific and complex challenges through planning and implementation of strategies, structures, programs, and processes to enhance organizational culture, engagement and change readiness in alignment with the company’s mission and values. Abdulrahman is extremely talented at developing transformational initiatives in all core HR functions, including building/re-staffing organizations, standardizing performance management practices, overhauling recruiting standards, and restructuring benefits programs.

In Abdulrahman’s current role, he spends his days developing the culture, structure, and capabilities that support the next stage of growth at the Institute of Public Administration. Abdulrahman has a proven track record of diverse experience in translating a deep understanding of the business into human capital plans that build employee engagement, strengthen leader capabilities, and optimize organizational effectiveness.

With a Master of Arts degree focused on Teaching International Languages and Adult Education from California State University, Abdulrahman truly believes in the importance of continuous education and individual growth. Skilled in HR Consulting, HR Transformation, Change Management, Organizational Effectiveness & Culture, and Building Centers of Excellence.

Emirati with over 10 years of experience in HR field in telecom industry and has managed several projects involved leadership upskilling & employees capacity building. He holds Masters degree in HR and Leadership from University of Dubai, MBTI-step II practitioner and Certified in Kirkpatrick four levels evaluation model. Khalid is Manager Talent Management, he oversees talent attracting, retaining and development activities. He is passionate about talent development and actively seeking collaboration with experts to thrive and apply best practices.