Julius Probst is a Senior economist at Appcast, the global leader in programmatic recruitments. He is based in London and focuses on global economic and labor market analysis with a particular focus on the EU, UK, and US markets. He did his M.Sc. in Economics with a specialization in macroeconomics and his PhD in Economic History at Lund University in Sweden. During his PhD, he also worked as a researcher for the European Central Bank.

Ashton Bentsen-Bush is a Relationship Manager on the Relationship Expansion Team at Seramount. In this role, she manages the delivery of member benefits, fosters partner engagement, and collaborates on the creation of individualized success plans. Ashton joins Seramount from EAB, where she supported higher education leadership in their student success and equity initiatives. Prior to her time at EAB, she built a strong foundation in client-facing work through roles across multiple industries, gaining experience in relationship management, communication, and partner support.

Ashton graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BS in Tourism Management, and currently lives in Arlington, VA.

Paul-Anne Robb is a Senior Research Analyst on the Insights team. In this role, Paul-Anne supports Chief Diversity Officer Collaborative partners with custom research on current and relevant topics. Prior to joining Seramount, she served as a research analyst at EAB, supporting multiple areas of inquiry and providing best-practice research to partners.

Paul-Anne graduated from UNC Greensboro with a Master of Education and from Dickinson College with a BA in Sociology. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, trying new places to eat, being a rom-com enthusiast, and being a novice sewist.

Royal Phillips is a Director of Partner Development at Seramount. In her role, she partners with organizations to expand their engagement with the Human Resources Executive Board (HREB), helping HR leaders identify solutions that support their talent strategy, employee experience, and organizational effectiveness goals.

Before joining Seramount, Royal built a diverse career supporting organizational operations and leading administrative and sales functions. Her work has consistently centered on creating strong relationships, improving processes, and elevating the experiences of colleagues and clients.

Royal holds a degree from Spelman College. Originally from Virginia, she now lives in Indian Land, SC with her partner and their daughter, Sophia. In her free time, she enjoys researching her family’s ancestry, traveling the world, and learning new recipes.

Elliott Jones-Poulson is a seasoned Human Resources professional with nearly a decade of experience driving organizational success at Fortune 500 companies. Known for his personable leadership style and strategic vision, Elliott has built and executed global programs that strengthen early-career talent pipelines, foster inclusive workplaces, and elevate employee engagement globally.

Currently serving as Senior Specialist, Belonging and Employee Experience at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Elliott is responsible for ensuring the success of full-cycle staff engagement initiatives from attraction to off-boarding and empowers the organization’s employee resource groups (ERGS).

Prior to entering the world of conservation, Elliott held roles in retail, manufacturing, and biotech industries where he honed expertise in campus recruitment, human resources, and people leadership.

Elliott holds a Master of Science in Organizational Development & Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University, and a Certificate in Inclusion from Cornell University.

Sophie is the founder and CEO of Kite Insights, a company that empowers organisations and their people to embed sustainability into their strategies and culture. A former corporate leader turned impact entrepreneur, she leads initiatives such as the Kite Academy, DEBATABLE., and Hurd—a free app that helps employees take practical climate action at work and provides business leaders with data to inform decision making for a future-ready workforce.

With over 30 years’ experience in research, content strategy, and thought leadership, Sophie is passionate about harnessing the power of insights to drive progress on climate, inclusion, and sustainable development.

Brian Reed, Ph.D., serves as the Associate Vice President for Student Success at the University of Montana, where he leads institution-wide efforts to improve retention, close equity gaps, and strengthen the student experience. His work focuses on data-informed decision-making, first-year success, academic and career readiness, and building coordinated support systems that help students thrive. Brian has partnered on national initiatives to advance equity-focused analytics and redesign university processes that create barriers for students. A first-generation college graduate himself, he is committed to expanding on-ramps, reducing unnecessary hurdles, and ensuring public institutions deliver meaningful opportunity for all learners.

As a talent insights expert, Stephanie guides the firm’s thought leadership by leading research on workforce risk, the future of work, and organizational performance. Her work brings together strategic vision, a commitment to inclusion, and a keen understanding of how storytelling can drive organizational change.

Before joining Seramount, Stephanie spent more than a decade in higher education, most recently as an Associate Professor of English and Gender Studies at Carnegie Mellon University. There, she directed the undergraduate studies program, led DEI initiatives, mentored students, and taught courses in feminist and disability studies. She is the author of two award-winning books on sexual violence and has published widely on organizational equity, gender, and labor. Stephanie holds a BA in English Education from the University of Illinois and an MA in English Literature and a PhD in Writing & Rhetoric from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Stephanie lives in Madison, WI, with her husband and two children. Outside of work, she can be found hiking through the woods, planning her family’s next road trip adventure, or reading her latest book-club pick.

Isaias Hernandez is an environmentalist and creative devoted to improving environmental literacy through content creation, storytelling, and public engagements. Isaias is
more commonly known by his moniker, Queer Brown Vegan: the independent media platform he started to bring intersectional environmental education to all. His journey to deconstruct
complex issues, while centering diversity and authenticity, has resonated with a worldwide audience.

He also collaborates with other leaders from the private and public sectors to uplift and produce stories of change for his independent web series, Teaching Climate Together. He is
currently working on his first-ever debut book, Dear Environmentalist, set to be published in April 2027 with Hachette Book Group under Timber Press imprint.

Isaias has been featured in several noteworthy publications, including Vogue, New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Yale Climate Communications. His social media
advocacy earned him recognition as a top climate creator by Harvard C-CHANGE. As a public speaker, he’s presented for New York Times, Nike, Environmental Media Association, Billie Eilish’s
Overheated Summit, Harvard University, Deloitte, and more.

Isaias is based in Los Angeles, working as a full-time content creator, public speaker, and writer.

Hans W. Jablonski is a senior consultant, trainer and coach with more than 20 years of practical experience in people and organisational development across multiple industries. His core expertise includes Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Inclusive Leadership, and Change Management.

He brings a strong track record in organisational transformation, shaped by roles as both an internal and external consultant. Over his career, Hans has supported companies such as Ford Motor Company, bp plc, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, and Commerzbank, driving systemic change and long-term impact.

Around a decade ago, Hans founded his own consultancy. Since then, he has worked with organisations worldwide on implementing and professionalising DE&I and Change Management. About one third of Germany’s DAX 30 companies rely on his expertise, alongside many well-known mid-sized firms. Leaders value his sharp analytical perspective, his deep insight into inclusive leadership mindsets, and his ability to translate bias awareness into actionable leadership practice and cultural transformation.

Hans has collaborated with executives in Europe, China, India, Brazil, the USA, Russia and Japan, navigating diverse cultural contexts with ease and credibility. He was among the first Diversity Managers in Germany at Ford and a co-author of the German Diversity Charter, later adopted in other European countries. He also served as an expert panellist for the GDIB Global D&I Benchmarkand, until 2025, as a member of the ISO working committeedeveloping a global standard for D&I 30415.

In addition, Hans is a sought-after keynote speakeron DE&I, inclusion and leadership topics, and he contributes regularly to professional books and journals.