Michael Ehret is the Head of Global Talent Management for Johnson & Johnson, responsible for the attraction and development of a global and diverse talent across the enterprise. Michael oversees succession management, talent development, talent acquisition, people analytics, talent mobility, performance management, and assessment.

Most recently, Michael was Head of Succession Management and Assessment in Global Talent Management, where he advanced and increased the depth and diversity of the enterprise leadership pipeline, focusing on the next generation of talent and the identification and advancement of emerging leaders.

Previously, Michael served as Head of Human Resources for the $20B Commercial Franchises within Medical Devices, Vice President of Human Resources for the nonmanufacturing parts of Supply Chain (20,000 employees in 80 countries), and Vice President of Talent Development, with responsibility for global Leadership Development and Learning,
as well as Talent Mobility.

Prior to his time with Johnson & Johnson, Michael worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb and CIGNA, where he held several HR business partner and talent management positions, beginning his career as a member of the CIGNA HR Leadership Development Program.
Michael received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Global Leadership and Change Management from Pepperdine University, and his Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership also from Pepperdine. He has a Master of Science degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance and Marketing from the University of Richmond.

After working in Human Resources for over 25 years with a specific focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the past 12 years, Lori Ferguson has redefined her brand.  While she is still a well-rounded Human Resources professional with a broad understanding of and broad practice in Human Resources, her career focus is CHANGE.  Lori is a Diversity Personal Trainer that helps organizations access and engage muscles they have not yet exercised.  She is a Diversity Leader who assesses company culture, partners with internal stakeholders to drive change.  Lori is committed to a holistic and effective approach to DEI that leads to tangible results.

Lori holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and an MBA in Risk Management from Saint Peters University.  She also holds a Professional in Human Resources Certification from HRCI and a Strategic Human Resources Management Certificate from Cornell University.

Synthia is a Director of Partner Development for Seramount, where she helps employers take an innovative approach to early talent acquisition with a focus on increasing equity and efficiency. As the leader of Seramount and EAB’s joint venture, CareerAscent, Synthia connects campus recruiting teams to EAB’s diverse network of student job seekers.

Prior to joining Seramount, Synthia worked in EAB’s Advancement division, supporting alumni fundraising endeavors that impact long-term outcomes for partner colleges and universities. Additionally, Synthia spent nearly a decade in nonprofit fundraising, empowering organizations to drive ROI and efficiency through data-driven efforts.

Synthia graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a degree in International Relations and French. She resides in Richmond, VA with her husband and three kids. In her spare time, she is an avid tennis player and loves to cook.

Jamie Adasi (pronouns: she, her, hers) is Greenhouse Software’s Head of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Allyship (IDEA). Jamie’s focused on advancing an international multi-year IDEA strategy as well as building a people-first IDEA program that positively influences people across various industries worldwide.

As a first-generation Queer Nigerian-American, Jamie began her self-reflective DE&IB/social justice journey as a high school and college student educating peers, staff, and faculty about diversity and social justice issues affecting the world.

With over 15 years of experience, Jamie helps leaders and teams reach their highest potential by bringing people together across multiple and intersecting experiences. Jamie is also an advocate for using well-being practices, data, and technology to create a systems-thinking and human-centered approach to everyday IDEA/DE&I issues.

Prior to Greenhouse, Jamie held various diversity and recruiting leadership positions across higher education, nonprofits, SaaS, and behavioral health. Jamie holds an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica, an M.Ed. in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.A. in Psychology and a Minor in Spanish Language & Cultures from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Alta Ray (she/her/hers) is an experienced employment attorney with broad expertise in employment litigation, employee relations, workplace investigations, and human resource policy development, compliance and training.
Alta is a Senior Employment Counsel at Greenhouse Software, Inc., where she guides and provides advice to internal stakeholders on a wide range of global employment issues. She works closely with the People (HR) team and outside legal counsel to ensure compliance with state, federal, and international employment laws and best practices. Additionally, Alta provides legal support for Greenhouse’s DEI efforts and handles employment-related litigation matters. Alta is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at American University’s Washington College of Law where she teaches Human Resources Compliance.

Previously, Alta has held legal and employee relations roles at Okta, AstraZeneca, the D.C. Office of Human Rights and Marriott International. Alta began her career as an employment attorney at the Federal Bureau of Prisons and then at two national law firms, where she advised employers on how to comply with local, state, and federal labor and employment laws and litigated employment and labor union cases.
Alta is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park and Howard University School of Law. She resides in Washington, D.C. and loves to travel and spend time with her family and friends.

David Livermore, PhD (Michigan State University) is a social scientist devoted to the topics of cultural intelligence (CQ) and global leadership and the author of several award-winning books, including  Leading with Cultural Intelligence, Driven by Difference, and  Serving with Eyes Wide Open. His newest book, Digital, Diverse & Divided, addresses one of the most pressing issues of our day–how to overcome polarization in our personal and professional relationships.  

David is a founder of the Cultural Intelligence Center in East Lansing, Michigan, Research Professor at Questrom’s School of Business at Boston University, and a Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He consults with global organizations around the world, including the Harvard Business School, Google, Coca-Cola, the US Department of Defense, BMW, Qatar Airways, the United Nations, and dozens more. He has traveled to more than one hundred countries and is a frequent speaker at conferences. He also serves on several boards and is a Fellow with the Society of Leadership Fellows, Windsor Castle, a select leadership community that meets to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing us globally. 

David loves to make social science accessible to practitioners. He has been interviewed and referenced by myriad news sources, including The Atlantic , CBS News, Christian Science Monitor, The Economist, Forbes, NBC, the New York Times, USA Today,  the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal , and the South China Post.  

David and his wife, Linda, have two adult daughters, Emily and Grace. Emily is embarking on a career as a litigation lawyer, and Grace is a graphic designer. Some of their favorite family activities are traveling (fortunately!) and discovering new foods together. 

Maria is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Seramount. In this role, she supports organizations’ efforts to create more inclusive workplaces by providing valuable insights and resources via webinars, blogs, guides, infographics, and more. Prior to joining Seramount, Maria worked in enrollment marketing, diversity recruitment, college admissions, and K-12 case management.

Maria holds a degree in Social Work from Baylor University. She currently resides in Philadelphia, PA. In her free time, she loves trying new brunch spots, connecting with her women’s hiking club, and working on her indoor garden.

Colleen R. Billiot is a citizen of the United Houma Nation and serves as the Public Education Coordinator for the American Indian College Fund. She received a bachelor’s from Tulane University in international relations and master’s in conflict resolution from Georgetown University. Colleen had worked at every level of government before switching to the nonprofit sector and has been in the public relations field for 8 years. She served as the first Communications Specialist for the Administration for Native Americans. Colleen has also provided emergency communications and support during natural disasters and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana and Texas. She leads several cultural preservation and reclamation projects for her people, notably the Houma Language Project and Tasso Time. Colleen occasionally participates in speaking engagements on a range of topics such as Houma history in Louisiana, Indigenous cultural revival, and the need to go beyond land acknowledgements.

Eric served in the Army National Guard for 19 years. During his time in service he spent 8 years as an enlisted Solider and 11 as an Officer. He rose to the rank of Captain finishing his career in November 2021 as an Airborne Logistics Commander where his unit was responsible for supporting special operations units in the field. Eric is a graduate from the following Army schools: Officer Candidate, Logistics Officer, Captain’s Career Course, Airborne, Air Assault, and Pathfinder. Eric is also a combat Veteran serving in the Operation Iraqi Freedom Campaign in 2006, where he worked with local Iraqi Police forces to fight against insurgency in the streets of Ramadi.

Eric currently serves as the National Co-Chair for Valor, Liberty Mutual’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) dedicated to Veterans, current service members, spouse/partners, and allies. Eric’s work on this team has included supporting Veteran/Current Service member hiring initiatives, creating a robust mentorship program, elevating current service member benefits, and being a trusted advisor to Senior Leadership on military current events. Eric has been featured on “Veteran on the Move” podcast, Worklife.com news article on how remote work impacts Veterans, Benefitsnews.com on how Liberty Mutual’s ERG is supporting Veterans, and more. Eric began his insurance career with a degree in Risk Management & Insurance from Ball State University in 2006.

Upon returning from Combat in 2007, Eric began selling insurance with Nationwide and later State Farm. After obtaining his MBA, Eric went on to work for Liberty Mutual Insurance in 2011, where he continues to work today! Eric has held 8 roles during tenure at Liberty Mutual from front line adjuster and manager, to a more home office Director type of role that he currently holds today. Eric contributes his longevity with the company to not only his career progression and infinity for the work he does for the company and our policyholders, but the ability to help create and lead our Valor ERG.

Andrea Bighead is the project integrator for the System Integration, Test & Evaluation team for the Future Air Dominance Family of Systems program. She is a tribal member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma.

Andrea supports the Future Air Dominance Family of Systems, System Test, Integration, & Evaluation (SIT&E) team by organizing teamwork loads and working with leadership to ensure the team goals are met. She is the Virtual Native American Caucus (NAC) chair, one of Northrop Grumman’s Employee Resource Groups (ERG).

Andrea started her career at the Northrop Grumman Corporation as an administrative assistant in 2016. She joined the program integration team (PIT) in 2019 and has supported multiple programs. Most recently she supports the Future Air Dominance Family of Systems program where she continues to be a pivotal force with the team integration.