2020 Talent Virtual Experience

Keynote Speakers

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP

Johnny C.
Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. With nearly 325,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 235 million workers and families globally.
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. Recently named one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s Capital by Washingtonian Magazine, Mr. Taylor is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, "Ask HR."
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, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm, and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
He is the author of the national bestseller, RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval, which delivers a candid and forward-thinking vision for leaders to reimagine their company cultures in a time of global upheaval and presents data-driven strategies to make the necessary foundational reset of all things work. Immediately upon its release in September 2021, RESET was in the top three of the Wall Street Journal’s list of best-selling hardcover business books. All author proceeds benefit the SHRM Foundation, which is committed to empowering HR as a social force for change.
Mr. Taylor sits on several corporate boards, including as Lead Independent Director of XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO) and as an Independent Director of Guild Education and Flores & Associates. In addition, he dedicates himself to non-profit organizations, serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami and as a Trustee of the United Way Worldwide. Mr. Taylor was appointed chairman of the President’s Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and as a member of the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board during the Trump Administration.
The Women Business Collaborative (WBC) named Mr. Taylor as one of its 2023 Trailblazers in Gender Equity and Diversity for his work to achieve equal positions, pay, and power for all women in business. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management, and he was named 2021 ALA Professional Society CEO of the Year by CEO Update.
He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.

Joe DeLoss

Joe
DeLoss
Joe DeLoss is building a fried chicken empire by changing perspectives on HR and workforce development. Though his career began as an investment bank analyst, Joe quickly left the cubicle to combine his passions for entrepreneurship and community impact.
With ten years and dozens of ideas behind him, Joe has now struck a nerve with his newest adventure, Hot Chicken Takeover. The restaurant concept sells delicious fried chicken in an environment reminiscent of a family reunion. HCT has earned critical acclaim as a breakout brand in its segment and is currently taking over the Midwest.
To support expansion of the concept, Joe relies on an unconventional workforce and HR strategy. The majority of his team members have experienced significant adversity in their past – ranging from addiction, to homelessness, or incarceration. This is a message Hot Chicken Takeover isn’t shy on communicating. For Joe, this approach is far from charitable; it’s the lynchpin of HCT’s success.
Joe’s dedication to fair-chance employment, social entrepreneurship, and vulnerable leadership has allowed him to impact the lives of thousands of people. As Joe continues to build, he is sharing his story with national audiences across the country – including The Today Show, Forbes, Harvard Business School, Politico, the Rachael Ray Show and more.
In 2018, Joe was selected as International Endeavor Entrepreneur for his commitment to scaling impact. Joe has also served as an adjunct instructor at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business and John Glenn School of Public Affairs. He also maintains seats on several business and community boards.

Dr. Joy Harden Bradford

Dr. Joy Harden
Bradford
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford is a Licensed Psychologist, Speaker, and the host of the wildly popular mental health podcast, Therapy for Black Girls. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana, her Master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from Arkansas State, and her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from The University of Georgia.

Her work focuses on making mental health topics more relevant and accessible for Black women and she specializes in creating spaces for Black women to have fuller and healthier relationships with themselves and others. She has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Bustle, Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Women’s Health, BuzzFeed, Teen Vogue, and Essence. Dr. Joy lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and two sons.

John Register

John
Register
John Register is a modern-day renaissance man and one of the most authentic interactive keynote speakers of our time.
From four-time track and field all-American to Gulf War Army veteran to amputee to Paralympic silver medalist, John has never allowed adversity to hold him back. He continues to hurdle adversity and turn obstacles into opportunities and show others how to do the same.
During a training session in Hays, Kansas, Register, the 8th fastest 400m hurdler at the time, landed awkwardly dislocating his left knee. His artery behind the kneecap was blocked. A 11-hour vein graph surgery was conducted but was inadequate. 5 subsequent operations were not able fully save the limb. Register made the decision to amputate his leg, and his dreams. Armed with this new determination, John decided to take a new step every day.
It began with swimming. His steps to the pool each day resulted in making the Paralympic swim team. He then turned his attention back to running. He and his prosthetist crafted a running leg which took John to the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where he won the silver medal in the long jump. With his previous goal now accomplished, John turned his sights on creating opportunities for people with disabilities by utilizing the lens of sport.
His post athletic career accolades are equally impressive as he founded the United States Olympic Committees Paralympic Military sport program which assist wounded, ill, and injured service members in their recovery to a healthy and active lifestyle and serving in a variety of capacities to include special advisor to two U.S. Secretary of State on disability foreign policy and being a U.S. Sports Diplomacy Ambassador (Envoy). As a highly sought-after keynote speaker, John believes in audience engagement and collective learning. In either his interactive keynote address, or half day training sessions, experiential learning is at core of each presentation.

Opening Remarks & General Session | Battling Unconscious Bias for Underrepresented Talent Pools
Monday, April 20, 2020 - 10:00am to 11:15am
David Scott

David
Scott
David Scott is the Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at DISH Network in Englewood, Colorado.
DISH Network is a connectivity company that has been a disruptive force in the pay TV industry since 1980 and is now planning to disrupt the wireless industry by launching the United States’ first standalone 5G broadband network.
David leads the Global Human Resources team, with accountability to deliver the human capital to achieve DISH’s business aspirations. Since joining DISH in 2018, he has driven a full HR revolution, positioning the organization for significant growth as they prepare to enter new business lines. In addition to HR, he oversees other aspects of team member experience, including real estate, construction, travel, and corporate dining.
David began his professional career at Walmart directly after college. He held levels of increasing responsibility in most HR disciplines through his 20 years in the Company. David helped form the then-fledgling HR organization, transforming the hiring, diversity and employment practices during his time, as well as leading all major business partner functions. When he left the retail giant, he was serving as the SVP of Talent and Organizational Effectiveness. David is a graduate of the University of Florida (go Gators!) with a degree in Business.

Lina Graves

Lina
Graves
Lina has served as a Human Resources leader for nearly 20 years. Early in her career, she founded a consulting agency, ISE Group, Inc. where she provided organizations with Human Resources support with a dynamic focus on workplace culture. In 2011, Lina decided to join one of the largest post-acute providers of healthcare in the country, Genesis Healthcare. As a Human Resources leader for Genesis, she spent 7 years focused on leading a team of Human Resources professionals in providing the highest level of service to nearly 24,000 employees. During her tenure with Genesis, Lina led the creation of a sustainable workplace culture centered around treating team members with care, love and compassion.
After spending many years with Genesis, Lina’s focus returned to consulting with organizations in an effort to successfully create unmatched cultures and build employer branding that set each organization apart and made them the employer of choice within their industry. Today, Lina is the Chief People Officer for Hirschfeld Properties, a real estate development and property management company based out of New York that serves communities across the country. In her role at Hirschfeld, Lina has focused her attention on building work environments where employees feel valued, respected and loved by the organization they support.
Additionally, Lina’s passion for creating sustainable workplace culture continues on through her latest venture, Culture ConNext, Inc. Culture ConNext is an organization dedicated to creating the highest attainable levels of culture for the clients they serve. Culture ConNext has also established an annual conference where leaders across multiple industries come together every year with the collective goal of improving culture in their organizations. Lina’s goal with establishing Culture ConNext is to have a positive impact in workplace culture that ultimately leads to the creation of a kinder world.
People who know Lina say she is a devoted leader of people who thrives in environments where she can make a difference by improving how individuals feel about the organization they support. Lina strongly believes that leading from the heart is the most rewarding approach to leadership and she goes above and beyond to educate her partners on the importance of employees feeling “safe” and included in the workplace. Above all, Lina is passionate about building meaningful relationships with everyone she comes in contact with. Lina’s motto is in life is to be kind in every interaction and to leave a lasting positive impact on every single life she touches.
On a personal note, Lina enjoys spending time with her husband and four children at their home in sunny Florida. Lina enjoys the beach, traveling, and exploring different cultures while immersing herself in the beautiful and diverse world we share. She loves sharing details about her own culture and her heart ignites when she talks about her home country of Colombia.

Moderator:

Nick Schacht, SHRM-SCP

Nick
Schacht, SHRM-SCP
Nick Schacht is a highly experienced executive with more than three decades of experience in professional services, education, and corporate learning and development. He has a history of driving product innovation, growth and profitability, and he has led organizations operating worldwide.
Schacht is Chief Global Development Officer for SHRM, the world's largest HR professional society. Before joining SHRM, he was the founder and CEO of KnowCyber, a learning and development company focused on improving the cybersecurity-related skills of people in all types of organizations worldwide. Prior to KnowCyber, he was President and Chief Operating Officer for PetroSkills, a provider of training and development services to the worldwide petroleum industry. Prior to that, he was CEO and President of Learning Tree International, a publicly traded provider of IT and management learning and development. Schacht was also the President of Global Learning Systems, a start-up focused on e-Learning and digital content. He served in a variety of capacities at ESI International, culminating in his role as President when ESI was sold to the Institute for International Research (IIR) and then as Group President for the Americas for IIR. He has been a Research Fellow at the Logistics Management Institute, and began his career as a U.S. Navy Supply Officer, on the headquarters staff of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
Schacht graduated with honors from the U.S. Naval Academy, and holds Master's degrees in Administration from the University of Maryland University College and Information Systems Technology from The George Washington University.

General Session featuring a Panel of Talent Executives | Innovative Talent Strategies to Transform Your Workforce
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 1:30pm to 2:30pm
Matthew Luhn

Matthew
Luhn
Matthew Luhn is an accomplished storyteller, instructor, motivational keynote speaker, and story consultant, with over 20 years’ experience creating stories and characters at Pixar Animation Studios. Alongside his story work in Hollywood, Matthew works with Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and other professionals how to craft and tell stories that bridge the gap between business and heart to build stronger brands and business communication.
Matthew’s most recent clients include Adidas, Target, Coke, Procter and Gamble, Facebook, Warner Brothers, Sony, and Google.
Matthew’s story credits include Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Monsters Inc., Monsters University, Finding Nemo, UP, Cars, Ratatouille and other films currently in development.
With over 20 years experience creating and developing dozens of films, TV shows, and video games, at Pixar, The Simpsons, ILM, and other studios, Matthew Luhn knows what it takes to create memorable stories with enduring characters. From filmmaking to business, Matthew’s story talks are beneficial to anybody wanting to improve their story skills, or learn the persuasion of great storytelling. In Matthew’s story seminar, he will share his process for creating new ideas and characters, how to develop great stories and story structure, and how to realize your story ideas from script to storyboards to finished product.

LIVE ONLY! Closing General Session | How to Use Storytelling to Recruit the Best Talent for Your Organization & Closing Remarks
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 - 11:30am to 12:30pm