NorCal Lunch and Learn Facilitated Discussion
Join the SHRM NorCal Lunch and Learn to connect with members of the Northern California Community and participate in a small group discussion on a variety of topics facilitated by SHRM24 speakers from the San Francisco Bay Area. Grab your boxed lunch and join us for the lunch hour!
Small group discussion facilitators and topics:
- Networking Best Practices (Facilitator: Arun Bedi)
- How to navigate through challenging times (Facilitator: Bernadette Jones)
- California accommodations (Facilitator: Anthony Isola)
- AI HI in employment law (Facilitator: Eric DeWames)
- Best Practices for California HR Professionals (Facilitator: Trisha Zulic)
- HR Career Strategies (Facilitator: Mike Letizia)
- Employee Relations and managing a multigenerational workplace (Facilitator: Chris Rodman)
- How are you infusing more fun and play into your work (Facilitator: Jeff Harry)
Arun Bedi
Mr. Bedi joined Visa in 2014 in Asia Pacific leading its regional client engagement strategy. Recently, he led all sales learning and leadership development for Visa in North America. He is currently focused on helping organizations develop a coaching culture. Mr. Bedi has shared his thought leadership and expertise in this area at leading HR conferences, including the Conference Board (https://www.conference-board.org/events/engagementsummit)
Prior to Visa, Arun was with PayPal in Sales Enablement. Previously, he was with Dell Computers where he helped to develop an integrated go-to-market strategy for emerging markets. Before Dell, he was with Cisco Systems, in the client-facing strategic consulting practice.
In his early career, Mr. Bedi ran a successful US fintech startup to provide credit scoring for under-represented minorities. Mr. Bedi has also held assignments globally with Chase Manhattan Bank and Citibank. He started his career as a management consultant with Booz Allen & Hamilton, in the Financial Services practice. Mr. Bedi graduated from Cornell University with a BA, BSc, and an MBA. While at Visa, he pursued his Masters in HR at Cornell (awarded July 2023) with an emphasis on coaching and internal talent marketplaces.
Bernadette Jones
Bernadette Jones is a trailblazing HR leader with over 20 years of experience crafting "Culture-First" solutions across diverse organizations. As Human Resource Committee Chair at Richmond Art Center and Professional Development Chair for SHRM Northern California, she champions intentional inclusion and culture-first practices. Bernadette's innovative "Respect in the Workplace Starts With Me®" workshop series addresses crucial compliance and cultural issues. With SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications, she brings deep HR expertise to her roles. Bernadette's leadership in Visionova's participation in SHRM's National HR Registered Apprenticeship Program demonstrates her commitment to nurturing HR talent and enhancing workplace environments. Her work connects over 27,000 HR professionals across 16 SHRM chapters in Northern California.
Anthony Isola
Anthony an attorney that helps employers with legal issues affecting the workplace, including matters concerning the rapidly evolving subject of employee privacy. In particular, he assists employers with compliance with a variety of privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act. When providing guidance to clients related to legal issues concerning electronic employment data, Anthony draws on his prior professional experience as a software engineer. Anthony is a member of Fisher Phillips’ Privacy and Cyber Practice Group. He also frequently presents and authors articles on topics related to employment and privacy laws.
Eric De Wames
As Managing Partner, Mr. De Wames leads the firm’s employment law practice in its nine offices throughout California. A renowned trial attorney, he represents businesses in the full range of employment and labor law litigation with creative strategies tailored to the individual needs of his clients.
Eric is a vetted Trial Attorney and an expert advocate in the full range of employment law matters including wage-and-hour, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims. He brings particular expertise to representing clients in class actions and claims under the Private Attorneys General Act. He’s a skilled counselor for all forms of businesses, public entities and school districts in all matters before federal/state agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the Department of Fair Employment, and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the Office of Administrative Hearings, to name a few. Twice he was named one of California’s Super Lawyer Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters.
An engaging speaker, Eric conducts seminars across the state to assist employers in navigating California’s rigorous, ever-evolving compliance regulations, always with an emphasis on preventing litigation. He’s a published contributing author for Forbes and he co-authored MS&A’s e-book, “Navigating COVID-19: A Legal Guide for California Employers.” It’s a free resource for businesses in our state, regularly updated to reflect the changing pandemic landscape.
Eric is also an employment law expert consultant for Insurance Education Association (IEA) an organization dedicated to providing HR, risk managers and insurance carriers education on disability management and other employment-related compliance mandates. He advises on and is an editor for IEAs course materials and is a frequent guest lecturer.
Eric graduated from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento with distinction. He was on the Dean’s Honor List, and was a member of the Traynor Honor Society for Academic Excellence.
He’s a founding member of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Advisory Council, and supports a wide range of charities for human rights, animal welfare and access to health care.
Eric is proficient in written and spoken Spanish.
Michael Letizia, SHRM SCP
Mike Letizia is an accomplished, certified, senior human resource executive with over 35 years’ experience in the full scope of all HR functional areas. His last 23 years holding Director, Vice President, and President roles in HR. Mike is a subject matter expert in California employment law and is the author and developer of, “California Employment Law Essentials for Business” and has collaborated with SHRM in the development of education courses focused on California employment law.
Through his company, Mike provides full scope human resource services to over 30 small to medium sized business in California with a strong focus on training and development. He is a contracted instructor for SHRM delivering both virtual and face-to-face human resource education courses throughout the USA and California. He is also a frequent speaker at business and trade associations delivering presentations, workshops and courses on a variety of human resource topics.
Trisha Zulic, SHRM-SCP
Trisha Zulic, SHRM-SCP, has over two decades of experience specializing lean management, inclusive workplaces, training, and project management. She is widely recognized for her leadership roles and impactful speaking engagements.
Trisha has excelled in senior leadership positions, driving operational efficiency and leading strategic initiatives. Trisha is known for her ability to craft growth strategies, mentor professionals, and manage high-level business efforts.
In addition to her executive roles, Trisha is a sought-after SHRM instructor, captivating audiences with her deep knowledge of HR leadership best practices. This has made her a trusted advisor and partner to leadership teams and boards of directors nationwide.