Live 2025: Atlanta

Crystal Hanlon is senior vice president and culture officer at The Home Depot. Crystal is responsible for driving the company’s culture development and strategy and oversees The Home Depot Foundation, The Homer Fund, events and internal communications teams.

Crystal began her career at the company in 1985 as a cashier in Texas while attending the University of Houston. During the last 30-plus years, she has held numerous positions and built a reputation for leading with The Home Depot’s culture and values at the forefront. Crystal served as customer services manager, assistant store manager, store manager, district manager, senior director of operations, merchandising vice president of décor, regional vice president of the Midwest and regional vice president of the Gulf Region. Most recently, Crystal served as president of the Northern Division, a position she held for eight years.

Crystal studied business management at the University of Houston.

Lauren D. Williams is Senior Vice President, Organizational Culture and Change Management at SiriusXM. In this role, Lauren is building a world-class organizational culture that creates shared practices, processes, beliefs and behaviors in support of business transformation. Additionally, she leads Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, integrating DEI&B by influencing how SiriusXM engages with employees, communities, and partners.
Lauren previously served as Chief of Staff to SiriusXM’s Chief Executive Officer, where she was a trusted advisor to the CEO and her direct reports. Lauren joined SiriusXM in 2019 with the acquisition of Pandora, where she held a variety of sales strategy roles since 2016. Prior to Pandora, Lauren spent nearly a decade at advertising agencies.
Lauren received a Master’s from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts from Kentucky State University, a Historically Black University. She’s a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®.

As an HR leader, I am beyond grateful to bring my extensive expertise in people management to various dynamic industries, including healthcare, hospitality, financial services, and telecom. My heart lies in solving challenging problems, fearlessly leading complex conversations at all levels, and unlocking the immense potential of culturally diverse teams through the power of technology. When not immersed in work, my adventurous spirit leads me to travel the world, having explored over 30 countries. Beyond my professional endeavors, I've taken on audacious projects, from curating a gallery for local Caribbean artists to spearheading digital content driving Intentional Inclusion. But…my true inspiration comes from my multi-hyphenate children and my beloved grand doggie: Chandler, Tristan, Schaefer, and Kingston (the Golden Doodle).

PulteGroup has been providing the American Dream of homeownership to families for more than 60 years and has delivered almost 800,000 homes to customers while fulfilling the company’s purpose of Building Incredible Places Where People Can Live Their Dreams.

In this role, Kevin is responsible for leading all people and compliance functions at PulteGroup.

Kevin is a seasoned executive with significant experience crafting human capital, talent and commercial strategies that position companies for explosive growth powered by strong performance-based cultures.

Kevin was most recently Chief People Officer at BlueLinx Corporation.  Prior to this role, Kevin has served over the last 27 years in Chief Human Resources and Chief People Officer roles at Extended Stay America, Snyder’s-Lance, Inc., Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated and Nationwide Credit.  In addition, Kevin has held senior human resources roles at Office Depot, Clorox, Pepsi-Cola, and Amoco Corporation.

Kevin currently serves on the board of directors of Saia Inc., a publicly traded logistics and distribution company as a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees and the African American Leadership Academy of Charlotte.

Kevin graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. degree in Industrial & Labor Relations and has earned additional certification from Harvard Business School.

Kevin and his wife Tina reside in the Chastain Park neighborhood of Atlanta and have two adult sons Tyler and Taylor.

Tiffany Clark, Global Head, People Solutions and Wellbeing at S&P Global shapes the strategic
direction of people services, health and financial wellbeing, product delivery and technology
initiatives to enhance the employee experience for over 40,000 professionals across 44
countries. With a decade long career in global human resources, Tiffany is recognized for
leading high-performance teams and driving innovation with specialties in digital transformation,
process optimization and data driven strategic planning.

Vitor Hugo Cid is the global head of HR Patient Care Informatics at Philips. 

Brie Harvey is a talent management leader and digital strategist who writes and speaks about trends within Human Capital Management and the future of work.

Having served in a variety of leadership roles for HR Technology companies over the last decade, she brings expert level knowledge of Total Rewards, L&D, talent acquisition, and how to cultivate workplace cultures that transform employee engagement and the Employee Value Proposition.

Passionate about the intersection between behavioral science, managerial effectiveness and technology, Brie has partnered with some of the world’s largest, most complex organizations to build high performance cultures centered around authentic appreciation, trust and inclusion.

In her role as an Employee Engagement Evangelist, Brie works with the research arm of Achievers, the Workforce Institute, to share data-based insights about how to enhance employee engagement and recognition strategies for a pandemic-era workplace.

Monica is the Global Head of Early Careers and Talent Pipelines at State Street.

In this role, Melanie is responsible for driving innovative recruitment strategies to meet the talent needs of the Building Automation business through management of Global TA delivery team and RPO partners. She manages a highly complex, matrixed division by partnering with HRLT, business, and functional leaders to meet workforce demands.

In her previous role at Bayer, Melanie was responsible for collaborative strategy and projects across all Centers of Excellence supporting global HR initiatives within Bayer. Melanie was also responsible for managing global budgets, leading Fairness & Respect at Work initiatives, and strategy for the Sr. VP of HR Innovations. Melanie previously led the North America Talent Acquisition team at Monsanto and was responsible for attracting talent to the organization.

Over the years, she has held various roles of increasing responsibility in Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, and temporary labor fields. Melanie has her Master’s Degree from Webster University in Human Resource Management and Development, and a B.S. Degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in Marketing Education.

Melanie is also very committed to her community. Prior to moving to Atlanta, she was Board Chair for Annie Malone Children & Family Services, Volunteer for United Way Allocations Committee, Co-President & Co-Founder of the Society of Multicultural Professionals in Human Resources, RBC YPN Steering Committee Member, and a part of Cohort 12 of the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative and St. Louis American Young Leader.

Kelly Yamanouchi is the  Business Reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Jon Lowe is Chief People Officer at DailyPay, the leading on-demand pay company. Lowe joins DailyPay after serving as Head of U.S. Human Resources at eToro and Head of Human Resources at Revolut, two prominent global fintech companies. He also spent more than seven years as an HR leader at Amazon. Jon's work as a leader within the HR space was integral in supporting the organizations through periods of hypergrowth and navigating rapidly-evolving talent and business environments.

Lowe is a graduate of Queen's University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology. He holds a Ted Rogers MBA in Strategic Human Resource Management from the Toronto Metropolitan University. Lowe is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), as well as a former committee member with the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA).

Dr. Syleecia Thompson is a visionary entrepreneur in entertainment (Music, TV, Film) and an Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship & Business. With extensive experience in the music industry, she has collaborated with celebrated artists like Syleena Johnson to create compelling content and music that uplifts and inspires. Combining her academic expertise with industry insights, Dr. Thompson shapes narratives that amplify diverse voices while fostering innovation and cultural evolution.

She's led successful projects such as talk shows, tours, films, and documentaries. A dynamic leader, she continues to redefine success in the entertainment industry through authenticity, creativity, and strategic vision.

Eldridge B. Banks is the Vice President of Human Resources at Kaiser Permanente Georgia. In his role he oversees, directs, and delivers HR solutions around culture design, change management, team effectiveness, workforce planning, equity, diversity and inclusion, employee wellness, and labor and employee relations.  The Georgia market is engaged in some extreme transformation and this is a great time to lean in on the strategic focus and structure of the organization to make the Georgia profitable while creating an amazing culture of people that experience Joy at Work.

Eldridge has more than 20 years of HR experience, previously serving as a HR leader for Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. Prior to Kaiser Permanente, Eldridge served as Vice President of HR at Aetna/CVS in Hartford, Conn., where he was responsible for the people agenda for the Transformation and clinical organization. His experience also includes six years as the Head of HR for National Dentex Corporation as well as at the Frito-Lay Division of PepsiCo, where he held various HR leadership roles of increasing responsibility supporting unionized and non-unionized employees within the headquarters, operations, and sales functions. 

Eldridge is a graduate of Florida A&M University with a focus in Industrial Psychology and received his masters from the University of Illinois in Human Resources and Industrial Relations.  He is married to his life partner, Michelle, and they have four children.  He enjoys volunteering, reading, and currently getting to know Atlanta.

Alex is a highly experienced employee engagement consultant, trainer and speaker. For over 15 years she has helped HR and business leaders implement strategies that drive true culture change.  Her wealth of knowledge comes from coaching and training thousands of managers from a wide range of industries across the globe. Alex focuses on providing organizations with proven practices that drive results for varied leadership styles and the multiple generations in the modern workforce. Her presentation will leave you motivated and better equipped to lead your organization on a path to a more engaged workforce, making the world a better place to work.

Laura Sherbin is Managing Director of Research and Consulting at Seramount. She is an economist who specializes in the creation of advantage through inclusion and diversity. Most recently, Laura was co-president at the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI) in New York City, a premier think tank and content provider that studies global workplace diversity.

Laura has co-authored several Harvard Business Review articles, including “How Diversity Can Drive Innovation,” “How Gen Y and Boomers Will Reshape Your Agenda,” and “Off-Ramps and On-Ramps Revisited,” as well as the Harvard Business Review research report titled “The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering, and Technology.” She has also taught a Women and Globalization course at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Laura built the rigorous data analytics machine and team that have been core to innovative approaches to measuring and tracking employee experiences. She is known as a leading expert in applying diversity and inclusion data to human behavior in organizations and using such data to quantify how workforce sentiments and satisfaction affect company bottom lines.

Laura holds a BS in math and economics from the University of Delaware and earned her PhD in economics from American University. She currently resides in Irvington, New York, with her husband, their four children, and their dog, Gus.

Jan is the SVP of HR at Gray Media Group.

Kayling Gaver, Tapcheck’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, has spent decades in HR and payroll, running businesses and managing thousands of pay checks. During this time, Kayling and her husband saw the financial gaps the two week pay cycle created for their employees, so after coming up empty handed trying to find a solution, they built Tapcheck. With her deep operational experience and extensive industry knowledge, Kayling guides Tapcheck’s day-to-day operations and inspires her team to continually seek out innovative solutions for employers and employees across the country.

Dr. Denise Harnois is a Transplant Hepatologist with 26 years of clinical and research experience devoted to improving outcomes of patients with liver disease and those who require liver transplant. She has previously served as the Medical Director of the Liver Transplant program at Mayo Clinic Florida, which is one of the largest in the world. Currently, Dr. Harnois also serves as an Associate Medical Director in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Contracting and Payer Relations, which focuses on ensuring patients around the world have access to Mayo Clinic’s specialty care. 

Jason Bills is an accomplished Strategic Sales and Global Employment Advisor, specializing in delivering innovative solutions to renowned global brands.

As an original member of Remote's sales, strategy and business development teams, Jason has been instrumental in working with the company’s VC portfolio, midmarket, and enterprise accounts. With a creative, results-oriented approach, Jason empowers companies of all sizes to seamlessly pay and manage full-time and contract workers across the globe.

Passionate about building impactful partnerships and creating an exceptional experience for each brand he works with, Jason is committed to driving client success in today’s dynamic global marketplace.

Yulia Denisova is VP, Talent and Development at Fanatics Commerce, the leading designer, manufacturer, and seller of licensed fan gear. She has nearly 25 years of HR leadership experience building, empowering, and managing global high-performing teams of varying scale, type, and autonomy.  Prior to joining Fanatics in August 2024, Yulia spent more than 11 years with The Coca-Cola Company where she held HR, talent, and development roles, and reengineered talent practices enterprise wide. Before that, Yulia was with BP (British Petroleum) supporting HR across Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, and the UK.

A native of Russia, Yulia lived in Eurasia before relocating to Atlanta during her time with The Coca-Cola Company. Yulia received a diploma in Philology and Linguistics at the Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow.  

Carla Zaldua is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record of transforming cutting-edge R&D projects into successful market innovations. She is the CEO of Emotional Hub, where she leads pioneering work at the intersection of voice technology, linguistics, and artificial intelligence. Her mission is to empower companies with tools that cultivate healthier, more motivated, and emotionally intelligent workforces—laying the foundation for happier, more productive workplaces.

In addition to her leadership at Emotional Hub, Carla is a founding team member of Code4Jobs, a forward-thinking startup focused on delivering essential digital skills training to unemployed individuals. 

Carla holds an MSc in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics. Her contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship were recently recognized when she was named one of the most influential women entrepreneurs by the Spanish government

Jason Burgamy is SHL’s Managing Director for the Americas and a member of its Global Operating Committee.  He has responsibility for the overall business performance in the Americas with his primary focus being to help drive successful business outcomes for the clients that deploy SHL’s talent solutions. Jason has been helping organizations build and optimize world class talent programs for 20 years. 

During his career, either directly or through the teams he has led, Jason has had the pleasure and responsibility of working with some of the largest and most complex organizations in the world across industries including technology, healthcare, financial services, consulting, energy, and retail.  Leveraging his education and knowledge of I-O psychology, Jason drives best practice adoption and improvement with his teams and clients. He has always placed great emphasis on ensuring alignment between organizational and talent strategies.

Jason began his professional career in consulting and account management with great organizations including the State of Tennessee, CEB/Garter, and PreVisor.  

Alexis Hauk has written for outlets, including TIME, The Atlantic, The Bitter Southerner, Garden & Gun, Atlanta magazine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, ArtsATL, American Theatre, and more. In 2024, she won the Atlanta Press Club award for best arts writing. Alexis spent a decade living in cities scattered across the U.S. (New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Los Angeles) before heeding the siren song to return to her place of origin, Atlanta, in 2018. Along with freelancing, she currently serves as Director of Communications for Emory Heart & Vascular and previously worked as a health communications specialist at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Other passions include theater, comedy, film, animals (particularly cats and sharks), and travel.

Carrie Teegardin is on the investigative team. She is a graduate of Duke University and has won numerous national journalism awards. She was a lead reporter on the AJC's award-winning Unprotected series, which prompted Georgia to reform its requirements for senior care homes in 2020. She was a lead reporter on the AJC's Doctors & Sex Abuse national investigation, which was a Pulitzer finalist. She was a lead reporter on the AJC's Borrower Beware series, which won a Gerald Loeb award in 2006. She has written extensively about health care, unfair business practices and the criminal justice system.

Kate Lavie is the Partnerships Director at Lyra Health.

Shabaz Ali is the Senior Director, Talent Acquisition Enablement, Experience and Brand Leader at Zillow.

Brandice Payne is the Head of Customer Marketing & Events at Gem and the creative force behind the bold and unfiltered WTF ‘what fix’ in Recruiting series. Known for sparking thought-provoking conversations, Brandice has hosted industry leaders to tackle topics such as AI in recruiting, budget constraints, and shifting candidate expectations.

Passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices in TA and exploring the intersection of technology and culture, Brandice creates space for honest, impactful dialogue that resonates across the recruiting industry.

Ernie Suggs has been a reporter at the AJC since 1997, currently covering race and culture, as well as a variety of breaking national news and investigative stories. A veteran of nearly 30 years as a newspaper reporter, he previously reported for newspapers in New York City and Durham, covering stories ranging from politics to civil rights to higher education. Since 2016, he has managed the AJC’s award-winning Black History Month project through AJC Sepia, the paper’s Black news curation site. He is the author of the book, "The Many Lives of Andrew Young," and the writer and producer of the Emmy-nominated hip-hop documentary, "The South Got Something to Say." A 1990 graduate of North Carolina Central University, with a degree in English Literature, Suggs was also a 2009 Harvard University Nieman Fellow. He is currently on the Nieman Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the former national vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Rocky Mount, N.C., his obsession for Prince, Spike Lee movies, Hamilton and the New York Yankees is unmatched.