Live 2025: Washington D.C.

Michael L. Trusty is Fannie Mae’s Vice President and Head of Talent and Learning reporting directly to Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer. Mike oversees all corporate talent  and learning programs, formulates strategies for talent acquisition, training, learning and development, and disseminating information through technology. He also leads the company’s education processes, institutes effective training strategies, and ensures the company is utilizing technology effectively to achieve its goals.

Prior to joining Fannie Mae in 2019, Mike served as the Head of DXC University at DXC Technology where he oversaw all learning and development activities for a $22 billion IT services business and managed teams that spanned five continents. He brings over twenty years of experience in the human resources, talent management, and learning fields. His past experiences also include time at Bank of America, Rolls-Royce, and other prestigious organizations.

Mike is active in numerous professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association, Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington, Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychologists, and the Human Resources Leadership Forum, where he served on the Board of Directors from 2009-2011. He also served on the Board of Directors for the CSC Charitable Foundation/DXC Charitable Foundation from 2015-2018. Michael has a Ph.D. and M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, and a B.S. in Psychology from Kansas State University.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about work, the job market, and women’s experiences in the workplace. Her work has appeared in the BBC, The Washington Post, Quartz at Work, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.

Matt Waesche is the Chief Learning Officer for BAE Systems, Inc., a U.S.-based defense company that generated 2023 sales of nearly $13.6 billion and employs nearly 41,000 people around the world, with major operations in the United States, United Kingdom, and Sweden.

In this role, he is responsible for leading and formulating the company’s corporate learning and development solutions and technologies as a strategic business process.

Matt has been an HR professional and leader for over 20 years, ending a 22-year career in the Navy as an HR Officer, and the last 16+ years with BAE Systems.

His career started in the skilled trades as a Navy Aviation Machinist, later earning his commission to the officer ranks upon completing his Bachelor of Arts at San Diego State University. As a Naval Aviator, he operationally served as a Helicopter Aircraft Commander and Functional Check Pilot, highlighted by the squadron leadership positions of Maintenance Officer, Communications Officer, and Quality Assurance Officer. Upon completion of his Master of Science in Leadership and Human Resource Development in 2001 at the Naval Postgraduate School, he served as a Professional Learning and Leadership Development Master Instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. In 2004, Matt laterally transferred to become an HR Officer, serving as a Workforce Strength Analyst/Planner at the Pentagon and an Officer in Charge of the Personnel Support Detachment at NAS Jacksonville. He retired from active service in 2008.

Matt started with BAE Systems Ship Repair in 2008, and in 2012 he moved to HR Shared Services as a Leadership Development Manager, HR Capabilities Manager, and Talent Manager working in the Talent Solutions Center of Expertise. In 2016, he returned to Ship Repair, where he rose to the Director of HR supporting five shipyards (Norfolk, Jacksonville, Mobile, San Diego, and Pearl Harbor). In 2020, he transferred to be the Director of HR in the Intelligence and Security sector, supporting both the Air and Space Force Solutions (ASFS) business area and the Corporate Infrastructure Senior Leadership Team. In 2022, he returned to the Talent Solutions Center of Expertise as the Chief Learning Officer.

Matt has served in leadership positions in the manufacturing and services communities, having held positions representing BAE Systems on workforce development committees and various industry boards.

When not working, Matt can be found enjoying the outdoor lifestyle with his wife Casey and family, residing in Falls Church, Virginia.

Laura M. Labovich, CEO of The Career Strategy Group, a boutique outplacement firm based in Washington D.C., collaborates with more than 120 companies, nonprofits, and associations across the nation helping them nurture their workforce through the inclusion of personalized outplacement services, career management services, and resilience and workplace training solutions.

In addition, The Career Strategy Group has helped thousands of job seekers around the globe manage their careers and land meaningful jobs they love.

Before founding The Career Strategy Group, Laura recruited nationwide for Walt Disney World, and developed the first college internship program at America Online. She is currently an adjunct professor at the Smith School of Business at University of Maryland where she teaches Career Search Strategies in Business.

Laura’s advice has been featured broadly in national outlets including The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Sirius XM Radio, Chicago Tribune, NBC 6 (Miami), along with dozens of others.

Laura is the co-author of 100 Conversations for Career Success: Learn to Network, Cold-Call, and Tweet Your Way to Your Dream Job, a 2013 top career book selection by FORBES.com.

Laura is so proud to be the President of Women Business Owners of Montgomery County.

Kristen Parisi is a reporter for HR Brew, specializing in workplace DE&I issues. She has been featured with other outlets including NPR, BuzzFeed, Refinery29, and CNN. Kristen began her media career in public relations, and spent nearly a decade coordinating media and messaging campaigns across business, technology, and consumer clients. She is also a passionate advocate for disability inclusion and representation in media, and earned a Gracie award in 2019 for these efforts.

Boma Anyaogu is a strategic leader, thought partner, and organizational psychologist with more than 15 years of experience driving change and delivering human-capital solutions for global companies. Her professional journey has offered her the opportunity to lead in various roles in organizational effectiveness, operations, change management, and diversity and inclusion, spanning several industries including tech, hospitality, food service, beauty, and manufacturing. Currently, Boma is a Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Compass Group, supporting the largest client account in North America and a top global client for Compass. In this role she provides strategic leadership and partnership to implement an enterprise inclusion strategy across all areas of the business. Boma is passionate about working with organizations to create opportunities and access for underrepresented communities and finding ways to innovate on the employee and customer experience. 

Prior to joining Compass, Boma led strategy and programs for the Inclusive Experiences and Technology division at Amazon. She has also worked at companies such as Marriott International, where she led the global employee-engagement program, talent management, and change management for digital products and experiences under global operations. As an advocate for purpose-driven work, Boma gravitates towards opportunities that are impactful and inspire transformation.

A native of Queens, NY, Boma holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She resides in the Washington, D.C., metro area with her husband and kids, and loves spending time with family and friends. She is a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoys learning about different cultures through travel.

Sunita Gupta Braynard is the Head of total rewards (Interim) at Under Armour. With extensive experience partnering with C-suite executives at Fortune 500 companies, she specializes in attracting and retaining top talent by designing and enhancing global total-rewards programs that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to drive cultural transformation. With a strong analytical background, Sunita stays ahead of industry trends, using data-driven insights to build financial models that support informed decision-making. Sunita received her master’s degree in HR from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business, as well as her master’s in business administration and management from Delhi University.

Daniela Proust is Senior Vice President, Head of People & Organization, for Siemens USA.

As a curious learner with a passion for people, sustainability and transformation, Daniela is committed to win, grow and bond talent, leverage ​digitalization and analytics and cultivate an environment of belonging and empowerment to drive continuous transformation​.

Daniela has been with Siemens since 2008, most recently in the role of SVP, Head of Global Learning and Growth in Munich, Germany, leading comprehensive skill and competency building through relevant learning and development experiences for all Siemens people across the globe. Prior to joining Siemens, Daniela worked as manager for Deutsche Telekom and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

She has a wealth of experience in strategy, transformation and sustainability—from leading Siemens’ learning transformation and driving a shift to personalized learning at scale to building sustainability partnerships and embedding Compliance into the company`s “DNA.”

Daniela is a graduate of the University of Hamburg with a degree in Business Administration. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business from Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and a Master of Business and Engineering from Steinbeis Hochschule Berlin, Technical University Dresden Kelly School of Business in the US and the University of Kitakyushu in Japan.

Daniela is based in Washington, D.C. with her husband, two sons and their family dog Mailo.

Victor Arguelles is the VP of global learning design and development for Marriott International. Starting as a public-school educator and then moving into the corporate world, Victor focused on optimizing learning experiences' efficiency and effectiveness. Currently, he leads a dynamic team in Training Delivery, Training Development, People Analytics, and Engagement, providing support in leadership skills training, competency modeling, succession planning, and more. Victor received his Ed.D. and M.A. in Education from the University of Central Florida, as well as his BSED from Central Connecticut State University.

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.

Adrienne Prentice is the co-founder and CEO of Keep Company, an innovative group learning platform. Powered by patented technology, expert coaches and a proprietary curriculum, Keep Company helps employers empower their teams with the connection and skills they need to succeed in a new era of work. Founded in 2022, Keep Company has been recognized by Forbes, Techstars and Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, and SHRM as a leading Workplace Innovation.

After a successful career as a technology attorney practicing at top law firms, Adrienne was recruited to build a global team of attorneys at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). While she was Vice President & Associate General Counsel at HPE, Adrienne experienced firsthand the unique challenges of being a working parent and the power of coaching. She then shifted her career to solely focus on talent management becoming a leadership coach and leading engagement and coaching efforts at a global organization.

After supporting countless clients battling loneliness and burnout, Adrienne leveraged her experience as a mother and coach as well as her background in talent management to develop a solution that equips top professionals with the critical resiliency skills to maximize success in work and life.

Adrienne holds a BS from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations and a JD from American University, Washington College of Law. While not working, she devours non-fiction and keeps company with her husband, two children and silver lab in Bethesda, Maryland.

Carlee Wolfe brings nearly 20 years of experience in talent management to her current role as Associate Vice President of Leader Development and Organizational Effectiveness at Hyatt Hotels. With a diverse background that includes leadership positions at Under Armour, The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and consulting across various industries, Carlee has honed her expertise in performance management, leader development, colleague experience surveys, and wellbeing programs. She has dedicated four years refining these skills and driving impactful initiatives at Hyatt.

Prior to her current role, Carlee led global change management at Under Armour, contributing to major transformation efforts within the organization. Her practical approach, coupled with her ability to build authentic relationships, has been instrumental in driving success in her various leadership roles. Carlee's passion for driving performance and fostering growth extends beyond her professional endeavors. Carlee serves in the Baltimore community volunteering at Kennedy Krieger Institute, dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults with care and research focused on pediatric developmental disabilities and disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal system. She brings a fresh perspective and a commitment to excellence to every project she undertakes, ensuring that individuals and organizations reach their full potential in today's dynamic business landscape.

Faith E. Pinho is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and the creator and host of a narrative podcast the Times is set to launch in Spring 2023. Faith has covered a dynamic range of stories, from California wildfires to weird-looking fish. Her reporting on the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election and the Jan. 6 insurrection earned national attention and awards. Faith is also an active member of her union and a mentor to student journalists. Aside from journalism, Faith is co-founder of the Crimson Community Mentorship Program, an organization to connect high school students with mentors in her hometown of Everett, Massachusetts.

Guy is the owner and founder of Westcomm, a full- service communications firm with expertise in employee and benefits communications, marketing and video storytelling. Over the past 25+ years, Guy has developed a passion for helping HR teams bridge the gap with employees. He champions communications that help employees really understand their benefits and, more importantly, how to use them effectively. Through segmented and personalized communications that leverage content and design in meaningful ways, the Westcomm team helps companies move the needle—from increased enrollment, greater education or improved engagement. Guy, a true marketer at heart, also partners with marketing departments to provide storytelling and marketing campaigns. He has helped shape communications initiatives for small business start- ups and established multi-national corporations. Prior to starting Westcomm in 2001, he ran internal communications for a global division of Visteon Corporation.

Julie is the VP of Consumer Marketing North America and Global Head of Acquisition for Prezzee, a global digital gifting company. Julie has held marketing leadership positions at several noteworthy companies including Hagerty, Fortune Magazine, Time Magazine, ASMALLWORLD and Condé Nast. In addition, she has developed an influential network of partners across industries from Exxon Mobil and Porsche to JP Morgan Chase and Google. Julie holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from New York University and is fluent in Mandarin. Outside of work, Julie enjoys raising her two daughters and traveling the world to gain new experiences.

Dr. Sunita Sah, author of the new book, “Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes,” is an award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology. She leads groundbreaking research on influence, authority, compliance, and defiance. A trained physician, she practiced medicine in the United Kingdom and worked as a management consultant for the pharmaceutical industry. She currently teaches executives, leaders, and students in healthcare and business. Dr. Sah is a sought-after international speaker and consultant, advisor to government agencies, and former Commissioner of the National Commission on Forensic Science. Her multidisciplinary research and analyses have been widely published in leading academic journals and media entities including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American.

Nicole is the VP of B2B Partnerships of Rula Health, a behavioral healthcare provider group enabled by technology. Rula’s mission is to make mental healthcare work for everyone through improving access, equity, quality, and a modern consumer experience to over 120m members that Rula covers today. Nicole has a proven track record in developing new channel opportunities, managing key partnerships, and leading high-performing GTM teams, she's achieved outstanding results across B2B verticals, with a special focus in the HR, healthcare, and wellness industries, most recently at ClassPass, Preply, and Kaiser Permanente. Nicole lives in San Francisco with her husband and their cat, and enjoys traveling, skiing, hiking and sharing a great meal with friends.

Greg Butler is an accomplished sales leader and customer success expert based in New York City. With a proven track record of driving sales, customer engagement, and revenue growth across multiple industries, Greg is passionate about connecting talent with opportunity and helping clients thrive. Over his career, he's worked for the likes of Indeed, LinkedIn, Asana, and Remote, where he currently serves as Sales Leader across their North American market based on the east coast. 

Naomi Dishington is the Director of consulting at Workhuman. Naomi is a seasoned leader who heads a team of Strategic Advisors, offering consultative services to global organizations seeking to cultivate high-trust, high-performing, and resilient cultures. Specializing in the design, implementation, and adoption of engagement programs, she helps businesses achieve measurable ROI across key metrics. Naomi is a strong advocate for leaders who aim to shape their organizational culture through recognition, growth, and authentic human connections, providing them with the tools and insights to build sustainable, thriving workplaces. Naomi received her MEd, as well as her BA in english language and literature from Framingham State University.

Balaji Padmanabhan, Professor of Decision, Operations and Information Technologies, has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and a PhD from New York University (NYU)’s Stern School of Business and has worked in the data science, AI/machine learning and business analytics areas for 25 years. His current work addresses the design of artificial and augmented intelligence solutions that combine data, machine learning and modeling the real-world through complex systems simulations and has broad applications across business, policy, media and healthcare. He has published extensively in data science and related areas at premier journals and conferences in the field and has served on the editorial board of leading journals including Management Science, MIS Quarterly, INFORMS Journal on Computing, Information Systems Research, Big Data, ACM Transactions on MIS and the Journal of Business Analytics. 

Heather Tinsley-Fix is a Senior Advisor at AARP, where she leads the organization’s work on employer engagement and helps drive AARP’s focus on providing workers 50+ with the tools they need to thrive in today’s work environment.  With a background in marketing, innovation, and program management, Heather works with employers and job seekers, external partners, and academics to provide thought leadership on 50+ labor market issues and create practical resources that enable employers to build age-inclusive organizations that capitalize on the value of experience.  She holds a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Literary Theory, both from the University of Exeter.

Mihae Ahn is an accomplished author and the Vice President of Marketing at LineZero. She has written two impactful books, The Stories We Tell and Perfectly Incomplete, where she shares her authentic and vulnerable journey, challenging the norms of personal development literature. Mihae’s storytelling approach fosters genuine connections, encouraging readers to reflect on their own lives and narratives.
In her role as VP of Marketing at LineZero, Mihae utilizes the 6PM (6-Pillar Marketing) Framework to create systematic and effective marketing strategies. Her approach helps businesses achieve measurable ROI by lowering customer acquisition costs and increasing customer lifetime value. Mihae is dedicated to optimizing and elevating employee experiences and internal communications, living by the values of People First, Be Like Gumby, and Do It Right.

Education: Indiana University, BA in Journalism and Spanish

Lauren Lynch is a Market Director for LHH Recruitment Solutions, where she leads teams specializing in placing HR, administrative, accounting, and finance talent across Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Throughout her career at LHH, Lauren has held diverse roles, including team management and development, client service, business development, and full-cycle recruitment. With expertise in job search strategies, resume writing, interview preparation, and essential workplace tools, Lauren is passionate about empowering professionals to achieve career success. She takes great pride in mentoring individuals, helping them build fulfilling careers, and guiding them toward their goals.

Jennifer White is a seasoned Talent Development Executive with over two decades of experience in
cultivating talent, driving organizational change, and championing cultural evolutions. Her career
spans industry-leading organizations such as Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Hilton, and Freddie Mac, where
she has consistently aligned learning strategies with business priorities and fostered a culture of
belonging. Jennifer's innovative leadership has significantly boosted employee engagement and
enterprise performance, making her a trusted advisor to C-suite executives.
Holding degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Business Leadership from Virginia
Tech, Jennifer emphasizes her own continued development through new certifications, her “daily
learning exchange” initiative, and active involvement in professional associations.
Jennifer believes in the power of work-life integration, where "the key to my success isn’t in achieving
balance, but in creating harmony between my personal and professional pursuits." This approach
allows her to be fully present where needed, whether dedicating herself to a four-week trip to Asia
with her family or working 80 hours a week for Freddie Mac's first-ever People Leader Summit. She
often navigates both worlds seamlessly, taking Teams meetings from the soccer field as the proud
mom to August (11) and Aurelia (10). As an avid sportswoman herself, Jennifer has completed eight
marathons and now enjoys staying active through shorter runs and daily Orangetheory workouts.
Together with her partner, Adam, she shares a passion for travel, constantly seeking new adventures
that inspire a lifelong love of exploration.

Kim (Tartavull) Bléhaut is a Partnerships Director at Lyra, where she helps companies evaluate the efficacy of their mental health programs. She has 10+ years of experience at high growth innovative companies. Prior to Lyra, she led Sales and Marketing for a HR startup. Kim studied Business Administration at Emory University and has a passion for mental health care after going through her own journey with care and seeing how broken the behavioral healthcare system is. 

Chinmay Malaviya is the co-founder and CEO of Ridepanda, a sustainable mobility benefits platform for employers. Ridepanda partners with leading companies and organizations like Amazon, Google, County of San Mateo to help their employees commute in a sustainable, flexible, healthier and fun way through subscriptions to e-bikes, pedal bikes and e-scooters. Ridepanda helps partner companies in lowering drive alone trips, reducing parking and congestion costs, providing a positive impact to an employee’s mental and physical health, and to our planet overall. Prior to founding Ridepanda, Chinmay led Lime scooter’s Strategy & Planning team in San Francisco. Fun Fact - this is not Chinmay’s first “panda” venture, as he was part of the founding team at Foodpanda - the leading online food delivery platform in Asia.