February Virtual: Talent Acquisition

Robert Foster is the AVP of Talent Acquisition at Amtrak, bringing a wealth of experience in full-cycle recruitment, vendor management, resource management, and client relations. With a career spanning corporate, RPO, agency, and consulting environments, he has developed expertise in high-volume recruitment, strategic hiring, and “just in time” talent acquisition. Robert is proficient in utilizing various Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), job boards, and social media platforms to drive recruitment efforts. His extensive professional network has been instrumental in successfully recruiting across commercial, public sector, and federal government sectors, positioning him as a leader in talent acquisition strategy.

Robert Kumengi is a seasoned Senior Talent Acquisition Executive with over 15 years of professional experience, including more than 5 years in leadership roles. He currently serves as the Director of North America Talent Acquisition at Eaton Corporation, a multinational power management company with annual sales revenue exceeding $24 billion. In this role, Robert leads a geographically dispersed team of over 50 talent acquisition leaders and consultants, managing a $9 million annual recruiting budget and successfully overseeing the hiring of over 9,000 employees in 2024.

Robert's career is marked by his strategic approach to talent acquisition, partnering with key business leaders to define talent needs and develop cost-effective recruitment strategies. His expertise spans both corporate and agency executive recruiting, with a proven track record of delivering excellent hires and driving significant cost savings.

Prior to his current role, Robert held various leadership positions at Eaton Corporation, including Talent Acquisition Manager for North America and Senior Executive Recruiting Consultant. His contributions have been instrumental in implementing new ATS systems and improving customer service processes, resulting in enhanced recruitment efficiency and competitive advantages for the organization.

Before joining Eaton, Robert served as Talent Acquisition Manager for the Americas at The Lubrizol Corporation, where he led a team focused on attracting and hiring top talent, achieving substantial agency avoidance savings and improving recruiting efficiency. He also held roles at Nestlé USA and Aerotek, Inc., where he honed his skills in technical recruiting and account management.

Robert holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Executive Management from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a double major in Marketing and Professional Sales from The University of Toledo. He is also certified in various recruiting disciplines, including Internet Recruiting, Social Sourcing, and Diversity Recruiting.

With strong analytical skills, executive presence, and a commitment to excellence, Robert Kumengi continues to drive impactful talent acquisition strategies that support organizational growth and success.

Shelly Gross, Vice President, Talent Experience and Enablement, is a dedicated leader with over 20 years of experience in Talent. Shelly has been recognized among clients and colleagues for her innovative approach to recruiting and maintains an industry reputation for operational excellence, developing high-performing teams, and superior execution.

During her tenure at Comcast, Shelly has held recruiting leadership roles in technology, corporate functions, shared services, and business operations. She led the implementation of Workday for the global talent organization at Comcast. In her current role, Shelly is responsible for shaping and building strategy as well as planning and leading the implementation and adoption of Comcast’s Talent products and solutions.

Shelly holds a BS in Business Management from Bloomsburg University, where she competed as a member of the National Championship Field Hockey Team. She is the proud owner of two Candidate Experience Awards, a Yale School of Management’s Fostering Inclusion and Diversity certificate, and a Half the Sky diploma. Shelly lives in Central Bucks County with her husband and son.

Kristen Baller is the Head of Talent Acquisition at DISH Network, where she leads diverse facets of the recruitment process, including University Relations, Employer Branding, Recruitment Marketing, Sourcing, Diversity Recruitment, and Referral Programs. 

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.

David Bach is a talent acquisition executive with over 15 years of leadership experience, specializing in recruitment strategy, employer branding, and operational efficiency. As Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Labcorp, David oversees a team of 75 professionals that generate over 18,000 hires per year, driving innovative recruitment strategies to support global expansion and scientific innovation. Previously, he held executive roles at DroneUp, AgileOne, and Cross Country Healthcare, where he led organizational transformations and implemented advanced technologies. A strategic and data-driven leader, David has a proven track record of aligning recruitment processes with business objectives to attract top-tier talent. He holds an MBA from Georgia State University and is passionate about building high-performing teams that drive organizational success.

Giselle Battley is the Head of Global Emerging Talent, Talent Acquisition at Yahoo. She has a proven track record in leading global teams and executing large-scale initiatives. With expertise in recruitment, DEI programming, talent engagement, and leadership of Business Resource Groups (BRGs), she is recognized for her impactful contributions to organizational growth and inclusive cultures.

Giselle’s credentials include certifications as a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE), Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Certified Lean Practitioner (CLP), and Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB). Her leadership has earned her notable recognition, including spots on The Power 100 List by Diversity Woman Magazine (2021) and RippleMatch’s Exceptional Leader for a Large-scale Enterprise award (2021-2023).

Specializing in global talent acquisition, strategic partnerships, and DEI programs, Giselle is a recognized expert in driving change through diverse and inclusive recruitment practices, executive reporting, and public speaking.

Shantra Laye (pronounced Shann-Trah), Global Talent Strategist and DEI Champion, is a distinguished Human Resources executive with over two decades of expertise in talent acquisition, workforce strategy, and executive relationship management. Formerly the Global Early Careers Leader at Delta Air Lines, Shantra led the Global Emerging Talent experience, significantly strengthening Delta's student talent pipeline and impact. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Hilton Hotel Corporation and Hertz Corporation, where she advanced innovative human capital initiatives to drive growth and foster strategic workforce transformation. Shantra is a sought-after speaker and panelist, frequently presenting at prestigious conferences such as the National Black MBA Association, SHRM, NACE,HackingHR, DisruptHR, and URx. Her executive presence, combined with her strategic acumen, allows her to influence senior leadership, cultivate meaningful relationships, and achieve business objectives through talent development. A proud Atlanta native with a heart for adventure, Shantra and her family love eating their way around the world, collecting passport stamps and savoring the unique local flavors of each new destination.

I'm an experienced recruiting leader. I am passionate about finding the right people for the right jobs.

I've worked with a variety of software and platforms, including Greenhouse, Lever, Jobvite, and more. I'm also proficient in a range of other tools like Canva, Google Workspace, Microsoft Suite, Hackerrank, LinkedIn Recruiter, Calendly, and Textio.

Learning is a big part of my life, and I'm constantly looking for ways to improve my skills and knowledge. I'm regularly reading tech blogs, researching new technologies, and taking online courses on platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Udemy. I believe that staying up-to-date on the latest industry trends is crucial to success in any field.

Generi Wilson is the Talent Acquisition Program Manager at Greenhouse Software, the leading hiring platform that helps companies get measurably better at hiring. Since becoming Greenhouse's first TA focused Program Manager, she's helped launch several strategic initiatives that have helped Greenhouse achieve its hiring goals and set the industry standard for great hiring practices.

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.

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.

LaToya Lyn has a deep passion for people, especially people in the workplace. Holding a dual masters in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, her professional experience spans from executive coaching to driving organizational changes and culture transformations for technology companies, globally. She's also worked in cognitive neuroscience, contributing to the world of human behavior and animal research. LaToya is also a 6x National DisruptHR presenter, ThinkHuman recurring contributor and a recent Harvard University continuing education in leadership alumni. Plus a recent nominee of the Workies 2019 HR Director of the Year awards and Top 100 Ethnic Minority/People of Color in Business Awards 2020, published by Yahoo! Finance. 

LaToya has also worked across many industries, including digital media, fashion, consulting and now technology. Leaders will walk away from her session with a clear plan of action, a stronger sense of optimism and more excited about leaning into their challenges and creating high impact results.

Steve is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gem. Before starting Gem, Steve spent 5 years leading engineering teams at Dropbox as it scaled quickly from 25 people to 1500. At Dropbox, hiring was the number one priority, so Steve was heavily involved in sourcing, recruiting, and managing hundreds of candidate relationships. It was there that he recognized the dearth of available technologies to nurture passive talent and provide efficiency to recruiting teams. This led him to co-found Gem in 2017. Steve has spent thousands of hours thinking about what's required to do top-notch sourcing and recruiting, and has many best practices and use cases to share. When he isn’t building Gem, you might find Steve surfing on the weekend, reading a good book, or taking hip-hop dance workshops.

Scott is a hiring expert and has spent his career building Talent technology. He was at LinkedIn Talent Solutions for almost seven years running the new product portfolio, Online Jobs and LinkedIn’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS).  He has a Master degree in HR, an MBA from London Business School, and is a certified instructor in Human-Centric Design. Scott founded Hireguide with Joel Young, a PhD in AI and Engineering Director at LinkedIn in 2021. Since then 10 more LinkedIn leaders have joined Hireguide. Hireguide is backed by top VCs, CEOs, customers and experts in hiring.

Paul Phillips is Global Head of Talent Acquisition and Onboarding at Avanade and leads a team across 26 countries. He brings the Avanade brand to life for its candidates and new hires, and provides an engaging, high-touch and consistent pre-board and onboarding experience. This reaffirms the new hire decision to stay and integrates our people into Avanade’s culture, core values, processes, and policies. 

Over the past 10 years, Paul has held several roles at Avanade including Global Head of Total Rewards and Global Head of HR Strategy and Operations. Prior to joining Avanade, he worked in senior HR strategy and consulting positions at CGI, PwC, and KPMG. Paul is based in New York, U.S.A.