Vahed Qazvinian is the cofounder of Praisidio, a leading HR analytics company focused on leveraging real-time metrics to predict and reduce employee attrition. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, specializing in natural language processing and machine learning. Previously at Google, he developed machine learning algorithms to provide answers to new types of natural language queries in over 10 languages.

Andrea Haan is the Global SVP, Talent at IRI.

Laurie Shumake is the  Vice President Global Talent Management at TD SYNNEX.

Kathleen Brenk is the Senior Director of Human Resources at Marvin. In this role, Kathleen leads Marvin’s more than 100-person human resources team, including HR business partners and talent acquisition experts. Kathleen designs strategic programs at practices at Marvin to deliver on the employee experience, ensuring the entire workforce is engaged, safe and leveraging Marvin’s values to do great work.

Kathleen believes in creative, strategic solutions and shaking up past practices to get things done smarter and faster. She is a Six Sigma greenbelt, with SHRM-SCP and SPHR credentials. With experience in everything from acquisitions to complex compliance issues to internal executive coaching, Kathleen brings a unique operational skillset with business-focused experience to engaging people practices.

Prior to Marvin, Kathleen held human resources leadership roles at TruStile Doors, CareerWise Colorado, Recondo Technology and Trust Company of America.

Sudha Solayappan is the head of people analytics and research at Intuitive Surgical. Based in Sunnyvale, Calif., the company is the pioneer and a global technology leader in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery. Sudha joined Intuitive in July 2014 and has held various leadership roles in HR Sudha has deep expertise in people research, employee engagement, strategic consulting, and modern talent practices. She is often defined as a people leader who is “mix of heart and head.” Combining deep research and practicality, Sudha can get to the heart of what is needed and is a master at crafting and motivating high-performing teams. Before Intuitive, she held progressive roles across BearingPoint, Amazon, and eBay in the people space. Sudha is an engineer by education (this is the heart and head mix!) and is a sought-after speaker.

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.