IOHRM

We are thrilled to have such a fantastic collection of experts and industry leaders presenting at the 2024 HR Summit!

International experience coach, executive advisor, keynote speaker, and author

Kalifa Oliver, Ph.D. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalifaoliver/) is an international experience coach, executive advisor, keynote speaker, author, and expert on building brilliant experiences using people-centered design and analytics. She has consulted for several companies and industries including tech start-ups, non-profits, and Fortune 500 companies to help them reposition their culture and employer value proposition - with a focus on employee experience and people analytics. She is also a dynamic speaker who coaches leaders on reaching their leadership goals through taking control of their voice, space, and energy, and through walking into their Main Character Season. She is the author of I Think I Love My Job: Secrets to Designing a People-Centered Employer Value Proposition (That You Can Actually Boast About) a must read book for professionals and executives connected to the HR space.

A native of Trinidad & Tobago, Dr. Oliver has her Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Clemson University, Certification in People Analytics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and is a proud graduate of Benedict College, an HBCU in Columbia, South Carolina.

Co-Founder and Director of Research at the Vela Institute

Professor of Psychology at Appalachian State University

Dr. Shawn Bergman’s (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-bergman/) work reflects his dedication to use science, psychology, data, and technology to solve organizational problems, help individuals make positive changes, and improve peoples’ lives. He is a Professor of Psychology, the founder and director of the HR Science Research Team, and the co-founder the Center for Analytics Research and Education at Appalachian State University. Shawn is also the co-founder and Research Director at the Vela Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to using evaluation and data to increase educational outcomes. Dr. Bergman has published 46 academic articles, co-authored over 120 professional and technical reports, and given over 150 keynote addresses, invited talks, workshops, and conference presentations and has consulted a number of public and private sector organizations to address pressing issues using data, analytics, and evidence-based practices.

Director, HR Services, WCI, Inc.

Wendy Ratcliff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-ratcliff-b-s-sphr-shrm-scp-7442157a/) is Director of HR services with WCI. She works with members on a daily basis to provide advice and counsel on leadership, human resource initiatives and problem solving. In addition, she develops and delivers training programs, HR Audits, policy development, and facilitates meetings in multiple locations.

Wendy received a B.S. degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resources. She is also certified as a SPHR (Senior Professional of Human Resources), SPHR and SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional). Wendy was selected from over 120 candidates to speak at the NC-SHRM convention in 2019, spoke at the NC Trucking Conference in 2020, and various local SHRM chapters. She serves of the Board as Secretary for Gaston HR. Prior to joining WCI, Wendy developed and managed the human resource function for a software development company with locations in six states and 600+ employees.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, exercising (the best stress relief), listening to podcasts, home decorating, watching sports, boating on Lake Norman and all things outside.

Senior Analyst Organizational Effectiveness at Home Depot

Donovan Mattox (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddm90/) is currently serving as a Senior Analyst in Organizational Effectiveness at The Home Depot. With several years of experience in Human Resources and more than four years in analytics and research, Donovan has a proven track record of transforming complex problems into actionable solutions that benefit a wide range of stakeholders.

Donovan's expertise extends to coordinating team efforts during new client transitions, ensuring project deadlines are met even in post-disruption scenarios. His ability to synthesize data and provide insightful analysis has been instrumental in maintaining project timelines and delivering high-quality outcomes.

Donovan is a former Assistant Director of the HR Science Research Team at Appalachian State University, where he played a pivotal role in advancing analytics and organizational research. His work included identifying and addressing pain points in various internal processes, such as volunteer recruitment and lack of organizational documentation and policies, and developed effective solutions which lead the foundation for HR Science’s current success.

Donovan holds a Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and is a certified SHRM-CP. His dedication to research and practical application in the field of HR makes him a valuable asset to any organization and a sought-after expert in his domain.

Government Contractor at The Nakupuna Companies - Business Analyst within the Department of Defense

Luke Vavricka (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukevavricka/) grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota where he spent a lot of time alpine skiing, mountain biking, and kneeboarding on Franklin Luke received a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth where he studied Psychology and Business. Luke graduated from Appalachian State University with a Master of Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology & Human Resource Management and a Master of Business Administration degree in 2023. He currently lives in Washington, DC where he works for the Nakupuna Companies as a government contractor within the Department of Defense. His role is a Management Analyst position within the Office of the Performance Improvement Officer and the Director of Administration and Management – Business Operations Office. His office provides administrative support to all DoD entities within and outside the Pentagon.

People Analytics Consultant at NiSource

Annie Jankura (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniejaglic/) is a People Analytics Consultant at NiSource, where she creates data-driven insights that enable leaders and HR teammates to make strategic decisions, optimize workforce performance, and cultivate a positive employee experience. She enjoys leveraging her prior experience as a Learning Consultant to build analyses and self-service dashboards that are intuitive and easy to understand, making it simple for others to access, interpret, and act on information. 

 Annie has a M.A. in I/O Psychology & HR Management from Appalachian State University, a B.S. in Psychology from Kent State University, and a SHRM-CP certification. She lives in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she enjoys scuba diving and running with her dog (Todd Chavez).

VP, Global Compensation Operations at Marriott International

Kea Kerich (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kea-sherwood-kerich-a4361114/) is a leader known for driving innovation and efficiency in HR business processes with over 15 years of experience in the HR and Technology field. As VP of Global Compensation Operations at Marriott International, she leads strategic initiatives to utilize technology to further increase employee engagement, optimize talent management, and streamline HR processes.  In previous roles with Marriott, Kea led the Learning HR Technology and Reporting team and managed the company’s first HR Analytics tool and automated dashboards. She also has extensive experience partnering with 3^rd party vendors (e.g. SAP and Oracle) and executing numerous large-scale HR Technology implementations for over 700,000 associates.

Kea holds a MA degree in I/O Psychology and HRM from Appalachian State University and a BS in Psychology from Davidson College.  She lives in Charlotte, NC and in her free time she enjoys spending time with her 3 children and husband, daily workouts (running/biking), listening to music (afrobeat’s is always a favorite!) and traveling.

Business Intelligence analyst at Equitable

Galen Williams (https://www.linkedin.com/in/galen-williams-5ba21813/)is a Business Intelligence analyst at Equitable, a financial services company with a 160-year legacy of helping people with financial advice, protection, and retirement decisions. Galen plays a crucial role in leveraging data analytics to provide valuable insights and reporting on various aspects of the employee experience and employment lifecycle.

Having celebrated his 25th anniversary with Equitable in March, Galen brings a wealth of experience to his role. His prior experiences as a manager, trainer, Six Sigma Black Belt, and business analyst have equipped him with a diverse skill set and a deep understanding of various business functions. This enables him to approach data analysis from a holistic perspective by combining his understanding of the operations together with the data to bring insights to life.

Galen is a proud graduate of Appalachian State University, with a major in Business Administration and an emphasis in Management.  He is also the current co-chair of the Equitable Military Appreciation Network employee resource group, an active member of the Sons of The American Legion, an Eagle Scout, and avid lover of anything outdoors.  He lives in Monroe, North Carolina with his wife, who went on their first date together after a Friday morning class at Appalachian.

Partner at Fisher Phillips 

Bryan Holbrook (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanholbrookemploymentesqva/) is a partner in Fisher Phillips’ Charlotte and McLean offices, where he focuses his practice on employment litigation and counseling. His practice includes representing employers in state and federal courts, as well as those with charges pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, and parallel state agencies.

With almost 600 attorneys in 41 offices across the United States and Mexico, Fisher Phillips is an international labor and employment firm providing practical business solutions for employers’ workplace legal problems. Bryan advises and counsels clients on issues surrounding wage and hour, employment discrimination and harassment, litigation, workplace safety, immigration, trade secrets and non-competes, and more.

Director, HR Business Partner at Reynolds American

Morgan Powers (https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganrjpowers/) is a Director HR & People Operations Partner with a background in leadership coaching, employee relations, talent and performance management, and HR process optimization. She works closely with leaders across the organization to drive a people-first approach, leading the strategic implementation of the HR agenda for the functions she supports.

Morgan’s career is concentrated in the CPG space, and she currently sits as Director HRBP Marketing for Reynolds American Inc. For the last several years, she has served multiple functions, as well as Research & Development and Corporate, in the business partner space. Morgan is an alumnus of the IOHRM Masters Program at App State and, in support of the program, co-founded the IOHRM Professional Foundation sitting on its board of directors. She spends her free time mentoring students at local universities who are pursuing HR and Psychology careers, and is loving life in Winston-Salem, NC where she resides with her husband and their three children.

Director of Employee Relations & Compliance at Reynolds American

Since 2020, Rita Barsz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-barsz-82294850/) has worked in Employee Relations for Reynolds American. During her time in Employee Relations, she has served as Lead Investigator for all functions, but has recently begun to focus her attention on the Marketing and Operations functions. Rita is responsible for workplace practices, helping guide employees through HR policies and practices, and supporting Operations with labor relations issues. Prior to joining the Employee Relations team, Rita worked as a Lead Manager for the HR Analytics team and helped with a global restructure project which included analysis on optimal organization design. Rita also worked in the Health & Wellness space at Reynolds where she consulted on benefits offerings and created processes and controls for different benefit plans. 

Prior to starting her career at Reynolds American in 2016, Rita worked at Oracle Packaging, where she was an HR Generalist with a focus on benefit administration. 

Associate Director, Learning at Collins Aerospace

Victoria Macindoe (https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-macindoe-14b98242/) is an Associate Director, Learning at Collins Aerospace, an RTX business. Victoria joined Collins in the UK in September 2014 as an L&D Specialist bringing 7 years of HR experience. She then moved to a HR Business Partner role in July 2015 before moving to North Carolina in March 2020 for a leadership development project position, later becoming a Talent Lead managing the talent management, learning and development, change and DE&I activities for a business segment in Collins.

Victoria now leads a team of facilitators and student programming for Collins. The main focus areas for the last 12 months have been to create an internal facilitation team and the Collins wide rollout of a new leader development experience, including the international rollout.

Victoria earned a master's degree in human resources management from the University of Portsmouth and is currently working towards becoming an Associate Certified Coach from the International Coaching Federation.

Senior Manager, Strategic Talent Projects at Collins Aerospace

Lindsey Wuerfel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-wuerfel/) is an Senior Manager, Strategic Talent Projects at Collins Aerospace, an RTX business. In this role, she is responsible for supporting key initiatives across the Talent Center of Expertise (COE).

Lindsey joined Collins Aerospace in 2019 as an HR intern in the Interiors strategic business unit. She then served as an HR business partner, supporting global program management and business development teams. In 2022, she joined the Office of the CHRO as Manager for HR Strategy and later was promoted to Chief of Staff to the CHRO. Prior to starting her career in HR, she worked in higher education and student affairs.

Lindsey holds a master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management and an MBA from Appalachian State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of South Carolina.

Sr. Manager, Talent Acquisition Programs at HD Supply

Alanna Dingler (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alannacremo/) serves as a Sr. Manager, Talent Acquisition Programs for HD Supply in Atlanta. Alanna is an enthusiastic and passionate HR professional with a track record of successful contributions in various areas of human resources including training & development, learning, organizational development, performance management and talent acquisition. In her current role she supports the business in building out talent pipelines for the business in Early Career, Veterans and DEI.  She finds greatest success in helping individuals achieve their goals.  When Alanna’s not busy at career fairs, internship events and strategizing for future pipelines, she likes to spend time with her three children and husband.

Ron Garrow (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rgarrow/) is an executive leader who brings expertise in managing and communicating change to employees and facilitating initiatives that ensure organizations remain aligned with overall goals. 

 At Gartner, Ron worked with Chief Human Resources Officers [CHROs] in financial services, healthcare, life sciences, and manufacturing to advance mission-critical priorities. As a single source of knowledge and insight, his work has been instrumental in advising clients in preparation for board presentations and engagement. Under his leadership, clients credit Ron with guaranteeing that HR is viewed and contributing as a strategic business partner.

During his previous position with PPD, where Ron served as CHRO, he provided HR oversight and support for 30,000+ employees in 98 offices across 47 countries. He was a trusted advisor to the CEO and executive committee and a member of the board’s HR and compensation committee. Among his achievements, Ron transformed HR into a strategic role. In partnership with finance and legal, he led initiatives to take the company public in 2020. He also diversified the workforce and built the company’s capability in key markets, including China and India.

Earlier, Ron served as the CHRO with Belk, working closely with the CEO on margin improvements, inventory, and private brand growth. For publicly traded MasterCard, Ron maintained accountability for global human resources in 210 countries. His work was exceptional; he transformed the HR team, implemented Workday, modernized the benefits plan, and worked closely with the CEO to overhaul the culture and company into a respected technology brand in global payments.

For nearly six years, Ron worked at Bank of America, where he was promoted to Senior Vice President based on his ongoing contributions to the HR function. With a team of 1100+ global training professionals and a $225M budget, Ron facilitated talent planning and leadership development. Earlier, Ron developed his skills with Wachovia Corporation, holding numerous positions of increasing levels of leadership. In 2010, the company garnered recognition as one of Training Magazine’s Top 125.

Ron is currently an Advisory Council Member for Lovell Minnick Partners and an Operating Partner for the Vistria Group. Ron is also a member of the board of trustees of the Gray Stone Day School and a former member of Pfeiffer University’s board of trustees and Network for Teaching Entrepreneurs. He completed his Master of Business Administration from Pfeiffer University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina. He resides in Kure Beach, NC.