Jack E. Appleman, prominent writing/communication coach and author of 10 Steps to Successful Business Writing—2nd edition (ATD Press), is driven by the belief that working professionals can dramatically improve their writing by following straightforward techniques.

His workshops and coaching for companies such as Wells Fargo, AMD and Bayer have helped thousands of individuals achieve better outcomes from their writing.

As president of Successful Business Writing, Jack brings more than 25 years' experience as a trainer, professor and communication professional. He has been a frequent speaker and has published many articles on effective communication, including a column for Ragan.com, Communicating with Feeling: 3 Keys to Breakthrough Employee Messaging.

In 2014, Jack received the Charles T. Morgan Award from the Northern New Jersey chapter of the Association for Talent Development for lifetime excellence in learning and performance. A professor since 2001, he teaches Business Communications at New York University. He received his accreditation in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America.

Jack earned his B.A. in Communication from Ohio State University and his M.S. in Journalism from Ohio University. He is a doctoral candidate at UAlbany, exploring the link between employee-manager communication and workplace engagement in pursuit of his Ph.D. in Organizational Communication.

Emily Lin is a Global Learning & Development executive dedicated to enabling people and organizations to thrive. With a foundation in Strategy and Transformation Consulting, she brings a unique perspective on how L&D drives meaningful and lasting organizational change. Emily is a certified executive coach and change management professional with extensive international experience, partnering with leaders to position talent development as a strategic lever for execution and growth.

As Senior Vice President and Head of Talent Acquisition at Ipsos, Andrew leads a high-performing team driving the talent strategy for one of the world's largest research organizations. With over 15 years of experience in recruitment, Andrew brings deep expertise in building data-driven, inclusive, and operationally efficient talent strategies that help organizations attract, hire, and retain top talent.

A recognized advocate for diversity and inclusion, Andrew is Textio certified and passionate about interrupting bias in hiring and fostering more equitable workplaces.

As a Senior Executive Recruiter at Google, a promotion she earned in April 2024, Mathilde is at the forefront of leadership hiring for the Product, Technology, and Generative AI sectors, focusing on Level 8+ positions. She serves as a trusted advisor to leaders in emerging technology fields, such as Google's Labs division, guiding recruitment strategies for a complex and growing talent ecosystem of over 1,800 full-time employees. Mathilde has a proven track record of placing top-tier talent, having successfully hired over 50 Director+ candidates in 4 years.

Mathilde's expertise lies in developing comprehensive talent maps of the competitive landscape, especially in the field of Generative AI, to facilitate a strategic and targeted approach to attracting high-caliber candidates. She is a dedicated partner to her clients, providing data-driven insights on market trends, search activity, and diversity strategies to inform succession planning and other critical hiring initiatives.

A true partner to her clients and candidates, Mathilde excels at creating an exceptional experience by acting as a consultant and guiding both parties throughout the search process. She also focuses on driving efficiency and enabling comprehensive hiring decisions by creating standardized processes, such as developing a centralized onboarding strategy and a centralized Executive Recruitment process.

Prior to her current role, Mathilde was an Associate Director of Executive Search at OakNorth, a FinTech unicorn, where she managed the full-cycle recruitment process and led a team to meet ambitious hiring goals. Her earlier career includes experience at top executive search firms such as Wilton & Bain and Heidrick & Struggles.

Mathilde graduated Magna Cum Laude from Providence College with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Sociology. She also holds an International Baccalaureate from the Lycée Français Jean-Monnet in Brussels, Belgium.

As a Talent Advisor at Expedia Group, Alex partners with leaders across technology and product organizations to build high-impact teams that fuel innovation and customer success. With deep expertise in recruiting for Product Management, Software Engineering, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, and Technical Program Management, Alex brings a data-driven and inclusive approach to talent strategy.

Specializing in mid to senior-level product hiring, Alex collaborates closely with senior leadership to shape hiring strategies, provide market insights, and create exceptional candidate experiences. Passionate about the intersection of talent and technology, Alex helps drive Expedia Group's mission to power global travel for everyone, everywhere.

An identical twin, a native of Los Angeles, CA and a graduate from the University of Michigan, Rachell Morris is the Chief Human Resources Officer [CHRO] at TED. She joined TED as a member of the executive leadership team in 2018, responsible for talent transformation and all aspects of the HR / people function in support of TED’s mission. Rachell brings extensive experience in employee relations, performance management, manager coaching, cultivating inclusive workplaces and high performing teams, employer sponsored immigration, compensation management, talent acquisition, learning & development.

Rachell is a public speaker which is what led her to TED, and a speaker coach. In 2024 she took on the role of Executive Chair for TED@Work, TED’s Workplace Learning Program bringing the inspiration and storytelling of TED content into workplaces to support learning. She is also the content creator for TED@Work’s original series: Manager Confidential.

Before joining TED, Rachell spent 16 years in Architecture at ZGF Architects LLP as a Principal and HR leader. She is a member of the Executive Mentor Board for ATD NYC.

Kason Morris is a Future of Work executive, founder, author, and LinkedIn Top Voice who helps leaders and organizations turn uncertainty into momentum for growth. For more than 20 years, he has guided global teams and professionals to build future-ready skills, cultivate strong mindsets, and thrive in fast-changing environments.

Kason brings a people-first and practical approach to learning and transformation. His frameworks empower individuals and organizations to unlock the power of skills and personal stories, turning challenges into opportunities for lasting impact.

Dr. Eli Bendet-Traicher is a strategic, results-driven People & Culture and Learning & Development leader with over 20 years of international experience spanning the high-tech industry, academia, and government. A scientist turned award-winning lecturer, Dr. Bendet-Traicher blends analytical rigor with human-centered leadership to help organizations harness data, learning, and innovation to drive transformative change.

As an expert in scaling high-growth organizations, he has led initiatives in global talent management, leadership development, and performance analytics, empowering teams to achieve operational excellence and sustainable success. His dynamic approach to learning design and people strategy has earned multiple industry honors, including recognition as a Top 10 Learning & Development Professional (OnCon 2025) and Learning Legacy Leader of the Year (CLN 2024).

Mies de Koning joined the Human Resources team at The Rockefeller Foundation in 2020 and currently serves as Vice President, Talent and Organizational Development. An award-winning leadership coach and facilitator, Mies specializes in group dynamics and adult development, helping organizations, communities, and teams across sectors navigate challenges, resolve conflict, and drive meaningful growth.

Mies began his career supporting youth and families through group therapy, later expanding into academic leadership, curriculum innovation, organizational change, and leadership development. He was honored with the Global Coaching Excellence Award by the World Institute for Action Learning in 2018 and is recognized for guiding groups through meaningful conversations, and complex transformation.

At the core of Mies's practice is a commitment to creating space for individuals and teams to confront realities, address conflict safely and directly, and cultivate responsible autonomy by balancing personal learning with accountability and results. Mies holds a Master's in Community Development from the DeMontfort University (Leicester, UK) and a Master's in Advanced Change Methodologies from SIOO Inter University (Utrecht, The Netherlands).

Keith Metcalfe is a seasoned leader in enterprise software with over 20 years of experience building people, teams, and companies. With a career spanning IT, technical support, software sales, and training services, Keith has a deep understanding of how transformative organizations leverage technology and relationships to drive growth.

He has extensive expertise in SaaS, corporate data governance, analytics design, international expansion, and new product go-to-market strategies. Passionate about developing talent and enabling high-performing teams, Keith combines strategic insight with practical experience to help organizations and individuals thrive in a technology-driven world.

Alexei Dunaway is the founder and CEO of Pinnacle, an AI-powered performance coaching platform designed to scale leadership development for managers and their teams. With over 14 years of experience coaching, advising, and consulting, Alexei has worked with more than 200 startups across four continents.

A former CEO of an accelerator and experienced venture capital professional, he also coaches early- and growth-stage founders and executives. A Fulbright Scholar and top graduate of Stanford GSB, Alexei brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial insight, leadership expertise, and practical frameworks to help leaders and teams grow while they work.

Terry Neal is the Vice President of Human Resources at The New York Public Library, where he has built his entire 31-year career and now leads the Library's full HR portfolio, including labor relations, talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, HR systems, learning and development, DEIA, volunteer services, and people analytics. He also advises the executive leadership team and Board committees on organizational design, succession planning, and workforce strategy. Terry is known for bringing clarity, steadiness, and practical problem-solving to complex people and organizational issues. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Employee & Labor Relations at Baruch College, where he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Tanya Boyd, Ph.D. is the Principal Product Content & Engine Manager at Insights, where she leads strategic initiatives to elevate outcome driven learning experiences. Her team seeks to design learning that activates awareness for performance, keeping the learner at the center and utilizing technology as an enabler.

Gary Ross helps savvy L&D professionals show real ROI and clear business results from workplace communication training.

He provides live in-person or virtual sessions, AI-powered communication coaching and self-paced e-learning...all backed by his experience from TV, radio, the speaking stage, the boardroom and the classroom.

Gary has also consulted for global companies, helping them face communications challenges associated with major change initiatives.

Previously, Gary led communications departments at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, CDW and Fortune Brands. He began his career in TV and radio news and was nominated for an Emmy Award in investigative journalism.

Gary has spoken at many conferences in the US, UK and Canada.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from the Medill School at Northwestern University.

Courtney designs and facilitates leadership development experiences that spark honest conversation and meaningful growth. Her work blends research, coaching, and strategy across industries and team sizes.

My passion lies in bridging psychology, technology, and business to drive positive impact in talent selection and development. With over 15 years of experience in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and product development and research, I bring a unique blend of expertise to the table. I have a track record for balancing strategic thinking with effective execution -- I consistently deliver results while connecting people and ideas in fresh, innovative ways. At the heart of my work is a commitment to combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of customer needs to solve real problems.

Steve Cahill leads Udemy's Enterprise AI strategy, guiding how the company adopts responsible, scalable, and high-impact AI across every function. From governance and tooling to Agentic AI to AI literacy, Steve ensures Udemy's approach to AI empowers teams at Udemy to advance our mission, improving lives through learning. Steve joined Udemy in 2025, bringing with him 20 years of experience in business transformation and technology consulting.

An inspiring and thoughtful L&D and Talent leader who works with leaders and teams at all levels of organizations to design and execute on strategy. An expert in both design and facilitation, Cody leads the award-winning L&D team as the President of Cegos US.