Building a High Performing Strengths-Based Organization

What differentiates teams with the highest productivity, lowest turnover and best safety record from all the rest? In this presentation Marcus Buckingham will answer this question. He will describe why organizations struggle to build teams like their best and what you can do to replicate your best teams by leveraging strengths.

Don’t miss Marcus Buckingham’s penetrating insights and counsel.

Marcus Buckingham, one of the most indemand speakers in the world, is the author of the legendary, multi-million copy best sellers: First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently; Now, Discover Your Strengths; and Go Put Your Strengths to Work. He has been profiled in The New York Times, Fortune, Fast Company, and Harvard Business Review, and is routinely lauded by the Fortune 500 as an invaluable resource in informing, challenging, mentoring and inspiring people to find their strengths and obtain and sustain long-lasting personal success.

 MONDAY, April 14

Special Plenary - Take A Guided Tour of the Future and Visit…

Second Life: What’s the Business Case for HR in the Virtual World?

You will be transported into the virtual world of Second Life, where the future is now. Explore the impact of the new economy, the emerging virtual workforce and the workplace of the not so distant future. Your Avatar moderator and tour guide will show you what millions of people and dozens of leading companies are doing NOW in a virtual world and economy.

Join us for a tour of Second Life (SL) and find out:

• What is SL and what do people do there all day?
• Why Fortune 500 companies are doing business now in SL
• Why HR needs to understand about virtual worlds
• What are the implications of the expanding online business context
• What you should know about virtual world economies and behavior, and global reach

“Pathfinder Linden” is his avatar’s name in Second Life. John Lester is Boston Operations Director for Linden Lab, the creators of Second Life. Previously, John was the Information Systems Director for the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he pioneered the use of the web in 1993 to create online communities supporting patients. As a Research Associate at Harvard Medical School, he created online collaborative education environments to advance the case-based teaching method. As the Linden Academic Program Manager, he supports educators and evangelizes for teaching and research in Second Life.

“Ace Carson” is his avatar’s name in Second Life. Steve Mahaley is Director of Learning Technology, Duke Corporate Education. Steve collaborates with clients and internal Duke CE teams to discover how communications and other electronic technologies can support the design work and ultimate delivery of educational experiences, modules and programs. Current areas of interest include game-based learning, virtual worlds for learning and work, enabling global teams, mobile learning technologies, and advances in learning theory and methodologies that reflect the needs and habits of technology-enabled adult learners.

Tony O’Driscoll, Ed.D., is a Professor, College of Management, North Carolina State University. Tony is a founding member of the NCSU TEC Program – recognized as one of the most innovative curriculums in higher education – and is credited with advancing IBM’s thought leadership in formal and informal learning. A member of the editorial board for Human Resources Development Quarterly (HRDQ), his research interests lie at the intersection of business, technology and innovation. As an educator and corporate strategist his engaging message emphasizes that the key asset in the information page is not technology, but people.

 MONDAY, April 14

How Apple and ARAMARK Create a Liberated Environment for Breakthrough Products and Services

We are experiencing a revolutionary change to a digital life in which computers are only a small part of the rapidly expanding consumer-electronics industry. Apple is transforming itself from a computer maker to a consumer-electronics company to lead this revolution. This is a compelling story of how one company is changing its core business model to reinvent product categories and ultimately itself.

ARAMARK Higher Education continually navigates the fog of the future (e.g., demographics, technology, globalization, etc.) that our universities experience at an even faster pace than most other organizations. ARAMARK has displayed a unique ability to adapt to the unfolding circumstances of daily food service university life while anticipating patterns and trends that have yet been identified by their clients. Listen to the perspective of a senior leader in operations describe what it takes to “THRIVE” as a business and as a leader in such a turbulent environment.

Questions to be answered in this session include:

• What you can learn from companies that anticipate change and demonstrate peripheral vision for novel opportunities and threats
• How companies build cultures that support innovation
• Recommendations for attracting and liberating great talent
• How companies create inspired and passionate leadership that generate confidence throughout the entire talent portfolio
• What kind of leader is best suited for a liberated environment

Jesse Dorogusker is the Director of iPod and iPhone Accessories at Apple Inc. He is both a designer with a passion for breakthrough products and a leader who engages innovative talent in the details of execution. His design expertise was ignited by the renowned Design Division while attending Stanford University. Subsequently, he was with Interval Research, and then at REM Design where he consulted with toy companies, dot-com startups, and medical device companies to develop “smart products”. The iPod Accessories Ecosystem has developed into a multibillion dollar business alongside the explosive iPod phenomenon.

Nick Horney, Ph.D., is the founder and Principal of Agility Consulting & Training, recognized by CIO Magazine and others as experts in strategic agility and leadership. Nick was previously vice president and served on the Executive Committee at the Center for Creative Leadership, and during his tenure CCL was lauded by Business Week for its best-in-class leadership development products and services. He has held senior leadership in the consumer products and utility industries and helped establish and judge the USA Today Quality Cup Award for many years.

Brian Anderson is President of Performance Edge Inc. He has in-depth experience working with CEOs and senior executives at premier companies including many of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies” as published by Business Week magazine. Brian’s creative approaches to organization design and leadership development for sustainable innovation and growth have produced significant results at companies like Apple and Yahoo. Brian was a Vice President at PDI and a Practice Leader at Watson Wyatt before founding Performance Edge.

Angel Herrera is Regional Vice President in the Southwest for ARAMARK Corporation. Immediately prior to his current position, Mr. Herrera was Division Vice President for Burger King Corporation in the South-Central Region of the U.S.A.  He has held a number of executive positions including Executive Vice President for Interfood Corporation, Senior Vice President of Tricon Restaurants International, and President of TRI Mexico.  With his venture capital experience he also worked for Advent Morro Equity Partners as an entrepreneur in residence.

 MONDAY, April 14

• Generate stakeholder buy-in 
• Implement new initiatives 
• Drive transformational change

 MONDAY, April 14

The Perfect Storm: The Future of Recruitment, Retention and Engagement

The war for talent during the later half of the 1990s was not a short-term phenomenon but the beginning of a true long-term change in the labor force.  This is because the forces that were driving those events are still resent today, and they are predicted to stay in place for another 15 years.  The combination of an improving economy, demographic trends that predict labor shortages, skill deficits and fewer knowledge workers has all the elements for a perfect storm that will cause significant changes in the way work is performed, who performs it and where, and the skill sets that will be needed.  This session explores those demographic trends and countertrends, and presents plausible outcomes.  In addition, this session will explore how leaders can respond so that they can attract, retain and engage talent in the future.

Jay Jamrog will explore:

• Is the war for talent myth or reality
• Four generations with different needs and attitudes
• Discuss how the following will impact your ability to Recruit, Retain and Engage
• Diversity and inclusion
• Leadership and technology
• Loyalty and commitment

Jay Jamrog is a futurist.  As the Senior Vice President of Research at i4cp, he has devoted 20 years to identifying and analyzing the major issues and trends affecting the management of people in organizations. Jay and his staff of over 20 analysts follow approximately 150 demographic, social, economic, technological, political, legal and management trends, and over 100 major corporations support this research. An active advisor to more than a dozen leading corporations,  he has helped many innovative organizations gain a deeper understanding of the world's changing business environment and has helped them think strategically about today's actions and tomorrow's plans.

 MONDAY, April 14

Advancing Women into Senior Management: How to Inspire Those Who Aspire

It’s no secret that women are still a minority among the ranks of senior management. Their numbers have grown in universities to outrank men, while they still only make up a small percentage of CEOs and corporate directors. With U.S. companies soon to be facing a dramatic talent shortage resulting from an aging workforce, years of low birth rates, low unemployment and other factors, this is no longer an issue employers and HR can overlook

Attendees of this presentation will walk away with a better understanding of:

• The role work-life balance plays when it comes to women’s career paths and aspirations
• Where successful women turn to for career support
• What most companies do wrong when it comes to retaining top female performers and grooming them for senior leadership
• How HR can create effective program for advancing women on a career path towards executive-level positions
• How one women has carved a successful career path for herself and helped shaped the careers of women throughout her organization 

 MONDAY, April 14

Leadership for Our World Today

In a world without boundaries, we, the global human species, are experiencing our biggest challenge ever. The specters of the results of climate change are now no longer in debate. The debate is what do we do with what we know now to be true. Climate change is real, it is largely the result of global human activity and it is only collective global human activity that can change the trajectory that we are on. Much the same is true of almost every part of the human condition. We need authentic leadership and we need it now!

What is this kind of leadership and what does it have to do to make sure that change happens as quickly as we need it? With a focus on the role of business and business leaders (particularly HR leaders), this session will examine the type of leadership behaviors needed to undertake this huge task. Examples will be used from various continents, where successes have already been achieved to show that it can be done and is being done all over the world.

Tony Frost will give you:

• A clear understanding of the state of the Planet
• Some clear leadership indicators
• New change imperatives
• Ideas of what HR leaders can do at work, in the community and at home

Tony Frost is Executive Chairman ITO International and author of After The Rain. He is the former CEO for the WorldWide Fund for Nature: South Africa, and former Director, Public Affairs and HR, Lonrho, South Africa. He is radio commentator on environmental and community issues, and a member of: Minister of Environment and Tourism’s Advisory Committee (NEAF), The JSE Sustainability Index Advisory Committee, NBI Sustainable Futures Advisory Board, the Percy Fitzpatrick Advisory Board, Advisory Board of the University of Witwatersrand School of Business.

MONDAY, April 14

Blurring the Boundaries of HR: Partnering for Organizational Results

Achieving organizational change “from the inside out” often requires help from external consultants and advisors. This is also often true for leadership development. The balance of internal and external capability and perspective can be critical to success, but equally tricky to manage. In this session you will look at the elements of a successful partnership between an internal OD function and an external executive education provider to achieve powerful organizational results that neither could achieve on their own.

You will explore the evolving ways of defining HR capability, how the mutual interests of internal and external partners are best served, and what it takes to be successful.

A few of the highlights of this session:

• What to consider when selecting and contracting with an internal/external partner
• The key aspects of an internal/external partnership that matter most in achieving successful outcomes
• What aspects of executive and organizational development can best be handled internally vs. externally
• What makes leadership development a true organizational change intervention, and how partnering across boundaries makes it possible

Jeri Darling is Vice President of Organization and Leadership Effectiveness with BAE Systems and works primarily in the areas of learning strategy, leadership development, and organizational design and effectiveness. She was formerly a Principal with Mercer Delta Consulting, research director with Work in America Institute and an HR manager with TRW. A seasoned coach and facilitator, she has particular expertise in the management of global team issues. She has published articles in the OD Journal, Executive Excellence, HR Professional and the Journal for Nonprofit Management.

Blair Sheppard is Dean of the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, and Chair and Founder of Duke Corporate Education, the leading provider of corporate education to major organizations globally. He conceived The Duke MBA-Global Executive and was instrumental in the creation of a new multi-continent MBA program, The Duke MBACross Continent. He has extensive experience working with leading executives as a consultant and teacher in the areas of leadership, corporate strategy, negotiation, organizational relationships and organization design. 

MONDAY, April 14 

Global Trends & New Realities: Implications to Recruiting, Developing & Retaining a Diverse Workforce

Join Jacqui Robertson for this inside look at ING's diversity journey in the United Sates and globally.  You will hear about their successes and failures along the way, as well as the lessons learned at ING.  You will also see how they are boldly moving forward with their diversity agenda. 

Jacqui will share with you:

• Best practices and competitor data (and will not be revealing competitor names)
• Personal failures and triumphs
• Replicability in governance models, employee network business models and metrics
• How to leverage in your own organization

Jacqui Robertson is the Head of Global Diversity for ING Group.  Headquartered in Amsterdam, ING Group.  She is responsible for creating ING's global diversity vision, and developing the workforce diversity framework and strategy for ING's worldwide operations - the cornerstones of which are talent acquisition, retention and development.  She is charged with building relationships with diverse constituencies and organizations around the globe, and leveraging these relationships to create an ING culture that is globally inclusive, yet locally respectful.  Her vision is to drive the full integration of diversity into the fabric of ING's business, fully leveraging the power and richness of varied perspectives that result from a multiplicity of life experiences.

MONDAY, April 14

Creating and Successfully Deploying Global Talent Management at Holcim Ltd.

Holcim Ltd is one of the world's leading suppliers of cement and aggregates as well as ready-mix concrete, asphalt and services. Headquartered in Switzerland, Holcim holds majority and minority interests in more than 70 countries on all continents, and employs some 90,000 people.  Holcim HR saw a need in 2004 to strengthen succession management with globally consistent practices.  The then-Head of HR was meeting with Technical Directors and they could not come up with a suitable candidate for an important plant manager position.  "If we can't develop cement plant managers, who can?" she asked.

Holcim partnered with PDI to design, pilot and globally deploy a talent management system of practices that extended far beyond succession planning to become a more integrated talent management system.  You will hear the process used to solicit initial support of the Executive Committee and CEO for the pilots, and then their full endorsement for the global adoption of the Building Management Quality (BMQ) talent management program. 

Highlights of this breakout include:

• Root cause analysis of the gap in the succession management practices
• Designing a solution with objective data and line executive engagement in decision-making about the talent
• Shaping the role of "local" HR and Corporate HR
• Building support for Building Management Quality (BMQ)
• Addressing killer concerns around pilots
• Engaging and training the line management panels and assessment center observers
• Rolling the program out globally

Flooris van der Walt is Head, HR Business Support, Holcim Group Support Ltd.  He is the senior HR executive who has both sponsored BMQ Panels and currently coordinates the program.  With experience in general HR at both headquarters as well as the plant in South Africa, he also worked in Asia-Pacific, Central Europe and North America. Since 2005 he is responsible for people development issues worldwide, within the IT and Internal Auditing functions, as well as the gateway for Standards and Procedures in HR for the Holcim Group.

David Armstrong, is Executive Consultant, Strategy/HR Development, PDI.  He specializes in executive teamwork and organizational effectiveness, global talent management and strategy, and virtual teamwork.  As an executive consultant, David provides coaching to senior executives and global leadership teams of Fortune 100 and Global 100 firms, develops and delivers leadership programs, designs and facilitates strategic planning events, and consults with HR leaders on human capital strategy. He recently returned to PDI Boston after leading global projects from PDI's Geneva office for two years.

MONDAY, April 14

Boomers Without Boundaries: How Boomers Are Redefining Aging, Work, and Retirement

In every decade, the baby boom generation has greatly influenced its context. Today, as boomers begin turning 60, many expect to live longer, stay healthier, continue learning, and to keep working well into their 70s. As a result, the projected talent gap may be reduced if organizations retain and engage older boomers. In this session we’ll discuss the emerging trends and the significant, positive challenges for boomers and employers.

This interactive session with Jim Walker will explore:

• Challenging the traditional views of aging and retirement
• Tapping passion for continued work, income, and life style
• Redefining meaningful work, learning, and growth
• Adopting flexible work arrangements
• Boomers working with younger generations

Jim Walker is a consultant, speaker, and author on human resource strategy and contemporary workforce management issues. During his career he was a business professor at several universities, a vice president at Towers Perrin, and head of The Walker Group. Jim was a founder of The Human Resource Planning Society. He is author (with Dr. Linda Lewis) of Boomers at Work, a book to be published in 2008 by Pearson Education (Wharton School Publishing).

MONDAY, April 14

• EMC will share new thinking on Total Rewards and how to attract and retain a workforce that is without boundaries and knowledge-based.
• Discover the phased approach EMC is taking to Total Rewards inclusive of global equity and enterprise ownership across the company.
• Understand the true value of investing in peoples’ futures − implementing a solution with a long-term view that will truly benefit employees.
• Hear how you can help employees be successful in the new world of individual accountability with cutting edge education based on personalized messaging, and generational and pay-based recommendations.
• Discover the smart analysis and innovative modeling capabilities EMC deployed to engage employees.
• Learn how Total Rewards can be transformed to meet the needs of the changing workforce – the global and mobile.

 MONDAY, April 14

Transforming Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) encompasses tens of thousands of dedicated employees who deliver vital services to the Nation. Accomplishing the Department’s broad mission “in a world without borders” requires new models of organization design, new approaches to talent management, and alternative methods of providing of business solutions. Learn how the DHS is reshaping its capabilities, processes and culture to improve inter-agency collaboration, attain higher levels of service, and achieve organizational excellence.

Preserving our freedoms, Protecting America... we secure our homeland.

Marta Brito Pérez is the new VP, HR, NA & Global Marketing, Astra Zeneca.  Prior to joining AstraZeneca in January 2008, Marta was the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the lead executive for all matters relating to human capital management, including policy, strategic planning, learning and development, recruitment, performance management, compensation, benefits, union relations, and employee relations. Prior to joining DHS, Ms. Pérez led the OPM Human Capital Leadership and Merit System Accountability, the government-wide effort to transform human capital management so that agencies are held accountable for managing their workforce effectively and efficiently. 

TUESDAY, April 15

Organization Design: The New Essential HR Capability

Along with talent management, organization design has emerged as the most needed capability for today’s human resource function. Many HR leaders are struggling to build the in-house competence fast enough to meet business demand.

Jay Galbraith and Amy Kates will share insights into the latest trends in organization design and where the HR professional needs to be getting ahead of the curve. They will provide guidance on what you need to do next.

Jay Galbraith and Amy Kates will share with you:

• How best to build the required tools, methodology, and talent to get ahead of the curve
• Different models for configuring the HR function to best deliver organization design services.

Jay Galbraith is internationally recognized as a leading expert on organization design. He is the creator of the widely used Star Model™, and his books, which include Designing Organizations, Designing the Global Corporation, and Designing the Customer-Centric Organization, have shaped the thinking of a whole generation of business leaders, practitioners, and academics. Jay is the founder of Galbraith Management Consultants, a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California, and Professor Emeritus at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Amy Kates is the co-author, with Jay Galbraith, of Designing Your Organization and Designing Dynamic Organizations. Her article, “(Re)Designing the HR Function,” was awarded the 2007 Walker Prize by HRPS. Amy is the principal of Downey Kates Associates, and consults to companies globally as well as teaching organization design. She is also the co-president of the Organization Design Forum, the professional association for organization designers. 

 TUESDAY, April 15

In the Shadow of the Dragon: What keeps CEOs operating in the Asia Pacific arena awake at night?

While China is dominating economic growth, within its shadow many other Asia Pacific countries are also making great leaps forward. CEOs of multinational or privately- locally owned enterprises, operating in the Asia Pacific region grapple with numerous business issues including the economic reality of China controlling key world markets, e.g. steel, copper, etc; the tension between communist control and capitalism; and, the environmental destruction resulting from rapid growth vs. the world’s demand for sustainable enterprises.

Yet, one issue wakes them up at midnight more than any other and that is the human capital capability! Ultimately talent management will be the determinate of success and the lack of skilled people will restrict the speed of national and regional development and achievement.

• Realities and perceptions that are creating great opportunities and significant challenges for organizations operating in the Asia Pacific region
• Significant implications that these challenges and opportunities have for HR strategy
• Economic, business, and HR ramifications for organizations not operating in the Asia Pacific area

Les Pickett is Chief Executive of Pacific Rim Consulting Group.

Arthur Yeung is Associate Dean and Philips Chair Professor of HRM at CEIBS – the leading business school in China.

Richard Vosburgh, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President-HR, Mirage Resorts (MGM MIRAGE) with responsibility for eight hotel casino resort properties in Las Vegas, Reno & Mississippi. He is planning CityCenter, where 12,000 new jobs are being created. Previously, he was HP’s Vice President- HR for Asia Pacific; and prior to the HP merger and moving to Singapore, Richard was Vice President-HR for Compaq’s North America region. He has held executive positions in Campbell Soup Company, VW in Germany, the Gallup Organization and PepsiCo. He is currently Executive Editor for the Human Resource Planning journal.

Huey Wilson is the Vice President of Human Resources for Mattel Inc’s World Wide Operations Group. Huey was previously Vice President and Director Human Resources for the Broadband Communications Sector of Motorola and oversaw the sector’s worldwide human resources activities. Prior to that, he was head of HR regionally for two Motorola businesses in the Asia Pacific region. He served as international director of HR for General Instruments Corporation out of Taipei, Taiwan. Huey has over 15 years of work experience in Asia and speaks Mandarin Chinese. 

TUESDAY, April 15

Decoding the Competitiveness of Chinese Firms

Fueled by rapid economic growth in the last 3 decades, China has nurtured a new generation of firms that are agile, entrepreneurial, and increasingly dominant in a wide range of manufacturing industries. While such firms can become potential competitors in your industries, they are also important suppliers, customers, and allies in a world without boundaries.

How do these firms operate? What are their competitive strengths and weaknesses? How will they evolve in the future? Analyzing these questions will help business and HR executives formulate more informed strategies to compete and/or collaborate with this emerging group of companies in the global business arena.

Attend this plenary session with Arthur Yeung and Gina Qiao:

• Analyze why and how some Chinese firms emerge as leading global players in their market niches
• How they gain, even dominate, global market shares based on competitive capabilities beyond cost advantage
• How multinationals in the U.S. and Europe can collaborate and compete with rapidly emerging Chinese firms in the evolving global landscape

Arthur Yeung is Associate Dean and Philips Chair Professor of HRM at CEIBS – the leading business school in China and ranked 11th worldwide by Financial Times for its MBA program. Arthur was Chief HR Officer of Acer Group, one of the top 5 PC firms worldwide, where he worked closely with the Chairman & CEO to radically transform Acer to execute new strategic direction. Featured as one of the “Executive Development Gurus” by Business Horizon, Arthur works with CEOs of leading multinational corporations in China/Asia to address critical business issues to succeed inside and outside China.

Qiao Jian (Gina) is currently the HR Vice President for Lenovo Group, a leading Chinese company and one of the top three PC makers in the world. She is responsible for HR of Lenovo Global Consumer Business. Previously Gina was responsible for HR of Lenovo Asia-Pacific. Gina played an active role in Lenovo’s acquisition of IBM’s PC business and the following integration of two different HR systems and cultures. Before the acquisition, Gina developed many innovative and leading HR programs to support rapid business growth of Lenovo in the China market. Many of Lenovo’s HR practices have since become the best practices in China.

TUESDAY, April 15

Leadership Development at Professional Service Firms

In this special session Mark Tercek will focus on his experience in leadership development opportunities at investment banks, hedge funds, consulting firms and other professional organizations.  He will share with you what works best and why.

Mark Tercek is head of the Goldman Sachs Center for Environmental Markets as well as the office of Corporate Citizenship. He also oversees leadership development and training programs as the co-head of the Goldman Sachs University/Pine Street Advisory Board. Now a partner in Goldman Sachs, Mark previously headed Consumer/ Healthcare, Equity Capital Markets, Corporate Finance and Real Estate Departments. In earlier assignments, he headed the worldwide transportation group, co-headed the Corporate Finance Department in Tokyo, and was one of the senior bankers who led the firm’s early investment banking initiatives in Asia.

TUESDAY, April 15

Innovation and Transparency in a World without Boundaries

We will show you how a social science methodology, and middle-school math, will help you x-ray your organization and reveal how it works.  You will see how HR can utilize a data-based diagnostic to explain, and improve, the "soft stuff" in the business -- innovation, individual and team performance, learning, and leadership.  In this session, examples from top firms will showcase various successes.

Valdis Krebs is the developer of InFlow software for social and organizational network analysis [SNA/ONA]. InFlow maps and measures knowledge exchange, information flow, emergent communities, networks of alliances and other connections within and between organizations and communities. Fortune 500 clients as well as hundreds of independent consultants use his software and services to map and measure networks, flows, and relationships in organizations, communities, and other complex human systems.  Valdis is an often quoted expert on network analysis and network weaving in major media, including Business Week, Discover Magazine, Business 2.0, New York Times Magazine, Fast Company, CNN, and others.  Valdis previously held various HR management positions at Disney, TRW, Toyota, and Ford.

TUESDAY, April 15

Make Your Organization a Talent Factory

Based on research at more than 30 global companies, we identified the distinguishing characteristics of those companies that are getting talent management right. The solution is straightforward, yet not easily achieved: world-class talent factories do a superior job of marrying functionality – rigorous talent processes that support strategic performance and cultural objectives – and vitality – emotional and managerial commitment that translates powerfully into daily actions. In this presentation, we will share how they do it.

A few of the highlights Jay Conger will present:

• Examine the critical role of functionality and vitality in talent management
• Learn about the best practices of organizations that excel at talent management
• Explore how best practice firms marry leadership development with talent management processes

Jay A. Conger holds the Henry Kravis Research Chair Professorship of Leadership at Claremont McKenna College and is also a senior research scientist at the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California. Author of over ninety articles and book chapters and twelve books, he researches talent management, leadership, organizational change, boards of directors, and the training and development of leaders and managers. His recent books include The Practice of Leadership (2006), Growing Your Company’s Leaders (2003), Shared Leadership (2002), Corporate Boards: New Strategies for Adding Value at the Top (2001), and Building Leaders (1999).

TUESDAY, April 15

Global Leadership: Is There Anything Different About It?

Views of global leadership are commonly based on extensions of domestic models that are assumed to be universal. Based on Aperian Global’s 2007 Global Leadership Research Project of several hundred assignees across industries and functions and who have held positions in both global and domestic contexts, you will hear what is distinctive about global leadership. The findings not only identify global leadership competencies, but also how those competencies are best learned and disseminated throughout an organization.

In this session, Ernest Gundling will cover:

• What is required of leaders in a global context
• How to accelerate global leadership development to get more people ready sooner for key roles
• Leadership competencies that are uniquely important for working abroad or on cross border transactions
• How to accelerate global leadership development for international assignees and for global executives not in expatriate roles

Ernest Gundling, Ph.D., is co-founder of Aperian Global and is their Global Leadership Practice Group Leader. He assists clients with strategic global approaches to leadership, organization development and relationships with key business partners. His experience with Asia culture and business spans twenty years, including six years in residence in Japan. He teaches the Global Management Skills course for the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, and is the co-producer of the award-winning video series called Working with China and Globally Speaking.

Greg Cripple is Manager of Leadership Development for John Deere. He has managed Deere’s global succession planning and key talent processes since assuming this role in 2002. In his 30 years with John Deere, he has served in a variety of HR management roles. Most recently these includes creating and leading John Deere’s worldwide performance management process as their Manager of Performance Management. Greg is one of the founders of the Succession Roundtable, a professional exchange group with participants from Caterpillar, Emerson, GM, Cargill, Eli Lilly and the US Marine Corps among others.

TUESDAY, April 15

Special Next Gen Session Plus!*… 

Next Generation HR Leaders: The Emerging Reality

HR practices are becoming more integrated, aligned, and innovative. The business context is changing rapidly. How we succeed as HR professionals has changed. This session, facilitated by a group of next generation HR leaders, will explore the profile of HR’s next generation leader and discuss ideal developmental opportunities for this key segment. If you are a next generation HR leader or you are nurturing next generation HR leaders in your organization, you can’t miss this session.

Join us for this special session and …

• Hear the perspectives of Next Generation HR Leaders as they relate to emerging issues
• Gain insights from CLC’s recent study on Next Generation HR-Line Partnerships
  

Special Networking Event follows this Next Gen Session:
Join the speakers and your peer Next Gen participants in an engaging and fun networking event – for Next Gen session participants only! 

Next Gen Session Moderator:

Ron Crossland is Chairman, Bluepoint Leadership Development. He has worked with talent from the boiler room to the boardroom as an educational consultant to a number of mid-sized and large organizations. An intuitionist and research synthesizer, he is co-author of The Leadership Experience: From Individual Success to Organizational Significance (2007). He previously co-founded International Leadership Associates, was a partner in the Center for Corporate Learning, and served as President and Vice Chair of Tom Peters Company.

*Special Networking Event follows this Next Gen Session:
Join the speakers and your peer Next Gen participants in an engaging and fun networking event - for Next Gen session participants only!

Your Next Gen Session Hosts Are: 

Christopher Powell, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Scripps Networks, is responsible for the development and execution of programs to recruit, develop and retain new employees. Prior to joining Scripps Networks, Chris was vice president of organizational development and talent management for the global financial services company, ING.

Jennifer Meder is the Chicago leader for Watson Wyatt’s Organization Effectiveness practice. She has worked on large-scale projects for clients across all major industries in the areas of employee engagement, workforce planning, talent management and HR effectiveness.

Stephanie McDonald is the Director of Talent Management for the Gypsum Division of Lafarge in North America. In this role, Stephanie leads the talent and succession review, career management, training & development, and organization effectiveness functions for the division.

Deneen Johnson is the East Coast Business Development leader for Bluepoint Leadership Development. Bluepoint helps individuals, teams, and organizations develop better leaders, forge better relationships, and inspire greater performance. She provides clients with the medium to really make a difference in the workplace.

Danielle Haskard is the east coast training manager for SAIC’s Corporate Training department. She is responsible for the development and implementation of major training initiatives that include; management training, high potential development, employee engagement training, and corporate wide systems change initiatives.

Maggie Curcio is the Associate Director of Talent Management at Starcom MediaVest Group, one of the world’s largest and most celebrated brand communications and consumer contact organizations. Previously, Maggie was a manager of Leadership Development at Kraft Foods.

Simon King is the Vice President of HR for the global research function at AstraZeneca, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with a broad range of medicines designed to fight disease in important areas of healthcare.

TUESDAY, April 15

Confronting Human Resource Challenges in the Asia Pacific

The most dynamic economic region in the world is represented by APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). During its first ten years, APEC member countries have generated nearly 70% of global economic growth.

Today, APEC has 21 member countries that account for more than one third of the world’s population, over half of the world’s GDP and nearly half of the world’s trade. APEC is America’s primary vehicle for advancing both economic cooperation and trade and investment liberalization in the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific region.

The critical human resource challenges confronting senior executive teams of organizations operating or planning to expand in the region will be addressed by one the most experienced human resource practitioners in the Asia Pacific.

Les Pickett will give you insights into:

• Impact of APEC in global economic growth
• HR challenges for organizations operating or expanding in the Asia Pacific

Les Pickett is Chief Executive of Pacific Rim Consulting Group. He has held senior executive roles in leading corporations and has extensive international consulting experience in business strategy and human capital. His professional career has taken him to over twenty countries and includes a period as Senior Advisor and Deputy Director of the United Nations System Staff College. Les is a past president of the Asia Pacific Federation of HR Management and ARTDO International. He is former chairman of the Executive Board of the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations and the HR advisory panel of Productivity Australia. He is also a former director of the World Federation of Personnel Management Organizations.

TUESDAY, April 15

Accelerating Leadership Transitions Through Truly Transformational Talent Strategies

In the last decade, many organizations have had no choice but to accelerate the speed at which high performers are promoted. Across the globe, there is a widening gap between the demand for leadership and the supply of leaders who are ready to take on the challenges that must be conquered for their businesses to gain a competitive edge.

Few organizations report that they have sufficient leadership to narrow the gap. So what can be done to accelerate the supply of high potential leaders? Learn how General Motors Corporation tackled this challenge successfully through its Minority Dealer Development Program. A pioneer in this area, General Motors developed an innovative program that has delivered dealers who outperform their counterparts on performance metrics by 7 to 47 percent.

Through this case study, you’ll walk away with such best practices as:

• Why leadership failures are occurring, and what can be done to guarantee success
• Lessons learned from failed talent acceleration plans
• Best practices gleaned from a succession success story with General Motors
• The latest innovations in executive assessment that can drive better business results
• How you can improve diversity initiatives in your organization

Kim Brossoit, Ph.D., Manager, Consulting Services, DDI, leads a multidisciplinary team of professionals who consult with clients around the world. An expert in talent management, assessment, development, and selection, she has developed and deployed business-relevant HR processes for many Fortune 500 companies, as well as many public sector entities. Prior to joining DDI, Kim was manager of leadership development for Kmart Corporation. Earlier in her career, she worked in research and development at Ford Motor Company.

Dawin Wright, GM North America Executive Director – Dealer Development, is responsible for GM Minority Dealer Development and the Women’s Retail Initiative. Prior to this position, Wright was the Director of Dealer Integration working with a cross-functional team to develop and launch U.S. and Global Dealer projects. Wright began his career with Chevrolet, moved through several sales and service assignments at Chevrolet Central Office and then within the Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing Group at GM Global Headquarters.

TUESDAY, April 15 

Achieving Integrated Talent Management: Real Strategies and Real Results

Talent management is one of the hottest topics in HR today, with many organizations seeking to develop or refine their strategy and processes.  In most cases, they are trying to more closely integrate their approaches and link their strategies across the entire lifecycle - from recruiting to performance management, development, succession planning, and more. But with a lack of proven models, organizations need methods of integration that have been time-tested and verified to work for others in the same situation.

This session will focus on successful integration strategies and approaches that have delivered real value for organizations. You will hear multiple case studies of companies that have successfully cracked the code on integration and will learn strategies that can be applied in their organizations. You will also get practical advice on how to take their talent management practices to the next level.

 A few of the highlights to be covered include:

• How talent can be managed with the same clarity, discipline, and objectivity with which organizations manage other assets
• Why integrated talent management must be owned by the line and must deliver tangible return on investment
• How successful organizations are infusing a new level of analytical rigor to the practice of talent management
• How successful global organizations focus on simple but powerful processes that align with their culture and ways of doing business
• Resolving the paradoxes around talent management, including "What we measure vs. what we use" and "What we say vs. what we do"

Brian Wilkerson is the Practice Director for Talent Management for Watson Wyatt Worldwide. He has extensive experience in leading strategy development and operational improvement efforts across a range of clients in both domestic and international settings, and has worked with senior executive teams to help them solve their organization's toughest challenges and capitalize on their greatest opportunities. Prior to Watson Wyatt, Mr. Wilkerson was the CEO and co-Founder of WisdomNet, a Strategy and Human Capital firm focused on delivering cutting-edge consulting and technology solution.

TUESDAY, April 15

Web 2.0: Virtual Recruiting and the Candidate Experience in a Global Talent Marketplace

This session will demonstrate new recruiting techniques for a boundary less world - such as virtual job tryouts and global sourcing models. Recruiters expect more attraction and engagement power. Candidates expect a more informative and interactive process. Corporations expect talent processes that get results. Hear first hand from a client case study how you can deliver on all of these expectations.

You will leave understanding how technology is transforming the way we recruit, including how viral strategies impact the bottom-line, when and where to implement them, and the role they play in engaging and evaluating talent from anywhere, at anytime.

Here are a few of the key takeaways form this session:

• Examine how virtual job tryouts and on-line simulations create viral recruiting power
• Explore global sourcing tactics that rapidly create qualified candidate pools
• Review methods for performance modeling that link recruiting process outcomes to bottom line results

James (Jim) F. McCoy is Senior Vice President, Consulting Services, Veritude.  Jim was responsible for Veritude's first recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) client and subsequently built the consulting services practice.  The latter was established as a separate business line and he grew the business nearly three-fold.  Previously, he was a client sales executive at EDS, held management positions at BankBoston, was a product manager at First Chicago NBD and a market manager at Chase Manhattan Bank. 

Joseph P. Murphy is Vice President and co-founder of Shaker Consulting Group, Inc., a pioneer in on-line candidate evaluation and the developers of the Virtual Job TryoutTM.  Joe has over 25 years of experience in human resources and is a nationally recognized expert on matters of objective candidate evaluation.  His writings and research on staffing metrics and objective candidate evaluation have been published at Staffing.org, SHRM.org, HR.com, ERE.net, and HRTests.blogspot.com. 

WEDNESDAY, April 16

Connecting in a World Without Boundaries

Rapid advances in communications technology are helping create a world without boundaries.  This presents new challenges and even greater opportunities for organizations, as employees and customers are becoming more onnected and more mobile.

After multiple mergers and far-reaching integration initiatives, AT&T is a living example of how technology is helping transform a large organization while solidifying its position as an industry leader.With mobility at its core, the new AT&T is helping connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work - whether that connection is to people, to other businesses, to computers or to mobile devices.

During this session, two key AT&T leaders will discuss strategies for navigating a world without boundaries. They will share innovative tactics that help leaders stay focused on the right things and employees moving together in the right direction.

Ralph de la Vega  will explore ways to:

• Help employees embrace company priorities and understand how they fit in
• Ensure two-way dialogue and identify best practices
• Sharpen focus on execution to deliver industry-leading results
• Make employee communications fun and engaging with new technologies.

Ralph de la Vega is resident and CEO of AT&T Mobility, the wireless unit of AT&T and the largest wireless provider in the United States. Prior to his current role, he served as group president for AT&T Regional Telecommunications and Entertainment. He also served as chief operating officer of Cingular Wireless from 2004 to 2006.  Beginning his career in 1974 with BellSouth (then Southern Bell), de la Vega held numerous positions of increasing responsibility with the company, including serving as president of BellSouth Latin America, with overall responsibility for BellSouth's operations in 11 Central and South American countries.

WEDNESDAY, April 16

How the World Works

Eamonn Kelly’s keynote is based on three hypotheses: While the world has never been simple, static or certain, it has never been more complex, dynamic and uncertain than today. The mental models and cognitive maps of Western executives are powerful inhibitors of recognition of the changes unfolding, and are now fundamentally unfit for purpose. The challenges and roles of leaders are evolving in new ways.

He will explore a series of deeply but implicitly held assumptions about “how the world works”, each rooted in our history, and provide compelling evidence that these assumptions are now profoundly flawed, as well as the strategic, organizational and leadership implications of the new global reality.

Eamonn Kelly is CEO and president of Global Business Network, the renowned futures network and scenario and strategy consultancy, and a partner of the Monitor Group. Eamonn has consulted at a senior level to dozens of the world’s leading corporations, as well as key global and national public agencies, and major philanthropic foundations. He has been invited to present his provocative ideas all over the world, from the Scottish Parliament to Asian business leaders. Prior to joining GBN, Eamonn was head of strategy at Scottish Enterprise, one of the world’s most respected development agencies. He is the author of Powerful Times: Rising to the Challenge of Our Uncertain World (Wharton, 2005.)

Watch for the 2008 Conference Updates as more Keynotes, Breakouts and Special Sessions are confirmed.

Click here to download the brochure.