As the Head of Government Affairs for the world’s largest human resources trade association, Emily M. Dickens leads SHRM’s advocacy and policy initiatives. This includes its Advocacy Team – the “A-Team” – composed of nearly 30,000 HR professionals across the United States positioned front and center in efforts to advance the interests of the HR profession. She oversees government affairs, global policy, legal affairs, and the SHRM Foundation, the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of SHRM. Dickens has been a featured expert on workplace issues and business leadership – with commentary appearing in CBS News, NBC News, AP News, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg Law, Crain’s Business, Marketplace, WTOP, Yahoo Finance, HR Brew, and HR Dive among others. In addition, Dickens has testified before Congress and the EEOC on worker and workplace topics like AI, gender bias, and paid leave.

Dickens serves on the boards of the following industry organizations to maximize SHRM’s impact and voice in global, national, and local business and labor policy debates: B20 Brazil Women in Business Action Council (Co-Chair); USCIB-United States Council for International Business (Governance Committee); The Bryce Harlow Foundation; Skill-up, and the National Foundation for Women Legislators.

Before SHRM, Dickens served as a passionate advocate for access to higher education as the general counsel/head of policy for the DC-based Thurgood Marshall College Fund; Vice President of Public Policy for the Association of Governing Boards for Colleges and Universities; and the Assistant Vice President for Federal Affairs at the University of North Carolina System. Dickens leverages her higher education background to promote the importance of leveraging the education-to-employment pipeline to address future workforce needs. She has also worked at Duke University and Fayetteville State University in administrative and external affairs roles.

Actively engaged in board service, Dickens is a member of the North Carolina Central University Board of Trustees and the NCNW Board of Directors (Co-Chair Personnel Committee). She is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated where she has served as Chairman of the International HBCU Task Force, and on the sorority’s Education Advancement Foundation Board (AKAEAF).

Emily is a graduate of North Carolina Central University and North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Marc helps the world’s biggest brands and most successful companies elevate the quality and impact of their talent. He leads transformational projects globally in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to consumer products to technology. As the founder and President of the Talent Strategy Group, he leads the firm’s global consulting, education, executive search and publishing businesses.

Marc co-authored the Harvard Business Review Publishing best-selling book One Page Talent Management, often called the “talent management bible.” Companies worldwide apply its discipline of science-based simplicity, accountability and transparency. His most recent book 8 Steps to High Performance (Harvard Business Review Publishing) is quickly reaching best-seller status with its powerful messages about how everyone can elevate their performance.

Marc co-founded the Talent Management Institute at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. It has become the world’s most popular executive education program on talent management with more than 3,000 graduates.

Prior to forming The Talent Strategy Group, Marc served as VP, Talent Management for Avon Products and led Global Leadership Consulting Practice for Aon Hewitt. He was also SVP, Leadership Development for Bank of America and a Congressional Staff Assistant.

Marc has been published in or heard on Fast Company, Financial Times, BBC, Bloomberg Radio, Inc., Harvard Business Review, New York Post, Knowledge@Wharton radio and some of the world’s most popular podcasts. Marc publishes TalentQ magazine which he founded in 2013 to help executives make smarter decisions about how to manage talent.

Marc earned a M.B.A. from the Yale University School of Management and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington.

Jim Link is the Chief Human Resources Officer for SHRM. With more than 340,000 members around the world, SHRM is the largest HR professional association in the world and the leading voice for matters related to workers and the workplace. Prior to joining SHRM, Link’s career included roles of increasing responsibility across a variety of industries and companies including General Electric, the Pillsbury Company, Porsche Cars, and Randstad. While at Randstad North America, he led a global team of 150 HR professionals who were instrumental in transforming the company into an award-winning, inclusive, and sustainable global leader.

Link consistently demonstrates dynamic and visionary thought leadership with a variety of presentations focusing on the interconnection between effective human capital management and business results. Using a data-driven, story-telling approach with his audiences, Link’s presentations weave together insights gleaned from a variety of sources to address the rapid and necessary changes required for tomorrow’s leaders to succeed. Typical topics Link addresses include the future of HR, global workforce dynamics, workplace evolution, emerging leadership trends, tech readiness, culture, employee and organization wellbeing, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation.

Link has graced stages across diverse geographical landscapes, sharing his expertise with audiences in North America, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. As a sought-after speaker on the international stage, his insightful presentations delve into critical aspects of the contemporary workplace, including but not limited to inclusion, employee experience and engagement, organizational culture, benefits strategies, and mental health advocacy. His compelling discussions not only showcase his depth of knowledge but also reflect his commitment to driving positive change in society and business through the lens of empathy and civility. His ability to translate complex ideas into manageable outcomes, coupled with his passion for fostering inclusive and thriving workplace environments, positions him as a thought leader who leaves a lasting impact on audiences across the globe.

Achal Khanna is the CEO for SHRM India and Asia Pacific Head for Business Development. SHRM India is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), which is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management with more than 2,90,000 members worldwide.

Achal is responsible for leading the India operations of SHRM, as well as Asia Pacific operations including Middle-East. She serves on the global SHRM Leadership Team and is responsible for building the brand, expanding its business and developing professional relationships with government agencies, and other HR and business associations in the region.

Achal has over 30 years of work experience. Prior to joining SHRM, she was Managing Director for Kelly India operations; Vice President for GE; and Country Manager for Polaroid India. She has also worked with Dupont, ITC and Cosmo Group in various capacities.

She is a recipient of the “Best Women Executive in India” award.

Achal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics; a Master’s Degree in English Literature and she is an MBA from Delhi.