MICHAEL BRAINARD
CEOBrainard StrategyMichael Brainard (MA, MS, PhD) brings over 15 years of experience as a management consultant, senior executive, executive coach, manager, entrepreneur, and researcher. Michael has worked with many executives and organizations across industries blending a strategic, behavioral, and experiential learning approach. Michael’s diverse background ranges from being a coach, to being a senior executive who has gone through coaching, from being a rain-maker to being the senior executive who must leverage talent, infra-structure and multiple stakeholders’ interests to produce business results, and from a board member of a non-profit to authoring multiple ‘for profit’ organizations’ strategic plans. Michael currently serves on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters, as well as Health Revenue Assurance Associates (OTC – BB).
As a management consultant, Michael has designed and conducted process re-engineering and re-structuring, organizational assessments, leadership development initiatives, performance management systems, change management processes, and a variety of strategic planning initiatives. Additionally, Michael has worked as a post-acquisition internal and external integration leader.
JENNIFER DEPAOLA
SVP of HR and Chief Diversity OfficerYoung's Market CompanyJennifer has over 20 years of Human Resources, Leadership Development, Talent Management, and Organizational Development experience. She has worked for a variety of organizations and industries including The Walt Disney Company, Anchor Blue Retailer, Ruby's Diner, BJ's Restaurant, Option One Mortgage, Allergan, and Advantage Sales & Marketing. She currently resides at Young's Market Company as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources & Chief Diversity Officer. In her current role, Jennifer has responsibility for Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, HR Operations, Diversity & Inclusion and HR Business Partners.
Jennifer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication, with an emphasis in interpersonal and organizational communications, from California State University, Fullerton. She also holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and a Management Certificate in Human Resources from Chapman University. She is an active member of the Orange County Chapter of the National Human Resource Association. Jennifer is passionate about “people first” human capital initiatives and helping business grow and thrive.
ALEXANDER ARRIETA
CHRO, Senior Vice President, Human ResourcesUnited PacificAlex Arrieta is CHRO, Senior Vice President, Human Resources for United Pacific, a retail fuel and convenience store company with 325 locations and $3.0B in revenue. Alex is responsible for leading the company’s people operations function including talent acquisition and retention, compensation, organization planning, learning and development, payroll, benefits and cultural initiatives.
Prior to United Pacific, Alex held the position of CHRO, Vice President, Human Resources for J.D. Power, a global market research company. Alex led human resources for business operations in the U.S., Asia, Latin America and Europe. He was part of the management team that successfully prepared and sold the company in 2016 to a private equity firm.
Prior to J.D. Power, Alex served as Vice President, Human Resources for the Disney Stores division of The Walt Disney Company. Over a nine year career at Disney, Alex developed and implemented talent initiatives that drove employee engagement and retention and company revenue and profitability.
Alex earned a juris doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles and a bachelor’s degree in applied psychology and human resources management from California State University, Long Beach.
SCOTT D. SHERMAN
Executive Vice President, HRIngram MicroScott Sherman is executive vice president of Human Resources for Ingram Micro Inc. Scott is responsible for the identification, development and implementation of the company's human resources strategies in support of the organization's global objectives. Scott oversees all aspects of human resources worldwide, including organization development and talent management, compensation and benefits, payroll, learning and development and the Human Resources Information Systems. He also oversees Corporate Communications and Brand and Customer Experience for the company. He joined Ingram Micro in May 2015. Scott is a global human resources and business leader with deep compensation, benefits and HR Operations leadership experience. He has a successful track record of leading complex business initiatives, driving functional and operational excellence and building strong collaborative relationships. Prior to joining Ingram Micro, Scott most recently served as executive vice president of Human Resources and a member of the Executive Committee at Allergan from September 2010 to March 2015. While in that role, Scott oversaw the global rewards programs, succession and talent development and planning, and significantly supported the organization’s global expansion.
As humans, we are biologically hard-wired to see the world in a systemically distorted way. The distortions are driven by our unconscious biases, which impact the way we perceive and process information, as well as make decisions. Unconscious bias is inherent in our human nature and has a profound impact on the way we lead and live our everyday lives.
During this panel, business leaders will share their experience on how unconscious bias affects the decision making of executives and how that affects the organization.
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