Mariangela Battista

Mariangela Battista, PhD, is vice president of Global Talent Management for IGT, PLC, a global lottery and gaming organization.  She has strategic oversight and accountability for all global people processes including talent acquisition, performance management, succession planning, learning and development including management and executive development, selection and assessment, culture, engagement, and employee communication.  Prior to IGT, Mariangela was chief talent officer at XL Catlin, a global insurance firm.  She was also vice president of Talent and Organizational Capability at Pfizer, Inc., where she was responsible for the research center of excellence, including all engagement research; manager development and capability including assessments; and organization-wide change management practices. Prior to Pfizer, Mariangela spent 8 years at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. as vice president, Organizational Culture and Effectiveness.  During her career at Starwood, Mariangela had strategic design and oversight for internal communication, organizational measurement, community affairs, and people programs, including mentoring, employee recognition program, ethics and compliance programs, and the Starwood Associate Relief Fund.  Mariangela was also a key architect in the design of Starwood’s Leadership Success Profile, performance management and 360-degree feedback programs, StarVoice (annual engagement survey), and other management development programs.

In her 30+ year career, Mariangela has also been part of the human resources function of the Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG), American Express, and IBM.   She is also a published author in the areas of performance management, global human resources, engagement, talent management, and executive coaching.

Mariangela earned a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the City University of New York.  She is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, a member of the American Psychological Association and the Academy of Management, and is the current chair of the Friday Group, a NY-based consortium of industrial-organizational psychologists. 

Amber Burkhart

Dr. Amber Burkhart has worked in a variety of roles in the talent management consulting space. Dedicated to first-class service, she has guided organizations of all sizes and across a variety of industries to improve their talent management and development processes. She currently is the director of Talent and Data Analytics at Valmont. In this role, she leads the organization’s talent analytics and assessment strategy and also supports succession planning and DE&I strategy.

Prior to joining Valmont, Dr. Burkhart was a team lead and senior people insights consultant at BetterUp, where she partnered with clients in designing the development, implementation, and evaluation of science-based people development programs that helped organizations achieve their business objectives and individuals live with great purpose, clarity, and passion.

Previously, Amber was a manager and senior consultant at Hogan Assessments. There she supported the needs of numerous Fortune 500 organizations through managing the development, validation, and implementation of selection and development focused assessment solutions. She also worked at CEB's SHL Talent Measurement Solutions supporting a variety of projects including test development, job analysis, competency model development, interviewing and interviewing training.

Amber received her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Texas A&M University. She has served on multiple SIOP committees and is currently the chair for the Consortia Committee. 

José H. David

Dr. José H. David is an I-O psychology practitioner with experience leading several talent functions across multiple industries.  In his most recent roles, José has had responsibility for leading learning and talent teams for large multinational organizations. He has conducted projects globally in many different areas of the talent space, including leadership and career development, assessment and selection, technical training, talent and succession management, organizational change, and diversity and inclusion.  He has held positions of increasing responsibility within HR, learning, and talent management, and has worked in nonprofit, retail, financial services, and pharma/healthcare organizations.  José received his PhD in industrial-organizational psychology from Texas A&M University and is trained as an executive coach.  He has lived and worked in Honduras, the United States, and Puerto Rico.

Erica Derosiers

Erica Desrosiers is chief talent officer for Acadia Healthcare, responsible for end-to-end talent management, which includes Acadia’s efforts in talent acquisition, development, succession planning, assessment, performance management, and engagement. Erica and her team drive efforts to enhance Acadia’s employee value proposition, ensuring they are able to continuously attract, develop, and retain the best, most engaged workforce.

Prior to joining Acadia, Erica was chief talent officer for Otsuka Pharmaceutical, where she was responsible for creating and executing talent strategies that supported the most critical business priorities. She focused on advancing the depth and diversity of the talent pipeline, and identifying and developing emerging talent for the organization. She led talent and leadership development, executive talent acquisition, performance management, executive coaching and mentoring, and selection and assessment.   

Previously, Erica worked at Johnson & Johnson, serving in various roles including global head of Accelerated Development, head of Talent Access, and head of Talent Management for the J&J Consumer Health business sector. Prior to her time with Johnson & Johnson, Erica worked at Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas, with responsibility for leading talent identification and succession planning, selection and assessment, leadership development, executive coaching, and performance management. Before joining Walmart, Erica was at PepsiCo in Organization and Management Development, overseeing employee surveys, performance management, and coaching and development.  Erica began her career in talent and HR consulting, working for SHL in Chicago. 

Erica earned her master’s and PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Purdue University and is a SIOP Fellow.  Erica and her husband, Al, live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with their 3 children and 3-year-old Australian Shepherd, Cash (named after Johnny Cash).

Nathan J. Hiller

Nathan J. Hiller, PhD, is executive director and Ingersoll-Rand Professor at the Center for Leadership at Florida International University. Nathan designs leadership development initiatives and delivers solutions for leaders from the C-suite down to front-line leaders in technology, healthcare, family offices, finance, premium retail, K-12 education, and federal agencies including the Secret Service, NIH, CDC, and USPS. He is co-editor of a recent (2024) SIOP Frontiers Series book on senior leadership teams and organizational agility, and his research bridges strategic management and psychology. He is the recipient of 10 teaching awards and has held positions at Cornell, University of British Columbia, University of Washington (Seattle), and FGV Business School in Rio de Janeiro. He received his PhD in Organizational Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University and has lived in 11 cities in four countries.

Prakriti Singh

Prakriti Singh is a senior manager on BetterUp’s Government Leadership team and an industrial-organizational psychologist. She specializes in strategic advisory, workforce diversity, and leadership development, utilizing data-driven insights and systems thinking to drive inclusive change within the workplace. Prakriti excels at navigating the complexities of leadership in a hybrid world, with a keen focus on the unique dynamics faced by government leaders. Her dedication to shaping inclusive workplaces and effective policies highlights her as a pivotal voice in evolving leadership practices. Prakriti holds a master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Albany. 

Anna Marie Valerio

Anna Marie Valerio, PhD, president of Executive Leadership Strategies, LLC, is a consultant specializing in executive coaching and leadership development and a member of New York University’s adjunct faculty in the I-O Psychology Master​'s ​Degree Program.

Dr. Valerio promotes the growth of C-suite, high-potential, and STEM leaders to meet current business challenges and achieve results in Fortune 50 and other organizations.  ​Anna Marie has served as an executive coach for leaders in a wide range of organizations and industry sectors, including technology, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceutical, professional and financial services, and consumer products.​  Anna Marie encourages leaders to develop learning agility and improve their decision making to develop, engage, and influence a diverse workforce, accelerate the development of female leaders into senior roles, and achieve important results for their organizations. 

​Anna Marie has authored two books, Developing Women Leaders: A Guide for Men and Women in Organizations (2009, Wiley/Blackwell) and Executive Coaching: A Guide for the HR Professional (co-authored with Robert J. Lee, 2005, Wiley/Pfeiffer). She has also published articles and book chapters and has made extensive presentations at professional conferences and meetings.​ Dr. Valerio holds a PhD in Psychology from The City University of New York and a New York State license in Psychology. In acknowledgement of her contributions to I-O Psychology, Anna Marie was elected Fellow in the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).

In her prior corporate experience at IBM, Anna Marie was responsible for executive development with the CEO’s direct reports and top 300 executives focused on building global leadership and organizational capability. In Anna Marie’s prior leadership roles at Verizon and at Sony Electronics, Inc., she created and led groups of I-O psychologists, managers, and consultants in strategic human resources and talent management functions, resulting in improved HR methodologies and organizational outcomes.

Anna Marie's article on the topic of high-potential women won SHRM’s HR People+Strategy2018 Walker Award for Best Article.  ​Other articles by Anna Marie have been published in The Journal of Consulting Psychology, Harvard Business Review, SHRM’s HR People+ Strategy Journal, Forbes.com, and Bloomberg​ Businessweek.com.   

Shonna Waters

Dr. Shonna Waters is an award-winning organizational psychologist and executive with broad expertise in people strategy and transformation, bringing over 2 decades of experience as a university professor, leadership coach, operational leader, researcher, and scientist. She is the CEO & cofounder of Fractional Insights and the CEO and principal of WatersEdge Coaching and Consulting. Most recently, she was a vice president and early-stage employee at a unicorn startup, BetterUp, where she built and led teams in multiple functions including behavioral science, strategic partnerships and alliances, and executive advisory. She has supported Fortune 500 companies and leaders as a consultant and advisor to drive strategic growth and address complex human issues. She combines cutting-edge, data-driven insights with practical guidance and experience to help companies reshape thinking, processes, and practices for lasting impact.

She began her career as an internal and external consultant across sectors and industries, advising organizations on a wide range of people systems issues, including selection, development, leadership and succession, performance management, governance, and compensation. Prior to joining BetterUp, she served in executive leadership roles at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the U.S. government.

Shonna is a recognized thought leader in human resources, psychology, and business, and a sought-after speaker at industry conferences, corporate events, and podcasts, where she shares her insights with audiences worldwide. She is also an ICF certified coach, having completed her certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University's Leadership Coaching Program. Shonna was awarded SIOP’s Distinguished Early Contributions–Practice Award and is a Fellow of SIOP, the Center for Evidence-based Management (CeBMA), and the Institute of Coaching (IOC).

She has published peer-reviewed journal articles, handbook chapters, magazine and blog articles, as well as over 60 technical reports. She is the author of two award-winning books: The Practical Guide to HR Analytics and The Coaching Shift: How A Coaching Mindset and Skills Can Change You, Your Interactions, and the World Around You. She has also been cited in renowned media outlets such as CNBC, Fast Company, Forbes, and Axios.