sPEAKERS

David Salyers

Original Chick-fil-A Marketing Executive and Culture Pioneer

David Salyers was one of the original two marketing executives at Chick-fil-A. He spent 37 years in the Chick-fil-A Marketing Department and most recently served as a Vice President. Having worked at Chick-fil-A for most of his career, he saw the principles of servant leadership and compassion play out in the growth of more than 2,300 Chick-fil-A restaurants around the country. David is now using his expertise and passion to spark the growth of individuals, teams, and organizations. He serves as a board member for numerous organizations and has helped launch several startups and nonprofits. Notably, David is a Founding Partner of Roam, a shared workspace that is on a mission to Make Work Matter.

Maril MacDonald

Co-Founder and CEO, Gagen MacDonald & Former Fortune 500 Executive

Maril MacDonald is the CEO and Founder of Gagen MacDonald. For 27 years, she and her firm have been counseling major corporations on leading transformation, culture, and employee engagement. She’s a frequent speaker on these topics and is host of the podcast Let Go & Lead, which covers leadership during complex times.

Maril was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Institute for Public Relations. She’s also received the Hall of Fame and Distinguished Service Awards for the Page Society, which is dedicated to advancing the policy-making position of Chief Communication Officers. She sits on many boards, including those of American University and the Women’s Presidents Organization.

Commander Rorke Denver

Navy SEAL Commander, New York Times  Best Selling Author

Commander Rorke Denver has run every phase of training for the U.S. Navy SEALs and led special-forces missions in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and other international hot spots. Rorke was an assault team leader for over 200 combat missions and awarded the Bronze Star with “V” for valorous action in combat.  

Denver is the founder of Ever Onward, a fresh, new brand designed to use Navy SEAL principles to call leaders to take action, to suffer, and to be bold so they can perform at their highest levels. He is a highly-sought after speaker to companies and organizations and provides numerous innovative products and services to help teams and individuals live and perform at higher levels.

Nawal Fakhoury

Senior Director, Culture Experience & Inclusion at Hubspot

Nawal Fakhoury is a culture-obsessed leader with 15 years of experience transforming employee experience at some of the world’s most influential companies — from NBCUniversal, to LinkedIn, and now HubSpot. As Head of Culture Experience & Inclusion at HubSpot, she leads global programs and experiences that bring culture to life across the employee journey, spark deep connection in a hybrid world, and make belonging a lived experience — not a buzzword.

Dr. Lori Bradley

Former Head of Talent for PVH (Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger), United Airlines, Amazon Consumer, and Chewy

Dr. Lori Bradley is a distinguished executive leader and sought-after coach to C-Suite executives, with a proven track record of driving organizational success through innovative human capital strategies. As the former head of talent for industry giants like Chewy, Amazon, United Airlines, and PVH, Dr. Bradley has consistently demonstrated her ability to shape and execute global talent initiatives that propel companies to new heights. With a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, she brings a unique blend of academic rigor and practical expertise to her work. Her passion lies in challenging leaders to step outside their comfort zones and achieve unprecedented levels of success.

Biron Pickens

VP Organizational Effectiveness & Change Leadership

Biron, the Vice President of Organization Effectiveness and Change Leadership at McKesson, is a seasoned leader driving transformative change. His work at McKesson includes leading change management, fostering a culture of transformation, and creating employee value propositions. Prior to McKesson, Biron honed his expertise in business transformation and change management at Southwest Airlines and Neiman Marcus Group.