1. 30 Workƒorce | workforce.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 5
ADAM ROBINSON
Chief ‘Hireologist,’ Hireology, Chicago
CEO and entrepreneur Adam Robinson is changing the way
employees are hired. After co-founding recruitment process
outsourcing firm Illuma in 2004 at age 29, Robinson set out to
launch a new company that would help growing businesses make
better hiring decisions. The result was Hireology, a data-driven
approach to hiring and selecting job candidates. Robinson’s
patented system takes managers through every step of the hiring
process, taking care of everything from pre-hire assessments to
background checks to compensation analysis.
Now 38, Robinson has led Hireology to tremendous success:
The Chicago-based firm has seen a reported year-over-year growth
of more than 300 percent and has been lauded as one of the
city’s most innovative companies. As chief “hireologist,” Robinson
takes the entrepreneurial spirit seriously by taking on leadership
roles at the Entrepreneurs Organization, which is designed to
enable leaders to learn from each other. —AmyWhyte
SIRMARA CAMPBELL TWOHILL
Chief human resources officer, LaSalle Network, Chicago
When Sirmara Campbell Twohill joined LaSalle Network as an
office assistant, there was no HR department. More than a
decade later, she is the chief human resources officer.
“Looking back, I realize how lucky I was that Sirmara walked
into my office,” president and CEO Tom Gimbel wrote. “She
has been instrumental in our growth.”
Twohill, 35, has lowered unemployment costs for LaSalle
Network, saving the company an estimated $250,000. She has
implemented a benefits package for all 2,000 temporary
employees, which sets them apart from other staffing firms.
Also adding an onboarding program, exit interview process,
mentoring program and short-term disability insurance are just
a few of her other major contributions to the company.
—Lauren Dixon
THIS MARKS THE FIFTH YEAR
of Workforce Game Changers, an
award program designed to recognize
those in workforce management who
are pushing the field forward with
innovative people-management
practices. Even though we’ve given
out these awards five times, there’s
still no set mold into which all the
Game Changers fit.
Our winners have tackled issues
such as talent acquisition, employee
development, and benefits design and
management in a variety of creative
ways over the past five years.
The thread that ties them all
together is that their efforts engage
employees and help their respective
companies succeed.
Workforce’s editorial staff selected 25
winners this year based on the appli-
cants’ ability to drive measurable
results within their organizations.
Much like last year’s winners, this
group of workforce management
practitioners and strategists in human
resources-related fields — all under 40
years old — didn’t focus their efforts on
a single industry trend.
Some addressed employee skills
gaps while others concocted ways to
integrate new technology platforms into
their practices to make them more
efficient and user-friendly. Still others
worked to help their companies grow
on a global scale.
In each instance, the Game
Changer took a risk and worked to
incite change in a field that is often
bogged down by protocol and leaders
content with the way things have
always been done.
For the willingness to embrace the
spirit of innovation, we recognize
2015’s group of well-deserving
Game Changers.
Congratulations to all the winners.
—Sarah Sipek
25 AT 525 AT 5GAME
CHANGERS

2. A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 workforce.com | Workƒorce 31
GA
M
E CHANGE
RS
F
IFT H A N N U A
L
GC
Adam
Robinson
and Sirmara
Campbell
Twohill are
two of this
year’s Game
Changers.

3. 32 Workƒorce | workforce.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 5
WENDY SMITH
Head of new employee experiences, NCR Corp.,
Duluth, Georgia
To Wendy Smith, today’s worker is much like a
consumer, shopping for employer brands just
as they do products and services outside of
work. It is to that end that Smith, head of new
employee experiences at technology firm NCR
Corp., has remodeled how the company
thinks about new employee onboarding.
Since 2014, Smith, 39, has built an
onboarding effort, NCR First Steps, that has
set a new consumer-employee mindset for the
more than 5,000 employees annually that
come to work for NCR — a mindset that,
according to colleagues, has been applied to
develop other human resources programs at
the company.
“Wendy Smith is an ultimate game
changer,” wrote consultant Kevin Finke.
“She’s that highly engaged professional who
makes innovation seem almost effortless, and
she always has a knack for shifting the ways
things are done.” —Frank Kalman
JON BISCHKE
CEO and founder,
Entelo,
San Francisco
Where do the
ESPNs, Teslas and
Ubers of the world
turn to as part of
their recruiting strategies? They go to Entelo.
While recruiting software is somewhat ubiquitous in today’s
human resources, Entelo’s ability to get its foot in the door in
the aforementioned companies and others like Facebook Inc. in
less than four years is eye-opening. Entelo gathers information
from various social media outlets to create a more robust
candidate profile.
The company, led by CEO and founder Jon Bischke, 39, boasts
45 million candidate profiles and reportedly has no voluntary
attrition since the company’s inception.
But perhaps even more impressive than the company’s growth
and ability to reel in high-profile clientele is how Entelo gives
back to the community. Under Bischke’s leadership, for every
person who gets hired via Entelo’s software, the company makes
a donation to CodeEd, a nonprofit that teaches computer science
to girls in underserved communities.
“Jon Bischke is a man motivated by individual development,”
wrote Jill Erickson, chief revenue officer at Shiftgig. “The beating
heart of his drive is clearly evident among his employees, his
philanthropic efforts and his entrepreneurial record.”
Not to mention his newly anointed Game Changer status.
—JamesTehrani
JOHANNA PYSTYNEN
Vice president of people operations, Vincit Oy, Helsinki, Finland
Finnish company Vincit Oy wants its employees to achieve their dreams. Johanna Pystynen, head of
people operations, works to make this utopian ideal possible.
She achieved this goal by creating a human resources department at Vincit Oy, a software
company, that facilitates conversations between employees and managers about their passions —
everything from travel to video game programming — and figures out how those dreams can be
achieved through flexible scheduling.
Pystynen, 35, ensures that the company is doing more than molding well-rounded employees by
helping execute Vincit Oy’s “money back guarantee” to clients. Those not satisfied with the results of
the software receive a full refund. As a result, the staff remains motivated to produce high-quality work.
Her combined efforts have helped Vincit Oy win Finland’s Best Place to Work award in 2014 and
2015. —Sarah Sipek

4. A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 workforce.com | Workƒorce 33
COLLEEN
KARPINSKY CONE
Vice president, talent and
culture, Dyn, Manchester,
New Hampshire
Talk about baptism by
fire — before her
one-year anniversary at
Internet performance
company Dyn, Colleen
Karpinsky Cone had led
two company
acquisitions and a
$38 million growth
equity investment.
She survived
unsinged, and three
years later is still with
the firm. As vice
president of talent and
culture for a 450-person
company, Cone, 35,
leads the organization’s
recruiting and retention
practices as well as
handles day-to-day
operations.
Before joining Dyn,
she was a lawyer at the
McLane Law Firm and
Irving Oil Corp.,
experiences that have
helped her tackle tricky
legal issues and guide
clients through company
crises. In her spare time,
she serves as secretary
of the Manchester Youth
Professionals Network,
an organization
dedicated to making
New Hampshire
attractive to
young talent.
—Kate Everson
SARA PICCOLLO
Vice president, global head of inclusion and diversity, PIMCO,
Newport Beach, California
Sara Piccollo is the definition of a rising star, rapidly
climbing the ladder at PIMCO in her nine years at the
company. After joining PIMCO as an entry-level learning
and development coordinator in 2006, Piccollo worked her
way up the global investment management firm to become
head of diversity and inclusion.
Piccollo, 33, has been a key player in developing PIMCO’s diversity and inclusion strategy,
implementing unconscious bias training, offering incentives for inclusive leadership and ensuring
that all employees are involved in the company dialogue about diversity. Recently, Piccollo led the
design and launch of PIMCO Parents, an initiative focused on mothers and fathers.
A champion of diversity of thought, Piccollo works constantly to prove the truth of PIMCO’s
diversity and inclusion philosophy: Diverse teams create better business results.
—AmyWhyte
JULIO ACEVEDO
Human resources director, Lake Wales (Florida)
Charter Schools
Julio Acevedo has always sought to better
himself. Small wonder then that he rose to a
position where his job is to help his colleagues
better themselves.
The pursuit of self-improvement motivated
the Puerto Rico native to move to Florida in
search of better opportunities for himself and
his family. He found that opportunity at the
Lake Wales Charter School system, where he
took a position as a kindergarten teacher.
Putting his bachelor’s degree in drama to good
use, he engaged students with impersonations
of famous singers, including Elvis Presley, in
order to drive their interest in reading.
The satisfaction he gained from successfully
motivating his students to improve themselves
drove him to enroll at Nova Southeastern
University’s educational leadership program. He
graduated from the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-
based school in 2011 with a specialist degree
that he immediately put to use in his school
system’s administrative office to coordinate
programs for English for Speakers of Other
Languages and migrant workers and their
families. Setting policy wasn’t enough for
Acevedo, though. He paid attention to the needs
of the population he was serving and created
Conexion Hispana, a federally funded,
community partnership that provides free health
screenings, legal services and educational
programs for Hispanic families.
His efforts have earned him great rapport with
students and colleagues, so when the HR
director position opened up, Superintendent
Jesse Jackson had to consider him. “During my
first meeting with Mr. Acevedo to discuss the
position, my statement of expectation was quite
simple,” Jackson wrote. “If he was going to be
effective in the job, he would have to pay very
careful attention to the customer service
provided to all of our stakeholders.”
In his dual role as HR director and English
Language Learners coordinator, Acevedo has
been able to streamline the district’s onboarding
process as well as continue to deliver services to
the school’s Latino community.
“I love to be able to help my staff understand
their benefits and our system,” Acevedo, 33,
wrote. “I have always been passionate about
helping others, and, as the HR director, I feel that
I am able to help many people.”
—Sarah Sipek

5. 34 Workƒorce | workforce.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 5
BRAD WILKINS
Vice president of talent management, Adcap Network Systems Inc., Alpharetta, Georgia
Before Brad Wilkins started as vice president of talent management for Adcap Systems
Inc. in 2012, the Alpharetta, Georgia-based business technology firm did $25 million in
annual revenue. Just two years later, in 2014, and with the help of Wilkins’ sharp
recruiting and talent management chops, the company had doubled its annual revenue
to $52 million, while decreasing its payroll by roughly $700,000.
Such efficiency is par for the course for Wilkins, 31, who in 2014 was named the top
U.S. recruiter by TheLadders.com. In addition to helping Adcap reduce payroll and
increase revenue, Wilkins saved the company more than $300,000 in recruiter fees in 2013 compared with the prior year,
propelled by what colleagues call his novel approach of creating talent pools for the niche industry. Wilkins’ most game-
changing contribution has been the creation of Adcap’s apprentice programs for sales and technical roles for entry-level,
industry-transition and returning military veteran employees.
Wilkins’ commitment to Adcap appears to extend beyond his normal duties. According to Rolf Versluis, Adcap’s founder
and chief technology officer, Wilkins even wrote and performed a song about Adcap in front of the entire company. “He’ll do
anything,” Versluis wrote. —Frank Kalman
DON CHARLTON
Founder and CEO, The Resumator,
Pittsburgh
As the creator of a performance
recruiting software startup, Don
Charlton, 38, has built a
multimillion-dollar venture with
more than 3,000 customers.
Charlton’s dream as a teen was to
become an artist, but he also had a
secret love for coding. When
speaking with a guidance counselor, he learned how to combine
those two passions. Throughout his education at Rochester School
of Technology, he painted classrooms and worked in fast-food
restaurants to support his family.
Luis Salguero, account executive at Highwire Public
Relations, wrote that Charlton’s hard work during school is
“that same kind of perseverance and daring spirit that led him
to start The Resumator.”
The software that Charlton created profiles candidates and plans
out the recruiting process for companies. The Resumator’s website
says the software uses a performer-centric approach.
It started out in Pittsburgh, which isn’t known as a hub for
technology, and the company has remained competitive by opening
a second office in the technologically competitive San Francisco
area. The Resumator has also gained the support of presidential
campaigns, with the 2012 Obama and Romney campaigns using
the software.
A customer of his, Tara Ronel of SnapRetail, wrote that
Charlton’s success comes from following his own advice: “If you
want great people to work for you, you have to make working for
you great.” —Lauren Dixon
LORI LORENZO
Deputy director, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity,
Richmond, Virginia
Learning is a lifelong process, but for the Leadership
Council on Legal Diversity’s program manager, Lori
Lorenzo, that notion is also part of her job.
Lorenzo, 36, provides development opportunities
for lawyers in all stages of their careers as a way of
promoting inclusion in the legal sector. She
spearheaded the Pipeline Partnership Program with
college advisers to address barriers that minorities
face when applying to law school. Another initiative
she started, the Pathfinder Program, helps law
students develop professional networks and
foundational leadership skills. Lorenzo also helps
experienced lawyers transition into executive
leadership positions.
“Lori understands that an inclusive legal profession
is a critical business and social imperative,” wrote
Bruce Strothers, managing council at Coca-Cola Co.,
where Lorenzo has conducted Leadership Council on
Legal Diversity sessions.
“She is self-aware and
empathetic, yet shrewd
in managing the
business of
building innovative
talent development
models.”
—Kate Everson

6. A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 workforce.com | Workƒorce 35
JUSTINA
SANCHEZ-UZZELL
Chief people officer,
Providence Service
Corp., Tucson, Arizona
When Providence
Service Corp.
acquired four new
companies, the
Tucson, Arizona-based
company needed a
system to align
initiatives. Enter the
“Change Management
Playbook,” created by
Justina Sanchez-
Uzzell.
The guide uses a
set of flexible
protocols to
accelerate the
acceptance of
change while aligning
the acquired
companies into
Providence Service,
which provides
and manages
government-
sponsored human
resources services.
Sanchez-Uzzell,
36, said the guide is
intended to help
identify how the
acquired company
and its employees are
adapting. By first
identifying where the
companies connect,
Sanchez-Uzzell then
wraps that critical
connection into the
change initiatives.
Warren Rustand,
Providence’s former
CEO who stepped
down in June but
remains a senior
adviser, said that
Sanchez-Uzzell
focuses on ensuring
that managers value
their people.
Her inclusive
leadership approach
comes from the
organization’s value
placed in diversity
and inclusion.
Sanchez-Uzzell
has also focused on
succession planning.
She said she looked
at evidence-based
best practices and
aligned it with her
culture of valuing
people, and it
became clear that
leaders will be
driving their
particular segment of
human services and
health care.
To identify future
leaders, her team
built models of
succession based on
evaluations of
employees. Skill sets
are plotted against
time to plan for
building those skills.
This allows her to
plan for the future.
“It’s important at all
levels to get the
organization bought
into any initiative,” she
said. “But
when it comes to HR, I
think it’s even more
important to have
leaders understand”
why certain
things happen.
—Lauren Dixon
DYLAN CHOONG
Director of human resources,
Asia-Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts,
Asia-Pacific, Singapore
It takes a hard-working staff in all
departments — even those not directly
involved with customers — to create a
relaxing and recreational environment for
guests in the hospitality industry.
If that’s the case, count Dylan Choong, 36, at your service.
Choong, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc.’s director of
human resources, Asia-Pacific, has been working hard the past four years
to bring new strategies and talent management enhancements to the
organization through the Starwood Careers program.
During his tenure, the development program has doubled with a reported
65 percent promotion rate for executive graduates of the program.
“Against a diverse spread of regions, languages and cultures, his work
involves directly with GMs [general managers] and directors of HR to influence
the development of 14,000 associates and evolve organizational culture to
one that is performance-driven, engaging and caring,” wrote Francis Tan, vice
president of learning and talent management at MGM Macau.
Caring is what hospitality is all about.
—JamesTehrani
TERESA CLARKE
Senior director, human capital and
employment counsel, Achievement
First, New York
For large companies, a
$1.8 million savings in health care
costs might elicit a polite smile
and nod from senior leadership,
but for a midsize nonprofit
organization with a mission to bring high-level education to
urban students, it’s quite an achievement.
Achievement First’s Teresa Clarke, 39, was able to bring home
those insurance savings in the first few months after she joined
the organization, and she even negotiated a rate cap to ensure
continued savings.
It’s a nice luxury to have a lawyer in the human resources
department managing a staff of four HR generalists.
Max Polaner, Achievement’s chief financial and strategy
officer, wrote: “Teresa led the effort to bring our HR function out
of the dark ages by leading the charge to overhaul some of the
antiquated processes.”
And that’s only a taste of why Clarke deserves to have the
spotlight shown on her as a Workforce Game Changer.
—JamesTehrani
MARK THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY

7. 36 Workƒorce | workforce.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 5
STACY LOWMAN
Vice president of training
and communications,
World Travel Holdings,
Wilmington, Massachusetts
When 70 percent of your
employees work from
home, building
engagement and keeping
everyone connected can
be a challenge. Not for
Stacy Lowman.
Lowman, 39, designed
programs at World Travel
Holdings to keep the
company’s employees on
the same page. One such
program is Voyager, an
intranet that offers
company tools, updates
and communications
where employees can
share ideas. Another is
MeetUps, which are
monthly 30-minute virtual
meetings where an
executive gives a quick
company update, news or
hosts an open Q&A.
“The company takes its
vision, mission, core
values and goals very
seriously,” wrote Rachel
Shapiro, a pubic relations
specialist at World Travel
Holdings. “And as a result
of Stacy’s innovative
programming, all
employees have an
awareness of these beliefs
and embody them on a
daily basis.”
—Frannie Sprouls
DZMITRY NIKITSIN
Chief technology officer,
Appcast, Lebanon,
New Hampshire
Most job seekers say
the worst part of the
job search is the
dreaded résumé
black hole.
They apply for jobs
and never hear back
from a recruiter. When
he was chief technology officer at StartWire, Dzmitry
Nikitsin, 26, created a platform that brought free,
automated application status updates to job seekers via
daily email and text, which allowed job seekers to harness
the power of social networks in their job search. His
technology helped more than 4.5 million U.S. job seekers
to find their way out of the application black hole.
In his next role, Nikitsin turned his attention to the
recruiter experience. As chief technology officer for
Appcast, he created a pay-per-application job
advertising model, which moves away from traditional
word-, duration- or click-based advertising pricing
models and allows employers to pay only when a job
seeker makes a physical application on the recruiter’s
applicant tracking system. Further, the technology
captures analytics on performance of the ads that users
buy to help them understand what’s working and what’s
not. For the first time, recruiters are able to allocate
budgets toward hard-to-fill positions that need
advertising, giving them better returns on their
advertising spending.
“Being a recruiter comes with a unique set of
challenges and opportunities, from changing workforce
demographics and new business objects to a highly
competitive job market,” Nikitsin said. “In order to be
more effective on a daily basis, talent acquisition leaders
need to understand and leverage available data to
optimize hiring efforts.”
Nikitsin launched Appcast in January 2014 after
developing it at the StartDate Labs’ recruitment
technology incubator — where StartWire was created
as well.
When asked why he has focused on human resources
technology, Nikitsin said he likes helping people.
“Building new features with Appcast energizes me every
day because I know it’s a product that helps recruiting
professionals save time and money to find the right
people that they need to bring into their organization,”
he said. “It’s really fulfilling.”
—Ladan Nikravan
KELLY PLOEHN
Department analyst,
Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality,
Lansing
In 2014, the Quality of Life
Leadership Academy — the
organization formed by the
Michigan departments of
Environmental Quality,
Natural Resources and
Agricultural and Rural
Development — accepted
into its ranks for the first
time “nonprofessional”
candidates such as
secretaries and analysts.
Kelly Ploehn, an analyst in
the Environment Quality
Department, was among
those who participated in
the 10-month program.
Ploehn, 37, helped
develop a presentation to
address employee
engagement concerns. The
findings, based on
employee input, made some
senior leaders
uncomfortable, but Ploehn
powered ahead, presenting
her results along with
recommendations to
improve engagement.
Thanks to Ploehn’s
perseverance, the
Environmental Quality
Department established an
employee engagement
team, naming Ploehn a
team leader and
representative for her
division. —AmyWhyte

8. A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 workforce.com | Workƒorce 37
IVORY WOODHOUSE
Career development specialist, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
There’s something about an infectious laugh.
But while colleagues say hers is engaging enough to travel through walls, the
changes made by Ivory Woodhouse, career development specialist at the
Washington University School of Medicine, are anything but funny.
Woodhouse, 31, has had a significant influence on human resources at
Washington University since she joined in 2011. She has helped move hiring
managers into a new applicant tracking system, which, as those in the HR
space know, can be tricky business because some workers are averse to new
technology implementations.
She has also created a brand for a new career development initiative called
Smart Choices. For the first time, the School of Medicine has a way for its staff to learn about their career options,
and Woodhouse was the driving force behind the change. In just over a year, she moved career development from
fliers and brochures to a fully actualized career counseling service.
Her peers have consistently expressed their appreciation for her genuine, caring and supportive assistance for all
of the schools’ employees.
And that laugh? Well, that’s just the icing on an already thickly frosted cake. —KellyeWhitney
STEPHANIE BLOOM
Acting director of the Workforce
Transformation Initiatives
Mission Support Directorate,
Office of Field Operations, U.S.
Customs and Border Protection,
Department of Homeland
Security,Washington, D.C.
There are few organizations
more critical to the safety and security of the United States
than the Department of Homeland Security. Stephanie Bloom
has played a vital role in the department maintaining an
engaged workforce — mission-critical to the success of the
department’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency’s
Office of Field Operations.
Bloom, 33, authored the first Office of Field Operations
Human Capital Strategic Plan to help organizational leaders
foster employee engagement and empower the workforce of
some 28,000 people. The plan was the first step in a long-
term plan to attract and retain a talented workforce.
Bloom told senior leadership that a results-driven,
engaged and empowered workforce needs to be developed,
nurtured and trained. She pointed out that systemic
changes must take place if change were to occur in the
organizational culture.
“Her strategic thinking, dynamic leadership and ability to
execute difficult tasks with limited resources is something the
American taxpayer expects of young leaders in U.S. Customs
and Border Protection,” wrote Diane Williamson, senior project
manager at Constellation Inc. —Rick Bell
ADAM FERNANDES
Director, Eagle Hill Consulting, Arlington, Virginia
Work-life balance has been at the front of many leaders’
minds in recent years. So whom do federal agencies call
on? Adam Fernandes, director at Eagle Hill Consulting.
Described as a one-of-a-kind work-life balance thought
leader, Fernandes changes how clients approach the issue
as well as challenges his colleagues to get this balance
every day.
Since 2011, four federal agencies have partnered
with Eagle Hill to improve their work-life program,
including the Transportation Security Administration.
Fernandes, 32, brought a fresh perspective to TSA by
aligning the work-life program to the agency’s mission
and goals, wrote Shontelle Rivers, TSA project
manager. With Fernandes’ help implementing the
program as well as a performance measurement plan,
Rivers said TSA’s work-life program participation
increased by 50
percent.
“The impact he has
had on TSA is
significant,” Rivers
wrote. “The
contributions he has
made to the greater
[work-life balance]
conversation may be
even greater.”
—Frannie Sprouls

9. 38 Workƒorce | workforce.com A U G U S T 2 0 1 5
QUENTIN TYLER
Assistant dean for diversity, University of
Kentucky, Lexington
Diversity is a fact of life. But its
inevitability does not mean it’s easy to
create or sustain.
In an academic environment steeped
in tradition, it can be even tougher to
affect change. But Quentin Tyler is
doing just that. His efforts to strengthen campus diversity have led the
University of Kentucky’s Cooperative Extension Service arm to employ its
highest number of women and minorities to date.
In his efforts to help the school recruit, retain and develop a diverse
faculty, staff and student population, Tyler, 35, has taken a direct role in the
hiring process for nearly 600 people since 2005. He is a key member of the
hiring team for more than 200 extension service employees who work across
Kentucky’s 120 counties.
He’s also focused on building a diverse pipeline. During his tenure the
university’s summer intern program has offered leadership to an
increasingly diverse young cohort. Tyler has created a diversity fellowship
for graduate students, helped build cultural awareness workshops, and a
youth development high school program and conference to introduce the
next diverse generation of students to college life. —KellyeWhitney
ADAM HOPEWELL
Director of talent management,
Savola Iran, Tehran
Game changing in HR can occur in a
number of situations, but when it happens
in the most challenging situations is when
it’s most impressive.
Forming a small team dedicated to talent
management in less than a year, Adam
Hopewell, 39, has been able to bring
integrated, analytical and innovative
processes and systems to Tehran-based
Savola Iran, which makes edible oil and
other food products, changing the way learning and development, performance and
succession are implemented throughout the company.
Take the ambassador initiative he started.
Knowing that building skills is the foundation of sustainable people development,
Hopewell led a management team and corporate culture with almost no understanding
of human resources, and brought hundreds of managers into the process of identifying
“ambassadors” from the management trainee pool who best exemplified Savola’s values
and competencies.
Hopewell developed ambassadors with action learning projects and simulations
among other tactics. This has resulted in a workforce that is aware and engaged
with competencies and has already contributed to Savola Iran’s success and
growth. —Ladan Nikravan
LAUREN HERRING
CEO, Impact Group, St. Louis
Lauren Herring sees the
whole picture.
Whether she’s expanding her
career transitions firm Impact
Group into global markets or
pushing her employees to develop
a well-rounded set of skills, she
always has her eyes set on growth.
After joining the firm in 2001
after her mother was diagnosed
with breast cancer, Herring rose
through the ranks to become CEO
in 2009. During her ascent, she
introduced a global operations
department to direct the company
toward the international market.
This vision helped Impact
increase its revenue to
$15 million from $5 million.
In 2010, Herring, 36,
developed and launched Talent
Alliance, a talent development
program for high-potential
employees. The initiative
includes a career coach and
has helped drive leadership
development, team engagement
and change management.
But her efforts don’t stop at the
office doors. Herring also serves
on the board of five nonprofit
organizations: the American Heart
Association, Center of Creative
Arts, Connections to Success,
Junior Achievement and United
Way. —Sarah Sipek

10. A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 workforce.com | Workƒorce 39
MIRANDA LEURQUIN
Vice president of human resources
and recruiting, The Mosaic Co.,
Renton, Washington
When Miranda Leurquin started at
The Mosaic Co., the consulting
company had five employees
and a smattering of clients. Nine
years later, the company is 200
strong and nationally works with
utilities companies and the oil
and gas industry.
As if a 3,900 percent increase
weren’t enough for a human
resources team to handle, know
this: Leurquin, 35, worked
primarily on her own during the
growth spurt because she was
the only one in the company with
workforce management skills.
“The sheer level of growth
has been so exciting, and it’s
one of those things I’ve thrived
off of,” she wrote. “We’re the
same Mosaic, but we’re bigger.”
She now has three recruiters
in California and a coordinator
in her Washington-based office.
One of Leurquin’s best tools
in the hunt for candidates to
help grow the company from
$10 million in 2009 to
$32 million today has been
social media, which she
pioneered for the firm. Before
video became an everyday way
to conduct interviews with
candidates, Mosaic was saving
money by connecting with
candidates via Skype — a
method that attracted employees
interested in working for tech-
savvy companies.
Even though she has gotten
her footing in the organization,
Leurquin still faces challenges.
As she sees it, building an
organization is tough, but
maintaining it while it grows is
even harder.
She also has to align her daily
duties to business results.
“There is a perception about HR
— sometimes fair, sometimes
not — and I work hard every
day for me and my team to be
seen as a critical part of
Mosaic’s success by always
pushing us forward,” she wrote.
“This is definitely a motivator for
me personally; I like to prove
people wrong.”
But Leurquin’s biggest
motivators are Mosaic’s people
and culture.
“From day one when I
started here, it was all about
servant leadership,” she wrote.
“There’s such a positive vibe
here at Mosaic that wanting to
give back to that and show
people what a great company
we are is part of what inspires
me. I love the company, I love
the people, and I feel like
I am part of the ownership of
the company.” —Kate Everson
BEN JACKSON
Executive director, health and welfare
benefit operations, AT&T Inc., Dallas
You’d think that managing the daily
operations of a Fortune 500 company’s
retirement benefit plans would be
enough of a challenge for anyone. Ben
Jackson met that challenge head-on,
implemented a successful
communications program boosting the
financial skills of AT&T employees and
guided the telecom giant to being one
of just three companies to present to
the President’s Advisory Council on
Financial Capability.
A big task, indeed; next challenge.
Jackson, 35, now leads a team
delivering health care benefits to nearly
1.1 million active and retired employees
and their dependents. With an annual
budget of $5 billion, Jackson brought in
a private health insurance exchange to
deliver benefits to 200,000 Medicare-
eligible retirees. He came into the
transition midstream, but quickly used
his background in benefits and personal
finances to organize the effort.
Jackson summarized it this way: “As
an HR professional, you want to work on
projects that impact peoples’ lives for
the better while delivering results for
the business. This initiative was a
massive opportunity to do both by
creating a great health care experience
for 200,000 people. Through
innovation, collaboration and teamwork,
we did that.” —Rick Bell