Giovanni Everduin

ETNICITY Group

Managing Partner

Giovanni Everduin is a global expert on Organizational Strategy, Analytics, Culture and HR.
He has worked in a variety of roles within industry and consulting environments, including global Fortune 500 companies to local Middle Eastern banks and start-ups.

A Harvard Business School alum, he is the Managing Partner of the ETNICITY Group, a boutique advisory firm that specializes in cross industry organizational strategy, analytics and culture consulting, as well as creative direction and new product development for fashion and retail brands. In addition he serves as Senior Advisor for HR & Organizational Development at Boston Global – a US based Communications & Performance consultancy, Senior Advisor to Peoplecart – an India based social Rewards/Recognition & Performance Management platform and as Senior Advisor of Product & Brand Strategy for Qlearsite – a London based People Analytics firm.
In his last industry role he served as Chief People Officer of Tanfeeth, the GCC’s first, fast growing, Shared Services & Advisory organization in Dubai where he helped build a unique business model and culture that was documented in a Harvard Business School Case Study (Tanfeeth: Bringing Service Excellence to the GCC – 2015).
Giovanni is a published writer and global speaker on various topics around The Future of Work, Analytics and Shared Services. In his spare time he is an avid collector of sneakers.

Erica Briody

Culture Index

Executive Advisor

Erica Perry Briody is the epitome of strategic excellence in executive advisory, renowned for her unparalleled expertise in shaping high-performance cultures through precision talent acquisition strategies, incisive leadership assessments, and visionary succession planning, all meticulously aligned with organizational values and objectives. With a distinguished track record as Global SVP of Talent at industry-leading firms, including Reef, OYO, Quintiles, General Electric, and Novartis, Erica has consistently elevated organizational performance through transformative leadership interventions. As a seasoned entrepreneur, she has not only founded but also successfully guided multiple Global Executive Search enterprises, testament to her innate ability to navigate complex business landscapes with finesse and foresight. Erica's intuitive grasp of communication dynamics across diverse generational cohorts, including the dynamic Generation AI, ensures seamless alignment between leadership vision and organizational strategy. Collaborating closely with C-suite executives, she facilitates cultivating leadership teams imbued with the requisite traits, behaviors, and values to drive sustained growth and competitive advantage. At the forefront of innovation, Erica spearheaded the pioneering C-Hire initiative in partnership with Culture Index, offering C-suite leaders’ exclusive access to transformative workshops designed to attract and onboard culturally aligned top talent. Leveraging data-driven insights and analytics, she consistently delivers impressive 20% increases in top-line revenue metrics, positioning organizations for unparalleled success in today's dynamic marketplace. A distinguished MBA alumna of London’s prestigious Henley Business School, Erica's academic credentials are augmented by Six Sigma certification and fluency in multiple languages, reflecting her global perspective and cross-cultural acumen honed across five continents. Erica's trailblazing contributions to the HR landscape have earned her widespread acclaim and a host of prestigious accolades, cementing her reputation as an indispensable partner in driving organizational excellence and C-suite success.

Gabriele Metz

Ericsson

Global Head of Leadership Transformation

Gabriele Metz joined Ericsson in 2013 to lead the Talent Management organization in the Middle East region. Prior to joining Ericsson, Gabriele spent 18 years at Motorola in various HR capacities. She brings the insight and experience of a variety of HR functions applied across several geographies including Europe, Middle East and Africa. Her passion for strengthening young diverse talent developed during her very first HR role and continues to this day. She is currently driving a program within Ericsson which is focused on empowering and coaching young female talent. She has received regional recognition specifically for her work in diversity and for creating a mentoring circle to address the development of female talent. Gabriele is a strong advocate of building a diverse workforce because the results of doing so can be directly linked to the bottom line results of a business.

Paolo Vasques

Benetton Group

Global Director for Industrial Relations

Graduate in Political sciences with international law specialization, MBA in Business Management, Paolo has gained valuable experience in HR management of Italian and multinational companies like Fiat Auto, Alcoa and from 2010 Benetton Group. In 2015 has signed with the unions an important and innovative agreement to renew the company collective bargaining regarding the Corporate welfare; In February 2017 he has signed the renewal agreement of the national  textile collective bargaining (420.000 employees) in Italy. Paolo is also a member of Benetton’s sustainable committee.

Niall Ryan-Jones

Department of Health and Social Care UK

Head of Internal Communications & Engagement

Niall Ryan-Jones has worked in retail his entire career for various companies such as Primark, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Liberty and Harrods. For the last 15 years Niall has worked specifically in the employee engagement space starting in internal communications, which later expanded to incorporate employee engagement and employer brand management.
In recent years his career has taken a new direction, which now sees him working as Head of Employee Experience at the world famous retailer, Harrods. Over the years Niall’s work has assisted transformation within the organisation to the point where Harrods has received numerous accreditations, such as being a ‘Best Company to Work For’,  ‘Top Employer ’ six years in a row, Accredited by Glassdoor and LinkedIn. In addition to this employee turnover is the lowest amongst its peers and employee engagement is at a healthy 80%. 
 

Edel Murray

Facebook

EMEA Recruitment Manager

Edel joined Facebooks EMEA HQ in Dublin in 2011 and helped build out the company from a 200 + org into the 1800 + company it is to date. Edel has worked across many orgs within the company and is currently leading the global sales org for recruiting. Throughout her time in Facebook, Edel has seen the evolution of recruiting unfold and the innovative ways recruiting has transformed over the last few years. Personally, there are a couple of programs that have resonated with me since joining Facebook, Strengths and fuel.  I am a big believer in the value of balancing all aspects of your life to achieve a sustainable personal life and career. The more we understand what is important to us, the more we can focus our energies in the right areas and achieve the best results both personally and professionally. I believe that we each spend a large proportion of our lives at work and the more we can pivot towards the work we love, the more fulfilment and better results we will achieve.

Marie-Hélène Polloni

Dentsu Aegis Network France

Head Of CSR & Employer Reputation

She had several opportunities to change job in her career and that’s great. Each new step broadened her vision and made Marie-Hélène more enthusiastic. She started as an advertising manager, then a marketing director in media groups. In 2013, Marie-Hélène joined Dentsu Aegis Network to contribute to manage the transformation of our jobs and skills, especially the digital transformation.

In charge of learning & development and talent management she created and/or implemented development, mobility and high potential programs. Since January, Marie-Hélène is head of CSR and Employer reputation, which is a complex and fascinating responsibility. She is the mother of 2 young “men” aged 19 and 22. She love dancing, history, Italian food (a heritage from her Italian grandmother) and designing unique trips for her family.