In contention for the TA 20

“Punith serves as a strategic catalyst across the global talent landscape, connecting emerging HR technologies with enterprise needs to transform how hiring gets done.”

“Keri is redefining talent acquisition as a strategic, human-centered discipline, building hiring systems that improve decision quality rather than simply speed. She uses AI to augment recruiter judgment, remove low-value work, and create more consistent, equitable hiring while keeping humans accountable for the decisions that matter.”

“In practice, AI is the catalyst that removes the friction, leaving our human expertise to do what machines cannot: connect, inspire, and choose wisely.”

“In practice, AI is the catalyst that removes the friction, leaving our human expertise to do what machines cannot: connect, inspire, and choose wisely.”

“Clifton has run talent acquisition across four completely different industries, supplements, fitness, hair restoration, and now global mobility for a company operating in 110 countries, proof he builds systems that transfer rather than luck that doesn't. One of his own team members put it best: 'He has a talent for unlocking people's potential and pushing them in a way that feels supportive rather than demanding... Cliff made work meaningful and special every single day.' That's rare enough on its own. It's rarer still coming from someone he used to manage.”

“Stephanie built the recruiting benchmarks and systems HHS runs on today. What stands out is who she keeps showing up for: transitioning veterans she's building a real leadership path for, dietitians she's publicly fighting to get treated as full clinical partners instead of support staff. She's said the real problem behind most staffing gaps isn't a lack of people, it's a lack of visibility, exactly the blind spot AI-era hiring exists to close. She builds infrastructure like an engineer and fights for her people like it's personal, because to her, it is.”

“Jess uses AI to make hiring smarter while keeping people at the heart of every decision. She believes innovation helps teams move faster, while care makes sure every candidate feels seen, valued, and respected.”

“Brandi runs the recruiting engine behind the teams building & selling RingCentral's agentic voice AI, the same AI reshaping how businesses talk to their customers, while running Global Talent Acquisition herself the old-fashioned way: she still shows up to personally welcome every new hire to what she calls 'Team Milewski.' One of her own placements put it best: 'Most of the time when you speak with someone from talent acquisition it is just to fill a position. But not Brandi.' Eight years in from Senior Corporate Sales Recruiter to Director, she's never let the scale get bigger than the care.”

“Suzanna is a great example of where genuine passion for candidates intersects with intentional processes and programs. As a one-woman recruiting team at Helix, she cares deeply about the candidate experience and brings thoughtfulness, purpose, and consistency to every part of the process.”

“Andrea Clarkson was my manager for several years at Helix, where she served as Global Head of Recruitment. I was promoted multiple times under her leadership. She's a caring, thoughtful leader who pushes her team to win while always bringing a fresh perspective to mission critical initiatives, from championing innovative work to spearheading expansion to new territories. She's now leading talent delivery at ID.me, and it's easy to see why, that same mix of heart and drive make her a stellar leader in the TA space and beyond.”

“AI is a multiplier, it scales the human factors -- judgment, connection, empathy. It's not a replacement.”

“John is a hands-on Talent Acquisition and Program Management leader with experience across multiple industries, known for turning complex hiring challenges into practical, scalable solutions. He uses AI thoughtfully to strengthen—not replace—the human side of recruiting, helping teams move faster, make better decisions, and create a better candidate and hiring-manager experience.”

“AI in the loop where it makes sense, human in the loop where it matters most.”

“For Mike, hiring is a human endeavor first. AI speeds up everything around the edges, so more of his time goes to the people at the center of it.”

“Chereen has used AI to build a hiring process that led to a 100% fill rate for professional contact center talent. The tools include post TA screening analytics that identify the candidates with traits that align to the most talented employee traits as a successful profile. The process has cut the time to fill a class regardless of the numbers needed to 5 days from posting with assessments, candidates job based simulations and All qualified applicants attend an information hiring event to learn about the job, the culture and they are able to self schedule live interviews for the following day!”

“Gracie brings the rare combination of strategic talent leadership and hands-on execution. She builds hiring systems that are rigorous, human, and built to scale, using AI to sharpen judgment and remove friction while preserving the relationships and discernment that make great hiring work.”

“Lakeitria built a national apprenticeship program with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Labor that helped her hire over 1,000 veterans in four years, then went on to lift underrepresented hiring by 50% and cut turnover by 30% while running DEI initiatives at Service King. She still sits on the Heroes Foundation's board and just spoke at their July Speaker Series on AI in HR and Recruiting, five months into building out Global Talent Acquisition at Cinemark. She's the kind of leader who treats inclusive hiring as an actual operating metric, not a slide in a deck.”

“Crystal spent over a decade rising through marketing leadership at American Family Insurance before making the leap into people leadership, and now runs Talent Acquisition and Inclusive Excellence across the company's five operating units. This year she's been publicly championing internship pipelines, arguing that investing in early-career talent 'isn't just good HR strategy, it's good business.' She's said the biggest three-letter title she's ever wanted isn't CEO, it's mom, and that same people-first instinct is exactly what she brings to how she builds AmFam's talent function.”

“Lauren built her whole career in fashion and retail talent acquisition, from BCBGMAXAZRIA and GUESS to contract roles at Farfetch and Joie, before landing at Alo Yoga. In under six years there she rose from Recruiting Manager to Director to VP of Talent Acquisition, the kind of internal trust a company doesn't hand out lightly. She's spent her career proving retail recruiting deserves the same rigor as any other function.”

“Tommy brings a relationship-driven, results-oriented approach to recruiting, backed by extensive industry knowledge and a well-established network. His reputation and connections within the cleared workforce make him a valuable resource for organizations looking to attract and retain hard-to-find talent.”

“Jinhee went on Singapore radio and sat for a People Matters Global interview to talk through the hard version of AI in hiring, not the easy one: AI literacy, AI displacing entry-level roles, and how to leverage it without gutting headcount. 'Don't count yourself out before you can be counted in' still runs through her own self-talk, years after she first heard it. She's spent her career giving Autodesk's global talent team that same permission: asking those questions out loud instead of avoiding them. This is a leader who builds integrity and trust from the ground up.”

“Passionate about education, service, talent and leadership development, and assisting veterans excel in new chapters of service, Jonathan “JD” Due is the inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Military Transition at William & Mary's Mason School of Business. In this role, JD leads the Mason School’s efforts to develop and empower veterans with AI-powered tools so they can think and lead like executives.”