Speakers

Heather E. McGowan is a future-of-work strategist, keynote speaker, and 2x bestselling author recognized by Forbes as one of the world’s Top Futurists. She helps leaders and organizations navigate relentless change by activating their people—teaching them to ask better questions, adapt faster, and turn empathy and curiosity into strategic advantage.

Drawing on a career that spans industrial design, socially responsive investing, and award-winning academic innovation, Heather brings data-driven insight, powerful visual frameworks, and practical optimism to audiences at organizations like Google, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, Mastercard, FedEx, AT&T, and Kaiser Permanente. Her books The Adaptation Advantage and The Empathy Advantage have been widely acclaimed, with the latter named a Top 10 Business Book of 2023. Her mission: help leaders Solve Tomorrow’s Problems™ by rethinking how we work, learn, and lead.

Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour is a leadership speaker, author, and business consultant whose story has made her one of the most distinctive voices in modern leadership. She is widely recognized as America’s first Black female combat pilot, and before stepping onto global stages she built an extraordinary path that included service as a police officer, soldier, and United States Marine.

Known simply as “FlyGirl,” Vernice turns high-stakes lessons from service and combat into practical leadership principles for organizations navigating pressure, change, and growth. Her message centers on making gutsy moves, meeting challenges head-on, and helping teams rally around one mission, one goal, one team.

After leaving the military in 2007, she built her own company and translated her experiences into a breakthrough-focused methodology that now powers her speaking, consulting, and coaching work. Through that work, she helps leaders own the room, lead with courage, and move their people with mission-driven clarity.

Vernice is also the author of Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter, a book inspired by her own journey from beat cop to combat pilot and built around the belief that breakthroughs are created through preparation, strategy, courage, and action. Her perspective is bold, energetic, and deeply actionable—making her a compelling fit for audiences looking for leadership that is memorable, human, and immediately useful.

Henna Pryor, CSP is a dynamic Workplace Performance Expert who speaks and writes about performance mindset, interpersonal dynamics, high-impact communication, and embracing bumps in a world that keeps optimizing for smoothness.

She is a regular Expert Columnist for Inc. Magazine, 18x award-winning author of Good Awkward, and an in-demand global keynote speaker. Her playful personality and insightful talks blend 2 decades of working with corporate leaders and teams with a fresh, science-based approach to taking more strategic risks and boosting social and mental fitness for success at work. Her clients call her their “secret weapon for impossible change,” an honor she wears proudly.

In addition to speaking for TEDx, SXSW, and being frequently tapped by media outlets like Business.com, FastCompany, INSIDER, HuffPost, NBC, FOX, and more, she’s a SUCCESS Magazine Woman of Influence, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, and Glassdoor WorkLife Pro. Her book was also named a Kirkus Reviews’ Best Book of the Year.

With over 30 years at Accenture, Brian has worn many hats, from transforming healthcare systems for hospitals and insurance providers to designing innovative learning solutions that equip Accenture’s global workforce to bring their best skills to their clients. Today, Brian leads Accenture’s global recognition program within the Total Rewards team, where he empowers 814,000 employees worldwide to perform at their best — and ensures they’re recognized for it.

Based in Austin, Texas, Brian’s life outside the office is just as dynamic. Whether he's raising two teenage boys, carving turns on the water or snow, riding his motorcycle cross-country, or tinkering under the hood with his cars, Brian’s passion for adventure and hands-on projects never stops.

Dani Kurtz is the Caregiver Experience Manager at Intermountain Health, a former nurse turned recognition strategist who believes appreciation is one of the most powerful drivers of engagement, culture, and performance. With 21 years at Intermountain—including a decade as a bedside Labor and Delivery nurse and ten years leading enterprise innovation and initiatives—she brings a unique perspective that spans patient care, operations, communications, HR, and caregiver experience.

Known for blending strategy with heart, Dani created and leads Intermountain Health's L.O.V.E. Awards program and oversees enterprise recognition efforts that celebrate and elevate the contributions of more than 68,000 caregivers. She partners closely with leaders throughout the organization to strengthen cultures of belonging through meaningful recognition, leadership development, and evidence-based practices that help people feel valued, connected, and inspired to do their best work.

Outside of work, you'll find Dani shopping with her daughter, cheering her son on at his basketball and football games, cooking dinner with her husband, or planning the family's next adventure.

Matt Turner, MA. Matt is Intermountain Health’s Director of Caregiver Experience. In this role he has responsibilities for caregiver experience strategy including survey management, goal setting, improvement consulting, journey mapping, flexwork, recognition, and awards.

An industrial/organizational psychologist, Matt joined Intermountain in 2022 with 25 years of organization development and consulting experience. Prior to joining Intermountain, Matt served as Vice President of Physician Solutions with Press Ganey, and Assistant Vice President of Leadership and Organization Development for Atrium Health. His published articles, book chapters, national presentations, and consulting work have focused on building a best-in-class culture for caregivers and physicians in service of exceptional care for patients.

Kasi Steinheimer is the Sr. Manager of Broadbased Compensation, overseeing the Enterprise Rewards and Recognition Programs for Broadbased (non-executive) employees at Lockheed Martin. Kasi is a seasoned HR professional with over 15 years of experience, specializing in Total Rewards. Her expertise and dedication plays a pivotal role in managing and enhancing the company's recognition systems, and ensuring employees are rewarded and recognized in meaningful ways, contributing to a positive work environment. Kasi has Bachelors degree from the University of Colorado. She resides in Golden, CO with her husband and two daughters. Kasi enjoys hiking the trails behind her home, a tidy house and a good audio book.

Tiffany Pegues is the Director of Enterprise Broad-Based Compensation, Recognition & Incentives at Lockheed Martin, where she leads enterprise compensation strategy supporting more than 100,000 employees worldwide. With more than 20 years of experience in Total Rewards, Tiffany has led enterprise initiatives spanning compensation architecture, job taxonomy modernization, HR technology transformation, recognition strategy, and workforce transformation.

Known for translating complex business challenges into practical people solutions, Tiffany is passionate about creating Total Rewards strategies that strengthen the employee experience while supporting business objectives. She believes meaningful recognition is one of the most powerful tools leaders have to build trust, reinforce culture, and inspire high performance.

Tiffany earned both her MBA and Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management from the University of New Mexico. Outside of work, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, traveling, exploring wine country and cheering her daughters at golf tournaments and cheer competitions.

Christina Brodzik is a principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP, where she is the culture and leadership leader in the human capital practice.

Leah Fisher is the Director of Employee Experience and Engagement at CBIZ, where she leads strategy and execution across team member recognition, engagement, and culture initiatives. With a strong focus on creating meaningful workplace experiences, Leah partners with leaders to design programs that drive connection, performance, and retention.

Leah brings a people-first approach to her work, combining data-driven insights with creativity to build programs that resonate with team members at every stage of their career journey. She is passionate about helping organizations foster cultures where team members feel valued, inspired, and empowered to do their best work.

Steve Sonnenberg is the Co-Founder and CEO of Awardco, the leading employee recognition and rewards platform. Since founding the company in 2015, he has guided its growth from bootstrapped beginnings to global industry leader, securing the largest Series A round of funding in HR SaaS history in 2021 and a $165M Series B round in 2025, with a current valuation over $1 billion. A passionate advocate for purposeful work and positive culture, Steve currently serves on the Forbes Business Council and has helped redefine how organizations worldwide celebrate and retain their people. Steve resides in Springville, Utah, with his wife and four children.

Sarah is a global lead on Awardco’s Center of Excellence team, where she advises organizations on designing and evolving impactful rewards and recognition programs. An organizational psychologist with over 15 years of experience in employee research and insights, Sarah blends science and practicality to help companies drive meaningful behavior change and business outcomes. Prior to Awardco, she spent nine years at Qualtrics leading EX solution design for global enterprises. Sarah holds a Master’s in Work and Organizational Behavior and is completing her doctoral research in Evidence-Based HR in London.

Dillon Winspear is Vice President of Product at Awardco, where he leads the product organization responsible for shaping the platform’s user experience, product strategy, and innovation. With a background in UX design and product leadership, Dillon specializes in bridging the gap between business strategy and intuitive product design. Prior to Awardco, he held multiple design leadership roles at Domo, helping deliver user experiences for global enterprise customers.

Christi Gilhoi is a seasoned Employee Experience executive with over a decade of leadership at organizations including Qualcomm, Okta, and Cisco. She specializes in building people-first cultures rooted in strategy, data, and meaningful impact. Christi has led global recognition and engagement initiatives for workforces of 100,000+ employees, driving measurable improvements in engagement, belonging, and brand alignment. Known for translating strategy into action, she is a trusted voice in the HR space and a sought-after advisor and speaker on recognition, culture, and scalable employee experience design.

Katie Bundy recently joined Awardco after a 17-year career at J.P. Morgan, where she held roles across Sales, Finance, and Employee Experience. In 2019, she co-led the firm’s global integration with Awardco, launching a points-based recognition platform for 290,000+ employees in 70 countries—resulting in a 17% increase in recognition satisfaction. Katie brings deep expertise in building business cases, rallying executive support, designing impactful recognition strategies, and sharing these best practices with our clients to ensure successful, sustainable change.

Laura is a practitioner and advisor on Awardco’s Center of Excellence team, bringing more than 16 years of experience in employee engagement, communications, and recognition. After leading recognition initiatives at Qualcomm, she successfully implemented Awardco at both Okta and DocuSign. With hands-on experience across multiple platforms, Laura helps organizations design, launch, and evolve strategic, scalable recognition programs that drive lasting impact.

Kelly Satterfield is a Rewards and Recognition Executive on Awardco’s Center of Excellence with over 15 years of experience leading HR strategy, people analytics, and employee experience initiatives across global organizations. She specializes in turning data into actionable insights that drive engagement, performance, and culture, helping organizations build high-performing, people-first workplaces.

Chantale Callingham is Vice President of Client Success at Awardco, bringing over 15 years of experience leading customer-centric strategy in SaaS and enterprise environments. A certified PMP and MBA graduate, she is known for building inclusive, high-performing global teams and driving measurable business impact through recognition and culture initiatives. Chantale is a sought-after speaker on leadership, operational excellence, and the connection between business outcomes and human impact.

Tamika Shuler-Boyd is a Vice President in Employee Recognition & Engagement at JPMorganChase, where she leads strategic programs that celebrate and support employees throughout their career journey. With more than 30 years of experience spanning financial operations, project management, product leadership, and employee experience, Tamika is recognized for driving innovative, employee-focused solutions that strengthen engagement, recognition, and workplace culture. She currently leads key programs including Global Service Anniversary and U.S. Employee Discounts, helping deliver meaningful experiences and valuable benefits to employees across the firm.

Rebecca brings a long interest in the effective development of positive workplace habits to her role as Accenture's product owner for recognition in the Americas. As an academic, she explored the best ways to teach people to communicate effectively, and she earned a doctorate in English with a specialization in Language, Literacy, and Rhetoric based on her research into the pedagogy of argumentation—a focus that interleaves well with Accenture's recognition vision of reinforcing leadership essential behaviors, empowering shared success, and inspiring people to recognize the accomplishments, milestones, and unique traits of one another in the workplace.

At Accenture, she has led teams focused on creating durable, learner-focused learning experiences, advancing the design-thinking mindset, and cultivating a culture of recognition across a global organization of 814K+ employees

Global Total Rewards executive with more than 30 years of progressive leadership designing and transforming enterprise reward strategies for five Fortune 500 organizations across North America, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC.

Recognized for aligning executive and employee rewards with business strategy to accelerate growth, improve shareholder value, retain critical talent, and strengthen governance. Trusted advisor to CEOs, CHROs, Executive Leadership Teams, and Boards on executive compensation, incentive design, organizational transformation, pay transparency, and global talent strategies.

Deep expertise leading enterprise-wide Total Rewards functions supporting organizations of 50,000+ employees across more than 50 countries with revenues up to $220B+, with responsibility spanning executive compensation, broad-based compensation, equity, benefits, global mobility, recognition, and HR transformation.

Known for building high-performing teams, modernizing global reward programs, and delivering measurable business impact through strategic compensation design and disciplined governance.

Published thought leader featured in three internationally books and industry publications focus on recognition and engagement (“The Power of Thanks” Mc Graw Hill by Eric Mosley-2014, “The Human Workplace” Kogan Page by Andy Swann-2017, “Build It” The Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement by Debra Corey-2018 and “WORKSPAN” World at work February 2018 publication)

Aubrey Vispisiano is an employee experience and talent brand professional with over 13 years of experience building programs that strengthen culture, connection, and engagement. Her background spans employee experience, talent brand, recruitment marketing, internal communications, and program strategy.

As an Employee Experience Manager at CrowdStrike, Aubrey leads global programs across employee recognition, culture and engagement, onboarding, and company-wide experiences. Prior to CrowdStrike, she held leadership roles at late-stage, hypergrowth technology companies including Nomad Health and Procore Technologies, where she built and scaled talent brand strategies. Earlier in her career at Booz Allen Hamilton and iCIMS, she supported global talent initiatives across diverse markets and employee populations.

Aubrey is passionate about designing human-centered experiences that are globally consistent, locally relevant, and built to scale, turning employee insights into meaningful programs that strengthen culture and connection.

Elizabeth Okamura brings over 25 years of experience in corporate total rewards to her current role as Director-Executive Compensation at AT&T. She specializes in executive and management compensation design and strategy, incentive compensation, Board of Directors compensation committee support, proxy disclosures, total rewards, M&A, and awards and recognition. Elizabeth is particularly dedicated to effectively communicating compensation and total rewards.

She enjoys traveling with her three daughters, cheering for Duke basketball, and growing vegetables with varying degrees of success. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and is a Certified Compensation Professional.

Gabriella Serrato is a dedicated Compensation & Recognition Program Manager at Okta, where she focuses on enhancing employee experience and engagement through meaningful rewards and recognition. She is passionate about creating impactful recognition programs and compensation initiatives that foster a positive workplace culture and support professional development. She is committed to designing initiatives that not only recognize employee contributions, but also drive organizational success.

Throughout her career, Gabriella has been dedicated to building impactful programs that nurture talent and promote a motivated workforce. Outside of her professional life, you’ll usually find her traveling, spending time with family, or cheering loudly from the sidelines at her daughters' cheer and soccer events.

Tamara Sheehan is the Director of Global People Operations at Rain, the AI financial health platform that has paid out over $6 billion in earned wages to 4 million employees across 1,800 employers. At Rain, Tamara owns the people operations function end-to-end — HR tech stack, compensation (both cash and equity), compliance, benefits, and people data — and has spent more than two decades building people operations that function as genuine business partners rather than back-office support, using workforce and engagement data to shape decisions on compensation strategy, benefits design, and organizational structure, and to make the case to executives for where and why to invest in their people. That data-driven, business-first approach has been tested across some of the most consequential moments a people leader faces: guiding two companies (SpaceIQ, acquired by WeWork, and ChooChee, acquired by Deutsche Telekom) through acquisition due diligence and post-close integration, and managing global compliance and people operations for a multi-country workforce today. Tamara also spent several years as an independent People Operations and Business Management consultant, advising startup leadership teams on how to use workforce data to close the gap between where their people programs were and where their business needed them to be. She brings that same lens to conversations about proving the ROI of people programs: engagement and workforce data aren't just reporting tools — they're how you build the business case that earns leadership's continued trust and investment.

DeAndre believes that by unlocking the body and the mind through a regular yoga practice everything else in life becomes more aligned. Whether he is upside-down in handstand or in seated meditation he is simply striving to be present. Despite his extensive yoga experience, he still considers himself to be a lifelong student of the practice and is constantly discovering new dimensions physically, mentally and spiritually.

Megan Spalding serves as a Partnership & Recognition Specialist II for Texas Roadhouse, where Megan helps create memorable recognition experiences and meaningful engagement opportunities for team members across the company. Passionate about celebrating people and building strong relationships, Megan believes recognition is one of the most powerful tools for creating a positive workplace culture. With experience in coordinating recognition programs, fostering partnerships, and supporting large-scale events and initiatives, Megan enjoys finding creative ways to help individuals feel valued and connected to Texas Roadhouse’s mission and values. Megan is excited to share insights and practical experiences on building engagement, recognizing excellence, and creating workplaces where people and culture can flourish.

With over three decades of dedicated service at Chick-fil-A, my journey began as a

team member in an Atlanta restaurant. During college, I transitioned to the Support

Center as the front desk receptionist, which provided a wonderful opportunity to connect

with everyone at Chick-fil-A. My college education is in Office Administration from

Clayton State College & University.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of advancing through various roles within the

People function, including HR Interviewer, Sr Executive Assistant, and Project

Specialist. Currently, I lead Chick-fil-A’s Family Care Benefits and Accolades Staff

Recognition Program.

My favorite aspect of Chick-fil-A is the organization’s incredible generosity and genuine

care for its people, both personally and professionally. My favorite Chick-fil-A menu item

is Waffle Fries!

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my two amazing children and extended

family in Atlanta, especially when we can gather around the table for good food and

great conversation.

Melissa is a Talent and Organizational Development leader with nearly two decades of experience designing learning strategies that strengthen leadership, elevate performance, and build engaged, resilient teams. A DDI® and DiSC® certified facilitator and founding partner of the Hispanic Corporate Council of Atlanta, she brings deep expertise in organizational culture, workforce engagement, and associate development at all levels of the organization. Outside of work, she enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible, staying active and enjoying time with her family and friends.

Kristie Schutz is the Director of Employee Experience for UAB Medicine. With more than 20 years of professional experience, she is passionate about helping people thrive through meaningful connection, employee engagement, and innovative solutions that support the healthcare workforce. Driven by the belief that exceptional patient care begins with a supported and engaged workforce, she is dedicated to championing a culture where people feel valued, connected, and empowered to do their best work—so they can continue making a lasting difference in the lives of the patients, families, and the communities they serve.

Tabi Charlet is an Organizational Development Manager at Insight, based in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been part of Insight’s Culture and Engagement team since 2018, where she helps shape the teammate experience and performance management through key global initiatives. Tabi’s work spans programs such as recognition, global feedback cycle, the talent review process, performance management and goal setting. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History, with a minor in Family and Health Studies, from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Tabi also earned her Human Resources Specialist Certificate, Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification and Brain-based Coaching certification from the NeuroLeadership Institute. Originally from Illinois, Tabi relocated to Arizona in 2018 and quickly embraced the desert lifestyle—hot summers included. Outside of work, she enjoys watching movies, reading fantasy and sci-fi novels, and spending time with her husband and their two cats.

Tabitha Bramblett, SHRM-SCP, SPHR serves as Chief People Officer for New Hope Treatment Centers, stepping into the role in January 2026 after previously serving as Director of Employee Experience & Talent. With 20 years of experience in human resources and organizational leadership, Tabitha has built her career around a simple belief: when organizations take care of their people, their people are better equipped to take care of the mission.

Throughout her career, Tabitha has worked to change the way people experience Human Resources, moving beyond traditional policies and processes to create a more people-first approach. She has led HR transformations and re-brandings, championed leadership development and employee engagement initiatives, and helped build workplace cultures centered on connection, compassion, growth, and accountability.

Her leadership style is collaborative, authentic, and rooted in empowerment. She believes employees do their best work when they feel valued, connected to the organization’s purpose, and empowered to contribute to its success. She is equally passionate about developing leaders and creating opportunities for employees to grow personally and professionally.

Tabitha holds both the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certifications and is a member of the SHRM Executive Network and the American Society for Health Care Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA). She has also been recognized for her creativity and community impact, including local news features highlighting innovative recruiting strategies and her creation of a reflection garden honoring victims of hate crimes

Kate Gilkey is an HR technology and employee experience leader with over 15 years of experience driving workforce transformation through people strategy, product management, and digital innovation. She specializes in designing scalable HR solutions that improve employee experiences while enabling organizations to operate more effectively and efficiently. As Sr. HR Systems Manager at CrowdStrike, Kate develops employee lifecycle technology strategies and transformation initiatives across the HR ecosystem. Her recent work includes launching an enterprise skills program, modernizing onboarding experiences, implementing employee recognition technology, and advancing AI education and adoption across HR teams. Prior to CrowdStrike, Kate led employee experience initiatives at Bezos Academy and held HR leadership, product management, and program management roles at Amazon, where she helped scale workforce technologies and automation solutions supporting employees globally. Kate is passionate about the intersection of AI, skills intelligence, and workforce transformation. Her work focuses on helping HR organizations leverage emerging technologies to create more personalized employee experiences, strengthen workforce capabilities, and prepare for the future of work.

Amy Butler is the Vice President of People Operations at Awardco, where she leads the company’s global people strategy, focusing on building scalable systems that support employee experience, organizational growth, and high-performing teams. With deep expertise in HR operations, total rewards, and people programs, Amy works closely with executive leadership to ensure Awardco’s people strategy aligns with the company’s rapid growth and evolving culture.

Before joining Awardco, Amy served as Head of People Operations at Route, where she played a critical role in building and scaling the company’s HR infrastructure during a period of rapid growth. In that role, she implemented a comprehensive HRIS platform integrating payroll, benefits, recruiting, and onboarding into a single system, significantly improving operational efficiency. Amy also launched Route’s Culture Committee, supporting the rollout of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), diversity and inclusion initiatives, and broader culture programs designed to strengthen employee engagement and belonging.

During her time at Route, Amy owned the full employee lifecycle, from onboarding through offboarding, while developing performance management frameworks, compensation structures, and salary banding systems that helped support talent development and retention. She also led the company’s COVID response task force, successfully transitioning onboarding and employee engagement programs to a fully virtual environment while maintaining strong connection across the organization.

Earlier in her career, Amy spent nearly eight years at Qualtrics, where she held leadership roles within the company’s global benefits organization. As Global Benefits Manager, she helped design and implement global total rewards programs while working closely with executive leadership to enhance employee benefits offerings. Her work included implementing Workday systems, managing compliance programs, leading benefits redesign efforts that resulted in significant cost savings, and developing a global benefits roadmap informed by employee insights and market data.

Amanda Nuttall is a Product Manager at Awardco, where she bridges the gap between user feedback and platform strategy. Having spent over four years directly supporting enterprise clients across Client Success and Management at Awardco, Amanda leverages deep customer empathy and a strong understanding of software adoption to build features that solve real workplace challenges. She is passionate about translating real customer needs into impactful platform enhancements and features that make employee recognition seamless, engaging, and scalable.

Cali Hyde is Awardco’s Director of Strategic Partnerships and a founding member of the Center of Excellence. With over a decade of experience, she partners with global organizations to elevate rewards and recognition strategies through scalable, impact-driven solutions. Bringing an international perspective and deep cross-industry expertise, Cali is known for building meaningful partnerships, driving innovation, and creating long-term business value.

Eric Roley is a Senior Solutions Engineer at Awardco who helps prospects evaluate recognition and engagement solutions through consultative demos, technical guidance, and solution-focused customer conversations. Having advanced from Implementation Specialist to Sales Engineer to Senior Solutions Engineer at Awardco, he brings a strong blend of product knowledge, implementation experience, and customer-facing strategy to every opportunity.

As a TAM, I work with enterprise customers to make complex programs and integrations feel manageable. A lot of my work is connecting the dots between what customers need, what systems can do, and what it takes to make things run smoothly day to day. I enjoy solving problems, asking the right questions, and turning technical details into clear, practical next steps. I’m passionate about building strong partnerships and helping teams create recognition programs that work well for everyone involved!

James is the Sr. Group Product Manager overseeing the vision and strategy for the Engage Product. Passionate about solutions that solve the real problems the HR leaders face every day, James advocates tirelessly for customers - ensuring their voice is heard in every decision his teams make. With over a decade of experience in product development, James has launched numerous innovative solutions across diverse industries - HR Tech, direct to consumer goods, and library software - that have brought real change to user’s lives. When he's not building the next generation of tech solutions, he's collecting Labubu's, chasing his cats away from his plants, and taking his dog on their third walk of the day.

Jill heads up product marketing at Awardco and nothing gets her more hyped than communicating product value to customers (but really!!). She loves understanding the data behind ‘the why,’ and then working with our teams to translate it into assets and programs that ultimately benefit our customers.

Her diverse background spanning global business expansion to selling crafting products on live TV give her a unique perspective on how we can best bring the Awardco platform story to life.

Outside of work, you can find her reading, planning her next OOO, or hanging out with her three-legged orange cat.

Kevin Mefford is a Sr. Principal Solutions Engineer at Awardco who helps prospects evaluate recognition and engagement solutions through consultative demos, technical guidance, and strategic solution design. With a background in market research, customer experience, and employee experience platforms, he is known for translating complex product capabilities into practical, customer-focused conversations.

Being a Technical Account Manager means I get to help clients make the most of their Awardco programs—from creating engaging recognition experiences to solving complicated platform challenges. I enjoy partnering with administrators to simplify the details and tailor Awardco to each organization’s unique strategy. I love recognition and believe in the positive impact it can have on morale, culture, and employee satisfaction.

Nick Frazier is Senior Director of Client Success & Operations, EMEA at Awardco, based in the London office. Nick leads client success strategy and operations across the EMEA region, bringing years of experience in human resource management, data analytics, and global service delivery. He plays a key role in scaling Awardco’s operational excellence and ensuring clients achieve meaningful outcomes from their recognition programs.

Sabina Carlheim-Gyllenskiold is Global Director of Solution Engineering at Awardco, where she leads enterprise solution engineering efforts and supports EMEA opportunities across demos, technical discovery, RFPs, integrations, and proof-of-concept strategy. Based in London and originally from Sweden, she is known for translating complex product and technical concepts into clear, compelling customer experiences.

ShaNae McCleskey is the Director of Technical Account Services at Awardco, where she leads teams focused on delivering exceptional support to Awardco’s largest clients across the globe. Passionate about the intersection of people-first initiatives and technology, ShaNae excels at creating meaningful, sustainable solutions for companies seeking tech solutions to improve employee satisfaction. She is an active participant in Awardco’s Women’s ERG, Pride ERG, and a proud member of the company’s Center of Excellence. Outside of work, ShaNae enjoys gardening and home DIY projects, spoiling her nieces and nephews, and watching documentaries with her 3 elderly dogs.

Shane Stanley is a Senior Solutions Engineer at Awardco who helps prospects evaluate recognition and engagement solutions through live demos, consultative solution design, and practical platform guidance. Having advanced from Account Executive to Senior Solutions Engineer at Awardco, he brings a strong mix of sales insight, product expertise, and customer-facing strategy to every opportunity.

Tyler Coggins is Sr. Director of Customer Success at Awardco, now in his 8th year with the company. He started as a CSM, partnering with enterprise customers like JPMorgan Chase and Texas Roadhouse, and has since grown into a leadership role overseeing the CSM and Support departments and leading Awardco's Customer Advisory Board. A South Carolina native and Brigham Young University graduate, Tyler brings the same focus and energy from his endurance pursuits, Ironman triathlons and ultramarathons, to building lasting, high-trust partnerships with every client he works with.

Paige Bennett Carr is the Senior Director of Experiential Marketing at Awardco and the visionary behind the Recognize Summit. Since joining Awardco in 2022, she has transformed the Summit into a premier industry event that brings HR leaders together to explore the future of recognition, engagement, and workplace culture. Paige specializes in designing high-impact experiences that connect people, spark meaningful conversations, and drive business growth.

Joseph is the Sr. Group Product Manager for Incentivize, Awardco's upcoming performance and incentive platform. Obsessed with helping customers succeed, he treats discovery as a mindset rather than a phase, working closely with design, engineering, and go-to-market partners to deliver solutions with measurable impact. A product leader with 15+ years of experience designing and scaling B2B platforms, from early-stage startups to public companies, he has led product across HealthTech, EdTech, and SaaS. Joseph holds an MBA in entrepreneurship and innovation from Babson College. Off the clock, he performs improv comedy at ComedyBox in Provo, where he's learned that the best product ideas, like the best scenes, come from listening closely and building together.

Michael is a Group Product Manager at Awardco, where he leads the Marketplace, the place employees around the world turn recognition into rewards they actually want. Driven by a belief that people do their best work when they feel valued, he builds products that make that feeling real. With over 8 years of experience building software products, four of them at Awardco, he works closely with design, engineering, and go-to-market partners to turn customer needs into measurable results. Michael holds an MBA degree from UVU. Outside of work, Michael is an avid board game enthusiast, and his collection somehow grows almost every week.

Stacey Preator is the Sr. Director of Implementation at Awardco, where she leads the Implementation team in streamlining operational processes and creating long-term success for clients. With a core passion for education and growth, Stacey began her career as an educator before spending 16 years in educational technology, supporting schools and districts across the country. Now in her second year at Awardco, she has significantly elevated the client onboarding experience by building high-value implementation resources and establishing scalable workflows that set every new customer up for lasting success. Outside of work, Stacey loves traveling, with New York City being a favorite destination, and is the proud grandma of three adorable boys.

Kayde Givens is the VP of Sales Enablement at Awardco, where she leads enablement along with the learning and recognition programs for the sales organization. Before joining Awardco, Kayde was the Vice President of Talent Enablement and Experience at OpenGov, where she led Talent Management, company enablement, and internal events, and ran all of the company’s recognition programs. She brought those teams together to support the full employee lifecycle and built company-wide programs for onboarding, leadership development, and employee engagement, which led to a measurable increase in employee satisfaction scores. Earlier in her career she held enablement roles at Outreach, Chorus, Carta, and HireVue. She brings a practitioner’s view of what it takes to launch change programs that managers and employees actually use.

Spence Hyde is Executive Vice President of Product & Technology at Awardco, where he leads the company’s product development and technology strategy. With more than two decades of experience in HR technology and software development, Spence focuses on building customer-centric products and empowering teams to deliver scalable, impactful solutions. Prior to Awardco, he spent over 20 years at SkyWest Airlines leading HR technology and development initiatives.

Mitch has been with Awardco for over a decade, hitting his 10-year mark earlier this year. He has seen the company morph from a 5-person operation to what it is today. In the process he has worn all the hats including implementation, account management, order fulfillment, invoicing, dabbled in legal & security, and even closed a sale years ago before finding a home in product management. His role has continued to morph as a PM at Awardco, leading individual product teams, the entire product organization, and finally settled in to specifically own the recognition product line. He loves a good white-boarding session to work through a complex idea with coworkers and clients alike. Outside of work, Mitch loves sports. A former high school lacrosse coach, you can catch him golfing, playing sports with his 2 young sons, or optimistically cheering on his favorite team in any major sport!

Jennifer Steed is a leader within Deloitte’s Human Capital practice, specializing in HR technology and organizational transformation with seventeen years of consulting experience. She leads large-scale, full-suite HR technology transformations that help organizations modernize their operating models, improve operational processes, and get more value from their technology investments, with deep experience in Cloud HCM. Her work spans a broad range of industries, including Energy & Resources, Consumer & Industrial Products, Technology, Media & Telecom, Public Sector, Life Sciences, and Professional Services, giving her a cross-industry perspective on how HR can adapt to evolving workforce expectations and the growing influence of AI.

Bronson is a long-time advocate of employee recognition, employee experience, and how psychology plays a part in successful individuals and organizations. With degrees in Psychology and Marketing, Bronson enjoys diving deep into the research of human behavior and how it relates to the employee experience in the modern workforce. Bronson enjoys the outdoors, community theater, and spending time with his wife Sydney.

Katie Bell is a Principal Solution Engineer at Awardco who partners with account executives to map business requirements to technical capabilities and deliver compelling customer experiences through demos, solution design, and proof-of-concept strategy. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, she brings a background across HR leadership, HR technology, and solution engineering, with deep experience helping organizations evaluate employee experience and recognition solutions.

Brenda Betteridge is the Business Development Manager for Professional Education at Utah Valley University (UVU), where she helps organizations develop stronger leaders, build workforce capabilities, and navigate the future of work. With more than 30 years of experience in business development, employee engagement, event leadership, and program management, she is passionate about helping people and organizations grow.

Brenda also serves as UVU’s Employee Recognition Chair, helping oversee recognition initiatives for more than 6,500 faculty and staff members. Through programs such as Wolverine Sightings and the Distinguished Employee Awards, she has seen firsthand how meaningful recognition strengthens culture, improves engagement, supports retention, and drives performance.

In her role at UVU, Brenda works closely with employers and professionals adapting to rapid workplace change. Much of her current work focuses on AI and workforce development, helping organizations leverage emerging technologies while maintaining the human connection that fuels innovation and success. Her unique combination of experience in AI education and employee recognition provides valuable insight into how leaders can balance technology, culture, and performance.

Known for her warmth, energy, and engaging presentation style, Brenda frequently speaks on leadership, recognition, workplace culture, AI, and change management, inspiring organizations to create environments where people feel valued, connected, and empowered to thrive.

Rachel Lando is a movement educator, comprehensively certified Pilates instructor, and co-founder of Movement Elevated in Park City, Utah. With extensive training in anatomy, biomechanics, fascia, and mindful movement, Rachel brings curiosity, humor, and a deep appreciation for the human body to her teaching. Her studies include multiple human dissection laboratories and mentorship with leading movement educators, including Gil Hedley, Jill Miller, Jules Mitchell, and Madeline Black. She is a Tune Up Fitness Master Rolling Teacher and the creator of Anatomy for Movement Professionals, a continuing education program for movement teachers. Drawing from her personal experience with chronic illness, Rachel is passionate about making movement accessible, adaptable, and empowering. Her teaching blends science, compassion, and curiosity, encouraging students to explore their bodies and discover the joy of moving well.

Abigail Atkinson is a Utah-based yoga educator specializing in Yin Yoga, Adaptive Yoga, and Yoga Nidra. After surviving a cerebellar stroke in 2012, yoga became an important part of her recovery and inspired her path to teaching. With over a decade of full time teaching experience and 500 hours of specialized Yin Yoga training, Abigail brings a thoughtful blend of functional anatomy, mindful movement, and deep rest to her classes. Her approach encourages students to explore what feels good in their own bodies, making yoga both accessible and meaningful.

Malia Stella is a wellness instructor based in Utah. Drawn to the healing arts, she is passionate about helping others slow down, feel at home in their bodies, and reconnect with the Earth through yoga, sound, and meditation. With a background in pre-professional dance, movement has always been a part of her life, and it led her to the work she does today. Malia can’t wait to connect with you all!

Kenedi Anderson is an American singer-songwriter who gained widespread recognition in 2022 as a breakout contestant on season 20 of American Idol. Following her departure from the show, she is pursuing independent songwriting and has released original tracks like "Body" and "The Single Best Thing."