Recognized Succession Planning Leaders 2025

I am a highly results-oriented and consultative global talent management senior leader skilled at bringing a breadth and depth of expertise to ideate pragmatic solutions and drive them to flawless execution for maximum impact. I am highly effective at collaborating and gaining buy-in from stakeholders, partnering successfully from the executive level down. My high standards coupled with curiosity, strong project management, and organizational skills result in high-quality work. I am a quick learner and thinker who is able to connect the dots, anticipate issues, and break down problems easily for swift resolution. I am regarded as a strategic problem solver that gets things done and gets them done right. Areas of expertise: Succession Planning - Leadership Development - Assessments - Project Management - High Potential Development - Learning - Coaching - Process Management - Performance Management - Consulting - Competency Management - Talent Systems

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Dr. Robinson is an executive coach and organizational consultant that focuses on transformational culture change to build thriving workplaces and institutions. During her tenure at Gallup, she consulted with and coached managers, leaders, and chief executives across industries, including Fortune 500, Big Tech, nonprofit, entertainment and media, FedGov, defense, healthcare, higher education, and biotech. She cohosted 3 seasons of Gallup’s “CliftonStrengths Podcast” on the topics of workplace wellbeing, leadership, engagement, and strengths-based development. She was most recently a guest on the “Unstoppable Mindset” podcast and the “Mental Selling” podcast, among others. Dr. Robinson is a member and contributor of Forbes Coaches Council and was a contributing editor to Gallup’s Wallstreet Journal Bestseller, “Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Thriving and Resilient Teams.” She has been featured in MSN as one of ten trailblazing women revolutionizing their fields. She received a bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis in criminology from the University of Oklahoma, a master’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University, a master’s degree in criminology, law and society from the University of California - Irvine, and a doctorate degree in international psychology with an emphasis in organizations and systems from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is PCC certified with the International Coaching Federation, CliftonStrengths certified with Gallup, Inc., Builder Profile 10 trained with Gallup, Inc., and Hogan Assessments certified through Pixonality.

Successful, versatile leader focused on building a culture of connection for people to do their best work through the entire employee lifecycle with learning, coaching, and employee experience programs. Twenty-five+ years of combined business acumen in Operations, Talent Development, Contact Center Management, Leadership Development and public speaking. Hand selected, TEDx presenter, concentrated on the value of employee relationships and the effects it has on customer experience. Balanced employee and business mindset, with the ability to easily connect and establish partnerships to meet their unique needs.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer, colleagues, or any affiliated organizations. The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as financial, legal, or professional advice. While every effort is made to ensure the information is accurate and current, no guarantee is made regarding its completeness or reliability.

Stepan Kazaryan is a Business Management Consultant focused on digital presence, professional evaluation, and how public information shapes decision-making in modern business environments. His work centers on helping organizations and professionals understand how they are perceived before direct interaction occurs. In search-driven systems, evaluation often happens silently and quickly. Stepan advises clients on building structured digital foundations that support credibility over time. His approach emphasizes clarity, consistency, and responsible positioning rather than short-term visibility tactics. He works with executives, founders, and professional service providers who recognize that digital footprints influence trust, partnerships, and opportunity flow. By aligning websites, public profiles, and third-party references, Stepan helps create stable professional narratives that reduce uncertainty during evaluation. Rather than focusing on reactive measures, his advisory framework prioritizes preparation. This includes analyzing how search results present a name, how information connects across platforms, and how inconsistencies affect perception. The goal is to strengthen long-term positioning in a way that feels natural and sustainable. Stepan frequently writes and speaks about digital identity, credibility signals, and the structural factors that influence professional trust in online environments. His perspective reflects a broader shift in how professionals are assessed in the age of search and public information accessibility. Through disciplined strategy and steady execution, Stepan Kazaryan helps clients maintain clarity in environments where perception often forms before conversation begins.

Proven ability to impact human resource effectiveness and decrease operational costs. Advisor to management interpreting and resolving employee relations, compensation, staffing and benefit issues. Goals: support business strategy and drive performance. Key character traits include leadership, assertiveness, reliability, and practical business sense.Specialties: Employee Relations Organizational Development Legal Compliance Staffing and Employment

Jennifer Doherty, MIRHR, is CEO of ProvenHR, where she helps organizations align people strategy with business goals. With over two decades of HR leadership across legal, media, IT, and regulatory sectors, Jennifer brings a pragmatic, business-focused approach to complex workplace challenges. She developed the HR Excellence Matrix, a framework that helps founders and executives manage people-related risk and results with the same rigour as financial metrics.

Email me directly at: atarki@eca-partners.com  We are a world-class Executive Search firm. Our strength lies within our process driven and systematic approach. This enables us to connect star-candidates with opportunities that are right for them – faster! We also have a network of thousands of independent top-tier management consultants.A few of my pieces in HBR and Forbes are included here below. As always, I'd appreciate hearing any comments and feedback on these.

I am a trailblazing people and culture executive with experience building high-performing organizations in the life sciences, biotech, pharma, manufacturing, tech, telecommunications, logistics, fashion, travel and aviation sectors. I combine strategic vision with deep empathy and cross-functional relationship building to unlock both individual and business potential, specializing in scaling people operations for high-growth companies. My approach centers on authentic leadership and harnessing data-driven decision-making to consistently deliver demonstrated success. Throughout my career, I've driven significant organizational transformations, including growing companies 588% in headcount, reducing new hire turnover by 35%, and delivering $3.5M+ in cost savings through innovative talent management solutions. As a trusted C-suite advisor and board partner, I've led 7+ successful M&A integrations with up to $1.1B in value, built elite P&C functions from the ground up, and championed initiatives that resulted in recognition as an employer of choice. I am a passionate people leader who thrives in fostering cultures where employees thrive and businesses excel. I am an impeccable relationship builder with expansive industry experience & expertise with a relentless dedication to creating transformational people experience teams that drive employee engagement, disrupt the status quo, and position the company for maximum performance, competitive advantage, and bottom-line growth.

Recruiting and leadership development are often viewed as headaches (at best) or wastes of time (at worst). However, losing key talent or hiring the wrong candidate can lead to serious consequences for your company. At Sigred Group, we drive the prosperity of great employers by connecting and developing amazing leadership talent. Our mission is to increase your profitability through effective talent management and strategic talent acquisition. We utilize our diverse experiences and unique skill sets to develop practical solutions tailored to your company.

Nikita Patil Brennan is a senior program leader recognized in Marquis Who's Who 2026 for professional achievement and leadership. She brings experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives within both Fortune 500 and Global 500 organizations, with a background spanning program management, operations, enterprise systems, and large-scale transformation. Her expertise includes leadership, stakeholder alignment, organizational effectiveness, change management, process improvement, and driving execution across teams with competing priorities. Nikita offers practical insights shaped by real-world experience operating in large, fast-paced corporate environments where clarity, influence, and results matter. She is available to comment on program management, leadership, career growth, workplace trends, women in leadership, productivity, cross-functional collaboration, and business operations.

As a seasoned Learning & Talent Management Executive with extensive experience in learning, talent development, organizational development, and talent strategy, I have been responsible for end-to-end talent management in various industries. I have developed both synchronous and asynchronous Management & Leadership Development Programs, implemented numerous Learning & Talent Management systems, and have specifically focused on career mobility, performance management, succession planning, and retention of the workforce. I have developed and implemented competency models, aligned all eLearning with competency models, sourced, implemented, and maintained full suite talent management systems, and developed complex talent strategies for various clients. While in consulting, I have served as the head of Talent Management, responsible for external client engagements and the development of their Talent Strategies. My vast experience also includes creating and chairing Governance Councils, designing and facilitating workshops to address low-performing teams, and introducing the first use of eLearning at Tiffany & Co.

Passionate about Talent Acquisition with demonstrated success using Skills Based Hiring. Experienced working in multiple industries including hospital & health care, retail, insurance, and a variety of other industries. Over 10 years' experience in operationalizing and working with a skills-based hiring process and several years as a consultant with HireReach (www.hirereach.org). Skilled with the Selection and hiring process which includes Preparation, Building the Candidate Pool, Application Review, Candidate Engagement, Assessments (www.jofiscore.com), Interview and Selection and Offer. Published Guidebook on Amazon, Talent Acquistion Essential Skills Guidebook. Additional Human Resources experience with compensation, benefits, and employee relations. In addition to Talent Acquistion, experienced with Career Navigation using a data driven approach along with a structured process to help participants identify a career path that is aligned with their knowledge, skills, abilities, interest and personality. JL HR Consulting, LLC/LinkedIn

ABOUT SARA: Sara Gallagher is President of The Persimmon Group and a recognized expert in PMO leadership, project portfolio management, and strategy execution. Sara helps organizations transform their Project Management Offices into high-impact engines for business value, drawing on more than 15 years of experience advising executives and leading enterprise projects. A frequent speaker, author, and instructor, Sara has contributed to PMI’s global standards, taught thousands of professionals through her Udemy courses, and delivered keynotes on PMO transformation and the future of project leadership. She is known for making complex project management concepts clear, actionable, and engaging. Based in Tulsa and a graduate of Emory University, Sara is also the creator of the “Big Dumb Questions” newsletter on LinkedIn. THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND EXPERTISE Sara’s work blends the disciplines of project management and organizational effectiveness, with a focus on: - Strategy Execution - PMO Design and Evolution - Leading Organizational Change - Executive Coaching - Building Cultures of Accountability and Trust Sara’s consulting portfolio spans a wide range of industries—including energy, finance, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and technology—where she partners with both Fortune 500 powerhouses and fast-moving startups. Her experience cuts across project types, from industrial mega-projects and enterprise software rollouts to HR and people transformation initiatives. Whether the challenge is scale, speed, or stakeholder complexity, Sara brings a strategic, systems-minded approach that helps organizations turn complexity into clarity—and ambitious ideas into measurable progress.

Global Talent strategist reimagining how companies hire, develop & lead in the AI/digital era. Almost 20 years driving transformation at Fortune 500s, including 14 award-winning years at Cummins. Frequent speaker and podcast host helping leaders navigate change strategically and adapt to the future of work with confidence.

BestCompaniesAZ is Arizona’s premier Employer Branding and Media Platform — the place where PR, Marketing, HR, Talent, and Community intersect. For more than two decades, we’ve been the trusted voice amplifying Arizona’s award-winning employers — helping them attract top talent, inspire loyal customers, and strengthen their community impact. We’re not just telling stories — we’re building Arizona’s reputation as one of the best places to work and live by spotlighting the companies and leaders driving that vision forward. BestCompaniesAZ is the visionary and brand Ambassador for the following Arizona programs brought to Arizona over the last 20+ years: 1. The inaugural “2003 Best Places to Work in the Valley”, published by the Great Place to Work Institute and the Phoenix Business Journal. 2. The prestigious “Arizona’s Most Admired Companies” award, in partnership with AZ Business Magazine (Founding Partner, 2010-2019) 3. “Top Companies to Work for in Arizona” with azcentral.com and Republic Media (consulting partner, 2013-2019) 4. “100 Best Arizona Companies”, BestCompaniesAZ 10th & 15th Anniversary Lists (2012 and 2017) 5. "Top Workplaces in Arizona & Tucson" with Energage. Note: BestCompaniesAZ is NOT the organization that conducts the surveys or selects award winners. We’re a neutral platform promoting all of Arizona’s great companies.

Based in New York, Irina Wolpert leads the FinTech practice at Egon Zehnder. She draws on extensive global leadership experience as well as a deep Go-To-Market (GTM) and operational background to support clients in meeting the challenges of CEO succession, boards’ effectiveness, change leadership, and developing talent. As a recognized expert in leadership development and a big believer in unlocking the full potential of every leader, Irina works with senior leaders to help drive positive cultural change and empower them to drive organizational success and foster a thriving culture of growth and innovation. Before joining Egon Zehnder, most recently Irina was Amazon’s Global Head of Sales Enablement & Go-to-Market Strategy. That was preceded by 15 years at American Express in the U.S., Europe, and Asia in leadership roles spanning product management, marketing, business development, and sales strategy. A passionate advocate for mentorship, she has focused on empowering a new generation of leaders to thrive in their work environments

Julie Catalano is a strategic and people-first Human Resources executive with deep expertise in scaling talent, culture, and leadership capability across high-growth and private equity–backed organizations. She has built a career driving meaningful change in fast-paced environments through workforce design, organizational development, M&A integration, and inclusive leadership. Known for translating complex business challenges into human capital strategies that work, Julie partners at the board and C-suite level to align people, culture, and performance. She is also a published thought leader on talent strategy, change management, and the evolving role of HR in business transformation.