Keynote Speaker Line-Up for 2012

Simon T Bailey

The Illinois State Council of SHRM (ILSHRM) is pleased to announce our keynote speakers for the 2012 Annual State SHRM Conference, held August 6-7 at Drury Lane Theater and Conference Center in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

Our opening keynote speaker is Simon T. Bailey, a noted speaker on how organizations and individuals can build a bridge from their current reality to a new brilliant reality.  He has been voted as the best keynote speaker heard or used by readers of Meetings and Convention magazine, a category that included Bill Gates, Tony Robbins and Colin Powell to name a few.

He is a founder of the Brilliance Institute and is a former leader in the Disney Institute and Walt Disney World Resort.  Simon is also a repeat speaker at several SHRM National Conferences and, with ILSHRM, has spoke to at least 15 state conferences.  A note that is not in his biography is that Simon has one of the most infectious sincere laughs around.

Talent Anarchy is Jason Lauritsen (L) &and Joe Gerstandt (R)

Back by popular demand, Talent Anarchy will again occupy the after-lunch keynote spot on Monday to pump up the crowd and revitalize them for the rest of day one.  For repeat attendees, you know what a dynamic and energetic duo they are and for first timers, all I can say is fasten your seat belts (here is a little spinet from last year).  They have been described as (not my words, but from ILSHRM attendee reviews) as engaging, dynamic, thought provoking and entertaining.

Talent Anarchy is a duo of HR thought leaders, Jason Lauritsen and Joe Gerstandt.  JasonLauritsen is the corporate guy, the man on the inside. He spends his days in the belly of the beast as a corporate Human Resources leader where he has to actually “walk the talk” each day. Since his first management job as a corn detasseling team leader at age 13, Jason has been studying people and why they do what they do. Classically impatient, curious and well groomed, Jason’s early career was a rapid progression of sales and management roles including launching, leading and ultimately selling a small business in his mid-twenties. He’s a leader, sales guy, entrepreneur and corporate executive–all rolled up in one.

Joe Gerstandt is the sage consultant. He’s a middle-aged white guy who is a national thought-leader on issues of diversity and inclusion–need we say more? He brings a unique and powerful perspective to everything he does. The core of Joe’s work is to help organizations solve issues of diversity, culture and innovation through consulting, training and speaking. Listening to Joe speak, you will hear tales of his days as a U.S. Marine and Gulf War veteran blended with his experience in sales, education, and community-building. To say that Joe is intense and passionate about his work would be an understatement. He is one part professor, one part philosopher, and one part “not quite right.” Be prepared. This is not your average HR guy.

Libby Sartain

Our closing keynote is a true HR professional and a noted voice in the industry, LibbySartain.  After a distinguished 30 year career in human resources Libby Sartain is now an active business advisor and Board Member.  As CHRO of both Yahoo! Inc. and Southwest Airlines, Libby led significant business transformation initiatives as a member of executive leadership teams and guided global human resources efforts focusing on attracting, retaining, and developing employees. Her focus has been growth companies where she developed employment brand strategies that helped grow the workforce exponentially while establishing company reputation as a leading employer of choice. Both Yahoo and Southwest were listed on the Fortune 100 Best Companies To Work For in America and the Fortune 500 during her tenure.

She served as chairman of the board of the Society for Human Resource Management in 2001 and was named fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources in 1998. Human Resources Executive named her as one of the 25 most powerful women in HR in 2005.  Libby has also co-authored several books in the field of HR and has recently contributed to and co-edited The Chief HR Officer: Defining the New Role of Human Resource Leaders. She is a frequent speaker and is often quoted as a thought leader in human resources in the business Media.

We think that this line-up of great speakers and HR minds all offer great thoughts and ideas that alone would be reason enough to attend the Conference.  Add in a tremendous list of concurrent sessions, a great exhibit hall and the opportunity to network with HR pros from Illinois and across the country makes ILSHRM12 the place to be this summer.

- John Jorgensen - ISC SHRM Conference Director