Recognized Succession Planning Leaders 2025

With a career spanning across ESPs, agencies, and technology providers, Garin Hobbs is an expert in growing email impact and revenue, launching new programs and products, and developing the strategies and thought leadership to support them. The amount of knowledge he has about MarTech and email marketing is phenomenal but, it's not just the depth of information, it's Garin's perspective and how he communicates the application and impact that set's him apart. Garin is a fantastic and enthusiastic leader, collaborator, and strategist, as well as an amazing human.

I'm an innovative, curious, and passionate People Ops leader trying to connect employers and their people. Super powers include focused, engaging and effective communications, grace under pressure, and maintaining attention to detail while scoping big picture results. I focus on clarity, inclusion, accountability, respect, and trust - which means I operate with those values at the core of what I do and how I treat others. I lean into tough conversations with leaders at all levels, and help advocate for employees while prioritizing the interests of the organization.

We train & consult on Strategy, Finance, Succession & Leadership. A successful consulting engagement for us is where the client’s measurable improvement is a multiple of our fee so that we become an investment in their future rather than a cost of doing business. * Assisted major service provider in identifying operational problems while devising strategies & tactics to improve profits through quality & performance which were achieved within 6 months * Assisted 80+ year old garment company with corporate restructure which regained profitability within 120 days * Developed a strategic business plan for a start-up consumer products firm that facilitated their securing equity financing and then profitability within first year.

How can organizations adapt to create new growth paths and manage risk in rapidly changing markets? This is the focus of my strategy and risk advisory work. I leverage my extensive track record in high-performance team building and operations leadership to help clients solve challenging problems at the nexus of risk, strategy, and innovation. I have over a decade of strategy consulting and executive leadership experience across multiple industries. I was the Director of Strategy for a Top 50 Foodservice Distributor, helping lead the company through its acquisition by a Top 5 Distributor. After that, I became CEO and led the turnaround of a produce merchandising and distribution company. My educational background includes a Master of Divinity from Denver Seminary, an MBA from Texas A&M University, and a PhD in religion from the University of Birmingham (UK).

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I am Sri Chellappa, the CEO, President, and Co-Founder of Engagedly, an AI-enabled people strategy platform designed to revolutionize traditional performance appraisals. At Engagedly, I focus on simplifying performance reviews by integrating employee engagement and development, helping organizations build high-performing, people-centric cultures. With over 20 years of experience in software development, consulting, and organizational leadership, I have had the privilege of working with leading firms like EY and Capgemini. My career has taught me the immense value of investing in people—not just for their individual success but for the success of the organization as a whole. I am passionate about empowering employees to grow, stay engaged, and develop the skills they need to thrive and advance in their careers. My journey has been shaped by a diverse range of experiences that span technology, health IT, people management, and creative arts. As a filmmaker, I’ve written, directed, and produced six feature films that have been distributed globally on platforms like Netflix, NBCUniversal, Fox International, Showtime, and Amazon Prime. These experiences have fueled my ability to think strategically, lead creatively, and deliver impactful results. Career Highlights: Author: The Black Book of Agile Project Delivery with Distributed Teams, where I share my insights on managing distributed teams effectively. Film Industry Achievements: Writer, Director, and Producer of six feature films with international distribution across major platforms. I am passionate about creating engaged, agile organizations and leveraging my leadership skills to help employees and companies succeed together.

With the new digital transformation, I have learnt to provide complex reporting, analysis and assessments as a data analyst, using my broad knowledge of statistics, analytics, python, and data visualization. With my excellent understanding of business operations and analytics tools for effective analyses of data, I will help you align your projects and programs with your organization strategy, driving value into your organization. I am also a Leadership Strategist and Certified John Maxwell Coach & Trainer, with more than 5 years of experience offering personal and professional development. As a Senior Project manager, I work with teams to deliver projects within scope and budget. My knowledge and experience in project management processes and well-versed at providing specialized business management guidance and support will serve any organization with great value. Most essentially is my personal goal and passion of adding value to individuals and organizations. Get in touch with me and let's have a chat. Phone: 306-715-8575 Email: yemisi.iyilade@gmail.com

Continuous improvement through education and building strong relationships.

Senior Human Resource Professional with over 12 years of experience specializing in establishing productive business relationships and resolving critical human capital business issues. Proven experience in multinational environments in the areas of people management, talent management, recruitment and staffing, performance management, compensation benefits, training development, organizational design, outplacement, and coaching in both NGOs and private sectors. Work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders and outside partners to execute successful communications from concept to completion that are on time. Area of Expertise: * Change Management * Talent Acquisition and Development * Learning Programme Content Creation and Development * Leadership and Life Coach * Psychology of Workplace * HR Management System * Process Design, Policies and Procedure Management * Business Development * Project Management * Organisational Development * Certified International Trainer

Hey! I’m Danielle Locke. I founded Locke Step Partners because I was frustrated by the endless cycle of grants and events. I knew I could help nonprofit directors raise more unrestricted funds, especially from individual donors already in their list! I serve as a fundraising coach, connector, knowledge resource, and sometimes just a safe space to vent. My specialties include nonprofit management, donor cultivation, fundraising/campaign strategy, and board engagement. I am an expert in nonprofit fundraising because I have had considerable success in organizations just like these - 20 years actually. I have a few credentials too. These include a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP ) from the American College of Financial Services, a Master of Public Administration with a certificate in Nonprofit Management, from Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, both from Cleveland State University. (The Pysch degree comes in handy these days.)I believe every nonprofit leader has the potential to create a sustainable future for their organization by through meaningful donor partnerships. I am focused on giving nonprofits the step-by-step instruction, tools and support to actually implement the permanent changes that lead to their thriving future.

Desiree Russo is a Partner and Senior Vice President of Portfolio Operations at MasonMade Ventures, where she drives operational excellence across the firm's portfolio of critical infrastructure companies. With nearly two decades of experience in construction and facilities management, Desiree brings extensive expertise in scaling processes, managing operations, and delivering best-in-class service to clients nationwide. Before co-founding MasonMade, Desiree served as Partner and Vice President of Operations at CS Hudson, where she was instrumental in streamlining workflows, exceeding client expectations, and developing internal talent. Earlier in her career, she advanced steadily through leadership roles at a facility management company—starting as a Client Team Manager and ultimately becoming Director of Client Services. She began her professional journey at Empire Facilities Management Group, rising from Coordinator to Supervisor to National Account Manager. Desiree attributes her career growth to a strong work ethic, a focus on operational efficiency, and a people-first leadership philosophy. As a female leader in a historically male-dominated industry, Desiree is known for breaking norms and modeling an inclusive, collaborative. Her leadership is characterized by humility, active listening, and a commitment to continuous improvement—for individuals, teams, and the businesses she helps to scale. She is a two-time recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award, recognizing her consistent impact in building high-performing teams and lasting client relationships.

Creative, collaborative practitioner with 15+ years experience in organizational change, talent management, culture change, employee engagement, and leadership development. I apply my unique experience as a business leader and expertise in organization development to diagnose organizational issues and opportunities, to develop strategies and plans, and to measure the success factors that lead to organizational effectiveness. Specialties: Organization design Talent management and development Leadership development Employee engagement and retention Executive coaching Group facilitation Teambuilding Change management MBTI certified Adult learning

Diverse work experiences enriched me with a holistic and sustainability oriented People & Culture perspective which helps businesses shape and reach strategic goals. I feel the flow when fostering positive workplace cultures. Values (when truly lived by) hold an important role in company's success and I've been happy to lead few value implementation projecs that shook some ground;) I'm striving to create environments where team members feel empowered, valued and driven to succeed. I would also call myself burnout prevention advocate, that is why I'm committed to promoting employee well-being, helping individuals thrive both personally and professionally.

Self-driven, organized, proactive and analytical, with a passion for coaching and process improvement. Used to fast-paced work environments in both small and large corporations.I take joy in guiding my team's professional growth and encouraging self motivation, and I proudly hold some success cases as my greatest professional achievements.

Janae Nicole is a career strategist and business coach helping ambitious women use their 9-to-5 as a launchpad to entrepreneurship. As the founder of CorpreneuX and JNL Career Services, she blends corporate mastery with entrepreneurial strategy to drive transformation and financial freedom.

An HR Executive with a knack for shaking things up and empowering talent. With a…

Seasoned marketing expert with 25+ years experience building brands. I have the honor of managing the talented incentive agency team at Level 6. Father of two and resident of Palm Harbor, FL.Specialties: Sales Incentive/Rewards ProgramsCustomer Rebate Programse-Learning/Online TrainingSEO/SEMBrandingVideo ProductionConsulting App Development Web Development