The New, New Economy

Until recently, companies were concerned about getting enough people in the door and keeping them for as long as needed. Now that thinking is old hat. What is more pressing is getting the "right" people in the door and engaging their talents and knowledge to build smarter, more profitable companies. How do we do that? Do we try approaches that have served us well in the past? Or do we invent new approaches given the changing context of work and employee expectations? This conference brings together diverse experts who together can help piece together a picture of the future and what companies might do to more effectively engage employees in building a more successful business enterprise.

This conference is one of a series that presents the latest thinking on the impact of business and environmental trends on organizations and human resources. The Center for Organization and Human Resource Effectiveness (COHRE) invites line and human resource executives to participate with thought leaders from various fields to explore potential strategies for dealing with the changing face of business. Our conference will address a number of pressing issues including:

What can we expect from the economy in the next few quarters?

What will it take to fully engage employees in the business enterprise today?

How do the current trends in workforce demographics impact human resource management and policy?

What are the expectations of the next generation of managers and how do we address those expectations?

What are the potential benefits (and liabilities) of internal and external branding for employees?

What human resource strategies should companies devise to create a stable, productive, engaged, and innovative workforce in the future?

Featured speakers and panelists include:

Dr. Kenneth T. Rosen on the economy

Dr. Rosen is Professor of Business Administration and Chairman of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the University of California at Berkeley. He is also president of Lend Lease Rosen Real Estate Securities and Rosen Consulting Group.

Dr. Hans Johnson on California Demographics

Dr. Johnson is a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. He has extensive knowledge of demographic trends in California and their possible impacts on the business environment.

Kevin O'Donnell on Brand Excellence

Mr. O'Donnell is Managing Partner of Prophet (San Francisco), a consulting company specializing in brand strategy. He has successfully led numerous brand strategy and digital commerce client engagements for companies such as Wells Fargo, PlanetRx.com, Levis Strauss & Co., Jamba Juice, Schlumberger, and Business.com.

Dr. James Ware on The Six Drivers of Employee Engagement

Dr. Ware is a consultant with The Concours Group. The Concours Group presents forums for Human Resource executives and undertakes original research with member companies.

Dr. Thomas Piazza on The New California Workforce Survey

Dr. Piazza is a Senior Survey Statistician at the University of California, Berkeley. He is working on a survey that will provide new insights into the California workforce.

Featured panelists:

Kirk Froggatt, Vice President, Human Resources, Yahoo! Inc.

Mr. Froggatt has more than 15 years of experience in developing Human Resources in high tech companies. Prior to joining Yahoo!, he was Vice President of HR for Silicon Graphics Computer Systems. He also spent a number of years at Hewlett-Packard Company in key HR roles.

Janet Skadden, Director Employer of Choice, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Ms. Skadden has 25 years of Human Resources and Recruitment experience. While at Cisco, she developed and implemented the well-known recruitment campaign called "Friends@cisco."

Mary Borba, Vice President, Human Resources, Marsh MacLennan (invited)

To sign up for this conference, please contact Myra Armstrong at:

zulu2@uclink4.berkeley.edu or at 510-642-6432.

Space is limited, so please contact Ms. Armstrong to hold a place.