A startup's culture affects its reputation and ability to recruit and retain talent. Culture starts at the top, but must be embodied at every level. To learn more, join us Thursday, May 16th, when a panel of Bay Area HR experts, moderated by Tara Kochis-Stach, President of executive search consultancy Slone Partners, will cover topics such as how to create a thriving culture in a growing company; how to make core values meaningful & actionable; how diversity in leadership benefits everyone; and how to involve people at all levels in building and sustaining a great company culture.
Where & When
Room N-114, Genentech Hall, UCSF Mission Bay (600 16th St., San Francisco)
Noon to 1:00 PM, Thursday, May 16
About the Speakers
Tara Kochis-Stach joined Slone Partners as President in 2004, bringing to the company over a decade of healthcare experience. Her successful sales career with industry leaders such as VERSYSS, American Medical Laboratories, and Quest Diagnostics covered a wide variety of healthcare segments, including information technology, medical records, and the diagnostic and laboratory testing industry.
Prior to healthcare, Tara recruited executive and management talent in the banking and finance sector. Tara’s executive abilities and business acumen have been instrumental in building Slone Partners into the successful and growing company it is today. Tara drives business development strategies, creating strong partnerships with new clients and strengthening relationships with existing clients. She is a tremendous resource for clients and prospects alike.
Through her partnership with Springboard Enterprises, she is an advisor to Blumio, a startup company focused on building sensors and systems to improve health and wellness, as well as a frequent panelist and speaker at industry conferences and a participant in select industry committees; activities that provide continuing opportunities to expand Slone Partners’ knowledge and expertise in the industries we serve.
Tara graduated cum laude from Boston College, receiving a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Human Resources Management.
Wendy Lukas helps companies innovate, collaborate and grow. Through individual and team coaching, Wendy works with innovators and their teams, empowering them to rapidly come together and perform in the face of complexity and uncertainty. For over 25 years, she has developed trusted partnerships with C-Suite leaders and technical professionals involved in high stakes product development. Known as a people-centered HR leader, Wendy has designed and implemented high impact HR programs for all aspects of the employee life cycle. She has held HR leadership roles in emerging startups as well as leading global companies in the Life Sciences, Financial Services and High Tech sectors. Wendy completed the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute Intensive through the Haas School of Business and holds a BA from UC Berkeley.
Wendy has a passion for fostering collaboration and creativity among multi-disciplinary teams and their senior level stakeholders as they work together to build vibrant organizations and deliver game-changing products that make the world a better place.
Eric Schlezinger is the Head of Human Resources for Vir. Previously, Eric led the human resources and facilities functions at Tessera Technologies where he helped manage the company through a complete transformation of board, senior leadership, organizational focus, culture and values.
Prior to joining Tessera, Eric held positions leading both the legal and human resources functions at various technology and pharma/biotech companies in the Bay Area.
Eric holds an JD from Washington University in St. Louis and an AB in Asian Studies from Dartmouth College.
Adrienne Seal is Founder and Principal Consultant at Spirit Tree Consulting. She has worked collaboratively with leaders to deliver solutions that improved how organizations function at the individual, group and organizational level, transforming their culture to be more inclusive and innovative. Companies include Blue Shield of California, Tessera Inc., Xperi, Handtmann Inc, Cisco, The Clorox Company, Flex Products, Hewlett Packard, The East Bay SPCA, NAMI; National Association of Mental Illness, and The City of Oakland. Her capability and versatility in culture transformation, organization design, strategic change, executive coaching and leadership development have resulted in many successful assignments.
Graduating college with a BA in Cultural Anthropology from SFSU gave her the skills of observation and exploration necessary to understand cultures and climates. She worked in the political arena, rose through the ranks of Price Club from hourly/union to management and leadership development. She has an MA in Psychology and Organization Development from Sonoma State.