Meet Our Keynote Speakers!

Gregory Offner is a multi-talented individual, with a passion for entertaining and educating others.

His keynotes, workshops, and corporate consulting engagements help the worlds leading organizations create high performing, highly fulfilled leaders. Prior to this work, Greg led global sales and marketing efforts for several Fortune 100 organizations; brokered complex Risk Management and Insurance programs for large commercial organizations; and drove process improvement initiatives as a certified Lean Six Sigma practitioner. But during that time, Greg lived a double life.

By day, he was a suit and tie wearing professional; but under the cover of night Greg was better known as “Junior” – a world renowned professional dueling pianist. As an entertainer, Greg has performed on stages of every size; for audiences of every size; on 5 continents. His ability to integrate that fun and energy into his programming (yes, he often uses a piano on stage) transforms his program from a keynote speech into a keynote experience. Greg’s work as a keynote speaker, coach, and workshop facilitator fills a void that most organizations leave in their training programming: soft skill development. Greg has always been passionate about soft skills, analyzing the onboarding, training, and development programs of 43 companies before the age of 30. He was fascinated by the performance differences between organizations which prioritized soft skill training and those who focused primarily on hard, job-specific skill development.

Most recently, Greg has spent over 2 months in total silence as a result of multiple surgeries needed to repair and rebuild his vocal cords…an experience that nearly left him mute; and which ignited the critical spark needed to transform his work from a “personal curiosity” to a “professional mission” – to help individuals and organizations identify the one change that can change everything.

Through a mix of speaking, audience participation, and a little dueling piano bar magic sprinkled in, Greg reveals the insights and tools you need to accelerate your growth, amplify creativity, and deliver a performance that leaves your audience (clients, stakeholders, or employees) cheering for an encore.

Tamla Oates-Forney is a former 2X Fortune 500 CHRO, an innovative thought leader and speaker, women’s advocate, wellness champion, philanthropist, and investor.

Most recently, she served as CEO of SHRM Linkage, a global talent and leadership development firm committed to helping organizations optimize talent through research-based solutions and inclusive and purposeful leadership.

Oates-Forney was previously EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for USAA, where as a member of the Executive Council she led USAA’s team of more than 500 HR professionals spanning talent development, talent acquisition, pay and benefits, culture, and employee services for 37,000 teammates.​

Prior to joining USAA, Oates-Forney served as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at WM (previously Waste Management). She spent the majority of her career (20 years) at General Electric, where she held multiple leadership roles, including HR Leader for GE Africa, Chief Diversity Officer for GE Appliances and Lighting, and Company Officer & Vice President of HR for GE Energy Connections.​

Until its sale in February 2025, Oates-Forney was an independent director and member of the Human Capital and Compensation committee for Summit Materials. She has served as a member of the Board of Advisors for her alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business and is currently a Strategic Advisor for Guild (formerly Guild Education) and Wellist. She is a sought-after speaker, advisor, and thought leader for several HR-related technology startups.​

She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration. A renowned expert in her field, she has received multiple honors, including being featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business, and Savoy’s 2020 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. She is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a network of black CEOs and business leaders who support the development of diverse talent and the promotion of social justice.​

Oates-Forney enjoys spending time with her husband, Warren, and their two children, Annia and Camden. She also enjoys traveling to Africa, discovering new vegan restaurants, working out, and watching interior design shows on HGTV. She is a member of the 1% club having completed a marathon in 2018.