Collaboration Models: How Comms Can Lead Cross-Functional Partnerships

As senior vice president of employee engagement strategy at Zeno Group, Maggie is a trusted partner and strategic advisor to all levels of an organization. She has deep in-house and agency experience developing employee engagement and communication strategies that inspire people and accelerate business performance. At Zeno Group, Maggie creates and activates strategies to help clients build and reinforce their approach to employee engagement, change communications, and leadership communications. Clients include ALDI, Citi, DePaul University, Lenovo, Proctor & Gamble, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and others. Prior to Zeno, Maggie worked at Gagen MacDonald where she supported F200 clients in various industries, including healthcare, agriculture, packaging solutions and consumer goods. She also managed executive, corporate, employee, franchise and marketing communications at Radisson Hotel Group (now Choice Hotels), Caribou Coffee and Wells Fargo.

Susan Rehm brings over two decades of learning, employee engagement, and internal communication experience to her current role as Director of Talent Development & Employee Communications at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), one of the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturers, marketers and distributors transforming music history since 1946. Since joining Fender in 2008, Rehm has been responsible for developing and leading a global learning organization, driving employee engagement, and focusing on delivering compelling internal communications that keep employees in tune with important company news, connect them to Fender’s mission, encourages collaboration across teams, and fosters a sense of belonging for all. She’s made a habit of delivering impactful results with small-sized teams by leveraging relationships to drive support for her initiatives, harnessing creative resources and drawing on her diverse experience in telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing and talent acquisition.

Ashleigh Pollart leads Enterprise Communications at the iconic candy and snack maker, The Hershey Company. In her role, she creates and executes communication strategies across multiple channels and mediums to inform, inspire and engage Hershey’s 20,000+ employees. Ashleigh also directs operations and manages the portfolio of the Corporate Communications team. Her previous positions included spearheading Diversity, Equity and Inclusion communications and handling Hershey’s corporate social media and external communication channels. Ashleigh brings a background of video production, marketing, data analysis and event execution to her role. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from West Virginia University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Data Analytics & Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University. When Ashleigh is not leading communications related to Hershey’s diverse portfolio of brands, she can be found spending time with her husband, Colin, and their one-year-old son, Anderson, on their small farm in central Pennsylvania. Ashleigh is an active member of her community and was proud to lead the first ever TEDxHarrisburg. She also enjoys gardening, hiking, cooking and reading.

Amber Walcker is the founder of Amber Walcker Consulting, delivering self awareness that harnesses your strengths, helps you identify opportunities and amplifies your best self.  She previously served as corporate affairs manager and also as internal communications manager at First Mode. Before that, she was a senior communications manager at Amazon Web Service , senior communications program manager at Oracle and marketing and communications manager at the University of Washington, among other key roles with a variety of organizations. Leveraging 15+ years’ experience as an influential business partner, transformational communications leader, strategic coach, C-level advisor and disruptive change agent, she understands the unique perspectives of people. She's been recognized as a systems thinker with talent for overcoming even the most challenging communication obstacles. She boosts confidence and team morale through each and every engagement. She maintains a high standard of kindness while fostering hope, inspiring and motivating others to achieve their best. Born in the Midwest of Ohio, she currently lives near Seattle, WA with her partner, two kids and dog.