Initiative Chair

John Toomey, CEO, Wide Awake Wellness Pty Ltd

John has been exploring, studying and teaching Wellness since 1984. Starting out with a degree in Physical Education and Masters Degree studies in Applied Nutrition, John has followed his curiosity down many paths into the teachings of Yoga, Alternative Medicines, Modern Science, Consciousness Exploration and Elite Athlete preparation. He worked in High Performance Roles in Professional Sport for 15 years, always exploring the uniqueness of each person, seeking ways in which they may improve. He has presented over 3000 seminars in the Workplace Wellness Arena, written and published over 500 articles and written accredited courses in Fitness, Pilates and Wellness.

Vice Chair

Danielle Posa, Workplace Wellbeing Advisor

Danielle Posa is a Workplace Wellbeing Advisor and thought leader. She consults with organizations of all sizes to help them craft top-down, long-term wellbeing strategies. She has 13+ years of experience in employee engagement, leadership development & business consulting experience. She was most recently the Director of Enterprise Solutions for Chopra Global – responsible for driving the company’s strategy, products and execution for the corporate and organizational wellbeing segment. She began her career in sales and management at Vector and broke a National sales record. After that, she became a management consultant at Gallup and was assigned to Deepak Chopra as his liaison for Gallup’s wellbeing research. Since Gallup Danielle and Deepak also collaborated on various endeavors and co-developed a unique conscious leadership program called Workplace Well-being and the Soul of Leadership.

Kevin McAlister

Founder, Lift Your Wellbeing, Australia & United Kingdom

Kevin McAlister is a Chartered Accountant, Fitness and Wellbeing Coach and Workplace Wellbeing Strategist. Kevin blended these three experiences to establish Lift Your Wellbeing in London in 2017. Lift Your Wellbeing partners with businesses across the globe to identify the wellbeing needs of its employees, design a targeted strategy, and facilitate the training and support needed. Kevin and his team support employee mental health through a proactive and consistent approach to wellbeing, lifting the lid on the businesses’ services from weekly yoga and exercise classes, to monthly wellbeing magazines and opportunities for employees to chat with coaches via a messenger service. Kevin is a big believer in looking to improve both the workplace and the worker when building a healthy workplace culture that supports employee mental wellbeing.

Elizabeth Bachrad

Chief Health Strategist, Syntropy Ventures Inc., United Kingdom

Elizabeth Bachrad is a health care design strategist working globally in population health management across business, education and community health. With nearly two decades of work in the health and wellbeing industry, Elizabeth holds a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology, with specialisations in design thinking and lifestyle medicine. She is a thought leader in an up and coming Think Tank analysing workplace paradigms influencing health inequities. As co-founder and Chief Health Strategist at Syntropy, her team builds transformative health initiatives by implementing practical, preventative solutions in the workplace.

Nuz Chagan

Co-Founder Workplace Wellbeing Alliance, United Kingdom

Nuz together with 4 other passionate about wellbeing co-founders came together to form the WWA (Workplace Wellbeing Alliance) to build a social movement of standards and best practice for workplace wellbeing globally through recognising the need for strategic wellbeing programmes to incorporate a holistic approach across mental, financial, social and physical pillars with the individual at the centre. To truly understanding the interplay between social, personal, economic and work insecurities. Formerly Country Health & Wellbeing Lead for IKEA UK & Ireland and working as an IKEA Marketing & Internal Communications Manager in a previous capacity has led to her having experience into the inner workings of practical and pragmatic approaches to employee engagement. Nuz’s specialism in the wellbeing space has been in financial wellbeing and its link to mental health. Most notably, she co-ordinated and implemented a hugely effective financial wellbeing initiative within IKEA.

Sarah Gravely

Wellbeing Consultant, The Starling Collective, United States

Sarah Gravely is a workplace wellbeing advisory and wellness consultant who works with businesses and individuals to create multidimensional, research-based well-being programs. She is a seasoned industry thought leader who utilizes her expertise to curate tailored wellness approaches, spark wellness awareness, and achieve business goals. Sarah spent 15 years navigating corporate and nonprofit communications, project management and event planning, working alongside C-suite professionals and organizational leaders. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations and is professionally trained at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She is a Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator and holds a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Certification from Mindful Leader. She currently serves as a mentor and business advisor with Collective Brains and is a member of the Workplace Wellbeing Initiative with the Global Wellness Institute.

Sylvia Greenley

Innovation Catalyst Community Leader and Wellbeing Champion, Intuit, United States

Sylvia leads the Innovation Catalyst Community at Intuit, a group of a few hundred Intuit employees who volunteer 10% of their time to facilitate, coach and teach design thinking at the company. She is an internal wellbeing champion and has led wellbeing workshops with Intuit teams, helping people pause to think about what wellness means to them, define their ideal state and take actions to get there. Before joining the Innovation group, Sylvia spent five years in Intuit’s Human Resources department focused on the employee and workplace experience. She has a wealth of experience engaging communities, building employee capabilities, collaborating cross-functionally, designing awesome customer and employee experiences, and fostering employee wellbeing.

Jessica Grossmeier

Author, Speaker, Researcher, Jessica Grossmeier Consulting, United States

Jessica Grossmeier, PhD, MPH is a leading voice in workplace well-being, having dedicated her career to identifying evidence-based strategies that promote a thriving workforce. This includes conducting collaborative research, advising, writing, and speaking on topics related to workplace well-being best practices, measurement/evaluation, strategic planning, and value demonstration. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences and serves on several advisory boards devoted to helping employers create a workplace culture that fosters employee well-being.

Nina Hersher

Chief Learning Officer, Digital Wellness Institute United States

Nina Hersher, MSW is Chief Education Officer of the Digital Wellness Institute, author of the bestseller, Your Playbook for Thriving in the Remote Work Era, and a highly sought after speaker. A leading expert in Digital Wellness, Hersher holds a specialized Master of Social Work in Norms of Connectivity, Digital Culture and Program Development from Washington University in St. Louis. Hersher is also Co-founder of annual Digital Wellness Day, reaching over 7.5 million people across the globe in 26 countries. Most recently, Hersher’s work was featured in publications including Forbes, The Stanford Social Innovation Review, Al Jazeera, and Voice of America. A member of several speakers bureaus, she has presented internationally at retreat centers, corporations, and conferences ranging from Kripalu and Wisdom 2.0 to Spotify, Dolby, and The King Abdulaziz Center. Nina’s pioneering work in Digital Wellness includes co-founding the Digital Flourishing® wheel and approach with her team at The Digital Wellness Institute, which led to the creation of the first scientifically validated survey instrument to measure well-being in the digital age. Her leadership brought to life the first nationally accredited “Certified Digital Wellness Educator” program, leading to an educational impact partnership with the 2-time Emmy award-winning documentary, The Social Dilemma, and two internationally renowned universities. Hersher serves as a lead teacher and curriculum developer at The Digital Wellness Institute and sits on the advisory boards of two child and adolescent focused Digital Wellness organizations. She holds additional credentials including Oasis in the Overwhelm Facilitator, Teen Outreach Program Facilitator, and Meditation Teacher, with which she focuses on both youth and adult Digital Wellness education. She also runs Nina Hersher LLC, a private speaking and curriculum development firm dedicated to research and education regarding mental health in a fast-paced world.

Jessica Hickman

Founder & Director – Bullyology, Australia & United Kingdom

Jessica is the founder of Bullyology and driver of The Upstander Movement. Jess is a speaker, educator, coach and consultant with a core focus on empowering others to own their ability to speak out and in turn become champions of change. Jessica provides individuals and companies with the tools and strategies that will enable them to create a thriving respectful workplace free of Bullying and Harassment. Psychological safety, well-being and resilience building is at the core of Jessica’s work with companies. Jessica is a published author of two books and a globally recognised speaker. For more info visit: www.jesshickman.com | www.bullyology.com.

Joana Kebss

Founder, Life As Style, Brazil

More than 12 years as an integrative health specialist brought Joana Kebss a deep understanding on how to develop energizing wellness experiences. Her medical background embraces: ~ functional medicine ~ aesthetic medicine ~ lifestyle medicine. Her design skills embrace: ~ branding ~ aesthetic intelligence ~ luxury market. This philosophy and aesthetic design blends minimalist architecture  with coast indoor / outdoor living to incite wellbeing. Through this approach, her business, Life as Style, became synonymous with “style as medicine” providing consulting, concept design and development for wellness business or wellness seeker business.

Talya Landau

Global Wellbeing Manager, Wix, Israel

With a long background in Hi-Tech, including Product Marketing Manager and Director of Innovation, Talya studied Positive Psychology Mentor Training under Dr Tal Ben Shahar, and Kundalini Yoga teachers training. She founded of a women’s wellbeing centre for many years in Tel Aviv. Talya promotes a culture that embraces employee wellbeing, balanced work and life routines and with a holistic approach to employee care, a cornerstone of company culture. She believes that offering a variety of solutions enables each employee to adopt habits that lead to healthier and happier life, and to a thriving organization.

Jocelyn Pepe

Founder, TrU Living, Canada

As a founding partner of TrU Living, Jocelyn is passionately committed to every individual realizing the benefits of having their total wellbeing aligned for optimal performance.  Jocelyn is a global facilitator of coaching skills for Heart Centered Leaders and has co-created profound change partnering with individuals and organizations to develop coaching and wellbeing cultures to truly thrive personally and professionally.  Through Jocelyn’s coaching, employees at all levels develop greater connection to themselves, their co-workers, and their clients leading to engaged and innovative, human first workplaces.  Jocelyn is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Registered Health Coach (RHCTM), member of the Health Coach Alliance and is completing her MSc. in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health.

Daniel Poulin (He/Him)

Wellbeing Product Lead Human Centric Innovation, JLL, Canada

Daniel Poulin is the Wellbeing Product Lead under the Human Centric Innovation team at JLL Work Dynamics located in Vancouver, BC, Canada. His role is about enabling and executing JLL’s strategy for the broader product group as it relates to workplace wellness for our clients.  With years of experience in the well-being space, he provides a level of expertise to the benefit of employees and clients that goes beyond the trends.  As such, Daniel sees himself as an innovator and “trends detangler” in the wellness industry.  He has a hands-on agile and human centered design approach that allows for real life skills that go beyond theories and concepts.

Rachael Riggs

For nearly 30 years, Rachael has been dedicated to creating holistic event experiences that motivate people to be the best versions of themselves. As Wellbeing Leader for Maritz Global Events and member of the Design Studio team, Rachael works with clients to design experiences that care for the whole person so they can perform at their peak. Additionally, she helps lead the internal team that focuses on the sustainability efforts of Maritz Global Events. Rachael currently serves on the Events Industry Council APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Taskforce, as the President of the North American Chapter for EventWell and has held numerous volunteer positions in PCMA’s Greater Midwest Chapter and the international organization. She’s the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2022 Smart Women in Meetings (Visionary) by Smart Meetings Magazine, 2022 Women to Watch by Meeting Planners International & 2022 Meetings Today Meeting Trendsetters and the 2020 Chairman’s Award for both the Events Industry Council (EIC) and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). In 2016, she was awarded the prestigious PCMA International Supplier of the Year. Rachael resides in Chicago, Illinois USA.

Isikilu Salami

Managing Director Triqure Healthcare Limited, Nigeria

Isikilu is a Certified Health Coach (American Council on Exercise) and certified in workplace wellness (Chapman Institute and National Wellness Institute, NWI). He leads Triqure Healthcare Limited , an employee wellness service company. Driving up access to workplace wellness services  in Sub-Saharan Africa from 1% is his passion. He has a background as a Registered Pharmacist and did sales and marketing in pharma for over 20 years. www.triqure.com

Niki Smirni

Founder, Travelgems & Mindfulgems, Greece

Niki Smirni is a Mindful Leader, Entrepreneur, Mentor, and Mom of twin boys who has traveled in more than 50 countries. She is the creator of Travelgems and Mindfulgems, a proud ambassador of the Global Wellness Institute and a high caliber marketing strategist with more than 20 years of international exposure in service and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries. Niki has an inner MBA from New York University, an MSc in International Marketing from Strathclyde University, United Kingdom and a BSc in Business Administration from Athens University of Economics and Business. Currently, Niki is a student in the course “Leading From the Emerging Future” through Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At a young age she gained the European Marketing Award and has a long track record of successful marketing stories and innovative projects in the development of major brands in Greece and abroad. During her career, she created 288 advertising campaigns for more than 34 countries, including India, US and Russia. She is proud for arGOODaki, the multi-awarded social responsibility project, which helped more than 4,500 kids and their families during 8 years period. She has been a regular speaker at many Greek & international conventions about strategic tourism development, women empowerment, and entrepreneurship. Niki’s motto is” Think with your HEART, Do with your MIND now”.

Julie Stiles

Julie Stiles is a wellness professional with deep experience in developing well-being programming and coaching that supports people to be their best self at work. Her strengths include developing individuals and teams in a way that honors their strengths and creating high-level strategy and programs that both reflect and enhance the culture. She has built a team of 230 people who successfully completed over 50 well-being projects enhancing the workplace wellness of a diverse remote team and completed over 1000 coaching sessions with employees with a feedback rating of 95%. She facilitates change, whether through supporting people in discovering and actualizing the potential within, providing education and training on resilience, wellness, and workplace well-being topics, or developing people’s capacities. She has extensive experience working with individuals and groups in coaching and training settings, including her own coaching practice. Her professional skills include resilience, health and wellness, life, stress management, and workplace well-being coaching, group coaching, training and education, writing, and project management. She enjoys supporting people to reach their goals and develop confidence as they reach for their dreams.

Gloria Treister

Board Certified Holistic Health Coach and Practitioner/Founder, Wellness Evolution, United States

Since, 1980, Health Activist, Certified Holistic Health Coach & Practitioner, Reiki Master, Advanced Physical Fitness Specialist, Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, Author, entrepreneur and community servant, Gloria Treister, HHP, has been a powerful advocate for wellness. She recognized early on that it made better sense to take a proactive approach to one’s health, rather than be reactive. She uses her knowledge and experience to create unique models for delivering client-centered, one-size-fits-one strategies for both individuals and corporations.

Andrew Walls

Andrew founded FLOW—Find a Life of Wellbeing—after more than 15 years building a career in fitness and health that has taken him from his native Scotland to Dubai via a variety of training, coaching, and management roles. It was while working as fitness and leisure director at a prestigious wellness retreat in Thailand that he first encountered the concept of holistic wellness coaching, and behaviour and habit coaching in particular. This resonated but coming from a background in science-focused exercise, Andrew was looking for long-term results driven more by data than spirituality. Originally moving to Dubai in 2008, Andrew lived there for 10 years before returning to the UK in 2018. After two years, Andrew felt the Dubai was his true home and moved back in 2020. It was then that he began developing the unique wellbeing approach that has become FLOW’s hallmark. He now leads a team of fellow practitioners who are all experts in their field and—equally important—share his passion to ensure that individual needs and goals are met. Andrew has degrees in sport and exercise science and business management, and further qualifications in sports coaching, personal training, and nutrition. He is an accredited American College of Exercise (ACE) behavioural change specialist, and a UAE Register of Exercise Professionals member.

Melissa Walker

MBA, RD, Fitwel Ambassador, United States

Melissa is a wellbeing leader & workplace strategist.  She is a business-focused professional with proven success launching & activating wellness products and solutions across a variety of consumer settings and real estate portfolios.  She has two decades experience innovating as a wellbeing and experience product owner and wellness real estate expert. Melissa is an experienced leader of globally dispersed teams and achieved the rank of Major in the United States Army.   Professionally she has worked in public health as the national program director for Food Stamp Nutrition Education; concepted and brought to market the Fitwel healthy building certification program and launched Hilton’s Five Feet to Fitness in-room wellness solution.  Professionally credentialed as a Registered Dietitian, ACE certified personal trainer and Fitwel Ambassador.

Danielle (Dan) Watkins

People & Employee Experience Advisor / Certified Health Coach, Nurture Nourish Flow, Australia

An experienced human resources and coaching professional, Dan Watkins has experience working in IT, Community Health and Corporate sectors, as well as (certified) health coaching in her own business Nurture, Nourish Flow. Her main objective is to shine a light on the importance of wellbeing and contribute to a positive employee experience. She leads with a compassionate, warm and friendly personality taking extra care in the strategies and initiatives that she develops and contributes to. For Dan, it’s a thoughtful, care-based, model and approach that will make the most difference in the lives of those around us.

“Create moments in your day to take care of You” – Dan Watkins