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Past Speakers

"An Economist's View from Washington: 5 HR Megatrends Defining the 21st Century World of Work."
May 2007

Presented by Jim O'Connell, economist and expert on global economic policy, domestic political dynamics and issues of the workplace

Jim O'Connell, economist and expert on global economic policy, domestic political dynamics and issues of the workplace, talks about the priimary macro-dynamics affecting our work as HR strategists. This thought-provoking presentation takes us into a new contextual level, where we can see the transforming effects of the 21st century global economy on our workworld. Jim, an economist and HR expert for over thirty years, has been analyzing workforce and legislative issues that are shaping the new world of work and presenting thorny and unique challenges for US corporate executives:

  1. Productivity is King: The More with Less Economy
  2. Economic Uncertainty: Who Can You Trust?
  3. The New Independence: From Entitlement to Ownership
  4. Consumer-Driven Health Plans: American Idol?
  5. Retirement InSecurity: Pension Deficit Disorder

By painting the broader scenery, Jim will make some fascinating predictions and suggest how we, as corporate leaders and HR strategists, can leverage these trends to strengthen executive planning, employee engagement and organizational resilience.

Dr. Jim O'Connell is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., specializing in International Business-Government Relations. Jim also as Vice President, Government Relations and HR Policy at Ceridian, where he maintains a close watch on federal legislative and regulatory affairs, keeping Ceridian's customers and the HR profession apprised about fast-changing and complex economic and public policy dynamics. Previously, Jim served as Director, International Trade and Policy in Washington for Control Data.

Jim serves on the Board of Trustees of Corporate Voices for Working Families, an organization that supports work-family public policies, and the Board of Directors of BT-Federal, the US defense subsidiary of British Telecom. Jim is a member of APA and SHRM.

Previously, Jim served in the U.S. Senate as chief legislative assistant to New York Senator Jacob K. Javits, who was a senior member of the Committee on Labor and Human Resourcees, and later with Connecticutt Senator Lowell P. Weicker. Jim holds a PhD in Economics from New York's Fordham University.



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