Birchtree Performance HR

Dr. Janet L. Walsh is the CEO and President of Birchtree Global, LLC and its subsidiary BPHR.  Birchtree Global helps companies expand beyond borders—strategically, operationally, and profitably. Dr. Walsh has personally led market entry and startup operations, on-the-ground in 87 countries and all 50 U.S. states, leading expert teams in legal, tax, finance, and human capital.

BPHR (Birchtree Performance HR) partners with HR and finance leaders to transform HR into measurable drivers of EBITDA and enterprise value. Using ISO 30414 metrics, BPHR links human capital performance directly to financial outcomes—unlocking hidden value in M&A, restructuring, and growth strategies.

Dr. Walsh is a noted thought leader, researcher, and speaker in global business, HR, and financial performance.  In 2025 she was selected by the University of Phoenix as an Alumni Luminary for Industry Leadership out of over 100,000 alumni.  She was the co-chair of the 2024 CME-STEM Leadership Awards nominating Hubert Sagnières, former Chair of Essilor Luxottica as the award winner.  In 2023 and 2019 she and her team won Outstanding Research Awards at the Global Conference on Business and Finance Research.  In 2021 she was an Honoree at the Professional Organization Women of Excellence.  She is the architect of global market entry training and HR financial performance programs for corporations, universities, and professional organizations.  Her doctoral research “Success Characteristics of Foreign Direct Investment in Cuba” has won numerous awards.

She is the 2025 President of the Irish Business Organization of New York.  She serves on The Human Resources Certification Institute Board of Directors on the Finance Committee, and the D’Oyly Carte Foundation Board of Directors.  From 2019-2025 she served on The Explorers Club Board of Directors, Chair of Ethics and Governance and currently serves as Chair of the Management Committee.

She teaches global business and HR as an adjunct professor/lecturer at Columbia, Fairfield, Manhattanville, and Stony Brook Universities.  Dr. Walsh holds a BA in Economics from Bucknell University with a minor in Japanese, an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Loyola University and a DBA from the University of Phoenix in foreign direct investment.  She speaks Spanish, French, and Japanese.  She is a 2025 certified on-line, academic curriculum developer by Stony Brook University.

In her spare time she is a division-winning equestrian; raises and shows champion English Cocker Spaniel dogs; is an award-winning horse portrait, watercolor painter whose works are frequently hung in the Booth Museum of Western Art; and an amateur archeologist who has found three unique Native American sites.

Ken is the Director of People Development who leads talent management and organizational development programs and initiatives for the University of Denver, in Denver Colorado. His work in human resource management includes working with a variety of organizations throughout the US and internationally on HR strategy, organizational design, employee relations, workforce planning and performance management, and HR policy development, legal compliance and business ethics throughout the US, Canada, EU and Asia. Ken is a facilitator for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and leads SHRM Certification preparation courses, employee engagement and HR business partner both in-person and virtually.

He is a Certified Coach with the Institute of Social and Emotional Intelligence (ISEI). Ken was recently published in the International Journal of Business and Financial

Research on the topic of addressing workplace bullying behavior from high performing employees.

Daya is the CEO and President of TIA Inc., a transformation leader – building modern employee training and continuous learning platforms with state-of-the-art technologies. For 20 years, she has provided executive management for TIA and maintained a strong partnership with Oracle to deliver TIA’s custom training solutions in 23 countries and throughout the US. Daya is noted for strategic L&D (Learning and Development) and change management programs that provide employee engagement, meet compliance requirements, and deliver increased financial ROI on enterprise systems and software. 

Her area of expertise includes human capital development, technology advances, global employee engagement, strategic planning and communication, cultural change management, and of course organizational learning. Specifically working on global ERP implementations with both Oracle and SAP, she has strong knowledge of business processes in Finance, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sales, Customer Service, Shop Floor, and Warehouse. She has extensive work experience in the technology, manufacturing, energy, entertainment, and food and beverage industries.

She is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and presents globally about how training is changing, the value of modern learning, and sharing client success stories presenting at global conferences, such as World Trade Center, Women in Technology (WIT), UK OUG, COLLABORATE, CIO Forum, On-Line Learning, and Oracle OpenWorld.

In addition to speaking she authored an eLearning section in the book – Business Driven Information Technology: 100 Answers published by Stanford Press.  Quest Insight Magazine – Spring 2020, Customer SpotLight – Ajinomoto Foods Re-Imagines Training with a JDE 9.2 Upgrade. Article on both the technical and human side of change with training, change management, and communications.  Oracle Knowledge Bite Newsletter – Classroom-Webinar-YouTube-VR-Cloud… How DO YOU Learn Now? Article from virtual sessions published to share how training strategies have changed and the insights on newest blended learning trends.

Daniel Morris, CRPC, CRPS, is a financial services professional with over 30 years in the financial services industry. With a specialized focus on business services, including fiduciary investment management and 401(k) plans, retirement advising, wealth management, and insurance services, Dan has established himself as a go to resource in his field.

Dan helps his clients make more informed, effective financial decisions that leave them feeling relieved, confident, and empowered. His objective financial advice and comprehensive approach is tailored to reflect his clients’ goals beyond just their finances. He takes great joy in helping clients attain the lifestyle they’re striving for, maintaining that lifestyle for the rest of their lives, and retaining that lifestyle for generations to come.

Since 2015, Daniel has been an integral part of the Belpointe Asset Management team where he serves as Senior Financial Advisor. In this role, he provides strategic guidance and comprehensive financial solutions to diverse clientele, including hi-net-worth individuals, business owners, and corporate executives. Prior to Belpointe, Dan was at Wells Fargo Advisors, where he was a financial advisor within the private Client Group. He has also held similar positions with Bank of America and Merrill Lynch.

Dan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell University, has passed his Series 66 securities examination, and is a licensed insurance producer.  He is a Certified Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and Certified Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS).   he possesses an in-depth understanding of the complex regulations and responsibilities involved in managing retirement assets. Dan assists businesses in designing and implementing 401(k) plans that are both cost-effective and tailored to the unique needs of their workforce.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Dan is an active member of his community. He believes in giving back and has been involved in various philanthropic activities, supporting causes related to education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.

Dr. Laura Persky is an experienced corporate and academic leader and educator.  She served most recently as Associate Dean and head of the School of Professional Studies at Manhattanville College, where she led the program directors, faculty, and advisors, and developed curriculum for the graduate business programs.  Her focus was on creating practical, industry-driven curricula using current theory and practice.  Laura’s research emphasizes leadership communication, corporate culture, and employee engagement.

Dr. Persky’s recent consulting projects have focused on turning qualitative research data into quantitative learning.  She has worked with nonprofits and corporations to mine usable data from employee interviews and 360 reviews.  She is an adjunct professor in the graduate program at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Before entering academia, she worked in brand management and advertising for several major companies, including Playtex Baby, Pepsi, and Revlon.  She is experienced with managing and growing brands and businesses and enjoys teaching others to do the same.  Dr. Persky has a strong combination of business and education skills and a passion for helping others achieve their potential.

She was a founding board member of the Westchester Multicultural Chamber and is currently on the Business Advisory Board for Project Search, a training program for Autistic Adults.  When Laura is not working, you may find her on the tennis court, hiking the local trails, or participating in one of her volunteer activities.

Laura has a Doctorate in Education and Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College, an MBA from New York University, and a BS from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Jennifer Phillips Kirkwood is an internationally recognized leader at the intersection of AI, HR technology, and workforce transformation. With over 30 years of experience spanning human resources, IT, and people analytics, she advises Fortune 500 companies, public institutions, and governments on responsible AI deployment in the world of work, AI opportunities and risk in utilization and deployment, data governance, and data-driven talent strategies.

As a former executive at IBM Consulting, Jennifer led the HR Data & AI teams and served as Global AI Ethics Lead for HR & Talent on AI. She was appointed to the renowned IBM AI Ethics Board, where she oversaw complex global HR and talent use cases to ensure safe and responsible adoption of AI. She conducted algorithmic impact assessments, reviewed governance frameworks, and evaluated third-party vendors against Responsible AI principles—helping to set industry benchmarks for ethical HR tech design and usage. She has worked with hundreds of vendors and systems in the operations and HR/Payroll/Benefits & Talent ecosystem.

As an Executive Fellow at the World Economic Forum, Jennifer co-led and oversaw two first-of-their-kind global studies on generative AI adoption and business value and safe technology design, engaging over 250 companies and 400 use cases while working with CIOs and their teams. She presented these findings at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where she briefed world leaders.

Jennifer serves as both educator and board member of the Human Capital Institute, a prestigious global community advancing HR and talent leaders in AI and contemporary workforce strategies. She is also an advisory board member of the AI Procurement Lab, collaborating with an exceptional team of PhDs, professors, policymakers, and industry leaders.
Before her roles at IBM and the World Economic Forum, Jennifer spent more than two decades at ADP, where her last position was Vice President of Future of Work and HR Data Innovation. There, she assisted the data science team and contributed to the award-winning benchmarking, compensation modeling, and people analytics solutions that reshaped how organizations manage workforce data at scale.

Jennifer earned her B.A. in Business from Michigan State University, with a cognate in Chemistry. She has continued her professional development with a Data Science Certification from Johns Hopkins University, IEEE, and advanced credentials in Responsible AI, Generative AI, and ethics through programs at Rutgers, Wharton, and Duke.

Recognized among the Top 100 HR Tech Innovators and named a Most Influential Thought Leader in HR Tech & Data, Jennifer is known for her unique ability to bridge HR, IT, and compliance domains, translating complex regulatory and ethical principles into practical, scalable strategies with measurable outcomes.

As CEO of Talvana Consulting, she speaks globally on the future of work, works with employers on educating teams and leaders and supports transforming and understanding the complex enterprise systems and processes to drive productivity, efficiency and lower risk. She lives in Louisville, KY with her family, and—true to her adventurous spirit and love for diversity & inclusion of all people and animals—shares her home with an Australian shepherd, rescue cat and two sharks.

Neeraja Ramjee is a global strategic people leader, advisor, and transformation expert who has built and scaled organizations at every stage – from Fortune 500s to unicorn startups to PE-backed firms. Her career spans software engineering, management consulting, and senior HR leadership, giving her a unique lens into how people, business, and technology come together in moments of rapid growth and change.

At EY and Boston Consulting Group, Neeraja led global organization transformation efforts and helped build and commercialize BCG’s Organization Behavior (Smart Simplicity) and Change Management practice and offerings. She later held senior People leadership roles at Gopuff and Cision, where she built and scaled global People functions and led organizational transformation programs during periods of high growth and business turnaround. Across these roles, she brings together strategic vision and operational execution to drive lasting impact.

Neeraja holds an MBA and a degree in Computer Science Engineering and recently completed the CHRO Executive Education Program at the Wharton School. She currently advises organizations navigating complex transformation, helping them align business, people, and technology to drive sustainable growth. She lives in New York City and enjoys film, theater, and cooking.

Kathy Claytor is a Chief Human Resources Officer leading HR over her career, for companies including Delta Dental, a market-leading dental insurer, NorthWinds Technology, One Mind Health-India and other organizations in the financial services, technology and government sectors. A global business leader, she has strategically built and transformed teams and cultures that increased profitability and attracted talent.

Her passion for advancing the HR profession through certification and learning led her to join the Human Resource Certification (HRCI) Board where she currently serves as HRCI Board Chair.  Kathy also serves on the Board of the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA) strategically focused on advancing Tech and Biotech solutions and innovation in Virginia.

With a global focus, Kathy led the people operations for an India based tech subsidiary.  She later served as a board member for the India based company, providing governance oversight. Other global work includes work with the New Delhi Institute of Management HR program and recognition as a Top 100 Global HR Leader at the World HRD Congress in Mumbai. Kathy has traveled extensively and served on HR Delegations to India, China, Israel and South Africa.

Kathy holds degrees in Business and Economics and completed the Harvard executive education program in Mumbai. She earned the Global Professional in Human Resources, GPHR, and Senior Professional in Human Resources, SPHR, certifications through the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Kathy was most recently recognized as a CHRO of the Year Leader of Distinction from HRO Today.