Jatin H. DeSai, Chair

Jatin DeSai is the Co-Founder and CEO of The DeSai Group, a innovation and learning services consulting company based in West Hartford, Connecticut since 1983.

DeSai offers Enterprise Learning and Enterprise Innovation, which helps build Living Organizations. DeSai´s services provide holistic learning and innovation frameworks, thought leadership, consulting services, and technology enabled solutions. DeSai’s passion is to help their clients align purpose, vision, personal and organizational values, with brand and strategies - from the lens of innovation and learning. The approach combines creativity, innovation, and consulting to help create a vibrant culture for sustainable growth and strategic execution.

Jatin is a seasoned business executive, strategic advisor, and a coach for senior leadership teams. Jatin has extensive field experience in the areas of strategy alignment, corporate innovation, talent management, culture development, and information technology.

Jatin has been active in leadership and operating roles since 1983, and as a consultant in pre and post-IPO companies. Throughout his career Jatin has found that one of the things he truly enjoys and is most passionate about is creating opportunities for others, empowering them and seeing them fully realize their potential. He has successfully led, coached, mentored and consulted with many management teams from small family owned business to Fortune 100 corporations.

Jatin has experience in large scale change initiatives as an advisor and a coach to organization in the areas of innovation, creativity, values, executive development, and organizational effectiveness. His clients include, The Hartford, Aetna, Merck, Ketchum, Infosys, Prudential, ESPN, Duracell, United Technologies Corporation, Pratt & Whitney, Carrier Corporation, Sikorsky, Hamilton Sundstrand, MassMutual, and many more.

In 2001, Jatin and his management team started on a new journey called "HeartShip". This has resulted in a unique company culture which promotes practices of universal human values and spirituality into the every day life between all employees, customers, and suppliers. Jatin and his management team are continuously structuring the business with a strong Human Values-based foundation to help make "spiritual decisions" instead of just "bottom-line" decisions at all levels.

Jatin has written papers, speaks at numerous conferences, and gives workshops on Strategic Alignment for Executive Teams, Enterprise Innovation, Enterprise Learning, Organizational Effectiveness, Values and Leadership, Living with Human Values, and Spirituality in the Workplace.

Jatin was born and raised in India and immigrated to United States at a young age in 1973. Jatin holds B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from University of Connecticut.

Jatin's website: www.desai.com

Podcasts and more: http://www.desai.com/jatin_desai.asp

Cindy Wigglesworth, Vice-Chair

Cindy Wigglesworth has a BA and MA from Duke University.  She has 20 years of experience in human resources management with ExxonMobil and 5 years as the Founder and President of Conscious Pursuits, Inc.  Her current client is MD Anderson Cancer Center where she recently concluded a Spiritual Intelligence at Work pilot program - a program that produced measurable positive results in just 9 months.  She has recently worked with The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas to help them create a "spiritual environment of caring".  The Methodist Hospital received a 2002 Willis Harman Spirit at Work Award (now International Spirit at Work Award) in recognition of their sustained effort to integrate Spirit and Work.  

Cindy was the Chair of the 2003 and 2004 International Spirit at Work Awards Selection Committee.  Cindy has authored the first competency-driven Spiritual Intelligence Assessment (SIA) instrument for business and personal use.  This instrument allows business people to talk about Spiritual skills and how to develop them without using the language of religion.  Cindy is a powerful professional speaker – speaking with unusual clarity about the role of Spirit in the workplace.  She has spoken at numerous conferences including: Business and Consciousness, Spirit in Business and the World Business Academy.  At the World Business Academy, Deepak Chopra attended Cindy's Spiritual Intelligence session and pronounced it "very complete, covering all the yogas". 

Cindy is a published author and has appeared on Oprah and various radio programs.  She is committed to helping organizations and individuals integrate spirituality and work. 

Cindy's website: www.consciouspursuits.com

Alpesh M. Bhatt, Secretary/Treasurer

Al Bhatt is a consultant and coach to leaders across multiple industries and geographies in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He has himself been a senior executive in national and international consulting firms and a Marketing executive and business leader in a multinational publishing firm. Al is adept in a broad range of organizational development work including culture change, large-scale change facilitation, leadership development, quality management, organization communications strategy and implementation, team and individual development, performance management, and the development and implementation of HR strategy.

Al engages with leaders and executive teams primarily in the role of coach and facilitator. His primary focus is on helping senior executives navigate the personal and interpersonal challenges of facilitating large-scale change and culture transformation.

In addition to his work with corporate clients, Al is an educator in the Graduate Psychology Department at the University of New Haven (where he teaches Leadership, Motivation, Organizational Development, and Communication & Opinion Change), on the faculty of The Graduate Institute (teaching in the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership program), a Co-Dean of the Executive Coaching, Co-Founder of the Chief HR Officer Council in Connecticut and the Executive Effectiveness Leadership Forum (EELF), has served as a Big Brother and is an active member of several professional associations including: National Speakers Association, Toastmasters, ASTD, Plexus Institute and Mensa International.

Al will publish two books in 2007/2008: The Five Transformations: How the World of Business is Changing - and How to Change With It and Corporate Disobedience: The Employee Handbook for the 21st Century

Al's website: www.koaneticconsulting.com

JudiNeal, Ph.D.,  President & CEO

After receiving her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Yale University, Judi Neal worked 8 years full-time in industry, including 5 years as a manager for Honeywell.  She has consulted to organizations for 24 years, and taught management at the University of New Haven and other universities for over 17 years.  Judi is now Professor Emeritus at the University of New Haven.

She has served on the Boards of Directors of several professional, community, and academic organizations.  Judi is President of Neal & Associates, a consulting firm that focuses on personal and organizational transformation.  Her clients include Pfizer, Unilever, Sennheiser, Electric Boat, Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, Rodale Press, Rockport Company, Yankee Gas, Jackson Newspapers, and numerous smaller organizations.

In 1992 she made spirituality in the workplace a central focus of her research and presentations, and has gained a reputation in the national media for stressing the importance and value of spirituality into the workplace.  As Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Spirit at Work, Judi helps to provide resources, information and community to those who are seeking greater integration of spirituality and work.  The Center is a membership organization, and offers networking, publications, research, courses, and consulting to individuals and organizations.  The goal of this non-profit organization is to legitimize spirituality in the workplace and to provide resources to individuals and organizations who are committed to transformation.

Judi has been very active in professional organizations including the Academy of Management, where she helped to found the "Management, Spirituality, and Religion (MSR) Interest Group", and is a Past Chair of this group.  The MSR Group is the fastest growing group in the Academy, and has more members than several of the Divisions.  She was also active in The Eastern Academy of Management where she is a Fellow, and a Past-President, and in the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, where she served on the Board.

Judi has spoken at the United Nations, the World Business Academy, Rutgers University, The California School of Professional Psychology, Southern Connecticut State College, The European Baha'i Business Forum, the International Organizational Development Association, The European Human Resource Managers Forum, The Eastern Academy of Management, the National Academy of Management, and the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society as well as numerous national and international conferences on spirituality in the workplace in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, The Netherlands, The U.K., and Thailand. 

She has been filmed by BBC television and PBS television, and has been quoted in Business Week, Personnel Journal, CEO Magazine, American Airways Magazine, New Age Journal, The Lakewood Report, The New Leaders, The London Sunday Times, Tokyo Shimbum, The Chicago Tribune, Harvard Update Newsletter, The Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, and over 50 other publications.

Judi has published numerous articles on spirituality in the workplace and has edited several special editions of academic journals on the topic.  She is a founding editor of the Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, an international peer-reviewed journal.  She has recorded a guided meditation tape on spirituality in the workplace and a CD of original music that is used in her workshops and training. She is the author of three books titled Edgewalkers:  People and Organizations that Take Risks, Create the Future, and Thrive on the Edge (Praeger, 2006), Creating the Enlightened Organization: A Practical Guide to Implementing Spirit at Work (to be published in 2007), and Virtues at Work:  A Twelve Month Program, co-written with Dorothy Marcic and Steve Karnik.  She published a monthly column on Amazon.com titled On the Edge.

In addition to her professional work, Judi is a part-time musician.  She plays in a band called The J.J. Diamond Band, and also does solo performances of her original music.  She has a CD titled The Journey and is currently working on a second CD of original music. 

Judi's website:www.judineal.com.

Sabine Bredemeyer

Sabine lives near Düsseldorf, Germany. She studied philology and law. After having been a successful entrepreneur for 13 years she now has been an independent consultant for holistic organizational development since 1998.

Within her network “Bredemeyer & Friends” she works with a holistic approach on organizational health and transformation, conscious leadership and personal development. Her clients are large and mid-sized German and international companies, organizations and communities. Coaching, conscious leadership development, large group interventions working with the collective intelligence of the organizations such as for example Open Space Technology, Appreciative Inquiry, World Café, Real Time Strategic Change, Future Search Conferences and workshops to implement the results of the large group interventions are some of her tools. She trains trainers in large group intervention-methodologies.

Sabine defines herself as a catalyst for helping organizations, communities and individuals to generate conscious leadership and healthy growth. As member of several international business-organizations and partnerships like “Global Emergence Partners” she supports Business leaders throughout the world in being prepared for the challenges of this century.

Sabine has published articles and co-authored several books about organizational change, large group interventions, and management tools. She also speaks at German and international conferences.

Alan Harpham, BSc, MBA, FAPM, FCMC

Alan describes himself as being on his 4th career, as what Charles Handy calls ‘a portfolio manager’. Alan is an independent management consultant; focused on programme management, project management and executive coaching – individuals and teams.

He is the Chairman of the APM Group, an Accreditation, Registration and Examination Certification Body for key elements of Best Practice in programme and project management, ITIL, and Change Management. It works with its main partners - the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), The Stationery Office and the Chartered Management Institute - to develop a wide range of activities that broaden the application of Best practice. The Group was originally established as the trading arm of the Association for Project Management, but is now independent (see http://www.apmgroup.co.uk). He is also a Strategic Assignment Consultant with the Office of Government Commerce (part of the UK Treasury). He is helping his son start-up a new e-commerce business in the sport and leisure sector – The Sports and Leisure Community Limited, trading as majorsporty (see http://www.majorsporty.com ). He is chairman of Workplace Ministry Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire (see http://www.workplaceministry.org.uk). He is also on the selection committee of the International Spirit at Work Awards (see http://www.spiritatwork.org).

He was co-owner and a founding director of P5 – the Power of Projects, a consultancy specialising in the application of project and programme management in owner/client organisations. He was also an unpaid executive coach with Subject Matters, a consultancy specializing in organizing business-to-business events, conferences and exhibitions. He is also a former trustee of a number of charitable organisations including MODEM, and The Friends of the Bedford Child Development Centre. He was a founding member of the Jury for the IPMA International Project Management Awards and continued as such until 2006.

He is a former Managing Director and senior consultant of Nichols Associates (now part of The Nichols Group), one of the UK’s leading consultancies in project and change management. Before this Alan was an early Director of Cranfield University’s MSc in Project Management and started his own project management consultancy. Alan’s early career was as an engineer and line manager with John Laing, where he rose to become Overseas Contracts Manager for its M & E activities. His M & E experience included construction of the UK’s first major North Sea oilrig, and a large contract for a PVC plant in Poland where he took a significant proportion of the workforce from the U.K.

Alan has been extensively involved in:

• Project Management assignments to review and develop strategies on behalf of owner/client companies for major capital projects and other strategic initiatives.
• Consulting assignments with many owner/client companies to help them review and develop the way in which they programme and project manage their own capital investment programmes. This has included developing and implementing many ‘Project Improvement Programmes’; creating programmes of related ‘soft’ projects to change the investment management culture of the company concerned. Alan has also worked with a number of suppliers and contractors to enhance their marketing and project management performance.
• Personal development and Executive coaching programmes for over 100 major clients in many diverse sectors, including: aerospace, construction, financial services, health care, IS/IT, manufacturing, transportation and utilities. He was also an assistant in the St Alban’s Diocese ‘Voluntary Self-Assisted Appraisal Scheme for Clergy’ for a number of years, a past Chairman of the Board of the St Alban’s Ministerial Training Scheme and past co-chair of the St Albans and Oxford Ministry Course and is a voluntary Mentor to CE’s of Charities with the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants.
• He has presented and written on – change management, inspirational leadership, managing successful programmes, management by projects, the Politics and politics of projects, managing cultural differences, the Project Context, Maturity Models, Life-work integration, Spirit at Work, Why would a businessman study theology?, and many other topics.

Alan’s personal interests include spirit in work (he is co-editor of MODEM’s e-zine ‘Spirit in Work’), he was founding chairman of MODEM (see http://www.modem.uk.com), he is a co-member of Association of Spirit at Work (http://www.spiritatwork.org) and a former Steward of Spirit in Business (http://www.spiritinbusiness.org). He likes hill walking, scrambling, international travelling, good food and company, and watching rugby.

Rob Katz

Rob is CEO of Spiritpower, a leadership coaching and facilitation organisation. He holds a Civil Engineering and a Masters degree in Commerce (Business Data Processing) from the University of Cape Town. He also holds a diploma in Business Administration, which he obtained with distinction. Rob is currently studying for his DPhil covering Spiritual Leadership at the University of Johannesburg.

Formerly, CEO of EDUCOR the largest Private education company for Higher and Further Education and Training in South Africa, Rob was also international director of Ixchange, a previously listed software organisation that owned FrontRange (Customer Relation Management Software). Many people will recognise him from his time as Managing Director of Microsoft for the Sub Sahara and Indian Ocean Islands, a position he held between 1992 and 1998. He is a member of various professional societies including the Computer Society of South Africa, the Institute of Directors and the Young Presidents’ Organisation. Rob was appointed to the Council on Higher Education (CHE Board) in July 2006 (advisory body on Higher Education to the Minister of Education).

Michael A. Stephen

From 1992 to 2001, Mike was first President, then Chairman of Aetna Life & Casualty’s International division—Aetna International Inc. based in Hartford, Connecticut. While overseeing the insurance and pension business across 15 countries, he led Aetna’s entry into the emerging markets of Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru and Indonesia and expanded operations in New Zealand and Chile. In preparation for Aetna’s entry into the Chinese market, Mike was instrumental in establishing Representative Offices in both Beijing and Shanghai. His personal involvement meeting with senior decision-makers in China successfully concluded in 1997 when Aetna was only the second U.S. company to be awarded an insurance license in that coveted market.

Mike enthusiastically supported the creation of the Aetna School of Management at Jiao Tong University in Shanghai. In honor of his leadership and dedication to creating a world-class business school, the University Board named the school of management library the “Michael A. Stephen Library” in April of 2000.

Mike began his career as a high school teacher in the public school system. From there he was recruited by London Life Insurance Company as an agent, but quickly rose through the ranks of management. After assuming positions of increasing responsibility, he joined Sun Life of Canada (Montreal) and then Aetna Canada in Toronto. In 1987, he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Aetna Canada, whose operations encompassed life, group and property casualty insurance.

For many years he has focused on the creation of a business environment where managers experience individual and personal transformation, which in turn assures organizational growth and development. It is in this environment where competitive advantage is created and nurtured. He is frequently asked to speak to business and professional groups about the challenges and opportunities in the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America. In addition to many speaking engagements, Mike continues to be active as a consultant and leadership coach.

Mike earned his B.A. from the University of Montreal; Advanced Management Program (AMP) from Harvard Business School, and Doctor of Letters, honoris causa from the University of New Brunswick.. He is a director of the Yonge Street Mission; Founding Board Member, Center for Work & Spirituality; Board Member, Association for Spirit at Work; Board Member, Sobey’s School of Business at St. Mary’s University; Chartered Member, Legatus Toronto; Member of the Toronto Harvard Alumni Association, the Toronto Club and the York Club.

Mike lives in Oakville, Ontario, Canada with his wife Beatrice (nee Bourque). Together they have four children and eight grandchildren. He meditates daily.