Sessions & Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Our exciting and highly experienced panel of keynote speakers promises to make Confluence
2012 a great learning experience for attendees.
Dr. Robert Kriegel, Ph.D.
Best-Selling Author and Commentator
Dr. Kriegel is a NY Times best-selling author who US News & World Report called
one of the country’s leading authorities in the field of change and human performance.
He has been a commentator on NPR’s Marketplace program, done two specials for PBS
and taught at Stanford’s Executive Management Program. He is also the cofounder
of the country’s first sports psychology institute and has been a mental coach for
Olympic and pro teams. The New York Times said his work “spurred a revolution in
performance practices.” His books include the international best sellers; ,If it
ain’t broke…BREAK IT and Inner Skiing.
Elliott Masie
Futurist, Analyst, Researcher and Organizer
Elliott Masie is an internationally recognized futurist, analyst, researcher and
organizer on the critical topics of workforce learning, business collaboration and
emerging technologies. He is the editor of Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie, an
Internet newsletter read by over 52,000 business executives worldwide, and a regular
columnist in professional publications. He is the author of a dozen books, and heads
The MASIE Center, a think tank focused on how organizations can support learning
and knowledge within the workforce. He leads the Learning CONSORTIUM, a coalition
of 240 global organizations cooperating on the evolution of learning strategies.
Sanjay Khosla
Executive Vice President and President, Developing Markets, Kraft Foods
Sanjay Khosla leads Kraft Foods $13.6 billion business in developing markets, specifically
the Asia Pacific; Central and Eastern Europe; Middle East and Africa; and Latin
America regions. As a member of the Kraft Foods Executive Team, Sanjay is responsible
for the business in more than 60 countries, including a strong footprint and leading
positions in each of the fast growing BRIC markets. He also looks after a roster
of more than 100 iconic brands, such as Cadbury, Halls, Jacobs, Lacta, Milka, Oreo,
Tang and Trident. Sanjay has more than 30 years of international
business experience.
Rajendra S. Pawar
Chairman & Co-Founder, NIIT Group
Rajendra S. Pawar is the Chairman and Co-Founder of the NIIT Group comprising of
two businesses - NIIT Limited, a leading Global Talent Development Corporation and
NIIT Technologies Limited, the software and services arm. As the current Chairman
of India’s IT industry body - National Association of Software and Service Companies
(NASSCOM), he spearheads the initiative to give voice to the IT sector’s aspirations
and goals. He is also deeply engaged in shaping the not-for-profit NIIT University
with the vision of being the leading center of innovation and learning in emerging
areas of the Knowledge Society. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology,
Delhi, he has also been conferred one of the most prestigious national civilian
honors by the President of India – the Padma Bhushan.
Vijay K. Thadani
Chief Executive Officer, NIIT Limited & Co-Founder, NIIT University
Vijay K. Thadani is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of NIIT Limited. His
vision and leadership has led NIIT in taking IT education out of the confines of
a few exclusive universities and bringing it to the masses. Under his guidance,
NIIT’s China operations expanded to more than 170 locations across 25 provinces
– a feat that earned him the honor of being appointed as ‘Economic Consultant’ to
Chongqing, the world’s largest city in China. Along with Rajendra S. Pawar, Vijay
Thadani is the founder of the not-for-profit, NIIT University. An alumnus of the
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Vijay is actively engaged with many industry
associations and is the current Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s
(CII) National Committee on Education.
Dr. Gregg Collins, Ph.D.
Vice President, Instructional Design
Gregg Collins is the Head of Instructional Design for NIIT worldwide. A Ph.D. in
Artificial Intelligence from Yale University, Dr. Collins played a key role in the
seminal research carried out at ILS and was one of the authors of Northwestern's
graduate program in Instructional Design. He was a co-founder of Cognitive Arts
Corporation, which was incorporated in 1995 to commercialize ILS. Dr. Collins became
Head of instructional design for Cognitive Arts in 1996, and subsequently for NIIT
when it acquired Cognitive Arts in 2002. Projects created under Dr. Collins's leadership
have won numerous international awards, and Cognitive Arts has consistently been
recognized as a pioneer in the effective use of instructional design and technology
to support pedagogy.
Greg Schwem
America’s favorite corporate funnyman
Greg Schwem’s “Comedy with a Byte” has earned him the title of “America’s favorite
corporate funnyman” from Chicago Magazine. Greg’s shows provide a hilarious
look at today’s corporate environment and the latest tools used to conduct business.
Today, Greg performs close to 100 corporate dates a year. His client list includes
such corporate heavyweights as McDonald’s, Microsoft, Motorola, IBM, Verizon Wireless,
United Airlines and Cisco Systems. Besides customized material, Greg entertains
audiences with stories about tedious business meetings, Blackberry addiction, “frequently”
asked questions and his embarrassing experience with the American Girl Doll company.
