Kristine has served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Standard Motor Products since July 2023, having joined the company as Vice President of Human Resources in August 2022 after relocating her family to the NYC area from Detroit, MI. Prior to joining SMP, Kristine served in several regional and global HR leadership positions in the automotive industry and could often be found at her second home – on the manufacturing floor. Kristine holds a JD from Wayne State University Law School and a BS from Oakland University, and is a member of the Michigan Bar and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Beyond her career pursuits, Kristine is a mother, a wife, a kidney donor, a philanthropist, a mentor, and a cheer leader for her team.

Azurée Montoute-Lewis, Global Chief People Officer of Burson, is an accomplished human resources executive with demonstrated expertise in talent acquisition and management; learning and development; diversity, equity, and inclusion; rewards and recognition; and people operations and systems. Prior to Burson, Azurée served as Hill & Knowlton’s Global Chief People Officer, where she drew on almost two decades of experience in human resources, organizational development, and marketing.

Azurée has dedicated her career to creating high-performing, creative and innovative, and trusted and psychologically safe work environments with equal opportunities for all employees. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences and events on inclusion-related topics.

Cindy Torres Essell currently leads the Human Resources team at Heinen’s Inc. In this role, she leads all human resources, talent management, learning and development, and payroll efforts across the enterprise of 3,500 associates, including all retail store, food production, warehouse distribution, and corporate locations.

Cindy has extensive experience in labor and employment law, talent leadership and executive coaching. She is a certified executive coach and also serves as an executive coach both internally and externally. Prior to joining Heinen’s, she served in senior roles leading human resources, talent acquisition and management, and diversity and inclusion efforts at a number of organizations, including national law firms, academic and financial institutions, and corporations. 

Shazia Mazhar brings over 20 years of experience as an HR and business leader to her role as Managing Partner at McLean & Company, where she supports and guides HR leaders to map out their HR strategy and prioritize HR initiatives that will have a measurable impact on the business.

Shazia brings a diverse background to McLean & Company. Her HR experience encompasses global leadership roles, with particular expertise in diversity, equity & inclusion, employee culture, learning & development, and leadership. Her global experiences include working and living in Europe and South America and leading teams across six continents.

Stacey is a sought-out, trusted HR advisor to senior leaders with over 30 years’ experience working with both public and private sector employers, helping organizations navigate complex business transformations and successfully manage through change. With extensive experience coaching and guiding leaders to successfully execute on their strategic agendas, she operates with integrity, authenticity, and a keen sense of humor.

Prior to joining McLean & Company as an Executive Counselor, Stacey held senior HR leadership roles across many diverse industries, including newspaper and magazine publishing, financial services, law enforcement, and municipal government.