Program Description:
As companies expand across the U.S. and Europe, success depends on building leadership teams that can perform across different markets, cultures, and talent systems. This panel brings together experts in executive search, workforce technology, global assessment, funding, and leadership development to explore how organizations are using data and AI to identify, assess, and develop high-performing leaders for cross-border growth. Panelists will share practical insights on leadership expectations, talent mobility, and skills development—offering strategies to align people, technology, and culture to drive sustainable performance on both sides of the Atlantic.
Hear from our panel of experts on the following key takeaways and more:
- Leadership traits that translate across the Atlantic—and those that don’t
- Is AI actually improving talent decisions today and ways AI can be utilized to improve how companies identify, assess, or develop leaders
- Differences between U.S. and UK/European leadership expectations that companies often underestimate when expanding internationally
- Companies hiring for experience or for adaptability in a fast-changing global market,
- Balance traditional leadership experience with the ability to learn, adapt, and lead across cultures
- What’s the biggest mistakes companies make when building transatlantic leadership teams
- From talent strategy to culture to governance— best practices and avoiding pitfalls
- Setting priorities: talent, technology, or leadership development—and why
Speakers Include:
- Gareth Benson, Partner, Avant Executive Search & Talent Advisory, Avant Search
- Christine Mason, Fractional CHRO, Cheval Corporate Coaching & Consulting
- Tommy Pruitt, Sr Director, People & Strategic Engagement, Corporate Secretary, Terma Inc.
- Fred Jewell, Sr. Strategic Advisor, Executive Director, and Shareholder, Jabian (Moderator)
Location/ Timeline: 5 pm - 6:15 pm Networking, 6:15 pm - 7 pm Program; Jabian, 7000 Central Parkway, Atlanta, Lobby Level Private Conference Room
Event Pricing: BABC members $35, Non-Members $65
Speaker Bios:
Gareth Benson is Partner, of Avant Executive Search & Talent Advisory, Avant Search. Gareth began working in the United States in Operations and Business Development in the Educational Travel industry and recruited and led teams both in the US and across Europe.
He has spent two decades in Recruitment and Talent Advisory work and in that time has partnered with a number of British and European companies on their entry and expansion strategies for the North American market. He has gained valuable insights both from some notable successes and the occasional misfire.
Gareth is a partner at Avant, an executive Search and Talent Advisory firm. Avant has partners based in the US, Europe and the Middle East with extensive experience in helping clients with hiring both domestically and internationally from the C-Suite to the shop floor.
Christine Mason is CEO of Cheval Coaching & Consulting Inc., a Fractional CHRO, and executive leadership coach who helps growth-stage and investor-backed companies build the leadership systems, talent infrastructure, and culture needed to scale.
She works with founder-led and scaling organizations to design executive leadership frameworks, talent strategies, and governance structures that turn rapid growth into sustainable performance. Christine also provides executive coaching and leadership development through experiential and equine-assisted coaching models.
Previously, Christine built and led Nokia’s global mobility function and has designed and led HR and operations across more than 60 countries, bringing deep global experience in leadership development, talent strategy, and organizational transformation.
Tommy Pruitt is Sr Director, People & Strategic Engagement, Corporate Secretary, Terma Inc. and a seasoned Human Resources, Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs executive. His career spans building and sustaining operations in the US and internationally in industries including Aerospace/Defense, Textiles, Food production and Automotive Manufacturing.
In his current role, Mr. Pruitt serves as the Senior Director, People and Strategic Engagement and Corporate Secretary for Terma Inc. a US organization of the parent company Terma A/S based in Denmark. Terma delivers advanced technologies to keep people safe on land, at sea, in the air or in space, including electronic warfare systems, radar systems and Counter UAS.
His international experience includes working in organizations based in Denmark, Italy and United States based expansion into other countries including the UK, Canada, Australia and the Middle East.
Tommy has long supported Veterans and Veteran causes. He has provided long-term support for Fisher House Foundation’s annual golf classic in the DC area. Tommy is a Board Member for Purple Heart Homes based in North Carolina and is a National Advisory Board member for the National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership based in Charleston, SC.
Mr. Pruitt is originally from Columbia, SC. He is a graduate of Limestone University in Gaffney, SC and currently resides in Macon, GA with his wife Jan. They have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Fred Jewell is a Sr. Strategic Advisor, Executive Director, and Shareholder with Jabian. He is a strategic advisor, management consultant, executive, and thought leader passionate about helping clients develop and align strategies that make a difference for their organization, themselves as individuals, and for the community as a whole. Works with client leadership to align culture with process, technology, training, skills, organization design, and policy to drive engagement around an initiative or across the entire organization. Expert executive team facilitator and strategic advisor who helps leaders create strategy, define initiatives, and then build a culture and a governance structure that ensures that strategies and initiatives stay on track and deliver planned results.
Expert in operating model definition, culture definition and alignment, strategic planning, leadership team and executive coaching, employee engagement, change design, change management, organization design, organization effectiveness, process improvement, and facilitation. Cross-industry consulting experience in Consumer Products, Industrial Products, Technology, Services, Telecommunications, Healthcare, Nonprofits, Financial Services, and Utilities.
Author of the bestselling new release "We Can't Do It Alone: Building Influence with Simple Strategies," which is available on Amazon. Co-creatot of the Jabian Engagement Framework and author of over 25 articles in the Jabian Journal (www.jabian.com/insights).
