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Programme Committee
Virtual Summit 2021

The Programme Committee is comprised of career services leaders from across the globe, and we are excited to see our efforts come together to offer an exceptional experience. Our guiding principles are:

  • Provide time for interaction and peer-to-peer learning;
  • Take a user-centered approach to determine programme content;
  • Represent an array of viewpoints throughout the programme; and
  • Engage delegates before and between Summits.

Suzanne Helbig

Programme Committee Chairperson

Suzanne Helbig is the Associate Vice Provost at the University of California (UCI), Irvine’s Division of Career Pathways. Prior to arriving at UCI, Suzanne worked for 13 years at the University of California, Berkeley Career Center in roles spanning management, marketing, and career counseling.

Suzanne currently serves on the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Board of Directors and her involvement in NACE also includes co-chairing the 2018 Conference Committee and the 2017 Honors and Awards Committee; presenting at NACE’s inaugural Executive Leadership Symposium and Future of We kick-off program; and leading numerous annual conference presentations. Suzanne has also served on the board of directors of MPACE (Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers) and was awarded its Outstanding Service Award in 2017. Suzanne was honored to co-chair the 2018 Global Career Services Summit held in Newcastle, UK and has been invited to speak at conferences in Ireland, Japan, and China. Suzanne has a Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Arizona.

Paul Blackmore

Paul has 30 years strategic and management experience working across the University-Business interface, delivering nationally and internationally acclaimed and award-winning services. His divisional portfolio includes strategic and operational responsibility for employability, careers, enterprise education and interdisciplinary and place-based learning in the UK and globally, via central Professional Services and the curriculum. Paul has led several £multi-million projects across relevant areas including ‘Nucleargraduates’ contract and delivering a HRM graduate development programme for the nuclear sector. He has facilitated the climb of two Universities to the top of national league tables for Graduate Prospects and assisted universities, graduate employers, professional associations and governments in reviewing related services and strategies. Paul has delivered +100 keynotes and masterclasses at regional, national and international level across various education sectors and industries.

NAWAAL BOOLAY

Nawaal Boolay has 8 years’ experience in the Graduate Recruitment market. She holds a Business Qualification from the University of Cape Town. She also holds Theoretical and Practical Certificates in Programme Monitoring and Evaluation from UCT.

Nawaal is currently acting Director. She is responsible for strategic planning, development, management and leadership of employer related activities and services to the UCT community, corporates / SMMEs and civil society organisations. She also serves as an ambassador internally and externally at UCT championing the world of work agenda of UCT students, graduates and alumni of UCT locally, nationally and internationally. She actively engages to seek and promote opportunities to students and graduates, market UCT students and alumni to current and prospective recruiters and develop employer relationships and recruitment tools for UCT Careers Service.

Tony Botelho

Tony Botelho is the Director of Career & Volunteer Services at Simon Fraser University (Canada). He was awarded the Stu Conger Award for Leadership in Career Development (2019) for his innovative work in career education and the Rob Shea Research Award (2014) for his research on the role of career education in the contemporary university environment. SFU Career & Volunteer Services has been identified as one of the top three university career centres in Canada (2017) and also recognized as the Career Development Organization of the Year by the BC Career Development Association (2018).

Joseph Du Pont

Joseph (Joe) Du Pont is the Associate Vice President of Career Services at Boston College and a member of the Division of Student Affairs leadership team. In his role, he provides strategic direction, builds partnerships, and strengthens on and off campus initiatives to realize the Career Center’s mission of empowering all Boston College students to incorporate their career goals into a broader sense of living a life of meaning and impact. Joe has over 20 years of experience in career services, previously working as Dean of the Hiatt Career Center at Brandeis University as well as Vice President of Career Services for Teach for America. Before entering the fields of student affairs and career services, Joe worked as a corporate attorney in New York City.

Joe is the author of several articles and publications and has presented in many forums about organizational change, assessment, and leadership within career services. Joe currently co-chairs the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Future of Career Services Leadership Task Force and previously served on its board of directors. In 2016, Joe co-founded the Student Career Development Knowledge Committee of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

Joe holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from New York University, and an A.B. in History and Religion from Duke University.

Branden Grimmett

Dr. Branden Grimmett joined Loyola Marymount University as associate provost in 2015, where he leads Career and Professional Development, the office responsible for launching all LMU undergraduate and graduate students into their professional careers. 96% of LMU undergraduates are employed, pursuing graduate school, or involved in service within six months of graduation.

Dr. Grimmett specializes in diversity and inclusion in the workplace, rebranding career services, and measuring and reporting post-graduate outcomes. His work in the field of higher education has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and American Public Media’s Marketplace.

Brian Guerrero

Brian joined The Ohio State University as Senior Director of the Arts & Sciences Center for Career and Professional Success in 2017. Prior to serving Ohio State, Brian held several positions across the University of California System, including senior-level posts at both UCLA and most recently, Berkeley’s Career Centers. Outside of his roles within the University of California system, Brian Guerrero has worked in various career services positions at New York University (NYU), both at the NYC campus and in creating their career development center in the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.

Brian Guerrero has served the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) as a member of the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Leadership Advancement task force, the Graduate Student Membership task force and co-chaired the 2015 Conference and Expo. He is currently on the 2019-2020 NACE Board of Directors, serving as Vice President-College. Additionally, Brian has co-authored articles for the NACE Journal and regularly presents on various topics such as issues impacting diverse and underrepresented students, emerging technologies and leadership. He was awarded the Association’s Mentor of the Year Award in 2015 as well as the Innovation Award for Global Initiatives in 2010. Beyond his involvement in the profession, Brian was a consultant for the US Agency for International Development, working on projects that advance the growth of university career services in the Philippines.

Trevor Johnston

Trevor Johnston is the Head of Careers, Employability & Skills at Queens University with responsibility for strategic planning and leadership of the Service in accordance with the University Corporate plan with particular focus on enhancing the employability of Queen’s students. Trevor is also Co-Chair of AHECS, the Association of Higher Education Careers Services in Ireland. 

Prior to joining Queen’s Trevor held a range of private sector roles as UK Business Development Manager for National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies and Regional Manager for Northern Ireland with SummitSkills, a Sector Skills Council with responsibility for representing employers. He has previously led the development of an All-Ireland Interreg Funded Renewable Energy Installer Academy establishing regional training provision for a range of renewable energy technologies and an Ireland wide training, certification and quality inspection scheme for renewable energy installers.

Jonathan Kwan

With close to 20 years of experience as a career coach and management consultant, Jon is the Executive Director of the South East Asian Association of Graduate Employers (SEAAGE), and an external career advisor to the world’s top business schools including Cambridge (Judge), HKUST, INSEAD & NUS. Originally from Toronto, Jon spent 8 years in the Consulting practice of one of the largest professional services firms in the world, most recently with their Global Future of Work Centre of Excellence. Currently, he’s fascinated by the idea of applying Design Thinking principles to individuals in their careers. Having lived & worked on 3 continents, he is now based in Singapore.

Mark Presnell

Mark possesses over 20 years of experience in career services including his current role as Executive Director of Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA). Prior to Northwestern, Mark has worked at Johns Hopkins University, The University of Rochester, The University of Virginia School of Architecture, and The University of Kansas. He received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas. Like many undergraduates, he changed his major as an undergraduate from Aeronautical Engineering to Psychology at Purdue University. He has previously presented at both national and regional conferences on a variety of topics including recruiting consortia, use of social media in the job search, and teaching networking and other non-traditional job search strategies to undergraduates.

Currently, Mark supervises a staff of over 20 professionals who implement a broad range of career services to undergraduate and graduate students. Through school-based counseling and advising, NCA focuses on providing personalized career services across students’ four years at Northwestern. Additionally, NCA proactively develops robust partnerships with employers, parents, and alumni to educate and recruit Northwestern students.

Francesca Saracino

Francesca Saracino is Head of the Career Service office at Politecnico di Milano, one of Europe’s top leading universities for technical studies. Being a native American-Italian bilingual and having obtained a Master in Cultural Mediation, she sees how students and employers need help in understanding each other because they speak different languages. The Career Service she manages is self-financed and serves 45,000 students with 19 people in staff. Since 2018, she manages the first Diversity & Inclusion Program of the University, called POP (Pari Opportunità Politecniche). Previously, she worked as an English language teacher and translator. Francesca is also a lindy-hop dancer, yoga learner, occasional singer and concert addict.

Trudy Steinfeld

Trudy Steinfeld (@trudygsteinfeld) is an Early Careers, Higher Education and Workplace Expert and is currently a Strategist, Americas for Cappfinity and an Advisor to the City University of New York. Previously Trudy was the Associate Vice-President of the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development. Considered a thought leader in career development and college talent, she is a consultant, coach and facilitator and especially focused on the career mobility of underserved students. Trudy has been a frequent contributor to: The NY Times, Wall Street Journal, NY Daily News, NY Post, NBC, CBS, and CNN and writes the Career Warrior column for Forbes.com. She is co-editor of Leadership in Career Services and Winning the War for College Talent. She regularly speaks at global and national conferences, facilitated numerous trainings, and is a recipient of numerous awards including being inducted into the NACE Academy of Fellows. Trudy earned her bachelor’s degree from Ramapo College and holds a master’s degree from New York University in addition to other graduate work in Counseling. Trudy is passionate about guiding early and first generation college talent, social mobility and impact, coffee, her dog Norm, and the NY Mets.