Attracting & Retaining Top Talent

Speaker bio to be added shortly. 

John Thedford is an entrepreneur who has founded successful corporations including Value Pawn and Jewelry, Rent-Rite Rental Centers, La Familia Pawn & Jewelry, Premier Pawn & Jewelry and most recently, SMART Financial. Results-driven with a philosophy of building "world class" operations through strategic focus on a rigorous human resource approach, he believes that "it's not about IQ, it's about ‘I Do.’” He also subscribes to the tenet that "the most powerful force on earth is a human being engaged in meaningful work” and believes employers must select work teams with science and hold together with leadership and culture.

In 2008, EZCORP Inc. (Nasdaq: EZPW) acquired Value Financial Services Inc., (d/b/a Value Pawn and Jewelry) a company Thedford founded, for $120 million. Thedford had expanded the chain from three Value Pawn & Jewelry stores in 1994 to 70 locations with over 800 team members.

In 2016, Thedford raised $125 million in private equity funds to found SMART Financial, a retail chain with operations in the United States and Canada.  As of September 2019, SMART has 87 stores through acquisitions completed this calendar year. SMART Financial is the third-largest pawn store chain in North America based on total number of locations.

Today, Thedford in addition to heading up SMART Financial, continues to offer consulting services through his firm, Initiative Consulting Group and is a respected keynote speaker at industry conferences.

Thedford is a Certified Public Accountant as well as the author of the best-selling book, Smart Moves Management which focuses on cultivating world-class people and profits. In 2019, Thedford was honored with the Ernst & Young Florida Entrepreneur of the Year Award and serves on the Orange/Osceola Salvation Army Board of Directors.

Over her career, Keri Gasiorowski has lead the human resource function for organizations that are industry leading, both public and private. Keri has experience in building a Human Resources department from scratch in a steep-growth company, as well as leading various HR functions in already established organizations. Most notably Keri has held HR roles within Robert Half International, Digital Risk, United Stationers, Meritage Homes, and Park Square Homes. Keri draws from her experience in these organizations, her education, and exposure to various companies through project work to provide consulting and training to organizations in need nation-wide. Keri combines her passion for people and knowledge of business in a way that helps organizations drive tangible, bottom line results through their most valuable asset – their talent.

Keri has been published in the Encyclopedia of Human Resource Management, specifically an essay containing the modern-day definition of Leadership Development. She has been published in HR Matters, a global HR magazine, and Scotsman Guide, a financial industry publication. Keri is also a speaker for various HR organizations, including the Society for Human Resource Management’s global conference as well as individual chapters across the country.

Keri’s Specializations: Recruiting (sourcing/selecting, onboarding for improved retention, metrics that drive performance, college recruiting programs) | Leadership Development (front line leaders, new leaders, senior leader coaching)| Change Management (processes, psychology, planning)| Performance Management (systems, strategies, processes)| Employer Branding/Social Media | HR 101 for Executives | Team Building Workshops| Training Delivery & Instructional Design | Employee Engagement & Rewards | Retention Mitigation | Workforce Planning (staffing strategy, organizational design, retention strategy, succession planning) | HR Functionality, Efficiencies & Process Improvement | How to Lead a Virtual Team | Employee Development (Skill based training programs for employee growth)

Karen Sheean is chief people officer for Holiday Retirement. In this role, Karen provides senior level HR counsel to the company and oversees HR operations including employee relations, benefits, recruitment and learning and development.

Before being named to this position, Karen served as Holiday’s director of learning & development. Prior to joining Holiday, Karen worked for Knowledge Universe, U.S., a national private education company, for 17 years in a variety of senior leadership roles, most recently as vice president of KinderCare operations services.

Karen graduated cum laude from Ohio University with a bachelor of science degree in education. She recently served as board president for Youth, Rights and Justice in Portland, Oregon.