In our opening session of the day, we heard from our partners across different industries about the current landscape of workplace mental health in the US, identifying both the barriers and challenges that exist, alongside where the best opportunities lie to support employees with their wellbeing.
Zoe Sinclair
Co-Founder
Zoe is one of the founders of This Can Happen. She is also the founder of Employees Matter, the largest provider of employee engagement seminars and webinars in the UK.
Mallory Tosch Hoggatt
Partner
Mallory guides global corporations and financial institutions navigating mergers, acquisitions and other transactions to achieve their desired outcomes while minimizing the risk of transaction-related disputes, busted deals, stockholder suits, securities and derivative litigation and regulatory inquiries. Additionally, she advises companies across a range of industries who face securities litigation and complex commercial disputes, from bankruptcy litigation to contract claims to antitrust actions. She also counsels multinational corporations in connection with both internal and regulatory investigations, and she enjoys collaborating with clients to identify and defend against potential risks before those risks come to fruition. Mallory sits on the Global Wellbeing Advisory Board at A&O Shearman and is a mental health advocate for the Texas offices. Beyond her work at A&O Shearman, she serves on the Board of Directors for the French American Chamber of Commerce in Texas and the American Association for the International Commission of Jurists. Her leadership and advocacy extend beyond her legal practice, reflecting her commitment to both the profession and the broader community.
Dr Amanda Bunten
Global Head of Employee Health And Wellbeing
In our first keynote of the day, we learnt how to recognise the impact that challenging behaviours in a workplace can have upon our mental wellbeing, sharing learnings with employees in attendance about how they can thrive if they find themselves in these situations.
Dr. Cynthia Mathieu
Industrial-organizational Psychologist & Professor of Organizational Behaviour
Dr. Cynthia Mathieu is an industrial-organizational psychologist and Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the University of Québec in Trois-Rivières (Canada). She studies and has published research on psychopathy and other dark personalities in the workplace, leadership, toxic workplace culture, and employee well-being. She consults with organizations and teaches on corporate psychopathy, employee selection, mental health in the workplace, organizational fraud, leadership, and work culture. She has been invited to speak for various organizations, including the Conference Board of Canada, the Canadian federal government, the US government, the European Central Bank, the Retail Council of Canada, and Facebook. She is the author of the new book, "Dark Personalities in the Workplace," published by Elsevier in New York, and regularly posts on LinkedIn.
In this tumultuous world that we live in, it's essential that workplaces can offer employees a psychologically safe space to be themselves. In this session, we explored how Employee Resource Groups in particular can be an impactful way to build psychological safety at work and support employee mental wellbeing across all workplace demographics.
Yasmeen Khalaf
Global Diversity & Inclusion Lead for Talent Acquisition
Yasmeen Khalaf is a Diversity & Inclusion leader with over a decade of experience driving inclusive talent strategies across global organizations. Currently serving as the Global Diversity & Inclusion Lead for Talent Acquisition at ABB, Yasmeen leads transformative initiatives that embed inclusion and accessibility into hiring practices worldwide. Previously at Accenture, Yasmeen held progressive roles culminating in her leadership of the UKI D&I agenda. She worked closely with Employee Resource Groups and senior leaders to amplify underrepresented voices, foster inclusive environments, and deliver data-driven insights that shaped strategic decision-making. With a background that bridges HR, Operations, and Culture, Yasmeen brings a unique lens to conversations about inclusive hiring, intersectionality, and the future of work. She is a passionate advocate for creating workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.
Sheila Piper
Corporate Wellbeing Consultant
Sheila is an experienced HR leader with nearly 20 years’ expertise in shaping people strategies that enhance employee experience, engagement, and wellbeing. Recognised for driving transformation and building inclusive, high-performing cultures, she now combines her background in corporate leadership with her work as a coach, supporting individuals and teams through growth and change. Alongside this, Sheila runs an online travel business that champions wellbeing and the power of new experiences, reflecting her passion for helping people thrive both inside and outside of work.
This academic keynote spotlighted research about a growing but tangible trend - the four day working week - and highlighted the benefits that this can bring to mental wellbeing in the workplace.
Wen Fan
Associate Professor of Sociology
Wen Fan is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Boston College. Her research examines how large-scale social change, work arrangements, and family dynamics intersect to shape socioeconomic and well-being outcomes over the life course. Her ongoing work, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation, investigates the impacts of remote and hybrid work, as well as four-day workweeks on worker, organizational, and societal outcomes.
In this keynote, we shared international learnings on fertility and mental wellbeing from our owned research, highlighting the intrinsic connection between the two and sharing key applications for US workplaces in best supporting their staff with these challenges.
Kathryn Courtenay-Evans
Insight & Strategy Director
Kathryn oversees This Can Happen's new initiative - Research & Insights, which is helping companies to measure and benchmark the success of their mental health strategies.
Sleep can have a tremendous impact upon our mental wellbeing - but what can we actually do to improve the quality of the rest that we get, especially in these turbulent times? In this keynote, we learnt more about the mental benefits of sleep, tackle some common misconceptions that exist about sleeping, and share practical steps to improve our quality of sleep.
Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan
Physiologist, sleep expert, author and speaker
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan is a renowned physiologist, sleep expert, author and speaker with over 25 years of experience. Nerina spent a decade conducting sleep and wellness programmes at the Nightingale Hospital in London having once herself been a patient at the same clinic, several years previously. Her mission and purpose is to help as many people as possible to regulate their nervous systems and sleep deeply, so that they can live more joyful and fulfilling lives.
In our closing session of the day, we took a look at Latin America, understanding the new workplace legislation coming into effect around mental health, and highlighting both the challenges and opportunities that this can bring to supporting staff in this space.
Marina Tavares
Senior Health and Wellbeing Manager LATAM
Marina is a passionate leader in corporate health and wellbeing, dedicated to transforming workplace cultures. With deep expertise in human sustainability and strategic initiatives, she promotes the integration of people care with business goals, fostering more conscious and cohesive organizational environments. Recognized for her ability to turn emerging wellbeing trends into innovative solutions, Marina empowers organizations to enhance employee experience and drive sustainable performance, delivering measurable results. Beyond financials returns, her work emphasizes the creation of lasting value - reducing attrition and positively impacting overall organizational culture. By helping companies prioritize wellbeing, Marina unlocks a healthier, more engaged, and resilient workforce, proving that a thriving workplace is within reach for all.
Marcia Agosti
Latam Medical Leader
Marcia is a Public Health Affairs Specialist from UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) who holds a postgraduate degree in Occupational Medicine and a master’s degree in health administration from IBMEC. She has dedicated the last 20 years to health risks management projects and programs in medical insurance and corporate environments. She is the Medical Leader for General Electric in Latin America, in charge of Occupational Health and well-being programs, Medical Crises and Emergency Response Plan in the Region and acts as Regional Medical Benefits Risk Management Advisor.
Dr Glauco Callia
Global Occupational Health and Wellness Leader
Doctor Glauco Callia is a Brazilian Physician, Licensed Occupational Health Expert and Artificial Intelligence Product Designer by MIT. Health and Wellbeing Expert, with large experience in Designing and Implementation of Stress Management Programs for Multinational Companies, based on Big Data, with Focus on Employee Productivity Improvement. Currently focusing on Artificial Intelligence researches for prediction of Work Related Mental Health Diseases. In 2024 he founded Zenith, a consultancy company focused on designing Mental Health strategies for companies. As a writer, he has just released his new book about Public Health strategies for the Isolated Population from the Brazilian Amazon Forrest.
