The People Connector
Ben is a sports lover from the Chicago area. Ben’s first job was a pretty unique one, perhaps – working in cemeteries for his father’s tombstone engraving company. One of Ben’s favorite hobbies is taking on new hobbies. When his social calendar is jam-packed with everything from live music to sports events to charity events, he’s happiest. He also loves traveling “like a local” – specifically avoiding tourist traps in search of authentic food, shopping for things unique to a region, and immersing himself in cultures that go beyond a typical guidebook. If there’s one thing to know about Ben, it’s that he truly thrives when he’s got a seat at the table – one that allows for people’s voices to be heard, for input to be valued, and for people’s potential to come through.
When you learn, teach. When you get, give. Maya Angelou
A collaborative colleague who loves both feeling engaged and engaging others at work, Ben is vice president of talent at Acertitude. Here, he works to enhance the employee experience by advancing professional development and shaping workplace culture. He also leads talent acquisition and people operations. Ben believes great talent starts with getting the right people in the door and then creating compelling reasons for people to perform purpose-driven work.
Ben brings an incredible wealth of knowledge from his career with Big 5 search firms and Fortune 500 organizations. A global learning and development authority, he has traveled the world leading programs and projects to improve skills development, diversity and inclusion, onboarding, and more.
Before Acertitude, Ben worked as a global learning and development leader for Russell Reynolds Associates, and before that at Spencer Stuart. In these roles, he onboarded new colleagues in meaningful ways and developed a variety of programs for team members across every level. His earlier experience includes facilitating team-building sessions and leading executive focus groups as a professional development consultant at Walgreens. Ben has a bachelor’s and master’s in communication from Western Illinois University.
Ben lives in Chicago. When not working, he loves spending a few days a week on either the softball field, volleyball court, or golf course. He also enjoys travel – locally, trying to see as many U.S. states as he can, and internationally, continuing his personal mission to collect passport stamps. His volunteer experience includes a decade serving as an Executive Board member at Autism Speaks Young Professionals, where he leads a variety of fundraising initiatives.
Based
Chicago
