Panelist Information

Walter Jackson, Ph.D.

Director, Global Partner Development Bates Communications

Walter has worked with a wide range of organizations from startups to Fortune 50 companies over a variety of industries from financial services to media, biotech, and manufacturing. His background as a management psychologist, combined with his experiences as an entrepreneur and senior executive in Fortune 500 companies, gives him a unique perspective on developing collaborative relationships with senior leaders and helping them to achieve their business objectives.

His executive experience includes serving as Vice President, Talent Management & Strategic Staffing for The Hartford Financial Services Group, where he oversaw the development of an enterprise-wide, integrated talent management and leadership development system that supported an evolving new business strategy. As Corporate Vice President of Executive Development at Cablevision, he partnered with the CEO and senior leadership team to design and implement organization and talent development systems that supported a major strategic transformation that included the reorganization of existing businesses, as well as the acquisition and integration of new businesses.

As an entrepreneur, he was co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of US operations for Saville & Holdsworth, Ltd., (SHL) an international assessment firm. Significantly growing the US business and preparing the firm to go public in the UK. Walter was also co-founder and EVP of Navient, a startup talent management software and consulting firm.

Walter is a licensed psychologist who received his Ph.D. from Boston College, his Master’s degree from Columbia University, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bates College.

Jennifer Bunk, Ph.D.

Dr. Jennifer Bunk received her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2006. After that, she has served on the faculty at West Chester University of Pennsylvania as an Assistant/Associate Professor of Psychology until 2016. While at West Chester, she has served in a number of leadership roles including Graduate Coordinator for the I/O Psychology Master’s Program and Assistant Chairperson. She taught many courses over the years, including research methods and I/O psychology at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It's worth highlighting that she regularly taught and developed online classes in I/O psychology at West Chester University, Thomas Edison State College, and Southern New Hampshire University.

Her love for advancing online learning – as well as her passion for applying psychological science in the workplace - fueled her inner entrepreneur. In 2015, she launched her own business (Jen Bunk Ventures) and created People Stack Academy. As a career coach, her mission is to help tech managers upgrade their teams, their careers, their paychecks, and their lives. She has helped dozens of tech managers achieve career transformation, and, in the process, has helped the tech community achieve new levels of innovation and impact. When she’s not wearing her coaching and entrepreneur hats, she enjoys going to the gym, traveling, spending time with her family, and pretending to be a world-class foodie.

Ashita Goswami, Ph.D.

Dr. Ashita Goswami received her BS degree in Psychology (Hons) from Jesus and Mary College in India. She completed her MS in Industrial Organizational Psychology at University of Delhi India. Following a brief experience in research at the Management Development Institute in India, she completed her MS in Industrial Organizational Psychology and Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology at Central Michigan University, MI in 2014. She is currently an assistant tenure track professor at Salem State University where she teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses.

Dr. Goswami has 8 years of applied experience consulting and conducting research with organizations on a variety of issues related to organizational psychology. She has presented research at over 10 conference presentations and has 4 publications in Journals such as the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Development, Group and Organizational Management, Personality and Individual Differences, Personnel Review and International Journal of Supply Chain Management.