Ascend New England 2023 Inspiring Across Generations Conference

Angela brings 30 years of both generalist and specialist Human Resources experience, having worked across consumer product goods, professional services, and high-tech as well as nonprofits. She has shepherded businesses through start-up, growth, and maturity and led teams as large as 25 to as small as three, spanning the major continents. Angela currently serves as Senior Vice President, Talent & Chief Human Resources Officer for Harvard Business Publishing. Previously, Angela was at ClearMotion, Inc. an automotive technology startup where she accelerated the evolution of the HR function from administrative to strategic. She also served as the Global Head of Human Resources for Crabtree & Evelyn, where she led an international team spanning four continents and prepared the brick-and-mortar business to go completely digital. In each role, she drove measurable improvement in employee engagement and advancement in DEI, leading to improved business performance. Angela received her Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in Industrial and Labor Relations and sits on the Alumni Board of Directors. She also serves as an HR Venture Adviser for SemperVirens, an early-stage venture fund that invests in technology transforming healthcare, work, and financial wellness; is the HR Vertical co-lead for Ascend, the largest professional network for American Pan-asians; and is Board Director for the T. Howard Foundation, a mission-driven organization dedicated to increasing diversity in the media industry.

Lin Chen is an Audit Manager at Deloitte’s Boston office. With a focus on technology industry, Lin brings innovative solutions and strategic insights to help clients navigate their most complex challenges. Prior to joining Deloitte, Lin earned a master’s degree in accounting from Boston College. Outside of work, Lin is a busy new mom (of a 11-month baby girl!). She loves tennis during the summer and snowboarding during winter.

Jiaxin (Grace) Hong is an Assistant Vice President working in Asset Liability Management at State Street with seven years of experience in Finance and Treasury. She was previously a rotational analyst in the Professional Development Program at State Street. Grace received her Master of Science in Finance and Accounting from Boston College. She is a CFA charter-holder and a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM). In her spare time, Grace enjoys reading, skiing, traveling, and discovering new restaurants in Boston.

Lily Huang is currently a manager in the Technical Accounting Consulting Practice at RSM US LLP. In her role, she specializes in Audit Readiness, IPO/SPAC readiness, SEC reporting, and Staff Augmentation, making significant impacts in the SaaS, Life Science, and Technology sectors. Prior to joining RSM, Lily gained valuable industry experience in a key accounting role at a leading 3D printing company for 1.5 years. Her accounting career commenced at Deloitte US LLP, where she was part of the audit practice for 2.5 years, focusing on the TMT and Life Sciences industries. This followed her graduation from Boston College with a MSA degree in 2015. Lily's journey through various facets of accounting highlights her adaptability, deep technical knowledge, and her proficiency in navigating both public accounting and industry challenges.

Bartholomew Jae has 25 years of experience helping companies develop their leaders, talent, and organization. His professional experience includes start-up executive, learning and development leadership, and strategy and management consulting. Bartholomew has worked with global Fortune 500 companies across many industries. In his current role with the National Fire Protection Association, Bartholomew heads up the Education and Development line of business. Bartholomew Jae has Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degrees from Bentley University. Bartholomew volunteers his time and talent with the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) as a Board Member, Ascend Leadership as a national volunteer faculty and Board of Advisors for the New England Chapter, Notre Dame Mission Volunteers as Board Governance Committee member, and at the Sacred Heart Parish in Quincy.

James C. Lam is a board director, management consultant, and best-selling author. He is President of James Lam & Associates, a risk management consulting firm that serves clients across all industry sectors. As a board director, James currently serves as an independent director and audit committee member of World Gold Trust Services and WGC USA Asset Management. He is also a board director of the FAIR Institute. Previously, James served as a board director, chair of the risk oversight committee, and member of the audit committee of E*TRADE Financial and E*TRADE Bank. Mr. Lam has been recognized in the NACD Directorship 100 by the National Association of Corporate Directors, Lifetime Achievement Award by Shared Assessments, Risk Manager of the Year by the Global Association of Risk Professionals, and “100 Most Influential People in Finance” by Treasury & Risk Management magazine.

Jinlei Liu is the Chief Technology Officer for Converge, and a managing director with Deloitte Consulting LLP. Converge is focused on creating the next generation of digital and data platforms that help shape and transform industries ethically and responsibly, and to support clients at the convergence points happening between the consumer, financial services and health care sectors. Additionally, Jinlei serves as the Chief Architect for ConvergeHealth. At ConvergeHEALTH, he is involved in creating new health ecosystems, to enable the future of health, by combining next-generation platforms, deep industry experience, and novel collaboration models. These digital platforms, now in more than 25 countries, connect patients, providers, researchers, regulators, and payors, helping millions of patients benefit from the ability to accelerate drug development, understand patient outcomes, devise personalized treatment plans, automate safety reporting and move the industry toward a more fully integrated digital health system.

Xinlu has been working as EMEA Regional Treasurer at Iron Mountain since 2018. She covers all treasury related matters across 40 countries in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Before Iron Mountain, she worked at Medtronic (Covidien) and then PerkinElmer for about six years, both in the treasury department. She obtained her MBA from Boston College. Prior to MBA, she worked for Accenture in Beijing, China. She holds Bachelor and Master degree in Management Information System from Beihang University.

“Pay it forward” is the living mantra Thanh tries to uphold each day. While she is a proud American, her strength is in her Vietnamese heritage and multicultural, multilingual, background. Thanh and her family were part of the last boat people to escape Vietnam in the 1980s. That lived experience is a driver for Thanh to fearlessly advocate and elevate those who are seeking better opportunities and equal access. Thanh has a combined 20+ years of experience working in the public and private sectors. Thanh joined Fidelity Investment in 2012 and has since ascended into various leadership positions. As the Senior Business Consultant, she consults the Customer Inclusion Team and helps identify and mobilize Fidelity initiatives that create a more compelling and relevant customer experience for diverse segment plan participants. Currently, she serves as AIM (Asian Inclusivity & Multiculturalism) Global Co-Chair, an employee resource group, and is responsible for creating and engaging impactful programs for more than 8,000 associates. Outside of Fidelity, you can find her actively participating in the community as the Board President for a local nonprofit or fundraising for her alma mater. She is also in the early process of writing a novel about her parents and their decision to take the risky journey to the United States. Thanh is married and is a proud mother of two boys. Thanh received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, M.A. from Johns Hopkins University/SAIS, and M.B.A. from Bryant University. In addition, she earned an executive leadership certificate from Harvard Business School.

Han Xiao is a consultant at Bain & Company, where she specializes in technology due diligence. She joined Bain after getting her Master's in Computer and Information Technology from the University of Pennsylvania. Before Bain, Han honed her business and financial skills at two Big Four accounting firms. Beyond her professional pursuits, she enjoys spending time outside with her husband and their puppy.