Because You Need to Know®

Nicki Usiondek has a robust background in leading strategic initiatives and optimizing information systems to enhance organizational efficiency, knowledge management and collaboration. Currently serving as Senior Knowledge Management Manager at Fragomen, Nicki excels in establishing communication channels that facilitate global knowledge exchange. She oversees Microsoft Search and SharePoint administration, guiding a team of digital employee experts to enhance information accessibility, embrace design thinking, and streamline processes using Lean Six Sigma methodologies. Nicki brings over a decade of experience in Knowledge Management.

Nicki holds a Master of Library & Information Science and a Master of Arts in History from Wayne State University, complemented by a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification from Emory University and a Design Thinking and Innovation Certification from Harvard Business School Online. Her educational background and hands-on experience have equipped her with a unique blend of skills in managing complex information systems and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

https://youtu.be/cf4DZiw6r9E?si=o7urIcAhXudmIcGH

Vanessa is a serial business builder and technology innovator with over 25 years of experience across SAP, Trigger Media and McKinsey. The businesses she has built and relaunched are leaders in their verticals.

She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sugarwork, an enterprise SaaS knowledge sharing platform empowering employers to own and maintain the tacit knowledge, skills, and relationships that drive their businesses using generative AI. She was most recently Vice President of SAP.iO, SAP’s early-stage venture arm, where she oversaw SAP.iO’s North American Foundries in New York and San Francisco, and recruited and accelerated 87enterprise software startups. Prior to SAP, Vanessa was Chief Operating Officer at Trigger Media Group, a $22MM digital media incubator. She co-founded and was the interim CEO of Trigger’s portfolio companies: Inside Hook (digital media company &men’s lifestyle brand; sold to private equity) and Fevo (SaaS technology for group experiences in sports and music; Series C, market leader). She began her career at McKinsey & Company and was an Associate Partner in the Firm’s Media and Entertainment Practice, based in Amsterdam, London and New York.

Sugarwork

Vanessa currently serves as a Non-Executive director of Appen Ltd. (ASX: APX), a global AI data services company; and Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), a global industrial real estate company. She serves on the Audit Committee for Appen and the Sustainability& Innovation Committee for Goodman.

Vanessa graduated magna cum laude with an AB in psychology from Harvard University and cum laude with a JD from Harvard Law School. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Universiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands where she conducted independent research on the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice. She serves as a member of Harvard University’s Board of Overseers, and as a Past President Director of the Harvard Alumni Association (was President from July2021 - June 2022). She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

Jean-Claude F. Monney is a Digital Transformation Advisor, Co-founder and Managing Partner at The Monney Group LLC. With 21 years of experience in the semiconductor industry and 19 years in the software industry across Europe and the USA, Jean-Claude transitioned in 2017 to establish his own consulting practice.His work focuses on guiding organizations through digital transformation, with a particular emphasis on fostering partnerships between human and artificial intelligence — a concept he calls Hybrid Intelligence.Jean-Claude’s deep expertise in digital strategy, knowledge management, and AI integration has helped organizations unlock the full potential of emerging technologies. During his tenure at Microsoft, he served as Chief Knowledge Officer and U.S. Chief Technology Strategist, where he spearheaded key initiatives that aligned technology with business strategy. He has also served as a faculty member at Columbia University, sits on various boards, and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network, specializing in Digital Transformation. Additionally, Jean-Claude served as the Program Director for The Conference Board’s 2024 AI Conference.As a practitioner, Jean-Claude has led three global Digital Workplace transformations and is widely recognized as one of the leading specialists in leveraging knowledge to drive innovation and productivity. His thought leadership has been showcased through keynote addresses at prestigious institutions such as NASA, the World Bank, and KMWorld, industry events as well as at over 100 Fortune 500 companies.From semiconductors to AI, Jean-Claude’s career reflects his remarkable foresight and adaptability in an ever-evolving technological landscape. His passion for continuous learning and helping others is captured in his concept of Promptification, which underscores the value of human-centered AI design and the art of entering into a meaningful dialogue between humans and AI—where thoughtful questioning and collaborative exploration unlock new levels of insight and innovation.

LinkedIn Newsletter, The Art of the Possible – The Art of Possible

Dr. Rachel Teague is a collaborator, TEDx speaker, engaging facilitator, writer, and emerging authority in KM. Her primary focus lies in the human dimension of KM, focusing on culture, knowledge transfer, and retention where she's known to ‘translate nerd to human’. Dr. Teague extends her influence as a consultant and educator specializing in areas such as Prosci Change Management, Process Improvement, and DEI making her a driving force in the realms of knowledge, education, and organizational enhancement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz4TiuktjDw&t=1s

Pioneer Knowledge Services® has created a service that gets noteworthy and time-sensitive information into your ears. It is designed to get you critical info from the field of knowledge management that you really need now.

Because You Need to Know NOW logo

Please welcome Because You Need to Know® (BYNTK) NOW!

This is paired to our main podcast show but it will bring you exciting goodies that can impact you instantly. Well almost instantly, actually the lawyers said maybe not at all. These are handpicked morsels that we get out to the world quick like. This is the time to get your brand aligned to pioneer knowledge services as we continue to grow and represent knowledge well developed.

Learn about sponsorship

BYNTK NOW! This is complementary to our main podcast show but it will be new and exciting because we can bring you goodies that can impact you instantly. These are handpicked morsels that we get the word out quick like.

Stefano Scaglioni is working at the European Space Agency (ESA) in Darmstadt, Germany. He covers the role of Product Assurance and Safety Manager, within the quality office of the ESA Operations directorate. His job consists in ensuring the quality of the space operations services (e.g.  flying  JUICE and EUCLID satellites) delivered to the customers.

ESA

Blake Melnick is a seasoned leader and innovator in the fields of Knowledge Management and Workplace Innovation, with over two decades of experience as a Chief Knowledge Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer, transforming organizations through strategic initiatives and innovative practices. As the Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer of the Knowledge Management Institute of Canada, Blake has been instrumental in advancing the practice of knowledge management across diverse industries, helping organizations harness their collective intelligence to drive sustainable innovation, business excellence, and competitive advantage.

Blake’s leadership in knowledge management is built on a strong foundation of practical expertise and academic insight. His work focuses on creating knowledge-sharing cultures that enable organizations to evolve in response to rapidly changing environments. He has designed and delivered Canada’s first Knowledge Management and Workplace Innovation Graduate Certificate Program, collaborating with leading institutions to bring cutting-edge solutions to the forefront of organizational learning and development.

As the Co-Founders and Principal Catalyst at the Workplace Innovation Network for Canada (WINCan), Blake has spearheaded national initiatives aimed at fostering employee-led innovation. His efforts have helped bridge the gap between education and industry, promoting innovation ecosystems where employee-led innovation can thrive. Through partnerships with academic, government, and industry stakeholders, Blake has successfully implemented workplace innovation programs that align organizational goals with employee engagement and development.

Blake’s extensive experience includes senior roles in organizations such as Husky Energy, Atlantis Systems Corporation, and the Institute for Knowledge Innovation and Technology where he led strategic knowledge management initiatives that improved operational effectiveness, facilitated organizational change, and fostered cultures of learning and innovation. His ability to integrate technology, knowledge, and people into cohesive innovation ecosystems, has made him a sought-after advisor, speaker, and thought leader in the fields of Knowledge Management and Workplace Innovation.

Blake is also the Host and Executive Producer of “For What it’s Worth with Blake Melnick” podcast series.

https://californiatypewritermovie.com

Kim Sherwin is the Director, Knowledge at Aurecon. Kim is a Librarian by trade and has 20+ years of experience in libraries and knowledge management across a range of sectors including engineering, design and advisory consulting, law, defence, public libraries, tertiary and higher education, in both the UK and Australia. Kim has a strong interest in the people and culture aspects of knowledge sharing and has a soft spot for communicating the value it can bring.

Kim Sherwin (she/her) BA(Hons), MA, MCLIP, AALIA

With over 15 years of experience, Rachad’s mission is to align organizational learning and knowledge management programs with the organizational priorities and goals, identifying and assessing learning needs, and delivering an integrated learning strategy that balances experiential, social, and formal learning. Rachad is pioneering Expertise-based knowledge management which is a key pillar to establish strategies for knowledge sharing, transferring, reusing, and applying expertise to solve technical engineering problems. Rachad considers artificial intelligence techniques as an extension to human capabilities to help in designing the enterprise knowledge architecture, retain critical knowledge, and map the expertise to support customer projects. Rachad’s purpose is to foster a culture of learning and sharing that empowers engineers to grow and innovate.

In 2024, Rachad has founded 3R knowledge Services that provides world class proven experience management services and products in the field of organizational learning. He established and pioneered expertise-based knowledge management principles in his company’s product and services offering.

Between 2013 and 2024, Rachad has lead GE Renewable Energy in the field of organizational learning and knowledge management. He was responsible for designing and implementing an integrated learning strategy, system and processes. He was accountable for defining the enterprise knowledge architecture with the right set of knowledge-sharing communities. Rachad has documented monetary savings enabled by the Knowledge sharing program.

From 2008 to 2011, Rachad acted as a knowledge management advisor for a government agency in Dubai, UAE. He directed the requirements for the EFQM Excellence Award. He implemented the enterprise knowledge architecture and the operational processes. His efforts have resulted in winning the award.

Rachad holds a doctoral degree in industrial engineering (2017) and a master’s in software engineering (2012) from the Grenoble Institute of Technology. Rachad has co-authored a recent book in the field of knowledge management and research innovation. Rachad has numerous scientific publications in prestigious conferences and journals. In his thesis, he proposed a groundbreaking framework to characterize and configure the collaboration dynamics for virtual collectives. The framework has proven its effectiveness in multiple professional contexts and organizations.

#Expertise-Based_Knowledge_Management #Learning_Organization #KM  #Artificial_Intelligence #Knowledge-Sharing #Skills-Disseminators