Reimagining Leadership for Distributed Teams - What HR & People Ops Need to Know

Brian Elliott, one of Forbes’ “Future of Work 50,” is a speaker and leadership advisor who combines 25 years of leadership experience as a startup CEO and executive at Google and Slack with insights built while leading Future Forum, a think tank focused on the future of work.

Brian’s work enables leaders to build a future of work that’s better for people and organization, rooted in flexibility and by leveraging technology. It’s rooted in research combined with storytelling and practical, tactical advice.

Prior to Future Forum, Brian spent 25 years building and leading teams and companies as a startup CEO, and as an executive at Google and Slack. Brian got his MBA from Harvard Business School and BA at Northwestern and started his career at Boston Consulting Group, where he’s now a Senior Advisor.

He's the bestselling author of How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams To Do the Best Work of Their Lives, a LinkedIn Top Voice, has been published in Harvard Business Review, Charter, Fast Company, Fortune, Sloan Management Review, Time as well as cited extensively in Axios, Bloomberg, CNBC, the Economist, Forbes, the FT, NYTimes, WSJ among others, and a speaker at a wide range of events (ex., WSJ Future of Everything Festival, Running Remote) and podcasts.

Brian is also the proud dad of two young men and one middle-aged dog.

Sienna J. Brown is a visionary Leadership Strategist and Global Speaker with over a decade of experience partnering with global leaders and institutions. As the Head of Growth at PowerToFly, a scaling Series-B start-up, Brown drives innovation and expansion.

Throughout her career, Brown has been instrumental in helping organizations gain investment while prioritizing diverse talent. Her expertise lies in developing strategic programming to enable, elevate, and re-energize leaders to guide organizational transformation. Brown's approach focuses on redefining work through inclusion, impact, influence, and integrity.

Previously, as Sr. Director of DEIB at PowerToFly, Brown built a department from the ground up, delivering strategic learning and development programs that increased employee engagement and advocacy in over 50+ global organizations.

Her work has gained recognition on platforms such as Forbes, TedX, Insider, CNN, and NPR. Brown collaborates with organizations to create transformative strategies that secure employee, consumer, and financial investment while staying true to their vision and values.

Brandon Sammut is a dynamic leader dedicated to empowering cultures and fostering high-performing teams. As Chief People Officer at Zapier, he leverages his interdisciplinary expertise in people strategy, user-centered design, sales, business development, DEI, finance, and operations to build talent systems that enable individuals and teams to thrive. Zapier's mission to make automation accessible resonates deeply with Brandon’s commitment to helping people realize their potential.

With a career spanning roles in education, consulting, and hyper-growth startups, Brandon has consistently placed people at the center of organizational success. He views the current era as a "talent renaissance," where culture and people strategies are pivotal to shaping the future of work. Through his leadership at Zapier, a fully remote company with team members across 40+ countries, Brandon champions remote work as a means of expanding opportunities and driving business results.

Brandon's approach reflects his belief that organizations succeed when they prioritize human potential. He is passionate about collaborating with others who share this vision to create lasting impact.