Assistant Vice President of Talent Management at JM Family Enterprises, Inc.

As the Assistant Vice President of Talent Management, Lauren oversees Talent Acquisition, Talent Pipeline, and Talent Development. Before stepping into her AVP role, Lauren worked closely with the leadership in JM’s flagship business unit, Southeast Toyota Distributors. She also established the Executive Recruitment function upon joining the organization in 2022. With over a decade of experience in talent and organizational development across various industries, including healthcare and higher education, Lauren has been instrumental in transforming large-scale talent programs.

Prior to joining JM Family, Lauren served as the Director of Organizational Development for one of the largest non-profit healthcare systems in the nation. While in this role, she enabled meaningful change in the performance management program, eliminating the traditional annual evaluation in favor of developing frequent and quality check-in conversations. This approach was successfully scaled across 160,000 associates and directly impacted a significant reduction in turnover and increase in associate engagement.

 Previously, Lauren has designed and led strategic execution and implementation of a leadership competency model, and her skill was instrumental to the University of Florida’s inaugural Talent Management program, aligning the organization’s strategy, performance practice and talent acquisition approach.

 Lauren is passionate about developing others to grow in leadership competency and finding joy in their work. She holds a master’s degree in Management from the University of Florida and carries a Senior Certified Professional certification from the Society of Human Resource Management. 

South Florida Market President at Gallagher Bassett

Akin Ayodele, serves as the South Florida Market President at Gallagher. He is an exemplary leader known for his passion and strategic approach in fostering strong team dynamics and driving business engagements. With a genuine commitment to serving and supporting clients, Akin adeptly channels his expertise to generate and seize business opportunities through a combination of heart, hustle, and humility. 

 An entrepreneur at heart, Akin was the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Eagle Rock Wealth Management. Akin worked at Sapoznik Insurance, A World Company, as the Business Development Executive before joining Gallagher. He may be familiar to many people in Florida from his nine years as a starting linebacker in the NFL, including playing for the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who drafted him in 2002. Known for his athleticism and work ethic, Akin also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills.

 Akin received his Liberal Arts degree from Purdue University, where he played football and studied Psychology & Law in Society, with a minor in Organizational Leadership. After retiring from the NFL, he earned his Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University.

Akin is passionate about giving back and is a Co-Founder of The Dream Builders Foundation, a nonprofit organization that matches NFL players with local charities to benefit at-risk youth. He’s also a motivational speaker, inspiring youth groups, educational organizations, and corporations with his belief in the power of perseverance, positivity, and hard work.

In his personal life, Akin is an avid traveler and has been to five continents. He still works out five days a week and loves to take on new challenges, like jumping out of planes, scuba diving, or working on his golf game. Akin is married and has two beautiful daughters.

Director of Team Member Development at The Breakers Palm Beach

Pat Ciavola has over 30 years of leadership experience in the sports, recreation, hospitality and wellness fields, and has thrived in her 31-year career with The Breakers, the iconic luxury resort property located in the heart of Palm Beach, FL. 

As the Director – Team Member Development for The Breakers, Pat oversees education, personal and professional development, wellness programs, team member café operations, rewards and recognition, Employee Opinion Survey, and Culture Audit for 2000 team members. The emphasis of these programs addresses team members’ well-being in seven dimensions: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, financial, social and occupational. Pat chairs the Wellness Team and serves as a member of The Breakers Senior Management Group.  She has worked collaboratively to build a culture of care and well-being since 2004 so team members may thrive.

Pat holds a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Southeastern Massachusetts University.  She has served in several volunteer capacities for the Town of Palm Beach United Way, as a Pet Partners pet therapy handler, and a faculty member of The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA).