The Engagement Agency—Who We Are

• Bruce Bolger, Engagement Agency Founder (Enterprise Engagement, Human Capital Management, and Reporting)
• Juan Paolo Arao, (Human Capital Management, Performance and Talent Management--Mideast and Asia.)
• Solange Charas (Human Capital Management, Reporting, and Diversity)
• Eric Darrisaw (ESG Investing, DEI)
• Paul Donehue (Sales and Channel Engagement, Learning)
• Darwin Hanson (Compensation, Total Rewards)
• Todd Hanson (Business Operating Systems, ROI of Engagement)
• Manny Lara (Human Resources Management, Human Capital Analytics.)
• Dorien Nunez (ESG Investing, DEI, Education)
• Ira Ozer (Managed Enterprise Engagement Outsourcing)
• Kevin Sheridan (Employee Assessment and Engagement)
• Allan Steinmetz (Internal Branding and Communications)

The Engagement Agency was founded by the Enterprise Engagement Alliance at TheEEA.org to rapidly expand the use of formal people management, measurement, and ROI of engagement practices by: 1) educating organizational leaders and, 2) by creating a growing network of engagement solution-providers working together to bring the latest engagement solutions to their clients in business, not-for-profits, and government.

A focus on ROI. Our team includes the earliest proponents of Enterprise Engagement, a strategic and systematic approach to achieving organizational results by fostering the proactive involvement of all stakeholders. We developed the first formal education and certification program in 2009 based on extensive research proving the connection between employee and customer engagement and financial results. We draw upon the latest human capital management practices and analytics to help organizations increase earnings performance, achieve key goals, and enhance experiences for all stakeholders.

A systematic approach. The Engagement Agency is the first advisory service designed to help: 1) employers profit from formal human capital management strategies and scorecards and ROI-based engagement solutions consistent with ISO 30414 Human Capital Reporting and ISO 10018 Quality People Management standards and certification, and, 2) to support a growing community of human resources, marketing, and other advisory firms seeking to bring engagement solutions to their clients.

Because many organizations do not apply a strategic and systematic approach to human capital management, measurement, and ROI-based processes to engage all stakeholders, many are not aware of the financial and experiential benefits of a strategic approach to people management and the ability to measure the ROI of almost any engagement tactic for customers, sales and non-sales employees, distribution and supply chain partners, communities, and any stakeholders.

A community of solutions. Engagement Agency partners consist of a growing number of specialists in all areas of engagement, including full-service agencies and specialists in brand architecture, alignment and culture; coaching; learning; surveys, feedback, and assessment; communications in all media; innovation and collaboration; gamification; engagement technology; job design; analytics and other areas of engagement – all dedicated to bringing formal engagement solutions to their clients. 

We are trained in the framework and implementation process of engagement, supported when desired by a national team of experts selected specifically based on client needs and resources. All the Engagement Agency’s solutions are designed solely to address the needs of clients. We offer no “pre-packaged” solution other than an engagement framework already available at no cost from the Enterprise Engagement Alliance at TheEEA.org, upon which our methodologies are based.

Backed by training in formal methods. Engagement Agency partners receive advanced training in business development, consulting, and other support services specifically related to clients’ needs, including help with mergers and acquisitions. We work with solution providers in all aspects of engagement, from assessment and coaching to learning and communications (including digital, web, face-to-face, etc.), as well as innovation and collaboration, rewards and recognition, analytics, etc. 

The goal is to help organizations seeking to profit from engagement align all of the tactical tools needed to engage people to achieve measurable results.

Senior Engagement Agency Advisors

Bruce Bolger. (Enterprise Engagement, Human Capital Management, and Reporting.)  Bruce has over 25 years of experience related to the engagement field through the unique perspective of both a business journalist and consultant to hundreds of companies and as head of several research and education organizations in the area of engagement. He is a past president of what is today known as the Incentive Research Foundation; founder of the Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement at Northwestern University and later of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance education and outreach organization, and author of two books on engagement and educational programs on incentive program design that included a process that also addressed all of the key levers of engagement, including communications, learning, and measurement. Bruce is founder and President of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance at TheEEA.org. 

Solange Charas. (Human Capital Management, Measurement, Reporting, and Diversity.) Solange is CEO and founder of HCMoneyBall, a SaaS human capital measurement platform, and a human capital expert with 20+ years experience as consultant, practice leader, top corporate executive, and board director across all industry sectors. She has held multiple senior human resources positions at mutliple major companies and is also now an adjunct professor at Columbia University, New York University, and University of Southern California on the subject of human capital management and analytics.

Eric Darrisaw. (ESG Investing, DEI.) Darrisaw is a Senior Consultant with the OMNIResearch Group and a securities industry expert with 30 years of experience advising institutional investors and shareholder advocacy groups on proxy voting, corporate governance, and diversity issues. During his career, Eric has developed fiduciary training programs and investment workshops for some of the nation's premier unions and African American civil rights, philanthropic, environmental, and minority business organizations. 

Paul Donehue. (Sales and Channel Engagement, Learning.) Paul has made a life's study out of working with and motivating people. His background in sales and sales management has spanned three decades, during which he's held the positions of Retail Sales Associate & Store Manager, Field Sales Representative, Sales Manager, and Vice President of Sales. As President of Paul Charles & Associates, Paul consults with business owners and senior level managers to help establish and implement the most effective sales, business development and sales management strategies. He regularly conducts training and coaching programs, and has spoken at many corporate and association events. Paul is founder and President of Paul Charles Associates, an advisory firm specializing in sales and non-sales employee engagement and business development.

Darwin Hanson. (Total Rewards.) Darwin is a leader in strategic total rewards design, planning, and implementation, providing both strategic consulting and front-line solutions to manage each of the pillars of total rewards. He has extensive skills and experience guiding executives through management redesign processes, moving key metric navigation through analytics, and implementing technology platforms that build employee engagement through job satisfaction. He analyzes and consults clients with the focus on increasing shareholder value. He has designed plans and consulted leaders from a variety of organizational sizes and competitive market locations, from the very large multinational organizations to smaller regional businesses. He has helped leaders from the full spectrum of industries. Darwin has extensive experience in managed outsourcing, strategic compensation design, human capital management and measurement, and solution architecture in both private and public sectors. Darwin owns and operates the talent management sofware company, Talent Management Evolution, and is a partner in a strategic personal occupational planning and alignment company, Career Authority.

Todd Hanson. (Business Operating Systems, ROI of Engagement.) Todd is an early pioneer in business operating systems and return-on-investment of engagement services. As a top performing account executive during the 1990s, he personally witnessed that the most successful organizations always had a strategic and systematic approach to the way they managed their businesses and applied an ROI-based approach to the way they designed their human capital investments. Todd has spent the last 20 years of his career applying ROI to engagement services and more recently to helping CEOs implement business operating systems to improve performance, stakeholder experiences, and personal peace of mind. Todd is founder and President of Catalyst Performance Group, a leader in business operating systems and ROI of engagement processes.

Manny Lara. (Human Resources Management, Human Capital Analytics.) Manny is Director of Human Resources for Progressive Community Health Centers serving community health in the northside of Milwaukee. He is an experienced Human Resources professional and leader, having worked for major healthcare systems (Mayo Clinic, Ascension Health, Advocate Aurora Health), and is passionate about the business of people. Prior to his human resources career, he was a combat Navy Officer. 

Dorien Nunez. (ESG Investing, DEI, Education.) Dorien is a speaker, author, researcher, and Principal and Co-Founder of the OMNIResearch Group. OMNI is a research and consulting practice focusing on institutional investments, research, and emerging manager development for small-, women- and minority owned business enterprises. He is currently involved with expanding ESG research on the S&P 500 companies. He has taught as an adjunct professor at three universities and served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business under President Bill Clinton, and as Consultant to the US Commission on Minority Business Development under President George H.W. Bush.

Ira Ozer. (Managed Enterprise Engagement Outsourcing.) Ira provides both program design advisory services and managed outsourcing oversight based on his longstanding dedication to building a network of engagement solution providers to provide organizations the specific solutions they need. He became involved with the Enterprise Engagement Alliance upon its formation in 2007 by helping to assemble the original team of faculty who helped contribute the foundation to the research-based framework for profiting from engagement. He is a Certified Professional of Incentive Management (CPIM) and Certified Engagement Practitioner of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance. Ira has received the Certified Recognition Professional (CRP) designation from the Recognition Professionals International (RPI) and is a Certified Innovation Trainer from Solution People, one of the leading innovation training companies. Ira is founder and President of Engagement Partners. Ozer is an expert is managed outsourcing in all areas of engagement. 

Oliver Rueth. (Employee Assessment and Engagement.)  Oliver contributes expertise in Human Capital management consulting, with extensive experise in employee engagement assessment and advisory services. As Senitor Principal Consultant, he led Hay Group's US market operations (now Korn Ferry) for over 10 years. He partners with leaders on strategy, organizational development, and thought leadership around employee effectiveness to build cultures of excellence. Rueth assists the Engagement Agency and clients with advisory services in managed outsourcing of engagement solutions with a specialty in employee engagement. He ensures that information gained from employee engagement surveys is turned into actionable plans. Oliver is currently Managing Director of Sol Management Consulting. 

Kevin Sheridan. (Employee Assessment and Engagement.) An internationally recognized keynote speaker, a New York Times best-selling author, and a sought-after voice on the topic of employee engagement, Kevin provides advisory services to the Engagement Agency’s clients on the selection and use of appropriate assessment and feedback tools to implement a strategic, measurable approach to achieving goals through employee engagement. 

Allan Steinmetz. (Internal Branding and Communications.) As a marketing, advertising, communications, and branding executive for leading companies with extensive expertise in change management, Allan provides advisory services for the C-suite, marketing, human resources, and other leadership teams to help transform behavior and enhance an organization's brand. Allan has worked with clients ranging from Fortune 500 global enterprises to start-ups. He is founder and CEO of Inward Consulting, one of the world's first internal branding and marketing agencies. In his advisory role to the Engagement Agency, Steinmetz also helps marketing and related agencies create internal branding divisions.