Brian Berg
Chief Talent Officer, ZenithOptimedia – NA & Performics WW – New York, NY
Brian joined ZenithOptimedia in May 2011 as a Senior Vice President providing leadership in developing and executing human resources strategies to support our Credo in the areas of Business Propositions, Talent and Diversity and Social Responsibility. Some of his specific areas of focus were in the areas of succession planning, talent management, change management, organization and performance management, employee engagement, training and development, compensation, benefits and college graduate programs.
In November 2012, Brian was promoted to EVP, Talent & Human Resources North America. He became the organization’s first Talent lead to sit on the ZO North America Executive Committee. Brian oversees our Talent teams that reside in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Los Angeles and Toronto. His team members support all talent initiatives within the ZenithOptimedia Group, which includes Performics, Moxie, Zenith, Optimedia, ZO Direct, Ninah, ZGPE, ZO Corporate and our Diversified Services groups.
He started his career in Human Resources almost 20 years ago. His first role was working for a for-profit division of St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ. After several years, in 1997 he moved into the hospitality industry working for The Grand Summit Hotel. Finding that he had a strong passion for the customer service industry, he moved into the retail industry. In 1999 he was hired to manage all HR functions for Saks Fifth Avenue in Short Hills, NJ. His career quickly transformed with Saks and was given the challenge to oversee HR leads and employees within Sak Fifth Avenue’s southeast and central United States locations. Before leaving Saks he was appointed to a key leadership role in their 5th Avenue store to help the store achieve one million in annual sales per year.
In 2009, Brian was recruited to work for Macy’s Incorporated in their Herald Square NY office as an HR Director. He was initially hired to provide HR leadership for their Corporate Finance, Security, Stores Support, Customer Service and Visual departments. Soon after, he was promoted to Vice President Human Resources managing employees in Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Cause Marketing and the Parade & Entertainment groups. His interests in Marketing and Advertising, lead him to his role at ZenithOptimedia in May 2011.
Brian currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and three children.
Brian is a graduate of Monmouth University. He is currently in the process of receiving an Executive Master’s degree in Human Resource Management at Cornell University’s ILR School. In Brian’s college days, he did an internship with a sheriff’s department K9 Unit and CSI Unit. He received an offer to attend the police academy to become a sheriff, but turned it down because he found he loved the HR/Talent profession much more.