Executive Leader Experience at
the Great Place To Work^®

John Burke began working in the warehouse of Trek Bicycle in 1984 and held a variety of positions before becoming president of the company in 1997. Under his leadership, Trek has grown into a global business and one of the world’s most popular bicycle brands.

John has served on President George W. Bush’s President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, is a founding member of PeopleForBikes, and is regarded as one of America's leading cycling advocates.

A graduate of Boston University, John has authored three books, including One Last Great Thing, a memoir about his father, the founder of Trek. He's also a passionate cyclist and runner who has finished Ironman Wisconsin and the Boston and New York City Marathons. He has two children and lives with his wife, Tania, in Madison, Wisconsin.

Curtis Howse is Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the $30B Home & Auto business platform at Synchrony, one of the nation’s premier consumer financial services companies. 

Curtis has more than 25 years of global leadership experience with General Electric and Synchrony. Curtis has held multiple senior leadership roles including EVP/CEO of the Payment Solutions business and EVP/Head of the Direct-to-Consumer business which included Synchrony Bank, a $63B+ consumer bank platform offering an array of deposit, savings, and credit card solutions. 

Additionally, Curtis was Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Diversified Client Group at Synchrony, leading over $10B in key commercial partner portfolios. 

Prior to Synchrony’s separation from General Electric in 2015, Curtis held roles in operations, business development and general management at GE’s Commercial and Consumer Finance divisions. This included serving as CEO for GE Money Mexico and leading various business units in the U.S., Argentina, Brazil and Canada. 

Curtis is the executive sponsor of Synchrony’s Black Experiences+ Diversity Network, and a former global operating leader for GE’s African American Forum representing over 33,000 black employees around the world. 

Curtis serves on the American Bankers Association Card Policy Council, the One Ten Initiative, the HBCU Partner Challenge and is a Congressional Black Caucus intern sponsor. 

Curtis is a member of the Executive Leadership Council and for the last three years has been named one of Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. He is a 2023 inductee into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and in 2024 was honored by the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) National Home Furnishings Industry division with a Humanitarian Award.

As Chairwoman and CEO, Heather Brunner has steered WP Engine through hyper-growth, leading the company from start-up to a global brand with 1200+ team members and six offices around the world, serving over 200,000 customers and millions of users in over 150 countries. During her tenure, Heather has built a company culture that embraces diversity and continues to draw and retain great talent internationally. Recognized as a Great Place to Work for Women, in 2023, WP Engine retained 98.5% of its global female talent and 98% of people of color in the U.S.

Asher Raphael is the co-CEO of Power Home Remodeling, the nation’s largest and highest rated exterior home remodeler. He started his POWER career in 2003 as an entry-level sales representative, quickly advancing to a variety of management positions before being named co-CEO in 2013.

With a clear vision for a people-first company, Asher implemented hiring practices that prioritized strength of character and work ethic rather than pedigree and experience. With the right people on board, he then turned his focus to building a culture based on trust, camaraderie, and diversity—in both thought and life experience. This approach transformed the organization from a small local business to one currently employing more than 4,500 people, serving 23 territories, and forecasting $1.7 billion in revenue.

In 2024, Fortune® ranked POWER™ No. 14 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list, No. 8 on the Best Workplaces for Millennials™ list, and No. 1 on the Best Workplaces in Construction™ list. Asher’s life mission is to inspire people to recognize and step into their full potential.

Matthew Spring is a Senior Associate on the Sustainability and Transition Strategy team at Jefferies, a premier investment bank headquartered in New York City. Within the Equity Research department, Matt spearheads the team’s focus on human capital investing, assisting institutional investor clients in systematically analyzing the impact of a company’s human capital strategy on financial performance. As the founding member of the team, he has contributed to its recognition as the top sustainability research team for three consecutive years across the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia, according to the Extel Survey. Matthew is a CFA Charterholder

Michael C. Bush is CEO of Great Place To Work, the global research and analytics firm that produces the annual Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, the World’s Best Workplaces list, the 100 Best Workplaces for Women list, and dozens of other distinguished workplace rankings around the world. Driven by a love of business and an unwavering commitment to fair and equitable treatment, Michael joined Great Place To Work as CEO in 2015, bringing 30 years of experience leading and growing organizations. This includes serving as CEO of Tetra Tech Communications, which he grew from $40 million to $300 million in revenue. Michael is a former member of President Obama’s White House Business Council and a founding board member of the private equity seed-fund, Fund Good Jobs, which invests in small inner-city businesses. Michael was a member of the Board of Directors at Workday, Inc. until September 2021 when Great Place To Work was acquired by UKG, Inc.

Stephen Buchman is a Partner in the Global Advisory Services at Great Place To Work. Stephen's role involves partnering with many of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For companies and helping them accelerate their vision of creating a "For All" workplace environment. He leads a Global Advisory Service team that delivers high-quality advisory work, building strong relationships with C-suite leaders while driving sales and growth for Great Place To Work. The team’s work leverages Great Place To Work's extensive research and strategic insights to advise organizations on evolving their culture.

Stephen is known for his enthusiasm, commitment to the mission and culture of Great Place To Work, and his collaborative approach. He is enthusiastic about fostering thriving workplaces where every employee feels valued and empowered. He has many years of experience in leading through significant changes, partnering with senior leaders, and advising global clients.