About the Authors

James W. Walker, Ph.D. is a consultant, speaker, and author on human resource strategy and contemporary workforce management issues. Jim led The Walker Group, a consulting firm, for 20 years. Previously, he was with Towers Perrin for 15 years, where he was a vice president and practice leader, based in New York.

He was author of the award-winning textbook, Human Resource Planning (McGraw-Hill College), regarded as seminal in the field. He was an author or editor of nine other books and many professional articles, mostly relating to this subject. He was founder of the Human Resource Planning Society and has been active in many professional activities.

Jim has long had an interest in the field of aging and work, having led research projects on retirement while at Towers Perrin and having written and consulted on the subject. He and his wife, Harriet Lazer, co-authored a book, The End of Mandatory Retirement: Implications for Management (Wiley), which was also published in Japanese.

He earned a B.S. from Millikin University, and an M.A. in labor and management and a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Iowa. Upon graduation, Jim was an assistant professor of management at Indiana University and San Diego State University. Later, he was an associate professor of management at Arizona State University. For contact information, visit www.walkergroup.com.

Linda H. Lewis, Ed.D. is a consultant, organizational development practitioner, and university professor with experience in both the public and private sectors. Whether teaching graduate students during her 10-year tenure at the University of Connecticut or mentoring doctoral students at Fielding Graduate University, she is a long-standing champion of adult learning and development. As senior vice president of Learning & Education at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., VP of Strategic Change & Human Resources at Kaiser Permanente, and VP of Corporate Education for The Travelers Companies, people development has always been a priority for Linda. When running corporate universities, leading major change initiatives, or guiding dissertation research, her passion for lifelong learning informs her practice.

Linda earned a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley and UCLA, an M.S. in management and administration from Pepperdine University, and a doctorate in adult learning and adult education from Oregon State University. She serves on several non-profit boards and maintains a long-standing commitment to workforce development and managerial leadership.