Melissa Thompson to Headline RecFest USA 2025!
Weβre kicking off our RecFest USA 2025 speaker series with a bang β and we couldnβt be more excited to welcome Melissa Thompson, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Ford Motor Company, to the Inspire Stage this October.
With over 25 years of experience leading transformative Talent Acquisition strategies at global giants like Nielsen, McGraw Hill, Dell, Lenovo, and now Ford, Melissa brings bold thinking and a track record of shaking up the status quo. Her data-driven approach is redefining what success looks like in TA β and sheβs not slowing down anytime soon.
π Session Spotlight:
βThe New TA Metric: Quality of Slateβ
In a bold departure from the traditional βQuality of Hireβ metric, Melissa will take us behind the scenes of Fordβs latest HR innovation. Partnering with the companyβs HR Analytics team, sheβll share the origin story, learnings, and results from their Q1 2025 pilot program that introduced the game-changing metric: Quality of Slate.
What youβll walk away with:
- How to define and measure βQuality of Slateβ
- Real-world lessons from Fordβs pilot β missteps included
- Why the first version of any metric is just the beginning
Expect unfiltered insights, practical takeaways, and a candid look at how great talent strategies are built β and rebuilt β in the real world.
Melissa is setting the tone for the caliber of content weβre bringing to RFUSA25. If this is the bar, get ready for a truly next-level speaker lineup!
A Special Treat…
π Use code MELISSA20 at checkout for 20% off Super Early Bird tickets β and lock in your seat before theyβre gone!



