Behind the Screens: Conversations with Background Screening Pros hosted by Les Rosen
"Behind the Screens" is a podcast that brings you up close and personal with the people in the background screening industry. Hosted by Les Rosen, each episode features in-depth, human-interest interviews with a diverse range of guests—including business executives, employees with extensive screening experience, vendors who serve the industry, and legal and compliance experts.
These conversations dive into the personal stories and insights of those who know the industry best, offering a fresh perspective on the people driving background screening. Whether you are part of the industry or just curious, "Behind the Screens" delivers authentic, non-marketing-focused stories from the world of background checks.
Your host: Les Rosen is an Attorney, former owner of a screening firm, the chair of the steering committee that founded PBSA and the first co-chair of PBSA, as well as author of the "Safe Hiring Manual," and frequent presenter nationwide.
According to attorney and industry veteran Vince Pascarella, "For those of you who don't know, Les Rosen was the chief architect of the PBSA predecessor NAPBS, and its first Chair and unofficial Executive Director. Simply put, no Les Rosen then, no PBSA today."
For more information, see: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesterrosen/
CONTACT US!
Send comments, feedback, suggestions for future guests or sponsorship information to:
screeningpros200@gmail.com
Platinum Sponsor: https://preemploymentdirectory.com/ , publisher of the Background Buzz!
Episodes
72 episodes
Episode 72: Vivek Khanna on Building Neeyamo Into a Global Screening Powerhouse & Why the Cost of Saying No Is Always Too High
I have known Vivek Khanna for years. I see him at every PBSA conference, and I always wondered how someone becomes the person who figured out international background screening before most of the industry even knew it needed figuring out.&nb...
Episode 63: Patti McGowan on Mentorship, Culture, and the Evolution of Background Screening
In this episode, Patti walks me through her entrepreneurial journey, starting from a typing service with an IBM Selectric III at age 21 to building a successful background screening company, SPI (Select Personnel International).
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Episode 64: The Queen of Screen: Tammy Cohen on Building Infomart, PBSA, and 35 Years in Background Screening
Tammy Cohen is the founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Infomart and one of the most celebrated names in background screening. Known across the industry as the Queen of Screen, Tammy has spent over 35 years shaping how s...
Episode 71: Geoff Lee on 30 Years in Screening, and Why He Flies Terminally Ill Strangers to France Every Year
I told our listeners before we started recording that this particular guest could go three or four hours, and I meant it. Geoff Lee is one of the most extraordinary people I have met in this industry, and the screening career is honestly jus...
Episode 65: Todd Higey on FCRA Compliance, and Building a Background Screening Law Practice
Todd Higey is a background screening attorney based in Birmingham, Alabama with 28 years of legal experience. After a decade and a half of litigation work and nearly a decade as in-house counsel for ESS and Global HR Resea...
Episode 66: Jamie Pelchat on Compliance, Operations, and Leading With Fairness
Jamie Pelchat started her career sticking barcodes on file folders after school. She ended up VP of Delivery Transformation at HireRight and a first-term member of the PBSA Board. In this episode of Behind the Screens, Les Rosen sit...
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Episode 68: How Timothy Baxter Built Baxter Research Into the Gold Standard of Criminal Research
Timothy Baxter is the CEO and founder of Baxter Research, a wholesale criminal research firm he built from the ground up in San Francisco in the mid-1990s and has since grown into what many in the industry consider the gold standard for court-b...
Episode 70: The Veterans Panel: Matt O'Connor, Wanda Hess & Rory Bogdon
I've been lucky enough to talk to a lot of impressive people on this podcast, but this one was a little different. These three didn't just work in background screening. They built the backbone of it, and they're still at it.Matt O'Connor...
Episode 69: Remembering Mike Sankey
Today we are honoring and remembering my good friend Mike Sankey, a man who shaped this industry and shaped the people in it, myself included.Mike Sankey founded BRB Publications and wrote the books that became the bible of the screening...
Episode 67: The Background Screening Collective: Izzy Stapleton, Jamie Frankos, Megan Martinson & Robin Shaffer
I have to be honest with you, I was not sure what to expect going into this one. Four guests, a panel format, all of them colleagues and friends with each other. But within the first few minutes I knew this was going to be one of my favorite...
Episode 62: Women in Screening: Journeys, Growth, and Mentorship
In this episode of Behind the Screens, I sit down with an incredible panel of women leaders across the background screening industry to talk about how they built their careers, what keeps them engaged, and how the industry continues to...
Episode 61: Compliance, Curiosity, and Career Growth with Jennifer Daimon
In this episode of Behind the Screens, I speak with Jennifer Daimon, VP of Compliance and In-House Counsel at AccuSourceHR. Jennifer’s journey into the background screening industry started in a way many professionals can relate to. Wh...
Episode 60: How a Passion for Politics Built a Career in Background Screening
Dan Shoemaker did not start in background screening. He began his career in politics and public policy, working on campaigns, serving in Virginia state government, and lobbying at the federal level.After 9/11, an unexpected opportunity l...
Episode 59: Mind the Gap: The Human Connection in a Digital Screening World
In this international edition of Behind the Screens, I’m joined by the leadership team of the PBSA Europe & Africa Council: Martin Hardy, Will Hogarth, and Sally Ott-Lacoste.We explore how each of them entered the background screenin...
Episode 58: Marc Bourne on Adaptability, Accreditation, and Giving Back
In this episode of Behind the Screens, I sit down with Marc Bourne, a true industry veteran who has been part of background screening since 1999 and is still deeply engaged in shaping its future. Our conversation explores what it reall...
Episode 57: Nick Fishman on Purpose, Mentorship, and Making a Mark in Background Screening
In this episode of Behind the Screens, I sit down with someone I’ve long admired—Nick Fishman, co-founder of Employee Screen IQ and now a partner at iCubed Advisors. Nick is one of those rare people who brings equal pa...
Episode 56: Kym Kurey on Human Trafficking Advocacy, Background Screening, and Multifaceted Talents
In this episode of Behind the Screens, I speak with Kym Kurey, Chief Revenue Officer at True Corpus and a powerful voice in the fight against human trafficking. Kim brings a compelling blend of industry expertise, advocacy, and creativ...
Episode 55: Mike Coffey on Building a Purpose-Driven Business, Podcasting, and Finding Joy in the Hard Way
In this episode of Behind the Screens, I sit down with Mike Coffey, founder of Imperative, host of the Good Morning HR podcast, and a familiar force in the background screening world. If you think you know Mike—think a...
Episode 54: Lessons in Leadership, Legacy, and Listening – A Conversation with Mary Poquette
"If you're going to call yourself an expert, make sure you are one."In this episode of Behind the Screens, I sit down with Mary Poquette, a pioneer in the background screening industry, co-chair of PBSA in its ea...
Episode 53: From Pager Sales to Legal Powerhouse in Screening with Kellie O’Shea
She sold beepers from a car trunk—and now she shapes the future of background screening law. This is Kellie O’Shea’s journey.In this unforgettable episode, I sit down with Kellie O’Shea, General Counsel at Creative Services, Inc. (CSI) ...
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Episode 52: The Path to Purpose: Carl Cogdill on Leadership, Legacy, and the Power of Public Records
In this engaging episode of Behind the Screens: Conversations with Background Screening Pros, I sit down with Carl Cogdill—longtime industry veteran, founder of Astute Public Records, and one of the sharpest minds in the business. From...
Episode 51: Dynamic Leadership and Strategic Growth – A Conversation with Bianca Lager
In this episode of Behind the Screens, I sit down with Bianca Lager, a respected strategic growth consultant, former CEO, and longtime thought leader in social media screening. Bianca takes us through her fascinating career—from buildi...
Episode 50: Inside PBSA: Melissa Sorenson on Leading the Global Background Screening Movement
In this milestone 50th episode of Behind the Screens, I sit down with Melissa Sorenson, Executive Director of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA), for a candid conversation about the past, present, and future of ou...
Episode 49: Behind the First Background Check: A Conversation with Industry Pioneer Steve Brownstein
Before databases were a click away, Steve Brownstein was already connecting the dots.In this episode of Behind the Screens, I’m joined by Steve Brownstein—a true pioneer whose work helped shape the background scr...
Episode 48: Alice Quinones's Global Journey Through Law, Purpose, and Background Screening
In this episode of Behind the Screens, I sit down with Alice Quinones, a dual-qualified attorney in France and the U.S., who’s helping shape the future of privacy and compliance in the background screening world.We discuss Alice...
