CHRO Summit: Turning Uncertainty into Growth

07:30 AM - 08:30 AM CT

Registration and Networking Breakfast

08:30 AM - 08:40 AM CT

Welcome

We will set the stage for the day’s conversations with a discussion of the purpose and the format of the Summit, how each attendee’s insights will become part of the event, and the major themes revealed by recent research from The Conference Board.

Diana Scott, U.S. Human Capital Center Leader, The Conference Board

08:40 AM - 08:55 AM CT

Mission Statement: The Workforce We Need in 2027, and What that Workforce Needs from their People Leaders Today

Attendees at each table will co-create and share a one-sentence mission statement on what will be asked of their workforces in 2027, and how as HR leaders they will help foster workforces ready for the future.

08:55 AM - 09:30 AM CT

The Resilient Workforce: Agility, Transparency and Wellbeing

What is first required of all of us in these demanding and uncertain times is resilience. We will discuss how leaders are enhancing resilience in their workforces and themselves by fostering agility, leading with transparency and even vulnerability, and supporting wellbeing. We will consider how organizations are leveraging data, science, and technology to support agility and wellbeing, and what a resilient culture looks like in 2026. And we will set the stage for transparent conversations at the Summit on the challenges ahead.

Katie East, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Well

Yolanda Hutchins, SPHR, SHRM, MA, Chief People Officer, PCORI

Cindy Ryan, Head of Human Resources, MassMutual

Diana Scott, U.S. Human Capital Center Leader, The Conference Board

09:30 AM - 10:00 AM CT

Expanding the Strategic Role of HR in an Era of Constant Change

As organizations navigate continuous disruption, HR’s strategic significance has never been greater. This session looks at how HR leaders can move beyond traditional models to drive business outcomes, support leaders through complexity, and prepare the workforce for what’s next. We’ll discuss emerging priorities, common barriers to impact, and actionable ways HR can lead with clarity, credibility, and influence.

Brian Baker, Chief People Officer, Teneo

Bridgette Moore, Chief People & Culture Officer, Link Logistics

Heidi Burnett, Chief People Impact Officer, Aon

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM CT

How to Raise Up the Leaders We Need in the Age of AI

Navigating through the challenges and taking advantage of the breakthroughs, we are now experiencing calls for new leadership skills: a wider cross-functional strategic lens; technological and psychological savvy; and an appetite for change. How can organizations find and develop the right leadership skills to take advantage of major transformations? CHROs will discuss how their leadership goals are evolving, and what they are doing to develop the leaders they need today.

Doug Dureau, CHRO & EVP Administration, Hillwood & Perot Companies

Angela Fish, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Schneider National, Inc.

Levi Goertz, Co-founder, Valence

Jill Kissack, SVP, HR Business Partner, Americas Advisory & Services and Global Head of Talent & Learning, Cushman & Wakefield

Rita Meyerson, EdD, Principal Researcher, Human Capital, The Conference Board

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM CT

Meet and Connect

11:00 AM - 11:40 AM CT

Talent Talks: The New Skills Challenges

In this session, we will explore how AI and automation are presenting unique talent challenges that span levels and sectors, and how HR leaders are meeting the challenges as they pivot from jobs to skills.

Demetrios Georgracopoulos, Chief Human Resources Officer, Rockwell Automation

Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA, Senior Partner, Global Leader for Transformation Services, Mercer

Melanie Tinto, Chief Human Resources Officer, W.W. Grainger, Inc.

Matt Rosenbaum, Principal Researcher, Human Capital Center, The Conference Board

11:40 AM - 12:15 PM CT

Culture Talks: What Makes Everything Else Possible

Culture is the air that sustains – or can poison -- every other initiative in our enterprise. In this session, we will have short fireside chats with leaders, followed by a group Q&A, on the foundational role of culture, culture change, and inclusion in driving the business forward.

Laura Byars, Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Linda Chapin, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, UL Solutions

Lisa Coulson, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Principal Financial Group

Rita Meyerson, EdD, Principal Researcher, Human Capital, The Conference Board

12:15 PM - 12:20 PM CT

Digest, Reflect and Discuss the Morning

Attendees will discuss at their tables their three biggest “aha” moments from the morning. We will use digital tools to collect, summarize, and share the group’s observations.

12:20 PM - 01:30 PM CT

Lunch

01:30 PM - 02:00 PM CT

From Tensions to Tipping Points – Choosing the Human Advantage to Drive Business Value

We must decide how we create value, build trust, and unleash human potential in an AI powered world. In this conversation with the CHRO of Western Digital, we will explore how organizations can drive business and human outcomes with a people-first approach to transformation that preserves a sense of purpose and ownership even as AI reshapes work.

Kyle Forrest, Future of HR Leader, Deloitte

Katie Watson, Chief Human Resources Officer, Western Digital

02:00 PM - 02:30 PM CT

Will We Recognize Ourselves in 2030? What Must Change and What Must Remain as Tech Reinvents HR

We have discussed how AI and technological advancements are transforming our enterprises. In this session, we focus in on how it is likely to transform HR in particular, and what that will mean for the skills HR leaders will need, the structure of their functions – and how many humans will be needed in our HR operations by 2030. We will consider redesigning the workflows, HR workforce planning, and capability building.

Mario Ellis, Chief Human Resources Officer, Beacon Health System

Julie Fernandez, Global HR Advisory Lead, herronpalmer

Lynnette Heath, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, nVent

Rodney Moses, Senior Fellow, Human Capital, The Conference Board

02:30 PM - 02:50 PM CT

Meet and Connect

02:50 PM - 03:30 PM CT

Roundtables

Join a Roundtable for small group discussions related to Summit themes, such as:

• Designing the AI Upskilling Roadmap, facilitated by Rick Hefner, PhD, Executive Director, Caltech Center for Technology & Management Education

• Building CHRO-Board Alignment, facilitated by Michael Sachs, Partner, In-House Counsel Recruiting, Board Services, and Elizabeth Long, Managing Partner Philadelphia, In-House Counsel Recruiting, Board Services, Major, Lindsey & Africa

• Financial Health and Workforce Stability, facilitated by Joelle Vail, Chief Revenue Officer, BrightPlan

• Agentic AI Talent Strategies, facilitated by Col Carter, Lead Agentic AI Architect, and Mike Marschke, Chief of Staff & Strategy, Fountain

• Accelerating Performance through Ruthlessly Aligned Strategy and Culture, facilitated by Adam Howe, Partner, and Elizabeth Real, Partner, Heidrick & Struggles

• Executive Compensation, facilitated by Cimi Silverberg, Managing Director & Head of Chicago Office, FW Cook

• Reimagining Mental Health Leave, facilitated by Dan Harrah, Vice President, Clinical Partnerships, Spring Health

• The Choice to Buy or Build Talent, facilitated by Lynnette Heath, EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer, nVent

• True Teamwork at the Top, facilitated by Laura Rock, Chief Human Resources Officer, Kemper

• CEO Succession Planning, facilitated by Linda Chapin, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, UL Solutions

• Culture Change, facilitated by Rita Meyerson, EdD, Principal Researcher, Human Capital, The Conference Board

• Employee Experience and Retention, facilitated by Robin Erickson, Ph.D., Head of Human Capital Research, The Conference Board

• HR Tech Choices, facilitated by Rodney Moses, Senior Fellow, Human Capital, The Conference Board; Managing Director, Edgewater Talent

• What the New CHRO Needs to Know, facilitated by Yolanda Hutchins, SPHR, SHRM, MA, Chief People Officer, PCORI

03:35 PM - 04:05 PM CT

Employee Experience in the Whirlwind: Multiple Generations, Multiple Stressors

There may never have been as many different generations in the workforce as there are now, with each generation bringing unique experiences, stressors, expectations, and goals, from completing education, to childcare, to supporting elderly parents and more. Panelists will explore how they are supporting employees through these life challenges, and the impact they see on engagement, retention, and performance.

Dalana Brand, Chief People Officer, Peloton

Sarah Langley, SVP, Chief People, Culture & Communications Officer, Suntory Global Spirits

Christine Kratz, Vice President, Client Relations, Bright Horizons

Robin Erickson, Ph.D., Head of Human Capital Research, The Conference Board

04:05 PM - 04:40 PM CT

The C-Suite and Board Partnerships that Create the People-First Organization

In order for an enterprise to turn uncertainty into growth and realize the competitive advantages of a people-first organization, HR leaders must build strategic partnerships with the rest of the C-Suite as well as the board. We will discuss how those partnerships are forged, including how CHROs can partner with CFOs to translate talent decisions into financial outcomes and a growth strategy.

Henry Artalejo, Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources, Griffith Foods

Maria Colacurcio, Chief Executive Officer, Syndio

Matt Corker, Chief Financial Officer, Griffith Foods

Diana Scott, U.S. Human Capital Center Leader, The Conference Board

04:40 PM - 04:45 PM CT

Digest, Reflect, and Discuss the Afternoon

Attendees will discuss at their tables their biggest takeaways and what actions they will take at their organizations. We will use digital tools to collect, summarize, and share the group’s observations following the Summit.

04:45 PM - 04:50 PM CT

Closing Remarks

Diana Scott, U.S. Human Capital Center Leader, The Conference Board

04:50 PM - 06:00 PM CT

Networking Reception

06:00 PM - 09:00 PM CT

People First Awards Dinner