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April 30, 2025 | Day 1 Agenda
8:00AM – 9:00AM
Registration and Breakfast
Location: Cibolo Ballroom Foyer
8:30AM – 1:00PM
C-TEN Meeting
**C-TEN MEMBERS ONLY**
Renee Preston, SVP, HRO Today Association
Location: Cibolo 8
10:30AM – 12:00PM
HR at the Crossroads Leadership Loneliness & the Next Evolution of Work
**HR Practitioners and Providers**
HR leaders face increasing complexity, isolation, and workforce transformation. This session tackles the realities of leadership loneliness, the changing role of HR, and how talent leaders can redefine their impact in the future of work.
Jeff Bettinger, Chief Administrative Officer, Global, Hudson RPO
Location: Cibolo 9
12:00PM – 1:00PM
Lunch
Location: Foyer
1:00PM – 2:30PM
CHRO Briefing
**All CHROs/Heads of HR**
Join us for the release of the “HRO Today Session: Top Concerns of CHROs” lead by the HRO Today Leadership Team and an insightful discussion by Cielo on “Power & Partnerships: How Top CHROs Win” based on new research conducted by Cielo, exploring the transformation of the CHRO and their role in designing the future of work. There is an important power shift in the C-suites of the corporate world. Leadership is increasingly aware of and focused on the essential importance of human capital in driving resilience, innovation, and financial success.
HRO Today Session: Top Concerns of CHRO’s
**All CHROs/Heads of HR**
The fifth annual edition of the Top Concerns of CHRO Survey includes insights from 150 top HR executives in North America and EMEA. The report quantifies the extent of concern when planning for future staffing needs and assesses how organizations are training their workforces to meet anticipated needs. Where appropriate, comparisons are made between findings from prior waves of this study.
Hosted By:
Cielo Session:
Power & Partnerships: How Top CHROs Win
**All CHROs/Heads of HR**
Join us for an insightful discussion based on new research conducted by Cielo, exploring the transformation of the CHRO and their role in designing the future of work. There is an important power shift in the C-suites of the corporate world. Leadership is increasingly aware of and focused on the essential importance of human capital in driving resilience, innovation, and financial success. This research explores the strategies, trade-offs, and decision-making frameworks of high-impact CHROs and how they succeed.
Key Discussion Themes:
- Strategic Leadership Evolution: Examining the journey from operational expert to strategic business partner
- Economic Impact: Addressing market shifts and their influence on talent strategies
- Workforce Dynamics: Understanding changing employee expectations and workplace requirements
- Technology Integration: Evaluating AI adoption and digital transformation in HR
Cielo Speakers:
Cherice Schmidt, Executive Vice President, Client Services, Cielo
Josh Needle, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Cielo
Sponsored By:
Location: Cibolo 10
1:00PM – 2:30PM
High Touch / High Tech: The Only TALENT Solution that Delivers Results – Pt 1
**HR Practitioners and Providers**
Buckle up — this isn’t theory – it’s a hands-on session packed with proven tools and talent practices that will directly increase engagement, development, retention, and deliver a solid ROI.
Led by Derrick Barton, CEO, Center for Talent Solutions, a global talent expert who has worked with HR Teams to build the leadership capabilities of over 100,000 managers across 37 countries generating 1+ Billion in results.
This workshop will outline exactly what your organization needs to do deliver sustainable talent results.
- Crack the Talent Code – Define the real-time drivers causing individuals to perform, engage, grow, and stay.
- The “Secret Sauce” – High Touch Managers invest time to engage, strengthen, and glue TALENT to organization success.
- Calculate the Bottom-Line Impact and the ROI of engagement and retention to create a compelling business case for investing in your people.
Derrick Barton, CEO, Center for TALENT SOLUTIONS
Location: Cibolo 9
2:30PM – 3:00PM
Networking Break
Location: Foyer
3:00PM – 3:45PM
Executive Learning Session: The AI-powered CHRO
**All CHROs/Heads of HR**
As AI continues to evolve, the CHRO of 2030 will need a new set of skills to thrive.
AI is a transformative force reshaping the way we acquire and retain talent. Join us as we provide critical insights into how AI is shaping the future of work and the skills you need to succeed.
- Delve into the profound impact AI will have on the workforce of the future. Discover how job roles and responsibilities will shift, how technology and people will work side by side, and the emerging job categories that will arise due to AI advancements.
- Discuss the growing need for technical skills and how L&D will be key to keeping pace with technological advancements.
- Look towards 2030 and explore the competencies, traits, and drivers of the future CHRO. You’ll understand how AI is changing the role of the CHRO and what it means for your career.
This interactive session will enable you to share ideas and gain valuable insights that will help you navigate this evolving world. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your organization is ready for the AI revolution.
David Ellis, SVP Talent Transformation, Korn Ferry
Sponsored By:
Location: Cibolo 8
3:00PM – 3:45PM
High Touch / High Tech: The Only TALENT Solution that Delivers Results – Pt 2
**HR Practitioners and Providers**
Buckle up — this isn’t theory – it’s a hands-on session packed with proven tools and talent practices that will directly increase engagement, development, retention, and deliver a solid ROI.
Led by Derrick Barton, CEO, Center for Talent Solutions, a global talent expert who has worked with HR Teams to build the leadership capabilities of over 100,000 managers across 37 countries generating 1+ Billion in results.
This workshop will outline exactly what your organization needs to do deliver sustainable talent results.
- Crack the Talent Code – Define the real-time drivers causing individuals to perform, engage, grow, and stay.
- The “Secret Sauce” – High Touch Managers invest time to engage, strengthen, and glue TALENT to organization success.
- Calculate the Bottom-Line Impact and the ROI of engagement and retention to create a compelling business case for investing in your people.
Derrick Barton, CEO, Center for TALENT SOLUTIONS
Location: Cibolo 9
3:45PM – 5:00PM
Break – On Your Own
May 1, 2025 | Day 2 Agenda
8:00 AM
Registration Opens
Location: Cibolo Ballroom Foyer
8:30AM – 9:15AM
General Admisision Breakfast
Location: Foyer
9:30AM – 10:00 AM
Welcome – Opening Remarks
Elliot Clark, CEO, HRO Today
Location: Cibolo 6-7
10:00AM – 10:45AM
Opening Keynote: How HR Leaders Communicate Hard Things
Sasha Strauss is a globally recognized brand strategist and founder of Innovation Protocol, a brand consultancy trusted by Fortune 500s and mission-driven organizations. With 30 years of experience, and as a professor at USC, UCLA, and UC Irvine business schools, Sasha empowers executives and HR leaders to use brand strategy as a leadership tool. His high-energy sessions show how internal clarity builds stronger employer brands, deeper employee engagement, and cultures that thrive in a changing world.
Professor Sasha Strauss, CEO & Founder, Innovation Protocol
Sponsored By:
Location: Cibolo 6-7
10:45AM – 11:15AM
Coffee Break
Location: Foyer
TALENT: Building Trust
The role of a CHRO or any executive leader requires the development of trusting relationships with both executive colleagues and the broader workforce. For the CHRO this skill is critical, and the think tank will discuss trust dynamics and offer attendees the opportunity to share successes and failures in building leadership trust
Gary Burrus, Executive Officer of Human Resources, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Lori Knowles, SVP & CHRO, Memorial Hermann Health System
Location: Cibolo 8
TECH: Benefits and Total Rewards ROI
Employee benefits, compensation and recognition are easier to track that ever before due to new technology platforms and can be used to enhance employee retention, drive culture and behavior and attract new talent. Participants in this think tank will discuss the latest best practices of total rewards and how to measure outcomes and tie them to HR and business results.
Nate Bigler, Chief People Officer, St. Luke’s Hospital
Emily Barron, Chief People Officer, Basis Technologies
Location: Cibolo 9
TOMORROW: Leadership Development
Succession planning is an ongoing and necessary process, but it cannot succeed without carefully conceived and well-executed programs for leadership development allowing for internal promotions to ensure the leadership team of the future of an organization. What are the best ways to build a leadership development program? Attendees of this session will discuss options that may be useful within your enterprise.
Billy Parsons, CHRO, EyeCare Partners
Laura Muir, CHRO, Polaris Transportation Group
Location: Cibolo 10
12:00PM – 1:00PM
Networking Lunch
Location: Foyer
1:00PM – 1:40PM
Onstage Interview
Pradheepa Raman, Chief People Officer, GlobalFoundries
Location: Cibolo 6-7
TALENT: Community Partnerships for Talent
Developing successful channels for talent acquisition and a varied and dynamic labor pool requires not just a great recruiting team, but also great partnerships with affinity groups, educational institutions and other community groups. This think tank will allow the participants to discuss how best to review, analyze and implement community partnerships that lead to a better workforce.
Logan Carmichael, Chief People & Culture Officer, Pittsburgh Water
Garri Brown, Assistant Vice President and Chief People & Culture Officer, Port of New Orleans
Location: Cibolo 8
TECH: HR Technology and AI Revolution
AI offers many possible opportunities, but requires careful planning and execution. What will AI do to the future workforces and what are best practices for selecting technology and using it to manage both HR and change the nature of work? CHROs with real life experiences will lead a group discussion of how AI can succeed in the HR tech stack and its impact on broader workforce job creation and, perhaps, destruction….
Terilyn Juarez Monroe, Chief People Officer, Guardant Health
Lisa Nadler, CHRO, Integral Ad Science
Grant Jessup, SVP, Global Head of Sales & Solutions, LevelUp
Sponsored By:
Location: Cibolo 9
TOMORROW: Corporate Responsibility and Engagement
HR leaders know that employees identify with purpose. Often, it falls to HR to manage employee voluntarism in pursuit of corporate responsibility and philanthropic goals. HR leaders recognize the linkage between employee participation and retention and engagement. This think tank will be led by two HR leaders who have done that. They will facilitate a group discussion about managing these programs and how other HR leaders can use them to “do well” while helping employees “do good”.
Dan Chappell, EVP & CHRO, Seacoast Bank
Maggie Driscoll, Chief People & Culture Officer, Blackbaud
Location: Cibolo 10
3:00PM – 3:15PM
Talent Market Research Update Key Considerations for Talent Acquisition Amid DEI Executive Orders
Recent DEI-focused Executive Orders have brought significant changes to the talent acquisition world, impacting federal agencies, contractors, and more by limiting DEI programs and affirmative action requirements. During our session, we’ll walk you through key considerations that include strategies for navigating these changes while staying compliant, such as reviewing existing DEI programs, adjusting recruitment processes, and re-evaluating internal training and vendor commitments. We’ll also share how to maintain a balance between compliance and your organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Larry Basinait,VP — Market Research, HRO Today
Chadd Dehn, Vice President RPO, DZ Connex
Sponsored By:
Location: Cibolo 6-7
3:15PM – 3:45PM
CHRO PANEL: Talent Tech Tomorrow
MODERATOR:
Maryjo Charbonnier, CHRO, Kyndrl
SPEAKERS:
Paul Gregory, Chief People & Culture Officer, Securonix
Kenneth Ceaser, Chief People &, Culture Officer, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
Jeff Krupp, CHRO, Inotiv
Riya Sood, CHRO, Opec Security
Location: Cibolo 6-7
4:00PM
Closing – Awards Gala Reminder
Elliot Clark, CEO, HRO Today
Location: Cibolo 6-7
5:30PM – 6:15PM
Pre-Awards Reception
**All CHROs/HR Leaders Welcome**
Sponsored By:
Location: Cibolo 8-11 Foyer
May 2, 2025 | Day 3 Agenda
8:00AM – 10:00AM
Networking Breakfast / Closing
Location: Cibolo 6-7
8:30AM – 10:00AM
HRO Today Association North America Board of Advisors Meeting
**HRO Today Association BOARD Members Only**
Renee Preston, SVP, HRO Today Association
Location: Cibolo 8
