
Boston CHRO Community
Executive Summit
June 26, 2025 | Hyatt Regency Boston/ Cambridge
June 26, 2025
Hyatt Regency Boston/ Cambridge
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Boston's top CHROs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CHROs today:
Cultivating leadership capabilities and managerial skills to drive organizational success
Develop a cohesive, inclusive culture aligned with company values to boost engagement
Establish metrics and development opportunities to motivate employees
Boston CHRO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CHROs, For CHROs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs

Mary Beth DeNooyer
Keurig Dr Pepper
CHRO

Sarah Evans
Ocean Spray
CHRO

Brendan Reidy
Acushnet Company
CPO
What to Expect
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Body Language Secrets for Enhanced Executive Presence

Chris Ulrich
Body Language Expert
Guest Speaker
Uncovering the mysteries of body language — how people communicate their thoughts and feelings without saying a word — is a decisive first step toward mastering any business and social situation. Top executives know that detecting split-second signals from your team and leadership then taking immediate action is crucial to being a persuasive communicator and problem-solver especially during tricky internal matters or high-level negotiations.
During this session you will learn how to:
- Move beyond the vacuum of artificial body language to a behavioral approach based on YOU
- Strengthen interpersonal relationships, be a more decisive leader and manage your nerves better
- Uncover the less obvious needs of others and improve your team’s confidence and competence
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Future-Proof Your Leaders — A Case Study

Brendan Reidy
CPO
Acushnet Company
Organizations often face challenges in preparing leaders for succession, risking a gap in leadership effectiveness. By aligning development programs with business objectives and fostering experiential learning, they can ensure successful transitions and maintain competitive advantage.
In this case study, you will learn how to:
- Gain insight from stakeholders to define core competencies and success attributes
- Identify leaders using talent management processes and assessment tools
- Drive business outcomes with your leader & manager development program
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Harnessing Workforce Data for Talent Advantage
Hosted by eightfold.ai

Laura Connelly
VP, Partnerships
eightfold.ai

Lisa Abbott
EVP & CHRO
Boston Children's Hospital

Carlos Echalar
SVP, CHRO
CDM Smith
In today's environment, CHROs face increasing pressure to make faster, smarter decisions about workforce strategy and organizational design. The key is unlocking the full value of workforce data. With the right insights, HR leaders can better plan for future needs.
Join fellow HR executives to explore:
- Real-world wins and roadblocks in turning data into action
- Predictive metrics for workforce trends
- What’s next in HR tech, including Agentic AI
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Retaining Talent In Times Of Uncertainty

Diana Styles
CHRO
EG America

Lenka Patten
CHRO
Ameresco

Laurie Miller
SVP & CHRO
Haemonetics
In an era of uncertainty, talent management leaders face pressing challenges with CEOs prioritizing growth, AI deployment challenges and shifting labor market pressures on talent strategies. How can HR leaders simultaneously retain talent and meet these goals?
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Modernizing talent management to meet organizational skill needs
- Accelerating the readiness of the leadership bench
- Growing talent for engagement and performance
9:40am - 10:25am Workshop
Office Hours with Chris Ulrich, Body Language Expert

Chris Ulrich
Body Language Expert
Guest Speaker
What does your body language say about you? What shifts might you make to change how others perceive you? Join this special one-on-one session exclusively for Governing Body members with body-language expert Chris Ulrich for candid feedback on your in-person and online body language. Sessions are 20-minutes and pre-registration is required.
In this unique, private session, you’ll receive:
- One-on-one consultation with a premier expert
- Live analysis of your unique body language cues
- Personalized executive presence improvement
10:25am - 11:10am Networking Break
10:35am - 11:00am Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings.
11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session
Total Rewards Revisited — A New Approach to Elevating the Employee Experience
Hosted by O.C. Tanner

Ariane Hibo Ezeh
Workplace Culture Strategist
O.C. Tanner
Organizations everywhere have used Total Rewards programs to attract and retain talent by offering a buffet of benefits to highlight the investment they make in their people. Yet despite these efforts, research shows that workers feel these strategies often fail, not only in addressing their most important needs, but in enhancing their overall employee experience. This session will unveil the latest insights from the 2025 Global Culture Report and foster discussion to help you redefine your Total Rewards programs and provide the right mix of offerings to better communicate authentic care.
Join this session to discuss:
- Why employee-centered care must be at the core of Total Rewards strategies that align with what matters most to employees
- Why recognition done well throughout an organization can make a difference in fostering positive mental health practices
- How organizations can approach employee job transitions with the same care and attention given to new hires
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
The AI Advantage — Leveraging Assessments for Leadership Excellence
Hosted by Heidrick & Struggles

Linda Reber
Partner
Heidrick & Struggles

Evan Pierce
VP, Head of People & Culture
Boston Celtics

Daniel Freiwald
SVP, People
Optum
Effective use of leadership assessments and AI-backed technology provide invaluable insights into developing current and future leaders and aligning leadership with business outcomes. Come together with your peers to explore how assessments can aid in your overall succession and workforce planning.
Join Heidrick & Struggles to discuss:
- Assessing, identifying and developing a diverse slate of successors
- Considerations for succession management in the current economic climate and the future
- Creating a scalable solution for leadership management that flexes with your business needs
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Strengthening Frontline Culture & Employee Engagement
Hosted by Blink

Tristan Cohen
VP of Customer Success
Blink

Mary Beth DeNooyer
CHRO
Keurig Dr Pepper

Holly Kuzdzal
SVP, HR
Mancini Companies
Ongoing change, evolving work models, and economic pressures can strain employees' connection to organizational culture — especially for frontline workers. Forward-thinking HR leaders prioritize employee experience through engagement and development to foster cultural alignment.
Join this session to learn:
- Measuring culture change through employee engagement metrics
- Driving and engaging a culture of transformation
- Enabling leaders at all levels to champion and model cultural values
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Boston CHRO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Hyatt Regency Boston/ CambridgeParking:
Overnight guest-
- Self Parking $35.00 per night
- Valet Parking $58.00 per night
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hyatt Regency Boston/ Cambridge at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling (617) 492-1234.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $399 USD (plus tax) is June 2, 2025.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.