
Chicago CHRO Community
Executive Summit
November 28, 2023 | Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
November 28, 2023
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Chicago'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:
Maintaining cultural excellence in times of volatility
Modernizing the employee experience and value proposition
Readying leaders for the future of work
Chicago 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

Kane Calamari
Ace Hardware
Senior Vice President & CHRO

Donna Dorsey
Navistar
EVP, Chief People & Culture Officer

Ismat Duckson Aziz
Kemper Corporation
Executive Vice President, CHRO & Chief Administrative Officer

Amber Kennelly
William Blair & Company
CHRO
What to Expect
Agenda
7:45am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Gartner Talent Angle Podcast Live: HR Innovation in a Changing Technology Landscape

Ismat Duckson Aziz
Executive Vice President, CHRO & Chief Administrative Officer
Kemper Corporation

Jessica Knight
Research Vice President, CHRO Content Strategy Lead
Gartner
Technologic innovation is at an inflection point — with a wave of automation and artificial intelligence poised to disrupt how work is accomplished. Still, 58% of CHROs say their HR tech solutions and strategy do not match business needs. How can HR leaders close this gap and ready the workforce and organization for a technology revolution?
Jessica Knight, Research Vice President and CHRO Content Strategy Lead, Gartner will lead a conversation with Ismat Duckson Aziz, CHRO, Kemper in a live recording of Gartner’s Talent Angle Podcast.
This keynote will explore:
- The CHRO’s role in shaping HR technology strategy
- Barriers to demonstrating HR technology’s business value
- Navigating the workforce impact of emerging technologies like generative AI
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Prioritizing and Normalizing Mental Well-Being in the Workplace

Darcy Gruttadaro
CIO
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Brooke Coulson
Benefits Manager
Hostess Brands
The mental health and well-being of employees impacts the workplace in a variety of ways, including productivity, performance, retention, recruitment and more. To address this, Hostess Brands teamed up with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to work toward becoming a StigmaFree workplace and normalizing the discussion about mental health in the workplace.
This session will explore:
- The rising data that shows the impact of mental health in society today
- Why Hostess Brands partnered with NAMI and signed the pledge to become a StigmaFree Workplace
- Steps Hostess Brands has taken to address and support mental health for its approximately 3,000 team members
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Driving Purposeful Progress Through True Connection
Hosted by ADP

Amy Leschke-Kahle
VP, Talent Insights and Innovation
ADP
Economic headwinds have forced organizations to solve the challenge of running lean while also boosting productivity. Faced with an increasingly burnt out workforce, HR leaders that can connect their employees' unique strengths to meaningful work will unlock efficiency and engagement.
This session will explore how to:
- Help people contribute more of their best work
- Leverage people data and intelligence to individualize the employee experience
- Prioritize recognition, recruitment and retention in challenging times
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Leveled-Up Leadership

Henry Artalejo
Senior VP, Global Human Resources
Griffith Foods

Susan Muigai
EVP, CHRO
TransUnion
Authenticity, empathy and candor are the new standard skills for leaders to be effective in today’s world of work. CHROs are still working toward instilling a human-centered approach into their organization’s leadership at every level.
Join this session to discuss:
- Identifying the competencies for successful leaders in the modern workplace
- Ramping up leadership development to improve talent attraction, retention, and engagement
- Understanding leadership skills gaps in your organization
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Strategic Workforce Planning When Uncertainty Abounds

AJ Brow
CHRO
White Lodging

Mo Gdid
Vice President, Human Resources – CHRO
American Foods Group
In a cooling economy, CHROs are tasked with ensuring their organizations have the right mix of talent at the right time. What considerations do HR leaders need to keep in mind when navigating budget constraints, facing tough choices and partnering with leaders across the business?
Join this session to discuss:
- Strategic workforce planning in an unpredictable world
- Organizational design considerations for CHROs
- Workforce planning that balances short and long term outlooks
10:25am - 11:00am Networking Break
10:30am - 10:55am Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:00am - 11:45am Breakout Session
Modernizing Leadership Development & Talent Management

Lorelie Parolin
Head of US Learning and Dean, Hamburger University
McDonald's

Kristin Hayes
Director, Talent, US Market Segment
McDonald's
McDonald’s strategic plan needs enterprise talent that leads change, inspires diverse teams and navigates complexity. Leaders have new expectations of their career journey and development. This intersection is the perfect moment to lead in bold new ways.
This session will cover:
- Modernizing the learning organization
- Evolving talent strategy and philosophy to match the needs of the organization with the expectations of leaders today
- Leadership development programs that build enterprise leaders and support talent through the pipeline
11:00am - 11:45am Breakout Session
Making the Shift to a People-Centric Experience
Hosted by O.C. Tanner

Gary Beckstrand
VP, O.C. Tanner Institute
O.C. Tanner
The lingering aftershocks from the last several years have resulted in powerful shifts to the very foundations of workplace culture. Join to hear the latest research from the O.C. Tanner Institute and gain actionable insights from the 2024 Global Culture Report, focusing on strategies to create people-centric experiences that allow all employees to stay, feel fulfilled and do their best work.
Session insights include:
- Leading with practical empathy
- Supporting the unseen 80%
- Achieving equitable flexibility while cultivating nimble resiliency amid change
11:00am - 11:45am Executive Boardroom
What the AI Revolution Means for CHROs
Hosted by ServiceNow

Natalie Bodus
VP, Performance Development
ServiceNow

Jennifer Ricks
CHRO
KeHE Distributors

Amy Halliburton
CHRO
HUB International
Gartner predicts that by 2025, 94% of businesses will have already deployed some form of artificial intelligence. HR and People Team leaders need to know how AI is already changing and will continue to affect the way their teams work daily. From new employee efficiencies and processes to potential flashpoints and dilemmas, this interactive session will cover it all.
Join this session to discuss:
- Understanding common and emerging AI applications and their impact on employees and work
- Getting ahead of AI’s implications in HR technology and workflows across the employee lifecycle
- Leveraging the power of AI to safely transform hiring, reduce manual work, and focus on predictive actions
11:00am - 11:45am Executive Boardroom
Succession Planning Amid Volatility

Donna Dorsey
EVP, Chief People & Culture Officer
Navistar

Rachel Eibl
Vice President, Human Resources
FirstService Residential
As the world becomes less and less predictable, developing and executing on a clear succession plan has become even more difficult. To keep up with the pace of change, CHROs will need to rethink traditional succession planning.
Join this session to discuss:
- The biggest challenges in modern-day succession planning
- How to develop a diverse leadership bench prepared to take on a variety of roles
- Ways to assess future leadership needs amid constant disruption
11:45am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Chicago 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
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent MileParking
Self-Parking is available at the Rush-Ohio-Wabash Garage, for a discounted rate of $29 per vehicle.
Event Self-Park Instructions:
- Pull into the parking garage. When you reach the kiosk, push for a ticket, the gate will open, proceed to finding a parking spot.
- Keep the ticket that you pulled at the garage with you to the conference.
- You will be provided with a red discount $29 self-parking sticker, at the Evanta Registration Desk, that should be placed on top of the parking ticket. This will discount the rate for self-parking to $29.
- When you are ready to leave, you need to stop at one of the parking payment kiosks located in the lobby area of the garage (hotel has one too) and pay. You will scan the parking ticket with the sticker on it at the machine and the price to pay will be discounted to $29.
- When you exit the garage in your car, you will scan the parking ticket and the gate will open, and you may exit.
If you wish to Valet, you may do so at your own expense. Valet charges are $45 for up to 6 hours, and $70 for 6 to 24 hours.
The Valet station for the hotel is located at 541 North Rush Street.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1-877-303-0104. Please mention Evanta CHRO Executive Conference to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $319 USD (plus tax) is November 6, 2023.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.