
Chicago CHRO Community
Executive Summit
October 16, 2024 | Convene at 233 South Wacker Drive (Willis Tower)
October 16, 2024
Convene at 233 South Wacker Drive (Willis Tower)
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:
Developing Next-Generation Leaders by Evolving Role Expectations Instead of New Skills
Reshaping a Corporate Culture that Exemplifies Efficiency and Resiliency
Identifying, Growing and Retaining Employees with the Skills Your Business Requires
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
International
Executive VP, People & Culture

Ismat Duckson Aziz
Kemper Corporation
EVP & Chief Administrative Officer

Amber Kennelly
William Blair & Company
CHRO
What to Expect
Agenda
7:45am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
The Alchemy of Talent: Teams that Thrive in the Face of Uncertainty
Hosted by Wisq

Vijay Pendakur, Ph.D.
Team Effectiveness Coach
Guest Speaker
Disruption, change, and extended uncertainty are hallmarks of our time, but can lead even strong teams to fail. How can some teams outperform consistently in these conditions? The Alchemy of Talent is Dr. Pendakur’s proven model for high performing teams, backed by extensive research and his own experience leading teams across numerous complex organizations. This high-energy keynote will focus on the science and skills of trust and team connection, along with the innovation potential of harnessing team complexity.
Audience members will learn:
- How to harness team complexity as a driver for innovation
- A new toolkit for using trust to unlock team performance
- Innovative new approaches to increasing team connection and resilience
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
What the Very Best Leaders Do Differently
Hosted by Ezra Coaching

Jim Reid
CHRO Advisor
Ezra Coaching
CHROs have more visibility and exposure across the enterprise than ever before. With shifting expectations from employees all the way to the CEO, it is critical now more than ever for CHROs to model the type of leadership behaviors necessary to build a high-performing organization from the frontline to the top of the organization.
In this session, you will learn:
- Seven leadership behaviors to boost company performance
- Strategies to create customer and shareholder value through winning employee experiences
- Key takeaways to develop change-ready leaders at your organization
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
From Optics to Impact — Getting Strategic With Recognition
Hosted by Achievers

Hannah Yardley
Chief People & Culture Officer
Achievers

Claudine Kourkoumelis
Chief People Officer
Enova International

Angela Mancuso
CHRO
AIT Worldwide Logistics
The research is clear – the more frequently an employee is recognized at work, the better they feel about their well-being, engagement, belonging, manager and even their take-home pay. While frequent recognition helps protect against job hunting, productivity and salary freezes, just 40% of HR leaders report their approach to recognition is strategic.
Join this roundtable discussion to explore:
- Fostering a culture of belonging with recognition and reward strategies
- Connecting recognition to business outcomes
- Sharing tactical, practical advice for HR leaders
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
The Productivity Paradox — Streamlining Talent and Business Outcomes
Hosted by ADP

Asal Naraghi
Global People Strategist
ADP

Elizabeth Brown
General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer
CSC

Norah Larke
EVP & CHRO
Wintrust Financial
Almost every large-scale company is taking on some iteration of a productivity exercise that is forcing the hand of HR leaders to consider more cost-effective practices. Because of this pressure, the focus has centered around improving operational capabilities and strategic impact to increase efficiency within HR.
Join this executive boardroom to discuss:
- The Talent and Skills evolution and the challenges that come with it
- HR transforming from shepherding people at work to up-skilling talent capabilities and updating its operating model to be people first
- Leveraging the power of AI to digitally enable the workforce of the future to deliver on business outcomes
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
The New Age of HR — Meeting Higher Corporate Performance Demands
Hosted by Visier

Andrea Derler
Principal, Research & Value
Visier

Mark Salisbury
CHRO
Transdev North America

Henry Artalejo
Senior VP, Global Human Resources
Griffith Foods
Corporate performance demands challenge CHROs to focus strategically to develop concise plans to present to the overall enterprise. Data and results can sometimes be muddled and difficult to filter through accurately. How can we be confident in the aggregated information presented to us and what can we do with it?
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- How to harness a powerful yet often underutilized company data set
- Boosting corporate performance and leveraging AI for enhanced HR influence and decision-making
- Improving the effectiveness of your business's key asset, your people managers
10:25am - 11:05am 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.
11:05am - 11:50am 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
11:05am - 11:50am Executive Boardroom
Why Don’t Employees Feel Supported?
Hosted by Alight

Karen Frost
VP, Health Strategy
Alight

Kim Nero
EVP & CHRO
GATX

Natalie Huddleston
VP, Human Resources
Chicago Bulls
Most organizations have expanded benefits in both volume and scope, but many employees are frustrated with information overload and overall employee experience. How can CHROs build meaningful connections between the workforce and their benefits while navigating an ever-expanding technology ecosystem?
Attend this session to learn:
- Strategies for connecting employee insights to actions to power stronger engagement
- Ways to integrate employee experiences to increase adoption
- How organizations can leverage personalization and AI to help people feel seen and cared for
11:05am - 11:50am Executive Boardroom
Beyond a Paycheck — Fostering Financial Well-Being
Hosted by FinFit

Michael Woodhead
Chief Commercial Officer
FinFit

Cheryl James
CHRO
Loyola Medicine

John Smith
VP, Head of Human Resources
ACH Food Companies
Employees who do not feel financially secure can struggle to stay productive and are more likely to suffer stress-related health issues. By incorporating financial health into well-being programs, HR leaders can address a critical factor impacting employees’ ability to show up and perform at work.
Join this session for insights on:
- Understanding workforce financial wellness as a strategic business initiative
- Equipping employees with money management skills to build readiness and resilience
- Driving program participation by addressing diverse financial needs and challenges
11:05am - 11:50am Executive Boardroom
Where Do I Fit In? Creating Belonging at Work

Kimberly Nevels
Chief Diversity Officer
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Susan Graham-Bryce
Chief Talent Officer
GE Healthcare
CEOs recently rated culture, engagement and morale as their top concern in a Gartner executive survey. CHROs have the opportunity to improve employee job satisfaction, mental health, productivity and lower burnout by making employees feel they belong.
In this boardroom, HR leaders will discuss:
- Identifying the framework to create models of belonging
- Establishing metrics and goals to help retention through sense of purpose
- Creating a culture that positively impacts employees
11:50am - 12:35pm 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
Convene at 233 South Wacker Drive (Willis Tower)Hotels Nearby
151 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60603
Distance from venue - 0.2 mile
Canopy By Hilton Chicago Central Loop
226 West Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60606
Distance from venue - 0.1 mile
172 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60603
Distance from venue - 0.2 miles
For parking and directions, please click here.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.