Chicago CHRO Community
Executive Summit
October 15, 2025 | Convene at 233 South Wacker Drive (Willis Tower)
October 15, 2025
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:
Cultivating leadership and management skills to drive success and promote continuous growth.
Develop a cohesive, inclusive culture aligned with company values to boost engagement.
Structuring the organization to optimize efficiency, agility, and alignment with strategic goals.
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
SVP, CHRO & President, Ace Foundation
Donna Dorsey
Alight
EVP & Chief People and Culture Officer
Amber Kennelly
William Blair & Company
CHRO
What to Expect
Interactive Sessions
Hear from CHRO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.
Community Networking
Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Chicago CHRO community.
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
Agenda
Executive Boardroom Sessions
Strengthening Culture — HR Strategies for Change
Ongoing change, evolving work models and economic pressures threaten employees' alignment with organizational culture. Savvy HR leaders guide the workforce through change, engagement and development to reinforce desired behaviors and foster employees’ culture alignment and interconnectedness.
Join this session to learn:
Measuring the success of changing initiatives
Driving a culture of transformation
Equipping all levels of the organization to embed culture values
From 'Ready Now' to 'Ready Enough'
Gartner research indicates "ready now" successors often become disengaged or seek other opportunities. By choosing "ready enough" successors, leaders can boost engagement and retention without compromising essential skills.
Join this session to discuss:
Modernizing talent management to meet organizational skills needed
Accelerating the readiness of the leadership bench
Growing talent for engagement and performance
Pathing to Performance — HR's Role in Career Roadmaps
Gartner research shows less than half of employees are satisfied with their organizations’ career development opportunities. Despite the need to retain and find key talent, the same research shows only 34% of organizations help in visualizing these paths to growth.
In this boardroom, CHROs will discuss best practices in:
Developing partnerships between employees and managers in career development
Coaching and career conversations to make employees feel supported
Building career paths that create opportunities for internal mobility
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)Your Community Sponsors
CHRO Thought Leader
Key Sponsor
Program Sponsors
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.
