
Houston CHRO Community
Executive Summit
December 4, 2024 | Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria
December 4, 2024
Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Houston'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:
Reshaping a Corporate Culture that Exemplifies Efficiency and Resiliency
Developing Next-generation Leaders by Evolving Role Expectations Instead of New Skills
Identifying, Growing and Retaining Employees with the Skills Your Business Requires
Houston 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

Bill Ennis
Academy Sports + Outdoors
EVP, Chief Administrative Officer

Trish Moore
Shell USA
VP, Human Resources, North America

Hilary Rota
Wood
Vice President, Human Resources

Shibu Varghese
MD Anderson Cancer Center
SVP, People, Culture, Infrastructure & CHRO
What to Expect
Agenda
7:45am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Winning with Accountability — Strategies to Build a High Performing Organization

Henry Evans
Best-selling Author, "Winning With Accountability"
Guest Speaker
An organization needs to focus on its culture and strategy in tandem so business results can flourish. Challenging by nature, these topics are often approached separately, disrupting the equilibrium of the organization. When leaders are focused on becoming a high-performing organization, with a high degree of trust, they create a competitive advantage.
Join this working session with author Henry Evans to:
- Learn how accountability and emotional safety® together drive exceptional results
- Identify a real-world, real-time challenge and learn accountability tools to overcome
- Explore how to accelerate strategy execution
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am 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
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Why Don’t Employees Feel Supported?
Hosted by Alight

Karen Frost
SVP, Corporate Strategy - Health
Alight

Trish Moore
VP, Human Resources, North America
Shell USA

Sue Netherton
SVP - People, Training & Development
Waste Connections
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
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
AI’s Impact on the Future of HR
Hosted by Dayforce

Sunit Nair
VP - Value Advisory
Dayforce

Michelle Byrd
VP, Human Resources
The Friedkin Group Inc

Darren Ruhr
Chief Administrative Officer
Precision Drilling
The growth of AI in 2024 and beyond is poised to redefine talent acquisition, employee engagement, and workforce management, creating a more dynamic and agile HR ecosystem. Explore the transformative role of AI as an indispensable teammate across various Human Resources functions.
Join this boardrooml to discuss:
- Considerations on evaluating HR investments in AI
- Navigating the rapidly changing regulatory landscape while balancing privacy and ethics
- How AI could transform business processes across the organization
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
Reshaping Benefits to Satisfy Modern Employee Trends
Hosted by Lockton Companies

Christian Moreno
EVP, Lockton
Lockton Companies

Dr. Lakshmi Seshadri
Vice President, Executive Medical Director
Lockton Companies
Operating through the pandemic forced shifts to organizational norms, one being the benefits provided by the HR function. Now, with the rise of weight loss drugs, benefits conversations are thrust back into the spotlight, particularly over whether an organization can and should provide coverage for these options.
With 40% of the workforce qualifying for these drugs, join this session to hear how employers should be thinking through:
- Trends in total rewards and what that means for employers
- Evaluating the cost of adding GLP-1s to your benefits plan
- Understanding the risks and employer liability associated with weight loss drugs
11:05am - 11:50am Executive Boardroom
Modifying Org Design for an Efficient Future

Sakita Douglas
Interim-Chief People Officer
Harris County, TX

Nabeel Ahmed
SVP & CHRO
EnLink Midstream

Gustavo Nechar
Sr. Vice President, CHRO
Ascend Performance Materials
The complexities of the modern workforce are reshaping the landscape of business operations and redefining employee responsibilities. In the midst of this ongoing transformation, CHROs must be agile in prioritizing current business needs while championing the development of essential skills.
In this session, CHROs will discuss:
- Reorganizing the business to ensure efficient workflows and resource allocation
- Utilizing emerging technologies for employee development
- Structuring organizational design for long-term success
11:05am - 11:50am Executive Boardroom
Where Do I Fit In? Creating Belonging at Work

Hilary Rota
Vice President, Human Resources
Wood

Jill Ramshaw
SVP, Human Resources
Marathon Oil

Kelly Soudelier
CHRO, Deer Park
PEMEX
Research shows employees who feel a sense of belonging at work have higher engagement. In fact, it is a driver for job satisfaction, mental health, productivity and it lowers burnout. So why do employees feel like they don't belong?
In this boardroom, HR leaders will discuss:
- Identifying a framework to create a sense of belonging
- Establishing metrics to track engagement and retention
- Creating a culture that positively impacts employees
11:50am - 12:35pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Houston 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 Houston GalleriaParking Information:
Complimentary valet parking provided by Evanta.
Hyatt Regency Houston/Galleria - Room Block Cancellation Policy:
Any cancellations made after the Cut Off (November 11, 2024) are subject to a cancellation fee of one (1) night room charge plus tax.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hyatt Regency Houston/Galleria at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1-800-233-1234. Please mention "CDAO Executive Summit" to ensure the appropriate rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $159 (plus taxes) is Monday, November 11, 2024
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1-800-233-1234. Please mention CHRO Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $159 USD (plus tax) is November 11, 2024.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.