
Minneapolis CHRO Community
Executive Summit
May 6, 2025 | Sheraton Bloomington Hotel
May 6, 2025
Sheraton Bloomington Hotel
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Minneapolis'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.
Preparing for future leadership needs by identifying and developing potential successors.
Develop a cohesive, inclusive culture aligned with company values to boost engagement.
Minneapolis 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

Elcio Barcelos
U.S. Bank
Senior EVP, CHRO

Laurie Marsh
Ecolab
EVP & CHRO

Jared Nypen
Great Clips
VP, Talent & HR

Julie Sexton
Land O'Lakes
SVP & CHRO
What to Expect
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
You Speak, They Swarm — The Power of Story in Reaching Your Audience

Arthur Zards
Thought Leader, TED/TEDx Speaker, Coach & Producer
Guest Speaker
Speakers want action, not just applause. But busy executives don’t have time to learn complex communication models or esoteric storytelling processes — they need a simple, effective speaking framework that can help them not only connect with any audience, but also elicit real change. Enter the "Swarm Effect."
Join this session with Arthur Zards — a thought leader, TEDster and provocateur — to:
- Hone your skills in executive influence
- Adopt a more authentic and engaging approach to speaking
- Take your next presentation from “understandable” to “compelling"
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Strategic Succession — Cultivating Future Leaders

Jen Stone
EVP, CHRO
Owens & Minor Inc
Effective succession planning and leadership development are critical for ensuring organizational continuity and growth. By strategically identifying and nurturing future leaders, companies can build a robust talent pipeline that aligns with their long-term goals. This proactive approach not only mitigates risks associated with leadership transitions but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and development.
Join this case-study on how CHROs can:
- Create impactful succession plans, adjusting to evolving priorities
- Design intentional development plans for successors and provide growth opportunities
- Map organizational pathways to utilize talent across divisions
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Strengthening Culture — HR Strategies for Change

Shamayne Braman
Chief People Officer
Sonos

Kim Egan
SVP & CHRO
CentraCare

Layla Nouraee
Chief Legal & Administrative Officer
United Sugar Producers & Refiners
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
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Transforming HR for the New World of Work

Liz Bank
Global Head of Human Resources
Thomson Reuters

Cathy Goodman
Chief Talent Officer / VP, Enterprise Engagement & People Team
UnitedHealth Group
The world of work is changing as technology touches everything we do. This extends to the HR landscape as technology is being used to automate processes and enhance the employee experience.
Join this session to discuss:
- Integrating your HCM portfolio into a new work hub for a better user experience
- Using AI-enabled skills management to elevate workforce planning and optimization
- Improving creativity, innovation and collaboration with technology
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

Ryan Jensen
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

Jenny Guldseth
Chief People & Culture Officer
Allianz Life US

Dustin Wellik
VP, Global HR Strategy & Solutions
3M
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
From Principles to Practice – The Impact of Future-Ready Leadership Development
Hosted by Guild

Matthew Daniel
Sr. Principal, Talent Strategy & Mobility
Guild

Katie Larson
CHRO
Hormel Foods

Kirsten Van Hulzen
CHRO
Marsden Services
With only 36% of HR leaders confident in their current programs, this session challenges legacy models and offers a practical roadmap to close the readiness gap for leadership roles across an organization. Whether you're evolving an existing leadership program or building one from the ground up, this session will leave you with tangible strategies to turn leadership potential into a measurable culture of performance at all levels — now and for the future.
Join this round-table discussion to learn how to:
- Explore the Seven Hallmarks of Effective Leadership Development
- Build a shared definition of how organizations cultivate leadership in today’s volatile business environment
- Develop future leaders to drive workforce transformation
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Minneapolis 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
Sheraton Bloomington HotelSheraton Bloomington Hotel - Room Block Cancellation Policy:
- Any cancellations made after the Cut Off (April 14, 2025) are subject to a cancellation fee of one (1) night room charge plus tax.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 952-835-1900. Please mention Minneapolis CHRO Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $177 USD (plus tax) is April 14, 2025.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.