Southern California CHRO Community
Executive Summit
November 19, 2026 | The Waterfront Beach Resort
November 19, 2026
The Waterfront Beach Resort
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Southern California'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:
Future-Ready Leadership & Talent Strategies to Ensure Organizational Agility & Resilience
Transformative HR Technology & AI Integration to Drive Smarter Decision-Making
Building Adaptive Cultures for Change & Resilience to Thrive Amidst Constant Transformation
Southern California 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
Dina Barmasse-Gray
The Cheesecake Factory
Chief People Officer
Kari Durham
Skyworks
SVP, HR
Jeff Fraley
Big 5 Sporting Goods
SVP, Human Resources
Samantha Khoury
Los Angeles Lakers
Chief Administrative Officer
Michelle Kwait
Herbalife
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 Southern California 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
Doing More with Less — Leveling Up Leadership Development
Leader and manager development is a top priority for CHROs, but oftentimes can be compressed due to budget constraints. How can HR leaders do more with less to ensure leadership development remains impactful, sustainable and aligned with evolving business needs?
Join this session to discuss:
- Maintaining speed and quality in leadership development
- Operationalizing a skills-centric approach
- Ensuring programs demonstrate meaningful ROI
Rethinking Succession for What’s Next
In a volatile working landscape, developing a leadership bench for the next generation is crucial. But for CHROs and organizations to be successful, they must evolve from traditional, role-based succession planning toward agile, future-focused talent strategies.
Join this session to discuss:
- Building flexible pools, not pipelines
- Integrating development plans into talent reviews
- Developing for “ready enough”
The New Rules of Culture Change
Organizations are moving faster than ever, but culture isn't always keeping pace. Gartner insight indicates that 80% of employees encounter friction between cultural expectations and the realities of their day-to-day work.
Join this session to explore how to:
- Transform culture at the “speed of work”
- Keep the workforce agile when expectations are evolving
- Mobilize cross-functional leaders to clear behavioral blockers
Unlocking Talent From Within
Organizations with strong internal mobility achieve higher performance, engagement and retention, yet most struggle to move talent efficiently and close critical skill gaps. As talent needs evolve faster than traditional performance processes can keep pace, CHROs have an opportunity to replace annual reviews with performance management microcycles that provide real-time insights, continuous development and greater workforce agility.
Join this session as CHROs discuss:
- Developing skills to keep pace in the age of AI
- Building frameworks for internal career mobility
- Facilitating impactful coaching and career conversations
Apply to Participate
Each application is carefully vetted to ensure members meet established criteria, preserving the quality of the network and enabling meaningful, peer‑level discussions among leaders from the world’s leading organizations.
Once you submit your application, a Community Program Manager will schedule a conversation to understand your priorities and interests and complete onboarding, including access to year‑round community events.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
The Waterfront Beach ResortValet Parking ONLY - $17 per day / $38 overnight.
*Valet Parking is COMPLIMENTARY if you pick up a validation sticker at the registration desk.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the The Waterfront Beach Resort at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling (714) 845-8000. Please mention So Cal Executive Summit 2026 to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $329 USD (plus tax) is October 26, 2026.
Your Community Sponsors
CHRO Thought Leader
Program Sponsors
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.
