In-Person

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:

Shaping the Human Impact of AI and Creating New Ways of Work

Developing Agile Leaders in a Dynamic Landscape

Reinvigorating Culture While Driving Innovation

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

Tracy Ting

Encore Capital Group
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

Coming Soon

The CHRO Executive Summit agendas are driven by the mission-critical priorities identified among the community. Each agenda is uniquely crafted By CHROs, For CHROs®, and will be available closer to the gathering. All topics and sessions will be inspired by the following themes.

Shaping the Human Impact of AI and Creating New Ways of Work

By 2026, half of HR activities are expected to be automated or managed by AI, prompting HR leaders to reinvent practices and prioritize strategic integration of AI technologies, upskilling and effective data governance to remain relevant. As generative AI transforms HR roles from transactional to strategic, organizations must align AI investments with business goals and adapt their operating models to foster sustainable growth and enhanced workforce capabilities.

Developing Agile Leaders in a Dynamic Landscape

In today’s volatile environment, CHROs must address significant capability gaps in coaching, change agility and trust-building among senior and rising people leaders. By prioritizing targeted, high-impact leadership development interventions—leveraging technology, continuous learning and improved coaching practices—organizations can build resilient leaders equipped for any challenge.

Reinvigorating Culture While Driving Innovation

To foster a culture of innovation, HR leaders are aligning HR practices with organizational goals by leveraging technology, adopting agile methodologies and promoting skill-based rewards, continuous learning and psychological safety. These strategies empower employees to experiment and adapt, enabling organizations to remain competitive and achieve long-term success in rapidly changing environments.

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming in-person gathering

Gartner cares about the health and safety of our community. If you are feeling unwell, please refrain from attending the conference. At this time, Gartner does not have any health-related requirements in place for attendance. Should this change, we will follow up with updated guidance.

Location

Venue & Accommodation

The Waterfront Beach Resort

Community Program Manager

For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Alisa Hauser

Community Program Manager

773-960-3997

alisa.hauser@gartner.com