HR Retail 2025
April 15 - 17, 2025
JW Marriott LA LIVE, CA
Day 1: Making Retail the Employer of Choice Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Day 1: Making Retail the Employer of Choice Tuesday, April 25, 2023
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast & Registration
Pick up your conference badge at the registration desk, download the conference app, and get ready for a day of jam-packed content with a hearty meal.
8:30 am - 8:45 am
Welcome Remarks & Ice Breaker
Zainab Hayat -
Senior Conference Producer, HR & Future Stores Events,
WBR
8:45 am - 9:00 am
Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Dr. Fiona Jamison -
CEO,
Spring International
9:00 am - 9:20 am
Keynote: Translating Your Company Purpose to Become an Inclusive Employer in the Community
Dayna Eberhardt -
Chief People Officer,
MOD Pizza
MOD Pizza is a purpose driven organization serving customizable pizzas across 500 locations. Dayna Eberhardt came to MOD Pizza from Expedia and Starbucks to lead the company’s people strategy and will talk through how the organization pipelines, develops, and retains talent in a way that serves its communities.
- Eliminating barriers to employment for more inclusive hiring
- Translating the company culture into employment practices
- Creating a workplace that offers stability and greater opportunities
9:20 am - 9:50 am
Panel: Change Management in an Ever-changing Industry
Reginald Johnson -
Chief Diversity Officer and SVP, Field HR,
Signet Jewelers
Kate Railton -
SVP, People Operations,
Mejuri
- Nurturing a culture of empowerment, collaboration and encouragement
- Providing swift and clear communication and opportunities for discourse and feedback
- Updating employee communications and tools to be more UX and mobile friendly
9:50 am - 10:10 am
Keynote: Understanding the Current Labor Market to Inform Your Talent Strategy
Mark Schindler -
Executive Director, GTM Strategy & Chief of Staff,
Fountain
10:10 am - 10:50 am
The Morning Boost Refreshment Break
10:50 am - 11:25 am
Panel: Driving Real Change through Your Organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitments
David Casey -
Chief Inclusion & Social Impact Officer,
Tapestry (Kate Spade, Coach, Stuart Weitzman)
George-Axelle Broussillon Matschinga -
VP, Diversity & Inclusion,
Sephora
Nicole Moses-Milner -
Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,
J.Crew
Calla Rongerude -
Director,
Open to All
- Ensuring C-level buy in for diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the workplace
- Installing metrics in place to measure progress in DEI initiatives
- Holding HR and business leaders accountable
- Reconciling public diversity statements with internal culture
- Identifying areas where HR can be proactive in furthering DE&I strategy
David Casey
Chief Inclusion & Social Impact OfficerTapestry (Kate Spade, Coach, Stuart Weitzman)
11:25 am - 11:45 am
Keynote: Connecting With Your New Workforce to Drive Results
Bob Paulsen -
CEO,
PlayerLync
11:45 am - 12:10 pm
Fire-Side Chat: Reinventing Your Brand as an Employer of Choice through True Transformation
Chèla Gage -
SVP, Talent, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging,
Reformation
- Adapting to changing attitudes in the workforce as it relates to culture, expectations around benefits, and social values
- Aligning your company goals, values, and integrating them into your value proposition
- Understanding why top performing talent stay at your organization
12:10 pm - 1:05 pm
Networking Lunch
1:05 pm - 2:10 pm
Collaborative Roundtables with Technology Innovators
Elizabeth Lutes -
EVP,
Transition Services
Cliff Jurkiewicz -
VP Global Strategy,
Phenom
Tramaine El-Amin -
Vice President,
Mental Health First Aid
Kellie Dolzynski -
Regional Director,
Kate Spade
30 minute small group discussions. Pick two topics.
1. HR Benefits That Impact Your Organization’s Bottom Line, Making HR a Profit Center When It Matters Most Moderator: Elizabeth Lutes, EVP, Transition Service
2. Talent Experience for an Engaged Workforce Moderator: Cliff Jurkiewicz, VP Global Strategy, Phenom
3. Strategies for Addressing the Mental Well-being of Retail Workers in Today's Changing Environment Moderators: Kellie Dolzynski, Regional Director, Kate Spade; Tramaine El-Amin, Vice President, Mental Health First Aid
2:10 pm - 2:50 pm
Gotta Keep on Moovin’ Refreshment Break
Track A: Talent Acquisition
2:50 pm - 3:00 pm Track Chair Remarks Michelle Rawlins - Vice President, Recruitment Marketing Sales & Client Success, Nexxt
Track A: Talent Acquisition
3:00 pm - 3:40 pm Panel: Rebuilding Your Organization’s Employer Brand Maggie Fox - VP, Talent Acquisition, Fabletics Greg Shebesta - Director, HR, Blain’s Fleet & Farm Kate Railton - SVP, People Operations, Mejuri Christy Honeycutt - SVP, Strategic Development & Execution, AppyHere- How to attract talent to your organization in a challenging labor market
- Explaining updated safety precautions and benefits for a more conscious candidate pool
- Representing the company’s DEI commitments to make the hiring process more transparent and inclusive
Track A: Talent Acquisition
3:40 pm - 3:50 pm Innovation Spotlight: Leaky Bucket Syndrome: How Reimagining the Application Process Can Get You More Candidates Benjamin Gillman - Co-Founder & Head of Strategy and Innovation, myInterview
Track A: Talent Acquisition
3:50 pm - 4:30 pm Workshop: Defining Your Employee Value Proposition for a Competitive Advantage Kenya Jacobs - Director, Total Rewards, IKEA
Track A: Talent Acquisition
4:10 pm - 4:40 pm Interactive: How are you differentiating your company in today’s talent market? What are some challenges you are facing?Track B: Talent Management
2:50 pm - 3:20 pm Panel: Talent Development for the Future of Business Needs Allison Decibus - Director, Field People experience, GP Mobile Bill Washington - Talent Development Program Manager, Five Below (TBC) Jamie MacFarlane - Retail Strategic People Partner, LUSH• Identifying future talent gaps in the organization
• Strengthening upskilling and reskilling efforts to prevent future shortfalls
• Defining clarity around remote and hybrid roles to provider greater flexibility and promote retention
Track B: Talent Management
3:20 pm - 3:50 pm Workshop: Coaching for Performance; Building your Leadership Bench Shai Cruz-Cockrell - Strategic Client Partner, Coaching Right Now Kellie Wells-Brinkley - Client Partner at CRN, Certified Life Coach, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist
Track B: Talent Management
3:50 pm - 4:10 pm Keynote: Focus on Your People: Conversion Starts and Ends with a Superior Consumer Experience Provided by Happy Employees Chris Morelli - Senior Director, Workforce Management, ADP
Track B: Talent Management
4:10 pm - 4:40 pm Case Study Interactive: Career Pathing for Greater Talent Engagement and Retention Chuck Davis - Director Human Resources, New Balance- Providing more clarity and transparency for career pathing and development within the organization
- Aligning competencies and skills to different courses for emerging needs in the business
- Building success profiles to illustrate the role to employees and candidates
4:40 pm - 5:30 pm
Retailer Only Speed Networking
4:40 pm - 5:30 pm
Invite-Only Tasting
Hosted by Fountain