HR Retail 2025
April 15 - 17, 2025
JW Marriott LA LIVE, CA
Day 2: Rebuilding the Next Generation Retail Workforce Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Day 2: Rebuilding the Next Generation Retail Workforce Wednesday, April 26, 2023
8:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast & Registration
15 max. participants. Sign-up in advance. Retailer only.
When companies made their diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments in response to the events of 2020, many DE&I leaders at retailers found themselves navigating unchartered waters. Join us for an interactive discussion around making progress on your DEI work, no matter how early in the journey your organization is.
9:05 am - 9:30 am
Keynote: The Future of Work: HR’s Make-or-Break Moment
Nick Boyd -
HR Executive & Top 50 Future of Work Influencer,
Nike (Ex-Target, Gap, Inc.)
Are you ready to shape the future of work? As a HR leader, you have the power to drive change and equip your organization with the skills, diversity, and resilience to thrive in a rapidly changing world. This keynote speech delivers a bold, provocative vision for the future of work and the critical role HR must play to ensure success. We’ll explore:
- The disruptive forces shaping the world of work
- The impact of technology and emerging industries
- The key trends and skills your organization needs to succeed
- The importance of upskilling and reskilling
- The role of diversity, equity, and inclusion in building a workforce for the future
9:00 am - 9:05 am
Welcome Remarks
Zainab Hayat -
Senior Conference Producer, HR & Future Stores Events,
WBR
9:30 am - 9:50 am
Keynote: Workforce Resilience - Talent, Rewards and the Future of Work
Kelly Voss -
Head of Rewards Advisory, North America,
Aon
- Why Organizations Need Agile and Resilient Workforces
- How to drive performance and compete for talent beyond pay in a highly competitive market
- How to secure and sustain an engaged and thriving workforce
- Looking Ahead: Areas of Focus in 2023
9:50 am - 10:25 am
Panel: Building a Strong Culture for Every Retail Employee – from the Salesfloor to HQ
Reginald Johnson -
Chief Diversity Officer and SVP, Field HR,
Signet Jewelers
Yolanda Royall-Williams -
VP, People & Engagement,
Wireless Vision
Aman Kidwai -
Senior Reporter,
HR Brew
- Illustrating clear pathways for career progression at every level
- Customizing HR services and products for the needs of each business unit
- Ensuring coherence of company culture and language across the organization
- Coaching leaders to serve their workforces best but also align with overall business goals
10:25 am - 10:45 am
Donut Worry Refreshment Break
10:45 am - 11:15 am
Panel: Talent Management for Long-Term Retail People Strategy
Matt Wozar -
Senior Director, Talent Development,
Five Below
Da'mon Wardlow -
VP, HR,
Tom's King
- Building a comprehensive strategy that ties in talent management, compensation and benefits, and culture
- Ensuring employees have the time and access to professional development opportunities
- Reimagining the leadership development process to raise the bar for leaders
- Embracing digital acceleration for effective and adaptive learning
11:15 am - 11:45 am
Panel: The Next Normal in Retail Talent Acquisition Strategy
Kenya Jacobs -
Director, Total Rewards,
IKEA
Tami Kilpatrick -
SVP, Head of Sales,
Payactiv
- Position retail as a desirable industry for high quality talent to build a career
- Gaining insight into what current employees and prospective candidates value in workplace benefits and culture
- Defining an employee value proposition that resonates with the modern candidate
11:45 am - 12:05 pm
Let’s Get Energized Refreshment Break
12:05 pm - 12:30 pm
Case Study Interactive: Reimagining Sustainable & Compelling Total Rewards
Phil Louridas -
SVP, People Strategy & Systems,
The RealReal
- Collecting the right data that gives insight into what employees and candidates value
- Embracing flexibility in serving different workforce demographics with a variety of benefit options
- Scaling efforts around recognition, benefits, and wellness
- Empowering HR with the insight and analytics to re-evaluate benefits for the needs of the modern labor market
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm
Roundtables by Retailer Size (Retailer Only)
After a full day of hearing from a variety of retailers, connect with organizations of your own size! Go to the roundtable that best aligns with your company headcount and use this opportunity to talk through the day’s topics with peers working with similar workforce sizes.
• Retailers with >50,000 employees
• Retailers with 10,000-50,000 employees
• Retailers with 5,000-10,000 employees
• Retailers with 1,000-5,000 employees
• Retailers with <1,000 employees
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Networking Lunch for All Attendees
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
HR-Leaders Only Afternoon
After an action-packed two days, the next hour is for you to regroup with your peers (no vendors!). Take this opportunity to deep dive into a topic you want to unpack more of, build stronger connections with HR leaders experiencing similar challenges, and walk away with resources that will help your business navigate the everchanging labor landscape.
Choose one. 10 participants per discussion. Practitioner-only.
15 minute 1:1 meeting with an HR veteran. Sign up onsite.
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Vision Board Takeaway Time! What are you taking back to the office?
Saying goodbye is hard, especially after an inspirational three days at HR Retail with old and new friends and colleagues alike. We’re hoping this wrap-up will give you the closure needed to package all of your takeaways with a neat little bow to take back to work on Monday morning. These free flow discussions will be your chance to take a deep dive into the specific areas you came to discuss and what the future of talent looks like to you. We’ll use markers and poster to create a collaborative vision board.
- Share your one “A-ha!” moment from the conference
- What are two things you heard this week that scare you?
- I wish…