Washington, DC CHRO Community
Executive Summit
November 13, 2025 | Hilton Washington DC National Mall the Wharf
November 13, 2025
Hilton Washington DC National Mall the Wharf
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Washington, DC'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.
Develop a cohesive, inclusive culture aligned with company values to boost engagement.
Use technology to streamline HR processes and enhance decision-making.
Washington, DC 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
Melissa Hurst
American Red Cross
CHRO
Ken Kovach
B.F. Saul Company & Affiliates
CHRO
Shawn Stokes
Events DC
SVP, Human Resources & Culture
Loretta Young Walker
MedStar Health
EVP & Chief People Officer
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 Washington, DC 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
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Future-Proof Your Leaders — A Siemens Case Study
Daniela Proust
SVP, Head of People & Organization
Siemens
Details coming soon...
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Implementing AI – Insights from a Chief AI Officer
Delester Brown
Chief Data & AI Officer
United States National Guard
Details coming soon...
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Maximizing Workforce Success – Navigating the Influence of HR Technology
Rich Cober
Executive Partner, CHRO Practice
Gartner
Frequent, unfamiliar organizational changes and the uncertainty posed by technological, generational and social shifts have changed workforce dynamics. CHROs can leverage strategic workforce planning to guide organizations’ future talent investments in light of business priorities.
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Optimizing SWP processes while reducing complexities
- Adapting strategies to meet short and long-term goals
- Matching talent needs with enterprise aspirations
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Enhancing EVP to Drive Better Business Outcomes
Vonda Bell
Chief Human Capital Officer
Farm Credit Administration
Gartner research reports that only 41% of employees fall into the optimal performance zone. Work fatigue and lack of consistency is a growing trend among employees across industries. How can leaders spearhead and nurture experiences that drive productivity?
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Tackling key issues relevant to employees
- Encouraging wellness for employees to circumvent fatigue
- Implementing performance check-ins to ensure goal attainment
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. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session
AI for HR — Delivering Workforce Productivity
Hosted by IBM
HR teams are under pressure to deliver more with less — balancing operational efficiency with rising employee expectations and the need for strategic agility. IBM transformed its HR function by embedding AI across the employee lifecycle, from onboarding and talent acquisition to manager support and workforce planning. By deploying digital assistants, agentic AI, and intelligent orchestration, IBM achieved significant productivity gains, reduced operational costs, and elevated the employee experience.
Join this session to learn how to:
- Deliver seamless, AI-driven employee and manager support
- Automate complex HR workflows with digital labor
- Scale HR operations while enabling strategic focus
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Winning With Wellbeing — Igniting Buy-in From Burnout
Hosted by Alight
Craig Rosenberg
SVP, Solution Advisory
Alight
No longer satisfied with transactional perks, today’s employees increasingly expect employers to support their total wellbeing that integrates physical health, mental health and financial security. Employers who adapt to these shifting needs enhance retention, productivity and optimize value for benefits investment.
Join this boardroom session to:
- Boost engagement with personalized, easy-to-navigate benefits
- Integrate high tech with the human touch to manage complexity
- Drive retention, productivity, and success with total wellbeing
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Redefining Leadership and Development in a Disrupted World
Hosted by ADP
Katerina Rodriguez
Innovation Leader, Director - Future of Work Strategy
ADP
As AI, hybrid work and workforce transformation reshape organizations, leadership development is more critical and nuanced than ever before. In this roundtable, CHROs from top companies will discuss innovations like AI-powered coaching, skills-based pathways and inclusive leadership. Join us to share ideas and reimagine what tomorrow’s people leaders need to succeed.
In this roundtable, we’ll discuss:
- Leadership mandates driven by AI and agility
- Innovations in skills-based, inclusive development
- Measuring leader effectiveness and impact
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Washington, DC 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
Hilton Washington DC National Mall the WharfA block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall the Wharf at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1800-Hiltons. Please mention 901 to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $306 USD (plus tax) is October 20, 2025.
Your Community Sponsors
Key Sponsors
Program Sponsor
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.
