AGENDA

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Interactive Workshop

Speaker: Peter Louch

Founder and CEO, Vemo

Speaker: Chris Reece, PhD

Chief Data Scientist, Vemo

Ready to move beyond buzzwords and use AI in your workforce strategy? In this immersive 90-minute data lab, you’ll roll up your sleeves and apply AI tools to real HR challenges like turnover prediction and skills forecasting. No technical background needed—just a willingness to learn. You’ll build a predictive model from scratch, enhance it with GenAI, and transform it into a strategic asset for closing talent gaps. Along the way, we’ll explore best practices for responsible AI use and how to avoid the ethical pitfalls others miss.

In this workshop, you will learn:

• How to use AI to identify employees at risk of leaving—before they walk out the door
• How to build, test, and refine a predictive model with Generative AI
• How to turn your model into a future-focused skills gap forecast that drives action

Interactive Workshop

Speaker: Karen Guzicki

Vice President, Advisory Services, Human Captial Institute (HCI)

The talent game has changed — fast. If you're still recruiting with yesterday’s playbook, you're already behind. In this highly interactive workshop, we’ll call out the outdated tactics that are holding TA teams back and build a new, future-ready strategy designed for today’s candidate-driven, AI-infused, skills-first world.

In this workshop, you will learn:

• Identify what’s broken in your current TA process (and how to fix it).
• Shift from “req-filling” to true workforce shaping.
• Partner with hiring managers as strategic advisors, not order-takers.
• Use data and candidate insights to sharpen your strategy — fast.
• Reimagine the candidate experience to compete and win in today's market.

You'll leave with a Talent Acquisition Playbook 2.0 — a practical, customizable tool to rethink and relaunch your TA strategy immediately when you get back to your organization.

Stretch your legs, chat with some of our sponsors and get a refreshment.

Interactive Workshop

Speaker: Peter Louch

Founder and CEO, Vemo

Speaker: Chris Reece, PhD

Chief Data Scientist, Vemo

In this hands-on lab, you’ll learn how to go from raw HR data to real insights using the power of Generative AI. Whether you’re new to prompt engineering or just need a solid starting point, this session will show you how to structure your data, guide AI models with precise prompts, and extract meaningful analytics that drive decision-making. We’ll also cover key compliance considerations and ethical guardrails so you can innovate responsibly. You’ll leave with practical skills and a working model you can replicate back at the office.

In this workshop, you will learn:

• How to select and structure HR data to get the most from GenAI
• How to use prompt engineering to generate custom analytics models
• How to apply AI-generated insights to solve real-world HR and workforce planning challenges

Speaker: Cristina Costa

Founder, Cristina Costa Coaching

More information coming soon.

Make the most out of your SPARK TALENT experience! The event concierge is available to answer your questions, assist with technical issues, and offer session suggestions.

Start your morning off right with breakfast and networking opportunities.

Speaker: Cristina Costa

Founder, Cristina Costa Coaching

Kick off the day two of SPARK TALENT 2025 with speaker sessions!

General Session

Speaker: Ross Sparkman

Author and Senior Director, Workforce Strategy, Walmart

The potential impact and efficiencies that organizations can achieve through Generative AI (Gen AI) are substantial. Equally substantial are the expectations and investments many organizations have made in this emerging technology. However, distinguishing between genuine benefits and exaggerated claims is essential. More specifically, why are some organizations failing to fully realize the anticipated productivity and efficiency benefits?

In this presentation, we will explore the role of Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) in preparing the workforce for Gen AI readiness. We will discuss areas where organizations should focus their attention and outline steps that need to be taken today to fully integrate Gen AI into workflows and the workforce of the future.

In this session you will learn:

• Foundational steps organizations need to take for Gen AI adoption and productivity gains
• Introduction to task analysis and job redesign in the era of Gen AI
• Skills based SWP for a future Gen AI-driven workforce
• Planning for an "Agentic" AI workforce and workflows
• Action steps organizations can take today to prepare for tomorrow’s AI-driven workforce

Move your body, grab a refreshing drink and chat with some of our sponsors.

General Session

Speaker: Bertand Dussert

Vice President, Talent Acquisition, Staples

After spending over two decades in the leadership talent space across five industries, Bertrand has developed insights to recognize and hire exceptional talent at all levels. He has been laser focused on understanding patterns of careers and predicting who will continue to excel and outperform from early jobs through roles in the C-suite.

If you’re wondering what differentiates top performing leaders from others, and how to stack your leadership team with these exceptional people, you’ll likely enjoy this content. While this won’t be the core focus of the discussion, we’ll also cover how the growth of AI should inform your selection process to this end.

In this discussion, you’ll learn what drives these people to become exceptional engines of growth and innovation, and how to design your work, culture, and organizations to hire, engage, and retain them.

More specifically, we will cover:

• How to identify truly exceptional talent, what differentiates them, and what they tend to value most at work. We’ll segment this group into early and mid-career and identify what ultimately makes executive leaders successful.
• What you and your organizations need to do to attract and hire some of these exceptional people. This will include some tactics for detecting signal, and the employee value proposition work you’ll need to do if you want access to this talent.
• How to set up your practices, processes, and employee experience to keep them engaged and growing with the business.
• At each career level, how to discern between A- and A+ talent. What differentiates the very best and how to capture the most value from having A+ players in leadership.

Move your body and chat with some of our sponsors.

General Session

Speaker: Blair Bennett

Senior Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition, PepsiCo

In a talent-driven world, the candidate experience is your competitive edge. It's the first chapter of your employee story, and it sets the stage for organizational success. In this session, Blair Bennett – SVP, Global Talent Acquisition at PepsiCo will unpack how to design a talent acquisition operating model that delivers a consistently exceptional candidate journey, regardless of your team's size or industry.

She’ll share how to move beyond transactional recruitment and build a predictive and adaptive talent engine that anticipates and meets the evolving needs of your business and candidates. Discover how to leverage strategic alignment, process optimization, and recruiter empowerment to create a seamless and impactful candidate experience.

In this session you will learn:

• Strategic Foundation: Aligning Talent Acquisition with Business Goals. Learn how to build a scalable strategy, driven by a Center of Excellence (COE), that ensures your recruitment efforts directly support your organization's overarching objectives and creates a unified candidate experience vision.
• Operational Excellence: Balancing Technology and Human Touch. Discover how to implement processes powered by technology while empowering a Global Process Team to optimize workflows while preserving the critical human element in the candidate journey through empowered recruiters.
• Empowered Engagement: Building a Candidate-Centric Culture. Understand how to equip your team, from individual recruiters to specialized teams, with the tools and training they need to deliver personalized, engaging interactions and foster a candidate-centric culture that scales with your organization.

Grab a bite to eat and chat with your fellow attendees.

General Session

Speaker: Peter Louch

Founder and CEO, Vemo Inc.

Groundbreaking new advancements in AI and machine learning for workforce planning will be presented by Vemo CEO, Peter Louch. Attrition modeling, once the gold standard in talent forecasting, is now just one vital piece of a broader predictive ecosystem. By leveraging diverse techniques to account for various workforce dynamics—such as job mobility, internal talent development, and talent demand—these ecosystems provide more accurate forecasts of talent needs and skill gaps. Finally, Peter will share his insights into how the ongoing AI revolution is poised to further transform Workforce Planning.

In this session you will learn:

• Building a Predictive Ecosystem: How to leverage historical and real-time data to accurately forecast talent gaps.
• Case Studies: Real-world success stories showcasing the impact of AI-driven workforce planning.
• Future Trends: Insights into how AI will shape the future of Workforce Planning.

General Session

Speaker: Ross Mahaffey

Head of Tech Recruiting, Vanta

More information coming soon.

New room, new ideas to SPARK!

General Session

Speaker: Debra Simmers

Global Head, Talent Acquisition, The Hershey Company

AI is changing the game in talent acquisition and talent management - but to drive meaningful impact, organizations need more than just new tools - they need the right strategy to align teams, build trust, and ensure everyone is on board with the vision for change.
In this session, we’ll dive into how Hershey reimagined its talent acquisition strategy with AI—enabling a shift from relying on an RPO to building an in-house hiring team, while also streamlining recruitment to deliver a faster, more personalized, and empowering experience for all involved. From automating time-consuming tasks to enabling hiring managers to work more independently, Hershey is creating space for talent acquisition teams to focus on what matters most: building meaningful connections and driving strategic outcomes.

In this session you will learn:

• How AI enhances the experience for recruiters, candidates, and hiring managers–streamlining repetitive tasks for recruiters, creating a more personalized and efficient journey for candidates, and giving hiring managers more autonomy with data-driven insights to make more-informed decisions.
• Why it’s essential for talent leaders to clearly communicate the why behind AI investments—positioning them as a strategic response to evolving workforce needs and business priorities.
• Practical implementation strategies that successfully navigate change management challenges when introducing AI into established talent acquisition processes.

General Session

Speaker: Sarah Sheffer

Senior Manager, HR Data & Analytics, ADM

In this session, we will cover the essential steps of creating and implementing a people analytics strategy that can deliver powerful insights while operating with limited resources. In today’s environment, many organizations face budget constraints, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the value people analytics can bring. This session will provide practical, budget-friendly strategies for leveraging existing resources to build a data-driven HR strategy that aligns with your organization’s overall goals.

In this session you will learn:

• How to identify the most important data and metrics to track, even with limited resources.
• Cost-effective data collection methods, including using existing HR systems and low-cost tools.
• Simple yet impactful ways to analyze data and turn insights into actionable recommendations.
• How to align people analytics with broader business goals, even without expensive tools.
• Strategies for effectively communicating your insights to leadership and showing ROI on people analytics.

Take a few minutes to stretch and move to a new room with us.

General Session

Speaker: Jennifer Kirkwood

CEO & Founder, Talvana Consulting

Generative AI isn’t just an evolution in talent acquisition. And this is not yesterday’s session of basics in GenAI. This session is your gateway to a new era of hiring strategies. How we find the people and skills, engage and retain talent is shifting faster than ever. Those who fail to adapt risk falling behind. In the true language of the business, the ability to impact the bottom-line numbers is critical to survival.

Join industry leader, with deep expertise in HR Tech & (Gen)AI, Jen Kirkwood, as we explore how generative AI is unlocking a new frontier in talent acquisition – from sourcing, skills and engagement to the new skills a recruiter must master, and the governance which is shaping these talent strategies. This session sizzles in excitement! Join us and step into the future of talent acquisition.

In this session, you will learn:

• The application of generative AI and the business metrics it impacts.
• Most effective AI governance and compliance guardrails for talent.
• The Real-World impact leading companies have by leveraging generative AI and revolutionizing their hiring.
• How recruiters can work smarter and faster to elevate their careers.

General Session

Speaker: Peter Lynch

Chief People Officer, Cardinal Group Companies

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a disruptor—it’s a game-changer for Workforce Planning and Talent Acquisition. The rapid rise of AI is reshaping industries, workflows, and career trajectories at an unprecedented pace. While many fear AI will eliminate jobs, the true risk lies in failing to adapt. The professionals and organizations that integrate AI into their strategies will not only survive but thrive in this new landscape.

In this transformative keynote, TEDx speaker Peter Lynch will explore how AI is redefining the very fabric of talent management, recruitment, and career development. Through compelling real-world stories, He will explore the intersection of AI and human authenticity, uncovering how professionals can future-proof their careers, harness AI for innovation, and maintain their distinctiveness in an era of automation.

The key to future-proofing your career and your workforce isn’t resisting AI—it’s harnessing it to amplify human strengths. AI can accelerate decision-making, optimize talent acquisition, and predict workforce needs with unmatched precision, but it cannot replace the human qualities that drive culture, creativity, and innovation.

This keynote is both a wake-up call and a roadmap—offering leaders, recruiters, and professionals an actionable strategy to stay ahead of the curve. The future of work belongs to those who embrace AI without losing their human edge.

In this session you will learn:

• The AI-Enabled Workforce – Understand how AI is transforming hiring, talent forecasting, and workforce management, and what that means for your strategy.
• Adapt or Get Left Behind – Discover the essential skills and competencies that will keep professionals and organizations competitive in an AI-driven economy.
• The Human Advantage – Master what AI can’t replace: culture-building, creative problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and leadership.
• Action Plan for AI Integration – Walk away with concrete steps to embrace AI in recruitment, workforce planning, and career development—ensuring you stay ahead of the curve.

More information coming soon!

Make the most out of your SPARK TALENT experience! The event concierge is available to answer your questions, assist with technical issues, and offer session suggestions.

Start our last day together with breakfast and networking opportunities.

Speaker: Cristina Costa

Founder, Cristina Costa Coaching

Kick off the final day of SPARK TALENT 2025!

General Session

Speaker: Sue Lam

VP, Global People Analytics, Culture, Strategy & Planning, The Coca-Cola Company

It took many years for HR to go from being viewed as administrative personnel function to strategic partners who help leaders reach their business goals. To build an effective people strategy, not only does it need to be aligned with the business strategy, it needs to be embedded into it. The people strategy needs to consider more non-traditional HR topics such as the physical workplace, finances, analytics, technology, and the future of work in addition to workforce concerns. For an HR strategy to be effective, it must prioritize the most critical workforce projects that will maximize business impact and build a program management office (PMO) to operationally bring the strategy to life.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to collectively build an HR strategy with your HR leadership team
• How to build a program management office to proactively plan for disruptions
• How to evolve culture to deliver your people and business strategy

Move your body, grab a refreshing drink and chat with some of our sponsors.

General Session

Speaker: Jason Cerrato

Vice President, Talent-centered Transformation, Eightfold AI

Speaker: Sue Cantrell

Vice President of Products, Workforce Strategies and the U.S. Eminence Leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Leaders today face complex tensions and choices as new trends in work, workforce, and organizations emerge. Backed by insights from over 13,000 respondents of Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends report, this session will explore how to turn those tensions into opportunities that can drive impact.

From balancing stability and agility, to reimagining performance management and the role of the manager, we’ll examine the pressing questions shaping the future of work—and how to answer them. We’ll dive into actionable strategies across three core areas: rethinking work design for greater capacity and flexibility, updating the human value proposition for an AI-driven era, and unlocking organizational performance through culture and leadership transformation.

In this session, you will learn how to:

• Balance workforce stability with business agility (“stagility”) to stay competitive.
• Rethink employee value propositions and close gaps in readiness and performance.
• Get more value from workforce technologies and AI-powered tools.
• Reimagine motivation, performance, and the role of the manager to unlock human potential.

New room, new ideas to SPARK!

General Session

Speaker: Meghan Rhatigan

Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition Experience, Marriott International

More information coming.

New room, new ideas to SPARK!

General Session

Speaker: Tabitha Wright

Head of Talent Programs, GE HealthCare

In today’s fast-changing workforce, having the right talent ready at the right time isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. Join Tabitha Wright, Head of Talent Programs at GE Healthcare as she guides you through the strategies and structures needed to build a dynamic talent pipeline that ensures your organization stays ahead. From identifying key roles and sourcing top talent to succession planning and retention, you’ll gain practical tools to future-proof your workforce.

Join us to explore proven talent pipeline strategies that drive business continuity, foster diversity and inclusion, and create a steady flow of skilled, engaged talent to meet your organization’s evolving needs.

In this session, you will learn:

• Define and optimize your talent pipeline to support long-term business goals.
• Identify critical roles that require a consistent, high-quality talent flow.
• Leverage diverse sourcing strategies, including partnerships with universities, military programs, and internships.
• Develop talent from within through structured training, mentorship, and upskilling programs.
• Align talent pipelines with succession planning to ensure leadership continuity.
• Build inclusive hiring practices that strengthen workforce diversity.
• Use data and analytics to measure pipeline effectiveness and make smarter hiring decisions.
• Engage and retain high-potential candidates, keeping them connected until the right opportunity arises.

Speaker: Cristina Costa

Founder, Cristina Costa Coaching

Let's close out SPARK TALENT 2025 with a bang.