2017 Wisconsin SHRM State Conference, October 11-13, 2017
2017 Wisconsin SHRM State Conference, October 11-13, 2017
Conference At A Glance
View the conference sessions, speaker titles and session room numbers below. 
  • Wednesday, October 11
    1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
    Wednesday PC1-1 (Wisteria/Portia) Utilizing Behavioral Finance Strategies and Revealing Viable Outcomes in Retirement
    Todd Barden, Hugh O'Toole
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    TR
    Learn how to significantly improve the design of your corporate retirement savings plan so that the goal of your participants is met to reach successful retirement outcomes. Based on 20 years of academic research led by Dr. Shlomo Benartzi at UCLA and Richard Thaler P.H.D. University of Chicago utilize powerful concepts to deliver proven strategies for your plan participants. Attend our session to learn how to use behavioral finance and psychology which is a powerful combination of psychology and investing. Save More Tomorrow: Practical Behavioral Finance Solutions to Improve 401(k) Plans.

    Attendees will receive a valuable understanding of the financial impact of a workforce unprepared for retirement. Viability Advisory Group has developed a patent-pending technology to accurately predict the retirement readiness of their employee population. The retirement readiness analysis is then overlaid with each employer's actual wage, healthcare, and disability, and other marginal cost factors.

    Takeaways include:
    • Understanding the association between your retirement program and an aging workforce that may choose to continue working rather than retiring.
    • Understand the marginal cost drivers inherent with an aging workforce and predict the financial impacts that will affect the viability of your workplace
    • Know how to evaluate, explain, and predict the financial impact of your organization.

    Todd Barden is Corporate Retirement Director at Morgan Stanley in downtown Milwaukee and has been working closely with Plan Sponsors to help American workers retire with dignity since 1990. “Helping people retire successfully is not just a job for me, but a passion. When employees are better prepared for retirement, I believe everyone wins: your company, your employees, and society.”

    Todd has earned the significant industry designations of Certified 401(k) Professional (C(k)P®), Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®). The C(k)P® designation represents the pinnacle of achievement for professional retirement advisors. Todd received the C(k)P® designation through the retirement advisor University (TRAU) at UCLA Anderson School of Managements’ Executive Education Program. Todd utilizes behavioral finance principles with assisting plan sponsors in their efforts to improve participant outcomes. Todd is adjunct lecturer for the Plan Sponsor University (TPSU) leading interactive retirement plan fiduciary and management education at Marquette University.

    Todd was recognized as one of the “Top 401 Retirement Advisors” by the Financial Times in May of 2015.

    Hugh O'Toole is Senior Vice President of the Viability Advisory Group, responsible for directing and promoting the firm's efforts to quantify the value of helping employers and employees make the most of their retirement and other employee benefits.
    Viability developed a patent-pending analysis program to help companies evaluate the financial costs associated with their employees being unprepared for retirement and the loss of productivity attributed to employees' lack of financial security.

    O'Toole has an established track record as a disruptor in the retirement plans and benefits marketplaces. After founding Viability in 2014, O'Toole then joined MassMutual in 2015 when the insurer acquired the assets of his firm.

    Previously, O'Toole headed distribution and relationship management for MassMutual for seven years, when the insurer more than doubled its retirement plan assets under management. MassMutual then doubled its assets again when O'Toole helped lead the acquisition of The Hartford's Retirement Plans unit in 2013.

    Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
    Credit Hours: 3.50
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Wednesday PC1-2 (Tamarind/Guava) The Annual Legal Overview-Keeping Up with the Times
    Bob Gregg, Jennifer Mirus, Doug Witte
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    ELL
    HR professionals are constantly challenged to keep up with the ever-changing workplace, employment laws, and technology. This program will bring you up to speed on key recent developments in areas of importance for Wisconsin employers and provide the opportunity for questions and answers. The program will highlight three areas:

    Legal Update and Lessons from the Past Year
    • Recent laws and new regulations affecting your business.
    • A review of the most important Supreme Court and Wisconsin employment-related cases.
    • Other significant employment law cases, including the “most unusual cases of the year.”
    • Coming attractions and trends you should be ready for.
    • Best practices and practical guidance.

    This session addresses key developments of the past year and “red flags” issues for the future, including: the growing scope of joint employment (your potential liability to contingent workers and to the employees of your contractors); potential risks for personal liability for investigating employment complaints; the issue of growing incivility in the workplace; legal concerns with bring your own device to work policies; the newest FMLA/FLSA concerns; and more.

    A Closer Look at the ADA Interactive Process
    Disability-related lawsuits are on the rise and many employers find themselves in legal hot water due to failures in the ADA/WFEA interactive process. While disability accommodations require individualized assessments, this program will present a practical roadmap for the interactive process that can guide most accommodation requests and will highlight common employer missteps. We will also address key ways in which the ADA and FMLA interact when accommodations are needed. This program will help you highlight how to improve your disability accommodation process and give you best practices to get there!

    So You’re Going to Do an HR Audit! – In Depth Advice
    Being aware helps prevent problems. A good HR self-audit is the key. This program provides an outline for an in-depth HR self-audit. Be organized and save time and effort by learning the checklists, priorities and reasonable scope of your audit. This session will include critical areas to focus on including: lawful hiring practices; I-9 and immigration; wage and hour compliance; eliminating discrimination and harassment; and, lawful discipline, investigations and terminations.

    Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
    Credit Hours: 3.50
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Wednesday PC1-3 (Marula/Aloeswood) Can We PLEASE Evolve the Diversity Talk and Start Taking Action?!
    Alonzo Kelly
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    PD
    There is an age old saying that quotes 'What got us here today, won't be enough to get us where we need to be tomorrow'. Whether or not that is true depends on how we have evolved the narrative and definition of the words 'Diversity' and 'Inclusion'. If the Constitution is approximately 230 years old and we still can't agree on its current interpretation for today, then it is fair to say that laws/policies/rules aimed at addressing diversity 50 years ago are still under review. This dynamic presentation explores the intentions of rules of the past and their current impact of the issues of today.

    Takeaways include:
    • Appreciate the intention of early laws and policies to understand the goals they were intended to achieve and the challenges with using those same rules for diversity/inclusion/equity goals of today.
    • Prioritize very specific action steps and strategies to efficiently and effectively create an employment culture of authentic inclusion.
    • Feel comfortable discussing, inquiring, and debating topics of diversity that lead to better appreciation and understanding of people and communities.

    A dynamic Executive Coach, Professor, 3x Best Selling Author, and Radio Host, Alonzo Kelly has gained international and global attention as a premier consultant, strategist, and coach. Alonzo is recognized as one the nation’s leading experts on leadership development, strategic planning, and professional goal achievement. He has appeared on America’s Premier Experts which airs on major networks across the country including ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Alonzo has served over 1,000 individuals through personal and professional development, delivered training to a plethora of fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations, and is consistently retained to be the keynote speaker at large and small events across the country. Kelly is the host of a dynamic live internet radio show “Leadership; The Way I See It”.

    Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
    Credit Hours: 3.50
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Wednesday PC1-4 (Mangrove/Aralia) Company Culture & Employee Engagement
    Zach Blumenfeld, Scott Kohl
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    ThirdSpace will provide an overview of research they have conducted over the past two years in regard to the following: Employee Engagement, Company Culture, Onboarding, and Capturing Institutional Knowledge. This session will also include a workshop to strategize around these topics.

    Takeaways include:
    • Create and deliver an epic culture.
    • Give your employees the tools and skill sets to master their career and enhance their journey on your team.
    • Discussion will lead to generational topics including Millennials, GenX, Boomers.

    Zach Blumenfeld is ThirdSpace's VP of sales and marketing. Seasoned in customer development, account management, and business development, and with experience in verticals from sports to healthcare he brings vigorous energy and keen experience. Recently, Zach moved on from his Regional Sales Director role at TASC, where he lead business development and brokered relationships within the state of Wisconsin. From 2012 through 2015, Zach was a Regional Sales Director for Power Designers where he created and maintained a dealer network across an 11-state territory for F1000 clients. Zach has a passion for engaging the workforce and creating a strong company culture.

    Scott Kohl has over 20 years steeped in software development, gamification, higher education, business development and entrepreneurship. Kohl is a triple threat with a technical background in IT, business background and highly trained in Design Thinking and Lean Innovation by former leaders from Intuit. In 2012 Kohl left the safety of the corporate world to launch Ronin Studios, a game-based learning company which then lead him to co-found ThirdSpace. Scott is highly regarded in the startup community and often asked to assist with coaching, mentoring and even judging business plans for other early stage companies. Recently Scott has been a Lean Innovation coach for a major Fortune 500 company.

    Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
    Credit Hours: 3.50
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Relationship Management
    4:00 PM to 7:30 PM
    Wednesday Evening Event in Exhibit Hall
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    Wednesday Evening Event in Exhibit Hall - Heavy hors d'oeuvres. There will be multiple selections, including chicken wings, cheese quesadillas, vegetable egg rolls, crab cakes, and vegetable crudité. Assorted desserts will also be provided.

    Join us on Wednesday evening for great conversation and activities in our exhibit hall as we showcase some of HR’s top talent. Reach for the stars as you meet our talented HR Exhibitors who offer a wonderful opportunity for you to partner with them and learn from their expertise. Collect enough stars to be entered to win a prize on Wednesday night!

    As you learn more about all the talent in our exhibit hall, be sure to try this year’s specialty drink.

    Take time for a photo opportunity in our new mirrored photo booth or stop in to win at the money booth.

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  • Thursday, October 12
    6:30 AM to 7:30 AM
    Thursday EB1-1 (Tamboti) Tell Me A Story – Branding Your Corporate Wellness Program
    Robyn Adair
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    BS
    It is not enough to develop your corporate wellness program and hope “if you build it, they will come”. On the flip side, you don’t want to inundate your employees with carnival-barker messages expounding only on the greatness of the program. Today consumer wants to know what is in it for them and demands a different marketing approach, “a marketing story” that creates a wellness experience to illustrate what is in it for your employees. By effectively branding your wellness program and then positioning that brand in a compelling way, you can create lasting relationships between your employees and wellness program. In the process, you can create brand champions who will do some of your marketing for you!

    Takeaways include:
    • Thoughts on effective branding and positioning of your wellness program.
    • People love a story and part of building a brand is creating a story that will resonate with your employees, resulting in engagement and motivation of your employees. You will learn how to develop those stories and see what tools are available to help communicate those stories.
    • There are many channels you can use to promote your brand (corporate wellness program.) There are also many challenges and benefits of that come with those channels (social, digital and physical.) You will learn how to choose and use your chosen channels seamlessly to drive employee participation in your wellness program

    Robyn Adair is a brand builder, storyteller, marketing professional and speaker with more than 20 years of marketing experience. She began her career as a graphic designer, journalist and photographer in the publishing industry. Robyn current role is Director of Marketing and chief storyteller at Sensia, a Milwaukee-based independent medical provider specializing in corporate healthcare. She is a champion of creating environments and experiences where clients and people thrive. She also coaches track and cross country at Waterford High School. Robyn holds a Master of Arts in Advertising and PR from Marquette University.

    Room Number: Tamboti
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Communication
    Thursday EB1-2 (Tamarind/Guava) Understanding the FMLA and the ADA Maze
    Marina Galatro
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    EL
    Both the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) often apply to employees who are seriously ill or injured. When this happens, employers may be required to grant leave and to accommodate the employee under both the FMLA and the ADA.

    The legal requirements of the FMLA and the ADA are similar in some regards, at times an employer may find that the requirements of one law contradict the other, and the employer cannot comply with both laws. In these cases, it is important to know which law takes precedence, or trumps the other.

    This session will highlight the similarities and differences between the FMLA and the ADA. Explanations of the basic statutory obligations
    of the two laws will be addressed. In addition, guidance on which law should be followed when the laws contradict each other.

    Takeaways include:
    • Similarities and differences between the FMLA and the ADA.
    • Understand the basic statutory obligations.
    • Guidance on which law should be followed when the laws contradict each other.

    Marina has more than 20 years of HR experience and provides consultation, best practice guidance and support to companies on a variety of topics such as: California laws, compensation, employment law compliance/state regulatory analysis, HR management, leave of absence, paid time off, performance management, policy and procedure development and review, total rewards, and training and development.

    Her clients comprise a wide variety of industries including retail, manufacturing, health care, professional services, not-for-profit agencies, utilities, government, software development, technology and telecommunications. Prior to joining Willis Towers Watson, Marina held a senior-level HR consulting and account management role with a professional employer organization (PEO) for six years and was a director of human resources in the sports and entertainment industry for 14 years. She has spoken on numerous HR topics at national and local events and is a regular contributor to Willis Towers Watson blogs and publications.

    Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday EB1-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Talent Pipelines: Impact Recruitment Using Strategic Concepts
    Traci Sherck
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    BS
    Connecting with the right talent, right now and growing them for future opportunities using the right technology and social media is a balancing act for most HR professionals. This program will introduce strategic talent pipelines that utilize collaborative relationships with local and state resources to incent and engage entry level staff and help with their growth to fill hard to fill positions in the future. We will walk through best practices relating to collaboration with your community partners, training plans, mentoring, talent development and the impact of the employee experience.

    Takeaways include:
    • Rethinking recruitment ----Moving from tactical to strategic while utilizing technology and maintaining the human touch.
    • Designing talent pipelines that incorporate community collaboration.
    • Exploring the efficiencies in talent development that create a positive employee experience.

    Traci has in-depth experience partnering with business owners to identify needs and propose solutions which will benefit the organization, employees and customers. As a senior human resource consultant with HK Payroll Services, Inc. (HKP) she listens to client concerns and assists with creating a plan to solve their issues and further their human resource and business objectives.

    In previous roles, she has been responsible for strategic planning, creating and implementing policies, procedures and creative talent development pipelines, developing safety and wellness initiatives, evaluating and instilling cultural competence, and administration of payroll and benefits. She has both non-and for profit experience in a wide array industries including union and non-union environments.

    Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Business Acumen
    Thursday EB1-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) Focus at Work–How Mindfulness Can Improve Employee Attention and Well-Being
    Jennifer Pulvermacher
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    PD
    In today’s distracted workplace, the ability to manage attention is becoming a highly desirable skill. Mindfulness is a practice that helps to train your attention; enabling you to stay focused in the present moment. More and more companies are introducing mindfulness programs to their employees as a way to improve productivity, reduce stress and enhance overall well-being.

    In this session, you will experience a corporate mindfulness training session first-hand and explore the potential benefits for your organization. You will also learn how to begin strengthening your own attention with some simple exercises that you can practice at work or at home.

    Takeaways include:
    • Understand the benefits and the science behind strengthening your attention.
    • Practice simple and discrete exercises to strengthen your focus throughout the day.
    • Experience a corporate mindfulness training session and learn how it fosters greater attention.

    Jennifer is a Partner and Co-founder of Mind Groove, a boutique consultancy that enables organizational effectiveness through corporate mindfulness training solutions. She has worked with leaders and teams to train attention and to promote mindful leadership, well-being, and compassion in the workplace.

    With more than 25 years’ experience as a management consultant, Jennifer specializes in leading organizations through change. She has worked with Fortune 500 and mid-market companies across a wide range of industries through major transitions. Through her work with executives, front-line employees, and cross-functional teams, Jennifer has implemented process improvements to enhance operations, facilitated culture change, and managed effective communications across diverse stakeholder groups.

    Jennifer is passionate about working with leaders to create and sustain work environments that support organizational effectiveness and overall well-being.

    Dana is Partner and Co-Founder of Mind Groove, LLC, a boutique consultancy that enables organizational effectiveness through corporate mindfulness training solutions. As a former global HR director, Dana has witnessed the difficulties leaders and employees face in maintaining focus amid stressful work environments. Dana sees mindfulness as a means to bring about transformational change in the workplace that benefits both employees and organizations. With over 20 years of experience as a Human Resources practitioner, Dana has worked with Fortune 500 manufacturing and professional services industries. Her clients include Johnson Controls Inc., Brady Corporation, Robert W. Baird and Quad/Graphics.

    Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
    Thursday EB1-5 (Wisteria/Portia) Re-examining Compensation and Benefit Trends – You Get What You Pay For
    Rena Somersan
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    TA
    Take part in this interactive program that frames up a discussion of the trends and pain-points that compensation and benefits professionals are grappling with in the new political and economic climate. Topics covered will include salary budget and compensation trends, pay-for-performance myths and pitfalls and fundamental shifts in healthcare and retirement programs. Using trends research and case-study examples, this session will frame up the employer-employee value proposition of the Total Rewards program and how it has and will change over the coming years. Rena Somersan will facilitate conversation from the group on pros and cons as well as opportunities and threats posed by these changes.

    Takeaways include:
    • Over-arching implications of the trends and best practices in compensation, retirement and benefits as shown in the CRB Trends Survey conducted by Newport Group for 2016-2017.
    • Tips on solving the challenges of engaging talent in the backdrop of continued uncertainty in the economy and labor market.
    • Typical strategic approaches to total rewards initiatives

    Rena Somersan is a Managing Principal with the Compensation Consulting Services at Newport Group. With 20+ years of diverse consulting experience assisting clients in executing their strategic HR and compensation initiatives she has a degree in Economics and Japanese from the UW Madison and an MBA. Somersan lived abroad for 16 years in Japan and Turkey, returning to the US in 2008. While in Turkey, Somersan started a consulting firm that represented the Hay Group and did compensation for multinational firms including Coca-Cola, Nissan, and the United Nations. Somersan's expertise includes the design of workforce and executive compensation programs, performance management systems and leadership development in a variety of industries. She is a National SHRM and World at Work member as well as Metro Milwaukee SHRM’s 2014-2015 President.

    Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    8:00 AM to 9:15 AM
    Thursday All Attendee Keynote Presentation
    Josh Bleill
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    Title - One Step at a Time
    Speaker - Josh Bleill

    The events of September 11, 2001 that shook the entire nation motivated Josh Bleill to follow his father’s footsteps and serve our country. A couple years later, Josh enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed shortly thereafter. It was during his deployment that Josh was involved in a blast, losing two friends and both of his legs. He spent two years of extensive rehabilitation recovering and currently has 32 pins in his hip and a 6-inch screw holding his pelvis together.

    “One Step at a Time: A Young Marine's Story of Courage, Hope, and a New Life in the NFL” follows Josh's journey from his enlistment then on to active duty in Fallujah, through two years of rehab, and ultimately to his job as the community spokesman for the Indianapolis Colts. Everyone has had that "one bad day". Josh discovered that life begins when we embrace our bad days and keep going forward, one step at a time. Audience members will be inspired by his undying enthusiasm, infectious joy, and sense of humor.

    Josh Bleill is not only a polished professional speaker but he is a speaker telling his life story with humor and humbleness that connects with the attendees. Josh has traveled the country speaking to groups of top executives, professional athletes, associations, corporations and too many youth organizations to mention. This powerful message will help you believe it is imperative for a never give up, positive attitude to be able to take “One Step at a Time” through difficult times, personally and professionally.

    Room Number: Suites A-H
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    10:15 AM to 11:30 AM
    Thursday L1-1 (Wisteria/Portia) The Things Oprah Taught Me About Great HR
    John Hudson
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    BS
    Do you feel there is something missing within your employee base? Is there a lack of trust or a feeling of a lack of purpose in your culture? We will dig deep and explore areas around building a trustful environment where employees can find purpose and meaning in their work. We will also discuss easy to use programs around wellness, rewards and recognition, and employee engagement. John Hudson spent 8 years with Harpo, Inc and will share his insights and learnings based on the influences of Oprah Winfrey.

    Takeaways include:
    • How to build trust in your organization and get your employees to show up as their best selves.
    • Get your employees to be engaged in their work and find purpose and meaning regardless of your employer brand.
    • Learn and discuss programs HR professionals can implement that engage their employees, have an impact, and don't require a lot of budget.

    John Hudson is a Chicago-based Midwest HR Business Partner with Slalom, LLC. With 20 years of experience in the Human Resources field, John provides consultation and expertise in the areas of performance management, employee development, employee relations, compensation, and recruiting. John has worked with top brands such as Harpo Studios, Discovery Channel, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, PepsiCo, and CNA Insurance. He has supported various departments including IT, Legal, Finance and Operations. John has a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Indiana University and the SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications. Follow him on Twitter @johnphudson.

    Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L1-2 (Tamarind/Guava) It Was Just a Tweet! Navigating Social Media Landmines in the Workplace
    Sofija Anderson, Jill Hamill Sopha
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    ELL
    Social Media is an ever growing and ever changing part of every employee’s work and personal life. Companies that don’t properly navigate how they address social media in their business practices can run into legal, business and employee morale landmines. In this session, employment attorney mediator and SHRM-SCP Jill Hamill Sopha and employment attorney Sofija Anderson will use their combined legal and HR backgrounds to highlight recent trends and best practices for the business use of social media, to explain the laws impacting employer use of social media, and to provide tips on how to reduce risk when navigating social media issues in the workplace.

    Takeaways include:
    • Recent trends and best practices for the use of social media to provide business value while reducing legal risk.
    • Laws impacting the business use of social media and how to avoid common landmines and mistakes.
    • Social media best practices including the practical application of how to properly navigate tricky social media issues in the workplace.

    Sofija Anderson is a Shareholder in Littler’s Milwaukee office, where she represents employers in litigation of labor and employment-related disputes in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, as well as in the arbitral forum. Experienced in both single plaintiff matters and class actions, her practice includes defending claims of: employment discrimination; unlawful harassment; retaliation/whistleblowing; wrongful discharge/violation of
    public policy; breach of contract; interference with prospective economic/business advantage; unfair business practices; wage and hour violations; fraud; defamation; and privacy violations.

    In addition to litigation, Sofija assists employers, of all sizes, with customizing and implementing state-of-the-art employment policies and procedures. She also offers compliance counseling and advises employers on a variety of employment and labor-related issues, ranging from employee on-boarding, performance management/discipline, accommodation, contract negotiations to plant closures. She also offers training seminars on a variety of topics.

    Jill Hamill Sopha is Owner and Managing Director of Sopha Mediation LLC, a company dedicated to helping employers and employees find early and efficient alternatives to workplace disputes and litigation through mediation. Jill has over 20 years of experience as an employment attorney (UW, 1996) and is also Senior Certified Human Resources Professional (SHRM-SCP). Prior to starting her mediation business, Jill was Chief Counsel, Human Resources for Fortune 500 Company Harley-Davidson where she provided primary direction and guidance on all HR-related legal issues and was responsible for global HR compliance. Before her work at Harley-Davidson, Jill spent five years as an employment attorney at law firms in Madison, WI, and Chicago, IL.

    Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L1-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Impact on Employers’ Health Care Strategies
    Molly Iacovoni
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    ELL
    With change in the wind comes new rules and regulations in health care for America. How do employers prepare in the short-term and what are the projections and impacts in the long-term? Answers to these and other questions will be delivered by legislative subject matter expert Molly Iacovoni, who spends her time in Washington, D.C. addressing these issues and enhancing for Aon Risk Solutions' thought leadership with colleagues, clients and other organizations we work with.

    Takeaways include:
    • Find out the latest on where the A.C.A. legislation is at.
    • Hear strategies for timing and potential impact issues for you and your employees.
    • Find out what middle-market to major sized employers are doing.

    Molly B. Iacovoni, J.D., Senior Vice President is an attorney in the Aon Hewitt Health & Benefits Practice (Consulting) Lincolnshire, IL. She has been with Aon Hewitt for a total of 17+ years. Began her career at Hewitt in 1990 in its defined contribution administration practice. After attending law school and practicing employee benefits law, she rejoined Hewitt in 1997 and spent a number of years providing legal support to Hewitt’s outsourcing practice and, then, Aon Hewitt’s health and welfare consulting practice. Molly assists clients and clients’ counsel with employee benefits issues, focusing on health and welfare plan requirements under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. Molly’s specialty includes requirements under the Affordable Care Act (i.e., health care reform), HIPAA, COBRA, Medicare, including the retiree drug subsidy, and various state laws. Also, is a key contributor in the drafting of Aon Hewitt’s Knowledge Alerts on health and welfare legal matters. Due to Molly’s administrative and design background, Molly is sensitive to both the design and administrative impact of the various federal and state employee benefit laws. She has been quoted in various periodicals including the Chicago Tribune, Business Insurance, and the Wall Street Journal on health and welfare technical matters. Molly received her Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI and graduated magna cum laude in 1990. She received her J.D. degree from DePaul University in Chicago, IL in 1995 and is licensed to practice in Illinois and Michigan.

    Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L1-4 (Bamboo) The Power of Coaching: How to Transform Your Talent Management Strategies
    Regina Kramer, Nicole Pulito
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    While the use of professional coaches has grown significantly over the last 10 years there is still an opportunity to ensure Leaders have the tools, knowledge and resources necessary to develop a solid coaching strategy and implementation plan for themselves and their organizations. Everything from when coaching is appropriate to how to select a qualified coach to measuring ROI/ROE. At the ICF Wisconsin Chapter we have developed a dynamic, highly interactive presentation that offers practical tips, tools and access to resources that will dramatically improve your ability to execute a comprehensive coaching strategy.

    Takeaways include:
    • Identify the benefits and value coaching can offer in achieving business goals/objectives.
    • Differentiate between coaching and other supportive professions such as counseling, consulting and training.
    • Establish criteria and processes for selecting qualified professional coaches including measuring ROI/ROE.

    Nicole Pulito is the current President of the ICF Wisconsin Chapter. As an organizational psychologist and executive coach, Dr. Pulito brings 20 years’ experience working with individuals, teams and organizations to ignite transformational change. As a certified Integral Coach® with an PCC credential from the International Coach Federation (ICF), an ICF Board member and experienced leadership assessor, she brings a unique combination of expertise in leader effectiveness, psychology and integral coaching to her clients.

    Regina Kramer is the Founder and Chief Executive Coach of Winsight Coaching. For over 25 years’ she has delivered high-impact talent management solutions for complex, multi-national companies. She is passionate about helping each individual optimize their abilities to achieve their personal / professional goals and meet the challenges of today’s business environment. As a prior Senior Executive herself, she is ideally suited to help her clients navigate the complex, global business environment to deliver bottom line results.

    She holds an MLIR from Michigan State University, and a BS in Psychology from Aquinas College. Regina is a member of, and an ACC certified coach, with the International Coaching Federation.

    Room Number: Bamboo
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Relationship Management
    Thursday L1-5 (Tamboti) Setting Your Compensation Strategy to Enhance the Employee Work “Experience”
    Michael Maciekowich
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    TR
    HR and Compensation Strategies have undergone dramatic changes in the past few years. More emphasis has been placed on employee engagement and the employee work experience. This program will review how to incorporate past efforts in enhancing the customer experience and customer retention strategies into new HR and compensation strategies replacing traditional performance appraisal and reward systems with ones focused more on employee development, coaching and rewards tied to competencies and results.

    Takeaways include:
    • Why have a formal compensation strategy?
    • What is the new employee “work experience” model?
    • Strategies to move from performance appraisal to performance coaching and development. Pay for Results strategies--the icing on the cake.

    Michael F. Maciekowich is a National Director for Astron Solutions. His areas of expertise include the development, design, and implementation of executive, physician, & employee base pay systems, short- & long-term incentive programs, sales incentive programs, and performance management systems in all industries. Michael has 38 years of consulting and industry compensation experience. Michael is a sought-after speaker in total rewards program design. He has presented at national ASHHRA (American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration) and WorldatWork conferences, as well as numerous local ASHHRA & SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters. Michael is an active member of WorldatWork, the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Michael received a lifetime achievement award from WorldatWork. Michael received bachelor’s degrees in political science and philosophy, and a master’s degree in industrial relations, from the Loyola University of Chicago.

    Room Number: Tamboti
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L1-6 (Ironwood) How to Utilize Talent Assessments to Improve Hiring and Reduce Employee Turnover
    Thomas Hamilton
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    An educational presentation on a best practices approach to utilizing pre-employment testing that includes education on the history of utilizing testing in the workplace, the legality do’s and dont's, validity of use, implementation at different levels (non-exempt, exempt), utilizing as a training and development tool, expected outcomes over time and expected employee turnover reduction etc.

    Takeaways include:
    • The legality and validity of employment testing.
    • Implementation at different levels (non-exempt, exempt).
    • Utilizing as a training and development tool.

    Mr. Hamilton is the founder of Selection Resources whose expertise and hiring tools help organizations connect employment decisions to business results. Since 1999, Selection Resources has offered advanced talent assessments and background searches to help drive an organization's financial performance through improved employee selection and reduced employee turnover. Selection Resources is part of the Hamilton Group and serves hundreds of clients nationwide from small organizations to multi-location fortune 500 businesses. Mr. Hamilton serves as Board Chair and/or in leadership positions on multiple non-profit and for-profit Boards advising them on hiring issues. Mr. Hamilton received his B.A. in Business and Marketing from Drake University and is a frequent presenter on the subject of best practices employee selection and talent assessments.

    Room Number: Ironwood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Consultation
    Thursday L1-7 (Banyan) How to Create an Inclusive Workforce Through Mindfulness
    Ed Maxwell
    More
    GH
    Everyone would love a quick, easy solution to achieve diversity, and plenty of programs offer just that. However, traditional ways of trying to build diversity, such as grievance systems and mandatory diversity training, have actually been shown to undermine diversity, according to the latest Harvard research. Worse yet, people tend to overestimate how diverse their groups are, as recent experiments at Stanford have revealed.

    Takeaways include:
    • Understand how and why mindfulness training creates a more inclusive, diverse workforce.
    • Know the most common hurdles to implementing a long-term mindfulness program.
    • Learn how to cultivate one’s own mindfulness program.

    A former teacher and athletic coach with an M.Ed in history education, Ed Maxwell applies his love for and knowledge of learning to everything he does, including his personal practice of mindfulness. He’s been trained by the Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School. After earning his MBA from the Wisconsin School of Business, he combined his passion for teaching, business, and mindfulness by founding Third Left Wellness, a company that offers onsite mindfulness training to employees. His goal is to apply mindfulness to the most pressing needs organizations face, including how to build more inclusive workplaces.

    Room Number: Banyan
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
    Thursday L1-8 (Cypress) How to Recruit Great Employees Now----When Great People are Tough to Find & Competition is Fierce
    Greg Oelerich
    More
    TA
    Do you ever have a tough time finding "A" players for your team (or keeping them)? Do you ever dread the hiring process because it's time consuming and isn't attracting the kind of people you really want? Are you doing "double duty" because you don't have the right people in the right spots - and afraid that you can't grow because you just don't have the capacity right now?

    Join Greg to learn about a radically different (and fun!) approach to hiring - one that consistently attracts only those people who are a great fit for your culture and for the role you need to fill. Best of all - it's quick! What used to take months, can now take weeks instead. So you get to do what you need-time to focus ON, the business; AND. you get an "A" player who can really help you grown. It's a beautiful thing.

    Takeaways include:
    • Learn what makes their companies attractive in the first place-why candidates would be interested in them vs. other companies that do what they do.
    • Learn about a recruiting process that is proven to attract great candidates who are willing to work hard to be considered for their companies.
    • Learn how to use psychometric profiles to dramatically improve the odds of a solid match with person and role.

    Greg delivers steady expertise earned from over 25-years’ experience working in business development, sales management, and strategic planning. He consistently develops and motivates both individuals and large teams. He has an extensive background across multiple business sectors, including mortgage finance, real estate development, construction management, and personal finance. He leverages his experience to help his clients reach their full business potential.

    Room Number: Cypress
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
    Thursday L1-9 (Crown Palm) Emerging Workforce Study---How to Engage a Diverse Workforce
    Patti Dunning
    More
    TA
    Since 1997, Spherion has been tracking worker mindsets and trends through our pioneering study of the Emerging Workforce. The ninth edition of this study leverages 20 years of groundbreaking research to track changing attitudes and expectations of today’s workers and uncover the strategies that will help companies attract/recruit top talent, engage/retain their workforce, build leadership and plan for future talent needs, and transform employees into brand advocates.

    Takeaways include:
    • Understand the key factors impacting candidate attraction and effective outlets to recruit top talent.
    • Understand how social media and a company's online reputation influence worker perspectives.

    As a senior vice president of Spherion Staffing Services, with more than 20 years of experience focused on operational excellence and business development, Patti supports Spherion franchise business owners in more than 50 U.S. offices. Her guidance enhances their ability to partner with clients to build a high-performance workforce.
    A seasoned executive with broad-based experience in the staffing industry and a keen understanding of the U.S. workforce and the issues that drive performance, Dunning is a compelling and articulate speaker. She has shared the findings and implications of the Spherion Emerging Workforce® Study with numerous business groups. The Emerging Workforce Study leverages 20 years of groundbreaking research to reveal key insights into today’s workforce, and how companies employ and deploy their talent engine.

    Room Number: Crown Palm
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L1-10 (Marula/Aloeswood) Become the Strategic HR Business Partner Your Organization Needs!
    Liz Weber
    More
    BS
    Are strategic and personnel decisions made without your input? Do other members of the management team treat you as an adversary instead of an advisor? Would you like to learn why you are NOT viewed as a strategic business partner?

    Takeaways include:
    • Learn what it takes to become a strategic HR business partner and why you might be missing out.
    • Highlight your strategic value by simply saying things differently.
    • Learn the one key question to ask to enhance your value and be seen as a key business partner

    Liz Weber, CMC, CSP, works with ownership, executive, and leadership teams. She specializes in strategic and succession planning, and leadership development. Liz is one of fewer than 100 people in the U.S. to hold both Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designations.

    Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    12:45 PM to 2:00 PM
    Thursday L2-1 (Bamboo) Collaborating with Competitors: Sharing Talent Pools to Meet Workforce Challenges
    Melissa Hassett
    More
    BS
    Businesses are looking for growth and need access to the right talent to help them keep pace. But as the talent shortage heats up, employers are having more and more difficulty finding the talent they need. Because of this, it’s time to consider a revolutionary new solution: The key to finding talent in the future may very well require competitors in the same industry to share talent pools.

    Takeaways include:
    • Discuss current workforce trends that suggest the need for a new approach to hiring.
    • Learn about a new model that would allow employers and talent to capitalize on shared labor pools.
    • Hear about the specific types of employers that would likely benefit from this model.

    Melissa Hassett has been commended for her ability to streamline processes, launch and manage large scale staffing programs, and entrench herself in the client’s business to deliver customized staffing solutions. Melissa previously managed recruiting, training and quality assurance for a 600+ agent call center. With a varied background in HR, she understands the entire employee life cycle including initial employment branding, first contact with candidates, selection tools, onboarding, retention, employee relations and separations. She has expertise in sales positions, call centers, retail, customer service, insurance, financial services and more.

    Melissa is a balanced manager, skilled at orchestrating staffing systems, processes and a recruiting team. She is an expert at making processes and employees more efficient. She is able to communicate with all levels of employees, as well as sit at the table with C-level executives. Her employees are engaged and excited members of a productive team.

    Room Number: Bamboo
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L2-2 (Tamarind/Guava) The Nightmare Employee
    Julia Arnold, Sarah Miracle
    More
    EL
    HR professionals are required to work with challenging employees on a daily basis. This presentation will provide an overview of some common types of difficult, or “nightmare", employees and disruptive workplace behaviors that provide risk to your organization, then provide you with practical solutions to address these employees and behaviors.

    Takeaways include:
    • Practical advice regarding how to identify workplace behaviors that are problematic and/or create risk for your organization.
    • Practical advice for effectively managing common problematic behaviors.
    • Practical advice for addressing and mitigating risk created by problematic workplace behaviors and/or employees.

    Julia Arnold advises and represents employers in a broad range of employment law matters arising under federal and state law. She defends management in administrative charges and employment litigation before the state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division, and the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission. She has handled appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Wisconsin Courts, and the Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission.

    Sarah Miracle is experienced in assisting employers with a variety of employment law and litigation matters arising under state and federal law. She has defended employers against claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She has handled employment litigation and administrative charges in state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

    Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L2-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Improving the Employee Experience to Drive Engagement & Retention
    Tara Conger, SHRM-SCP, PHR
    More
    TA
    Employee engagement is defined broadly as an employee's job satisfaction, loyalty and his or her inclination to put forth effort to help achieve an organization's goals. It is considered a top talent issue for today's organizations. According to Deloitte, "Building an environment that is fulfilling, meaningful, and fun is not only good for employees, but can also potentially result in better business outcomes, including higher productivity, increased efficiency, higher levels of customer satisfaction, and better overall business results." While many companies intuitively understand the importance of employee engagement, only a fraction of them feel that they are very good at it.

    Tara Conger, VP, Human Resources, Palmer Johnson Power Systems (PJ), will discuss creating a culture of engagement. In 2016, Palmer Johnson Power Systems won a national "When Work Works Award" for its use of effective workplace strategies to increase business and employee success. Tara will share the things they have done at her company to achieve positive results for business success, employee well-being and productivity.

    Takeaways include:
    • Inspire you to influence your organization to implement the "human element" within your walls with blending work and family.
    • Share creative ways, at little or no cost, to keep your employees happy and productive and which you can immediately apply.
    • Learn strategies PJ has put in place to help with retention; this varies from employee development to recognition and beyond.

    Tara has over 10 years of business and HR experience and she knows that engaged employees are the key to workplace success! Tara is redefining the HR world by never operating in a status quo mindset. She is an HR “disruptor” and will take on the challenges and risks leading to continual improvement. What you can expect to learn today is how to develop a culture of engagement, how to scale it to your organization and how to get others to be supportive and engaged in the process.

    Tara is the Vice President of Human Resources at Palmer Johnson Power Systems. In her spare time, Tara and her husband Josh are engaged in their community and support a number of organizations. They enjoy travel, spending time at their cabin in Eagle River and having fun with their daughter Cassidy.

    Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Relationship Management
    Thursday L2-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) Influence Without Authority
    Julie Henszey
    More
    PD
    The ability to influence without authority is one of the most important skills an individual can master. Unfortunately, we unknowingly thwart our own success through habitual behavior. Learn three critical components of building social influence to maximize the efforts of others. You have more power than you realize, even over individuals who--so far--have resisted you.

    Takeaways include:
    • Recognize default mindsets and explore the advantages of cultivating a growth mindset to more successfully influence others.
    • Discuss a "give and take" behavior model and examine how a responsibility bias can prevent us from earning respect and thus influencing others.
    • Learn a method to assess the world of resistant or distant individuals and explore what they would value in exchange for the influence we seek.

    Julie Henszey is an executive coach, outdoor adventure guide, and founder of Next Step Goals, a leading coaching practice in the Milwaukee area. She is widely recognized as an expert in personal empowerment. Her solo travel to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and a goal to complete 100 sprint triathlons demonstrate her commitment to growth as she helps others explore their own potential. Julie is credentialed through the International Coach Federation, teaches continuing education courses at UW-Milwaukee and has lived in Norway, Iceland, and Australia.

    Julie is the author of Ten Critical Strategies for Finding Fulfillment in a Hectic World and in addition to coaching, offers a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon each year to unplug from the stress of daily life.

    Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Thursday L2-5 (Tamboti) Seven Health Plan Metrics Every HR Person Must Know
    Matt Chadwick, GBA
    More
    TR
    Are you managing your company's health care plan wisely? Are you in tune with the numbers that are driving costs on your plan? Calculating the seven metrics will provide insight into the financial efficacy of your company’s health plan. Using these metrics, you can clearly identify areas in which your company may be overspending. You will also be able to see how your company’s metrics stack up against a bench-marked average. Ultimately, these metrics can assist your company in crafting a benefits plan to maximize financial effectiveness.

    Takeaways include:
    • Learn how to measure and monitor seven metrics that give insight into the financial well-being of your health plan.
    • Discover how to compare your company’s metrics with benchmark data.
    • Obtain strategies to reduce health plan overspending.

    Matt Chadwick has been in the employee benefits consulting industry for the last 10 years. During that time, he’s held multiple positions from benefits implementation and administration to strategic program building and design. Along with his team at Cottingham & Butler, Matt specializes in self-funded medical programs for Wisconsin based organizations, and the integration of focused, outcome based wellness programs aimed at addressing the unsustainable costs of lifestyle related chronic conditions. Matt’s clients range from 50 person single site organizations to 7,500 employee corporations with international facilities.

    Room Number: Tamboti
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Business Acumen
    Thursday L2-6 (Cypress) Hiring 2020: Brand. Source. Hire. Engage. Retain.
    Sarah Brennan
    More
    TA
    As technology and social media continues to evolve, the approach companies are needing to take to compete for top talent is evolving rapidly. No longer is simply posting a job enough. From small business to global enterprise, what happens before the “submit application” button is touched is having a bigger impact than most organizations know; and not just in recruiting. The impact of branding on your turnover, engagement, even customer satisfaction scores and bottom line results shock most organizations! Learn about Employment Branding, Recruitment Marketing and Candidate Experiences strategies that don’t require big budgets to have huge impacts and ROI at your company.

    Takeaways include:
    • Learn about the impact technology is having on candidate expectations, and why it has changed.
    • Discuss the importance of brand on decision making for prospective and current employees as well as how to improve your own.
    • Learn about the connection between Talent Acquisition and Business Strategy.

    With nearly two decades dedicated to researching, developing and executing strategies related to hiring the right talent, Sarah Brennan, Principal Consultant, Talent Acquisition at Cornerstone OnDemand, is a sought-after mind in human resources. In her role today, she works globally, with companies of all sizes on their talent strategy and business alignment. She has been featured in national media such as Huffington Post, Fast Company, NBC News, Bloomberg, and ABC; spoken at HR, Marketing & Technology conferences in 6 countries and written for numerous industry publications. She is the founder of HRTechBlog, a co-founder of WomenofHR.com and served on the Candidate Experience Awards Board. Prior to joining Cornerstone, she was CEO of Accelir; Principal Analyst at Bersin; Chief Strategy Officer at HRMDirect & HR & Talent Acquisition Practitioner.

    Room Number: Cypress
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Business Acumen
    Thursday L2-7 (Ironwood) HRA’s Role and the Triple Bottom Line
    Amy Bettis
    More
    TA
    Learn how HR can be a strategic partner in driving sustainability efforts for an organization, maintaining the balance of the Triple Bottom Line --- People Planet and Profit.

    Takeaways include:
    • Deliverables HR must help generate that impact the Triple Bottom Line ---People Planet and Profit?
    • How can HR leverage employee motivation and engagement through sustainability?
    • What is HRÃ’s responsibility to communicate a sustainable employer brand?

    Amy Bettis’ 27-year career in print manufacturing has transitioned from production, to graphic design, project management, marketing and human resources. Currently, she is an HR and Marketing Specialist at Empire Screen Printing in Onalaska, WI. Embracing her career shift, she has recently earned her SHRM-CP certification. As a volunteer, she channels her marketing, communication and HR expertise into her local SHRM chapter, as the La Crosse Area SHRM’s Communications Coordinator.

    Amy is one of the founding members of Empire’s Green Team, and a veteran member of the MPower cohort at Western Technical Colleges Sustainability Institute. Through Empire’a green team and MPower, she has worked to educate others about sustainability and how it relates to business, strategic planning, branding, community involvement, employee recruitment, and retention. Sustainability has become a cornerstone of who she is and who she chooses to work for.

    Room Number: Ironwood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Business Acumen
    Thursday L2-8 (Banyan) Ted Talks
    Sarah Gibson, Regina Kramer, Drew Leatherberry, Stephen Utech, Brad Yocum
    More
    PD
    The Imposter Within - Sarah Gibson
    Ever feel like a fraud? Afraid your team will wake up and realize you really don't know what you are doing? This TED Talk session will challenge the insecurities we all face and challenge you to embrace your full strengths and contributions in the workplace. Specifically, we’ll look at what causes us to think we are imposters, how to gain true perspective on the gifts you bring to your team, and how to free others around us to embrace who they are.

    Business Strategy in HR Strategy - Regina Kramer
    Over the last 10 years the role of HR has increasingly become more critical to a company’s success in achieving their business strategy. Whether the goal is organic growth or acquisition, cost containment or expansion, increased productivity or customer satisfaction, the HR programs and policies you deploy are critical to ensuring people are aligned around the objectives. Past practice of developing a standalone HR strategy runs the risk of missing critical business factors that may be in conflict with or commit the organization to activities that don’t have a direct impact on the business strategy. All of which results in a diminution of the impact and value that HR can bring.

    This presentation explores an approach to strategic planning which focuses on picking one of the five primary HR pillars of Talent Management, Rewards, Selection, Compliance and Engagement, and then building strategies and actions around that pillar that unite the other pillars in a collaborative way to achieve business strategy. Using the analogy of a circus Big Top Tent, the key to success is selecting a strong center pole that will raise the tent high ensuring your Company becomes the “Greatest Show on Earth”.

    Making Employee Benefits the Star of the Recruiting & Retention Show - Drew Leatherberry
    With a changing workforce, a costly healthcare landscape and ever-expanding technologies, benefit plans are evolving. They can demand more resources than ever to manage while becoming a weakness in job satisfaction and even causing a lack of productivity. So how do you turn benefits from being a liability to the star of your recruiting and retention strategy?

    With sustainable financial program design, relevant employee education tools and a meaningful well-being philosophy, your benefits can go from being a line item to the star of the show. In this session, Forsite Benefits’ experts coach you on several innovative strategies that will make your benefit program stand out from the crowd. And it doesn’t have to cost you more to deliver the right value in an effective way.


    The Mean Makers - Stephen Utech
    Stephen Utech offers a unique experience diving into the difficulties of workplace dynamics that can hold us back from living fully. By delving into the interplay between our behaviors, feelings, and self-concept, we can address the fears that create barriers for us to create meaningful interactions with those around us. When organizations pursue a culture of awareness, openness and accountability, they are able to navigate difficulties more efficiently and effectively as they arise, driving greater results and revenue.

    Talent Acquisition Analytics - Workforce Strategy & Analytics - Brad Yocum
    Utilize analytics to fuel talent attraction, improve the candidate experience, and ultimately use data to determine Talent Acquisition strategies.

    Room Number: Banyan
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Thursday L2-9 (Crown Palm) Talent Day --- Determining Culture Fit
    Kendl Behling, Wes Powell, Jay Stephany, SHRM-SCP, PHR
    More
    BS
    Have you ever hired someone who is not a culture fit? What if you could assess culture fit before offering employment? Talent Day answers these questions by engaging candidates outside of the traditional interview. Candidates are assessed based on their ability to lead, solve problems, think critically and make difficult decisions in a controlled yet chaotic environment. Talent Day allows the selection team to observe candidates perform and lead under stress while increasing their awareness of the organization and themselves.

    Takeaways include:
    • How to use Talent Day as a component of selection and gain tips on getting buy-in from leadership.
    • How to immerse candidates into your culture by creating a controlled yet chaotic environment.
    • How to observe and assess the leadership characteristics and competencies exhibited by the candidates to determine culture fit.

    As a Seeker of Talent with Goodwill NCW, Kendl Behling is responsible for organizational recruitment and selection efforts, strategies and employment brand. As a co-facilitator of Talent Day, her passion for the culture of Goodwill drives her to ensure candidates fit through the selection and onboarding process.

    As Senior Learning and Development Specialist, Wes Powell is responsible for training and development initiatives on the Goodwill University team as well as co-facilitating Talent Day. In Wes’ role, it is important that candidates align with the culture of Goodwill to ensure success with the organization through The Best Possible U Journey.

    As a Senior Seeker of Talent with Goodwill NCW, Jay Stephany is responsible for leading the organization’s recruitment and selection efforts and strategies. In addition, Jay develops and leads Goodwill NCW’s employment brand and implements its market pricing compensation strategy.

    Room Number: Crown Palm
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L2-10 (Wisteria/Portia) Critical Thinking in HR
    Moira Kelly, Michael Rust
    More
    BS
    Savvy HR professionals know how, when, and why parties in conflict can benefit from the elements of critical thinking in discussing their issues and framing their concerns. Using appropriate and effective neutral standards in solution development can improve the sustainability and acceptance of final outcomes. This session will help HR professionals recognize the importance of these advanced level skills.

    Takeaways include:
    • Gain a better understanding of the framework of the critical thinking methodology.
    • Understand the use of neutral standards development in facilitating satisfactory outcomes to conflict.
    • Ability to apply the critical thinking and neutral standards methodology to conflicts within their organization.

    “The Dispute Doctor” is president of KELLY CONSULTING LLC, a firm that concentrates in consulting and training on dispute resolution, labor relations, and organizational effectiveness. She has extensive experience in resolving problems within unionized and non-unionized firms. Moira has worked with numerous organizations and agencies to improve workplace effectiveness and to reduce workplace conflict.

    Prior to Kelly Consulting, Moira served in management capacities for domestic and international manufacturing and utility firms, including as vice-president of human resources and labor relations for firms with over $100 million in sales. She served on Wisconsin’s first Labor + Management Cooperation Council and in 2011, received the Melvin Lurie Labor-Management Cooperation Prize from the UW- Milwaukee. In 2015, she received the President’s Award from the Wisconsin Association of Mediators. Moira has taught in several graduate and law school programs throughout Wisconsin and holds a Masters in Dispute Resolution, Master of Science in Management, and a Bachelor of Arts degree.

    Michael D. Rust, J.D. is the Executive Director of the Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, Inc. He is the Past-President of the Wisconsin Association of Mediators and the Past-Chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, being the first person ever to hold both positions. Mr. Rust graduated from Carthage College with degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology before attending Marquette University Law School. He practiced law for several years before devoting his practice to conflict resolution. As Executive Director of the WCRC, Mr. Rust oversees a roster of over 50 volunteer mediators and a caseload of over 500 mediations a year with a huge case variety in addition to having performed hundreds of mediations himself and having trained hundreds of mediators. He has received recognition by the American Bar Association and the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France, for his work in mediation. He is also a frequent speaker on topics ranging from conflict, ethics, communication, and leadership having spoken to groups from coast to coast.

    Room Number: Bamboo
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Business Acumen
    2:30 PM to 3:45 PM
    Thursday L3-1 (Tamarind/Guava) Make the Business Case! Presenting Your HR Solutions to the C-Suite
    Rob Lapota
    More
    BS
    Looking to raise the credibility and contributions of HR in your organization and become a trusted business partner? Want to get your ideas heard and considered by the C-Suite? In any business, money talks. If you’re not speaking the language of business, your great HR ideas can be overlooked. Trusted HR business partners solve business problems with HR solutions - documenting the problem, the cost of the problem, the HR solution and cost, and the final impact on the bottom line, profits! Learn how to effectively communicate your great ideas to the C-Suite and impact the success of your business!

    Takeaways include:
    • Identify business problems where HR solutions can be most valuable.
    • Learn how to place a dollar value on the problems, solutions, and profit increase.
    • Create business proposals that solve business problems with HR solutions.

    Fun is core to Rob’s style of instruction. Can learning about COBRA be fun? Yes, Rob can make it fun. Can learning about FMLA be fun? Yes, Rob makes that fun, too! Rob is driven by a passion for HR leaders to be engaged as strategic partners in their organizations, solving business problems through HR solutions and showing bottom-line impact of HR initiatives.

    Drawing on more than 29 years of experience in HR and executive HR management, Rob helps employers find workable solutions to human resource issues. His career includes hands-on management and leadership responsibilities in all facets of human resources as well as experience developing ISO, QS 9000, and Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award compliant HR systems, metrics, and practices. He is certified as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

    Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L3-2 (Wisteria/Portia) Leveraging Mediation Techniques to Avoid and Resolve Workplace Conflict
    Jill Hamill Sopha, Michael Rust
    More
    ELL
    HR is often tasked with serving as the intermediary when employees are in conflict. However, many HR professionals have never been trained in conflict or dispute resolution and, therefore, may not be aware of certain tools or methods that could increase their effectiveness in these situations. In this session, mediators Michael Rust and Jill Hamill Sopha will use their combined legal, mediation and HR experience to provide real life examples and tips on how HR professionals can use the fundamental skills of mediation to better address and resolve employee conflict. Artful use of these skills results in less workplace stress, better resolutions for the employees, less stress on the HR professional and a positive result for the business in general. Come to this session to learn 10 mediation tips that will help HR improve their ability to facilitate an efficient and effective conflict resolution session.

    Takeaways include:
    • Attendees will learn about the importance of efficiently and effectively addressing workplace conflict and about several innovative tools that mediators use to resolve conflict.
    • Attendees will learn the best practices for using mediation tools such as active listening and effective questioning, identifying individual needs and interests and “expanding the pie” to address workplace conflict.
    • Attendees will learn the practical application of these mediation tools with real-life examples of how the use of these tools will improve HR’s ability to facilitate an efficient and effective conflict resolution session.

    Michael D. Rust, J.D. is the Executive Director of the Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, Inc. He is the Past-President of the Wisconsin Association of Mediators and the Past-Chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, being the first person ever to hold both positions. Mr. Rust graduated from Carthage College with degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology before attending Marquette University Law School. He practiced law for several years before devoting his practice to conflict resolution. As Executive Director of the WCRC, Mr. Rust oversees a roster of over 50 volunteer mediators and a caseload of over 500 mediations a year with a huge case variety in addition to having performed hundreds of mediations himself and having trained hundreds of mediators. He has received recognition by the American Bar Association and the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France, for his work in mediation. He is also a frequent speaker on topics ranging from conflict, ethics, communication, and leadership having spoken to groups from coast to coast.

    Jill Hamill Sopha is Owner and Managing Director of Sopha Mediation LLC, a company dedicated to helping employers and employees find early and efficient alternatives to workplace disputes and litigation through mediation. Jill has over 20 years of experience as an employment attorney (UW, 1996) and is also Senior Certified Human Resources Professional (SHRM-SCP). Prior to starting her mediation business, Jill was Chief Counsel, Human Resources for Fortune 500 Company Harley-Davidson where she provided primary direction and guidance on all HR-related legal issues and was responsible for global HR compliance. Before her work at Harley-Davidson, Jill spent five years as an employment attorney at law firms in Madison, WI, and Chicago, IL.

    Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Thursday L3-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Emerging Trends and Innovations in Healthcare
    Mike Johnson, Tracy Kleist
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    BS
    Without question 2017 is the year of change. During this period of significant change in company-sponsored health care plans, employers are forced to pull multiple levers to better manage escalating costs, improve health and employee engagement while complying with legislative and regulatory changes. No matter how committed an organization is to provide the best care, it’s often difficult to take the steps necessary to kick off change without some kind of financial impact to employees and their families. Now more than ever, employers need to understand the trends and innovations shaping the future of healthcare delivery and administration.

    Takeaways include:
    • Identify opportunities surrounding emerging trends in health care to prepare for future challenges.
    • Strengthen your ability to distinguish between fads and important trends.
    • Learn about the various healthcare financing strategies.

    Tracy Kleist joined Cottingham & Butler in 2011 and has worked in the insurance industry for over 25 years. Tracy offers insight and develops strategies to help clients manage risk and provide a competitive employee benefits package. Prior to joining C&B, Tracy worked for Humana in marketing, product development and sales. She has spent the last 13 years working as a consultant on the agency side.

    Mike Johnson is a benefits consultant out of Cottingham & Butler's Madison, WI Office. Mike has worked in Human Resources consulting capacity for the past 6 years specializing in benefits, recruiting and retention strategies, compliance and overall human resource practices.

    Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Business Acumen
    Thursday L3-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) My Leaders Have Problems! Developing Leaders to Deliver Both Business and People Results
    Daniel J. Stewart
    More
    PD
    How do you build leadership with someone who is solely focused on operational results? How can they learn to also pay attention to engagement, managing change, developing others, and team dynamics? Arming you and your leaders with proven, on-the-go tools will enable complete leadership development to happen even for the busiest executives.

    Takeaways include:
    • Discover what effective leadership looks like in today's constantly changing marketplace.
    • Identify the necessary leadership behaviors required to build and manage key relationships with a leader's boss, direct reports, peers, and customers.
    • Apply proven tools to develop leaders to accomplish both business and people results and create a tailored action plan to build your organization's leaders.

    Daniel J. Stewart is a sought-after talent, change, team and leadership development consultant and coach with proven experience advising senior leaders, leading change, and designing leadership-rich organizations. He leads Stewart Leadership, an international human capital consulting firm.

    Over the past fifteen years, he has been an internal and external organizational development executive and consultant delivering talent and team development solutions, executive leadership coaching, group facilitation, change management, organizational design, and strategic planning for companies that include JetBlue Airways, Avaya Telecommunications, Lockheed Martin, The Weihs Group (Venture Capital), Kohl’s Department Stores, and Aurora Health Care.

    He is the co-author of the award-winning book, LEAD NOW! A Personal Leadership Coaching Guide for Results-Driven Leaders, which was awarded First Place by the National Indie Excellence Book Award for best leadership book published over the last 5 years. He has also published articles in Executive Excellence, Practicing OD, Proposal Management, and HR.com.

    Daniel is originally from California and Oregon and lives near Milwaukee, WI with his wife, Katie, and their 4 children.

    Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Thursday L3-5 (Bamboo) Use ROI to Get Compensation Programs Approved
    Neil Lappley, Rich Sperling
    More
    TR
    Compensation programs don’t happen unless they are embraced by top management. Compensation programs compete for funds with manufacturing, marketing, sales, engineering, and every other function in the organization. To get top management engaged in compensation program proposals, we need to show that the programs produce results that the leaders care about results that enhance organization performance and produce positive financial outcomes.

    This workshop focuses on methods to identify, articulate, and value the outcomes of new or modified compensation programs in terms that are meaningful to business leaders. We will provide client examples of ways to get business leaders’ attention, engagement and approval of compensation programs.

    Takeaways include:
    • Learn how to propose compensation programs in ways that engage top management.
    • Learn how to assess and communicate compensation programs in terms of organization performance and financial outcomes, while considering qualitative objectives as well.
    • Learn to identify, articulate, and value compensation program outcomes.

    Neil Lappley heads a human-resources consulting practice that focuses on the development and implementation of reward and recognition programs that impact clients results. He has worked as a compensation and human-resources consultant for over 30 years. Neil has comprehensive experience in compensation systems, including executive compensation, salary management, sales-force incentive plans, board of director compensation, market-pricing, development of compensation surveys, and performance management.

    Neil has advised a wide-range of clients including manufacturing, industrial, consumer, service, financial and technology organizations. His clients are both public and private and include for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. He has counseled multinational clients at the corporate and subsidiary levels.

    Neil holds Bachelors and Masters’ degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

    Rich Sperling leads a human resource consulting practice that works with clients to build jobs, organizations, and reward programs that support and enable their business strategies and objectives. He provides expert consulting services in job evaluation, job families, roles and role relationships. Rich helps clients understand, plan, and manage spans of control. He also provides independent job evaluation reviews and dispute resolution for clients. Rich helps clients build the foundations for integrated performance management; career pathing; management development; succession planning; and reward strategies, architecture, and programs.

    Rich holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a BS from Yale University. He is a frequent author and speaker on jobs, organization, and rewards.

    Room Number: Bamboo
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L3-6 (Banyan) The New Talent Landscape and the High Cost of “One Size Fits All” Recruiting
    Kelly Renz, SHRM-SCP
    More
    TA
    When businesses engage and recruit candidates using 'one-size-fits all' approaches, they are not acknowledging individual career goals, talents and paths. Candidates, rather than experiencing how their skills and contributions will shape the company, are treated like one of many and they know it. The rote and uninspired candidate experience (you know it well ”the apply online and we’ll automate every response to you” ATS approach) will not attract employees looking for something more than a paycheck. Companies that don’t change or adapt will be left behind in the war for talent.

    Businesses need to find ways to engage people by their unique career interests and goals whenever possible, a strong Employer Value Proposition can make all the difference. Candidates should get a glimpse of the culture and values that make the business unique, enough to pique their interest.

    Takeaways include:
    • Discuss and share how the landscape and how candidate expectations have changed over the past 5 years. Knowing when technology and social media channels are helpful and when they will hinder your recruitment process.
    • EVP -- Employer Value Proposition: how to develop it, implement it and capitalize on it.
    • Ideas of how Human Resources can adapt to the hyper-competitive talent market: for organizations of all sizes and budgets. And, how these efforts for recruiting translate into retention results as well.

    With nearly two decades of executive leadership experience in both human capital and operations/P&L roles, Kelly has found that organizational transformation and developing business execution excellence is where she thrives. Whether it is a start-up, change management, turn-around/reorg or high growth environment, she enjoys working on complex business problems across an enterprise. She has lead a breadth of practice areas supporting overall business effectiveness, M&A (deal project management, due diligence and integration lead roles), global human resources, organizational effectiveness and efficiency (including process improvement and workforce effectiveness), talent acquisition, talent development, org design/OD, employee relations and risk management, performance management and other core business operations and P&L management in operations.

    Kelly is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Bachelor’s in English, Minor in Communications and the Keller Graduate School of Management, Master’s in Human Resource Management.

    Room Number: Banyan
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L3-7(Cypress) HOLY COW! Create an Amazing Workplace that Steers Passion
    Tracy Stock, CSP
    More
    PD
    Are you and your people bringing all of their passion, commitment, and skills to the workplace every day? Do you need a way to inspire fragmented teams to collaborate better and perform at a higher level? Are dysfunctional viruses such as whining, gossip, and negativity contaminating the spirit of success and prosperity you want to create? Leaders and teams can continue to talk about issues like these; however, until action-based strategies are learned, loved, and lived, positive change won’t happen.

    Discover how to significantly alter workplace behaviors and performance, where people feel safe and empowered to do their best work, trust and respect their leaders to propel the company forward, and willingly cooperate and collaborate with one another in meaningful and effective ways. Inspire change in dysfunctional, under-performing teams to become inspired, accountable and committed team-members, ready and willing to perform their best. Start influencing a transformation of your workplace culture today.

    Takeaways include:
    • Identify traits that drive business impact and then hire those individuals who not only have talent and expertise, but also understand and exemplify your company values, character and culture. Aim for amazing and never compromise on quality. Ever.
    • A leader’s responsibility at its core is to influence others toward a common objective. Discover how to best exercise this skill so others choose to follow you, not because of your leadership title, but because you are worthy of following.
    • Transform your culture by inspiring positive behavior change and enhancing workplace performance where people feel safe, committed and empowered to do their best work. Apply results-focused engagement strategies that harness excitement, energy and effort.

    As an in-demand and top-rated speaker, Tracy Butz delivers powerful, life-changing messages, where audiences can be found sitting on the edge of their seats, laughing aloud and brushing away tears as she masterfully recounts each story, aligned with a key point, an impactful meaning, and an enduring message. She is well known for her engaging, captivating and dynamic style, as she delivers action-based strategies and solutions to further engage employees, energize workplace culture and empower high performance.

    With more than 20 years of experience, Tracy actively engages both large- and small-size audiences, from a wide range of industries, including the US Army, Motorola, Shopko, US Bank, and Subway, just to name a few. As a coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Tracy holds the highest honor in the speaking profession, held by on 12 percent of speakers worldwide.

    In addition to her reputable speaking career, Tracy is an accomplished author of four books with her newest 2017 release entitled, HOLY COW! How to Create an Amazing Workplace that Steers Passion, Performance & Prosperity. Her thought-provoking writing style immerses readers with compelling content, poignant stories and vivid examples, as evidenced in her books, as a featured monthly magazine columnist, a contributor to numerous industry journals, and the online publisher of a monthly ezine, Monday’s Motivational Message and Butz’s Blog. She influences the lives of many through her keynote presentations, training programs, Leadership Excellence Certification, Impact Central online learning center, books and DVDs. Tracy’s inspiring words and compelling content illustrate practical strategies for audiences and individuals to drive and enjoy success in their careers, their relationships and their lives.

    Room Number: Cypress
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Thursday L3-8 (Ironwood) Cultivating Passion: Using Culture Analytics to Drive Retention
    Dan Ritter, Stephen Utech
    More
    BS
    Today's labor pool is shrinking making talent in short supply. One of the primary differentiators employees are seeking is a strong workplace culture. In this session learn what separates the good companies from the great companies, and how to apply it to attracting and retaining talent. Start learning how to think more strategically about developing your workplace culture.

    Takeaways include:
    • Identify an easy to use operational metric to assess the strength of your workplace culture.
    • Investigate the top three drivers correlated to a strong workplace culture based on a culture study completed in 2016.
    • Gain an experience in interpreting and applying culture data to make strategic recommendations to improve retention.

    Stephen Utech is an entrepreneur and business leader who is a principal at The Utech Group, a second-generation consulting firm specializing in culture development, team development and leadership development. In 2016, Stephen and his firm launched their own culture analytics platform called illumyx to give leaders a way to quantify their workplace culture through data visualization. Stephen is using illumyx to help companies improve their cultures and also assists companies in integrating two or more cultures in the case of mergers and acquistions.

    Dan Ritter is the illumyx Culture Analytics Specialist at The Utech Group. Before joining the team, Dan was a logistics manager who lead operations from last place rankings to top of class. He attributes his success to a combination of metric-based performance analysis and intentionally cultivating a positive work experience for his team. Dan has been in the trenches of culture change. He has experienced the struggles and the rewards firsthand. That experience drives him to help other organizations create their own thriving culture. Using illumyx, Dan works closely with organizations to explore their culture, highlight was is contributing to success, and diagnosis what can be improved. He wants everyone to love coming to work.

    Room Number: Ironwood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
    Thursday L3-9 (Crown Palm) Give Your Employees C.R.A.P. ---the Success Formula for Building Employee Loyalty
    Jeff Kortes
    More
    TA
    Have you ever wondered why some bosses have people who are incredibly loyal to them and who will do anything for them while others have a revolving door of turnover? Those bosses and organizations people want to follow give their employees lots of C.R.A.P.! (Caring, Respect, Appreciation and Praise).

    Takeaways include:
    • Prepare participants to advocate to senior leadership that the C.R.A.P. Formula must be at the heart of your employee loyalty or retention strategy if they wish to survive and thrive in the future.
    • Understand reasons that employees love being on the receiving end of the C.R.A.P Formula and how to best give their employees C.R.A.P.
    • Understand why the C.R.A.P. Formula is important to different generations and how to give people C.R.A.P. that gives them actionable takeaways.

    Jeff has more than 25 years’ experience in human resources. He has worked at companies that specialize in manufacturing, construction, textiles and software development. During his entire career, he has worked to recruit, retain and develop employees, at all levels, at companies including ConAgra Foods, industrial equipment supplier SPX, and automotive retailer Midas International, and more.

    Jeff runs his own company, Human Asset Management LLC, which helps organizations to recruit, engage, develop and retain their best people. He is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and a frequent speaker on the topic of retention, engagement, and recruitment to human resources departments, associations and business groups. Jeff is the author of Employee Retention Fundamentals: No Nonsense Strategies to Retain Your Best People and Welcome to Dodge Tales from the Frontiers of Business. For more information visit http://www.jeffkortes.com and follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffkortes

    Room Number: Crown Palm
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Relationship Management
    Thursday L3-10 (Tamboti) Nationwide Recuiting Tool
    Jessica Williams
    More
    TA
    The ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is a nationally-recognized and transferable credential that demonstrates an individual is work ready and possesses the essential skills required for success in today's workforce across jobs and industries.

    Awarded in four levels, an NCRC confirms that a candidate is, at a minimum, proficient in workplace tasks related to Applied Math, Workplace Documents, and Graphic Literacy.

    Wisconsin High School Juniors are completing ACT WorkKeys assessments as part of the statewide assessment program. More than 65,000 Wisconsin students and job candidates earn this credential each year.


    Takeaways include:
    • What is the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)? What does it mean when a candidate has one?
    • Consider elevating your 401(k) options to 'speak' to all generations by discussion investment trends such as socially conscious investments.
    • What are the benefits to employers who recognize the credential? How can employers use it as part of their recruitment and retention strategies?
    • What does it mean to prefer or require the NCRC? What are the steps needed to prefer or require the NCRC at your company?

    Jessica comes with over six years of experience working with at-risk youth, employers, military members, and local entities revolved around the same goal, helping Wisconsin's community. Her past includes working with the Wisconsin Challenge Academy at Ft. McCoy positively changing lives of at-risk 16-18 year olds, The JCEP/WERC program helping Service Members and their families find employment and various positions within Alverno College, The Childrens Hospital, Oshkosh Leach Amphitheater, and Japan's USA Summer Camp where she was a crucial stepping stone to resources, marketing, events, and mentorship needed by the community. Not to mention, Jessica is a Veteran herself and still currently serves in the Army Reserves. She has a Corgi puppy named Duchess and is part of a women's organization Beta Sigma Phi, Epsilon Zeta. Currently she provides a win-win situation for Employers and Job Seekers by introducing the ACT, National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) as an employment recruitment tool and as a Job Seeker validation tool.


    Room Number: Tamboti
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    4:00 PM to 5:15 PM
    Thursday L4-1 (Wisteria/Portia) Just Culture: A Roadmap to a Risk Management Strategy
    Jennifer Walther
    More
    BS
    Employers are increasingly implementing “Just Culture” policies as a risk management strategy intended to promote safe practices and behavior in the workplace, often replacing “zero tolerance” and punitive discipline practices. A Just Culture is a culture of trust, learning and accountability. Programs implementing a Just Culture focus on a revised understanding of human and systemic behavior, accepting that both humans and systems are imperfect, and need regular tuning, maintenance, and improvement over time. A Just Culture seeks to manage organizational risk by encouraging (even rewarding) people for providing essential safety and risk-related information, while still making clear the line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. It seeks to balance between the extremes of punishment and blamelessness. It is a culture that applies to both individuals and organizations, accepting both personal accountability and corporate self-regulation.

    Takeaways include:
    • What are Just Culture programs, how do they work, and how do they help achieve your risk management goals?
    • What are the strengths and weaknesses of a Just Culture program?
    • How do you implement a Just Culture program?

    Jennifer S. Walther has been representing employers in labor and employment matters since 1990. She works with companies to implement preventive measures to avoid larger problems and protect the employer from expensive litigation. She regularly counsel’s employers on all aspects of the employment relationship, including issues related to discrimination, harassment, disabilities, wage and hour compliance, worker’s and unemployment compensation, employment contracts, employee handbooks, discipline and discharge, reductions in force, drug testing, FMLA issues, and ADA compliance. When necessary, she defends employers in employment litigation in federal and state courts, and administrative agency proceedings. Ms. Walther is a Wisconsin native. She received her B.A. degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She is a cum laude graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, 1990.

    Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
    Thursday L4-2 (Tamarind/Guava) Transgender 101
    Ellen Krug
    More
    EL
    What does it mean to be a “trans person? What can other humans do to make trans people feel welcomed and accepted? What actions or words should they avoid? How does “passing” or not “passing” or the absence of legal rights in many states play into a transgender person’s daily life?

    Takeaways include:
    • Understanding the basics about what it means to be transgender, defining/discussing gender identity, gender expression, and social/surgical gender transitioning. This includes a discussion about whether gender identity is something that one can consciously “choose”.
    • Understanding that not only do transgender persons who come out in their “true” genders “transition” but that family members, co-workers, intimate partners and others also “transition” in their thinking and interactions as well. This also includes understanding what it means to “pass” in one “true” gender and the challenges that both the trans person and cisgender people face when, like Ellie (due to her voice), a transgender person doesn’t “pass 100 percent”.
    • Appreciating the need for proper pronoun usage and “allyship” as ways of welcoming/being accepting of a trans person. This includes what not to say/what questions not to ask.

    Ellen (Ellie) Krug, while an Iowa civil trial attorney with 100+ trials, transitioned from male to female in 2009. She later became one of the few attorneys nationally to try jury cases in separate genders. The author of Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change (2013), Ellie currently speaks, trains and consults on diversity and inclusion topics to governmental entities, court systems, corporations, law firms, social service organizations, and colleges and universities.

    Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L4-3 (Tamboti) Using an Exchange to Modernize a Benefits Strategy Through Choice
    Rob Harkins
    More
    TA
    Today's workforce comprises multiple generations with diverse needs. High performing employers must develop their benefits strategy to solve challenges in supporting an evolving workforce. Using a private exchange to modernize your benefit strategy - through choice and education - enables you to offer the appropriate benefits to employees while simplifying administration. It can help your employees take greater responsibility for their buying decisions, become better health care consumers, realize the value of their benefits and derive more satisfaction. This presentation will focus on how consumer-centric technology modernizes benefit enrollment with decision support tools that enable employee choice based on customized individual needs.

    Takeaways include:
    • Ensure creativity and flexibility in benefits design and distribution to address the different needs of today's workforce.
    • Examine how private exchanges can help consumers navigate choice.
    • Help you understand why choice is key to a good consumer experience.

    Rob Harkins leads the Willis Towers Watson initiative for private exchanges, which focuses on a Defined Contribution benefits approach, emphasizing cost management through a total population health management strategy. Mr. Harkins has over 30 years of experience developing, implementing and managing programs focused on emerging employer benefit strategies. Most recently, he was Vice President of Sales for Extend Health, the nation’s largest private exchange.

    Room Number: Tamboti
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Consultation
    Thursday L4-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) HR Can Deliver Talent: How to Bridge the Knowing-Doing Gap
    Bob Von Der Linn
    More
    GH
    Multiple recent studies show that the perceived quality of leadership across virtually all organizations is low, and that the ROI for leadership development training is lower. What has gone wrong? Most leaders know what successful leaders should do. However very few actually put these ideas into action. This has been referred to as the knowing-doing gap.

    In this session, we will revisit forgotten lessons from the most successful business transformation in history, and walk through several tools that any organization can start implementing right away, that will bridge the knowing-doing gap and immediately make their leaders more effective.

    Takeaways include:
    • Participants will be able to explain the problem of the leadership knowing-doing gap.
    • Participants will be able to explain three basic rules of leadership that that every leader must practice.
    • Participants will be able to implement practical tools that guarantee leadership behaviors that bridge the knowing-doing gap.

    Bob has had the privilege of a long career “fighting in the trenches” between mahogany row executives and individual contributors, developing strategies to make senior leadership vision bear fruit. He proudly wears the smiles and scars earned while working with dozens of organizations, most notably General Electric from 1997-2009. Since then, Bob has been president and principal consultant for Change Leadership Resources, LLC, bringing expertise in change management, performance development, and technology-enabled learning to clients around the country.

    Bob is currently President-Elect of the Metro Milwaukee chapter of SHRM. Long ago he earned an M.S. in Training & Learning Technology from the New York Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Management of Technological Systems from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

    Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Thursday L4-5 (Bamboo) Compensation Strategy – How to Develop, Communicate, and Use
    Neil Lappley, Richard Sperling
    More
    TR
    How do you know if you are spending the right amounts in the right ways to get the results you want? Your organization compensation strategy is an essential part of making your compensation programs effective. It provides your company with a roadmap; you need to know where you want to go to plan effective routes, monitor progress, and know when you have arrived. Compensation strategy connects business strategy and human resource strategy to compensation program design and management. It guides the design of new pay programs, tests the alignment of current programs, and determines the need for change.

    This workshop focuses on methods to identify, articulate, communicate, and use your organizations compensation strategy. Increasing the effectiveness of your compensation programs helps to support and enable the achievement of your organizations overall business objectives.

    Takeaways include:
    • Learn why a compensation strategy is necessary.
    • Learn what is a compensation strategy and how to develop one.
    • Learn how to utilize a compensation strategy in developing pay programs.

    Neil heads a human-resources consulting practice that focuses on the development and implementation of reward and recognition programs that impact clients results. He has worked as a compensation and human-resources consultant for over 30 years. Neil has comprehensive experience in compensation systems, including executive compensation, salary management, sales-force incentive plans, board of director compensation, market-pricing, development of compensation surveys, and performance management.

    Neil has advised a wide-range of clients including manufacturing, industrial, consumer, service, financial and technology organizations. His clients are both public and private and include for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. He has counseled multinational clients at the corporate and subsidiary levels.
    Neil holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

    Rich Sperling leads a human resource consulting practice that works with clients to build jobs, organizations, and reward programs that support and enable their business strategies and objectives.

    He provides expert consulting services in job evaluation, job families, roles and role relationships. Rich helps clients understand, plan, and manage spans of control. He also provides independent job evaluation reviews and dispute resolution for clients. Rich helps clients build the foundations for integrated performance management; career pathing; management development; succession planning; and reward strategies, architecture, and programs.

    Rich holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a BS from Yale University. He is a frequent author and speaker on jobs, organization, and rewards.

    Room Number: Bamboo
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Thursday L4-6 (Mangrove/Aralia) Moving the Needle on Engagement
    Kristi Haase
    More
    ELL
    Engagement results are in and they aren’t pretty. Now what? Recent studies show that less than 40% of employees are fully engaged at work. That directly impacts productivity, profitability and leaves your employees wide open to other job opportunities. Employers need to focus on keeping the talent they have. This session will equip you with best practices for creating targeted action plans that increase employee engagement.

    Takeaways include:
    • Use engagement survey data to drive engagement initiatives.
    • Discover how to overcome common roadblocks to employee engagement.
    • Create a long-term employee engagement plan.

    Kristie’s passion is strengthening the relationship between employee and employer to meet business needs. She bases her approach on Kelley and Thibaut’s Interdependence Theory and Rusbult’s Investment model. Both hold the premise that an individual’s commitment to an organization is determined by a combination of three factors--satisfaction, investment, and alternatives. Kristie’s mission is to align satisfaction and investment as well as realistically evaluate alternatives for both employee and employer. The result: a satisfied, engaged employee committed to the organization. While an undergraduate student, Kristie worked as an assistant to Dr. Caryl Rusbult on the Investment Model Scale.

    Kristie has served as an HR generalist for 17 years in the manufacturing, distribution, and health insurance industries. She has worked in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Known for her customer focus, Kristie’s clients describe her as an advisor, coach, and trusted business partner.

    Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Relationship Management
    Thursday L4-7 (Cypress) Control Conflict! Collaborate more. React Less.
    Tracy Stock, CSP
    More
    PD
    Conflict happens. Everyone approaches conflict differently but usually in the way that makes them feel most comfortable. For some, this may be direct confrontation, but for others, it may be avoidance. As a professional who deals with difficult situations each and every day, you're expected to assess each conflict on an individual basis while resisting the innate urge to drift into your personal comfort zone.

    Having the skills to resolve intense and stressful opposing opinions effectively is one of the biggest challenges in today's business world and is vital to success. This program uncovers results-focused strategies to help prevent, minimize and resolve negative conflict in the workplace, helping to work more collaboratively with both internal and external customers, to achieve successful outcomes plus enhanced relationships.

    Takeaways include:
    • Understand common causes of negative workplace conflict, better prevent it from arising, decrease defensiveness, and better control emotional reactions, leading to faster and more effective outcomes.
    • Enhance productivity and morale by fostering an environment that encourages differing points of view and enhanced personal accountability.
    • Resolve conflicts more collaboratively and effectively, allowing for healthier, stronger and deeper relationships---with individuals both within and outside your organization.

    As an in-demand and top-rated speaker, c delivers powerful, life-changing messages, where audiences can be found sitting on the edge of their seats, laughing aloud and brushing away tears as she masterfully recounts each story, aligned with a key point, an impactful meaning, and an enduring message. She is well known for her engaging, captivating and dynamic style, as she delivers action-based strategies and solutions to further engage employees, energize workplace culture and empower high performance.

    With more than 20 years of experience, Tracy actively engages both large- and small-size audiences, from a wide range of industries, including the US Army, Motorola, Shopko, US Bank, and Subway, just to name a few. As a coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Tracy holds the highest honor in the speaking profession, held by on 12 percent of speakers worldwide.

    In addition to her reputable speaking career, Tracy is an accomplished author of four books with her newest 2017 release entitled, HOLY COW! How to Create an Amazing Workplace that Steers Passion, Performance & Prosperity. Her thought-provoking writing style immerses readers with compelling content, poignant stories and vivid examples, as evidenced in her books, as a featured monthly magazine columnist, a contributor to numerous industry journals, and the online publisher of a monthly ezine, Monday’s Motivational Message and Butz’s Blog. She influences the lives of many through her keynote presentations, training programs, Leadership Excellence Certification, Impact Central online learning center, books and DVDs. Tracy’s inspiring words and compelling content illustrate practical strategies for audiences and individuals to drive and enjoy success in their careers, their relationships and their lives.

    Room Number: Cypress
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Communication
    Thursday L4-8 (Ironwood) Trumped! Impacts of Changes in Employment Related Immigration Law on HR
    Scott Cooper
    More
    PD
    Rapid and significant changes to US immigration laws will be impacting the recruitment and hire of foreign national employees and raising the ante on immigration compliance. You will learn what these changes mean, the adjustments in HR policy and practice which need to be considered, and what other employers are doing to continue to retain highly skilled personnel and ensure compliance.

    Takeaways include:
    • Learn how changes to US immigration laws will impact their employers.
    • Be able to adjust foreign national recruitment, hire and retention policy and practice to best adapt to the new rules.
    • Be prepared to address changes and to serve as a resource for their company’s government relations and immigration compliance programs.

    Scott F. Cooper has advised employers for over 30 years on immigration compliance matters. As a Partner and Senior Counsel with Fragomen Worldwide, he has provided advice and counsel to employers in industries including manufacturing, education, health care, information technology, research, financial services, and professional services. Scott is admitted to practice law in the states of Illinois, Michigan, New York and Wisconsin as well as in the US District and Supreme Courts.

    He has been listed in the International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers, Best Lawyers, SuperLawyers, dBusiness Top Lawyers, and is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. He is a recipient of the Employee Relocation Council;s Distinguished Service Award and is a former Fulbright Scholar. Scott has served on the board of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and as Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Committee on Immigration and Nationality Law. He has taught at the IIT/Chicago-Kent and University of Detroit Mercy Schools of Law and for the Illinois and Michigan Institutes of Continuing Legal Education. He has presented at national conferences including those of the Council for Global Immigration, American Immigration Lawyers Association, American Society of Employers, and SHRM. Scott has been a contributing author to Thomson West's International Human Resources Guide and other publications.

    Room Number: Ironwood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Ethical Practice
    Thursday L4-9 (Crown Palm ) Absence Costs You as Much (or More) than Healthcare: Making the Business Case for Action
    Janis Moebus
    More
    PD
    HR professionals work with all lines of benefit coverage and can calculate the costs for each program. Yet, the total cost of absence remains a mysterious figure and tends to be de-emphasized among other HR priorities. The primary objective of this session will reveal that absence can be quantified, including both evident and hidden costs. Once the dollar figure is calculated, the importance of taking action can be communicated to leaders.

    The session will begin with a review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (through 2016) costs of absence and healthcare. Since we do not yet know the future of the Affordable Care Act, organizations are putting their healthcare strategy, on hold, for now and focusing on absence. In the second half of the session, we will review a case study illustrating a client’s total cost of absence and how they used these financial analytics to make a business case for change.

    Takeaways include:
    • Demonstrate how the total cost of absence can be measured and a business case for change can be developed to influence senior leaders.
    • Describe various sources of information to calculate the total cost of absence.
    • The participant will be able to identify the risk of absence to their organization.

    Janis Moebus is a vice president in Aon’s Absence Practice. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Janis consults across the nation. Janis began working in the absence and disability industry in the 1980’s. Her career focus includes all aspects of absence and disability, from mainstream absence management and disability, to employee health management, employee assistance programs, workers’ compensation, and other related topics. Her experience spans operations, product management, sales, and consulting. Janis’ expertise includes project management; program integration (between absence disability and other initiatives, such as well-being); data driven analysis of performance improvement; compliance; quality assurance; training and development.

    Janis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Master of Arts degree from University of St. Thomas, St. Paul Minnesota. She is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences and has published multiple articles.

    Room Number: Crown Palm
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Business Acumen
    Thursday L4-10 (Banyan) How to Select Professional Business Partners for Your Organization
    Anthony Fioretti, Kris Hackbarth-Horn
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    Whether it’s your labor attorney, benefits broker or investment advisor, these important professional relationships sometimes need to be re-evaluated and, potentially, changed from time to time. But do you know how to ensure the best outcome when it’s all said and done?

    Your speakers have participated in hundreds of professional services RFP’s over the years and bring perspective from both sides of the table. They will share their experiences (good and bad) and a non-traditional approach to selection that leads to a “ready to roll” implementation and a successful “long term partnership” for all.

    Takeaways include:
    • Understanding of how traditional RFP processes sometimes work against finding the best partner.
    • Ways to incorporate cultural fit and work product assessments into the evaluation process.
    • A process and structure that consistently helps you to make the best selection when future business partner needs arise.

    Anthony Fioretti has 25+ years of experience serving the health care needs of mid-sized and large employers and has led multiple Wisconsin benefits consulting operations (Johnson & Higgins/Mercer, Hays, Palmer & Cay/Wachovia, HNI). In his consulting capacity, Anthony frequently conducts seminars and has been the featured speaker covering topics such as health care innovation, the Affordable Care Act, consumer engagement and a variety of other employee benefits related matters.

    Kris Hackbarth-Horn has more than 20 years of experience as a human resources professional. She is passionate about creating an intentional culture, developing talent to achieve results, and fostering collaborative relationships in the workplace and in community partnerships.

    Room Number: Banyan
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Business Acumen
    There are no sessions on this day that match the current filters. Clear Filters.
  • Friday, October 13
    6:30 AM to 7:30 AM
    Friday EB2-1 (Wisteria/Portia) An Update to the Trend to Scrap Performance Appraisals
    Rena Somersan
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    There have been a lot of news articles and hype around the idea of scrapping performance management as we know it but let’s take a dive into how organizations who have done this are faring in this new world. This program will contain insights from interviews completed by Rena Somersan of firms who have been cited as scrapping performance appraisal systems. How have they done it? What are some of the preliminary outcomes? How has the journey been? How are they doing compensation adjustments? Join us for a lively interactive presentation with audience participation encouraged!

    Takeaways include:
    • What exactly are organizations doing when they say they’ve scrapped performance reviews.
    • If an organization has scrapped performance reviews, what are they doing in place of them?
    • How are organizations managing compensation after scrapping reviews?

    Rena Somersan is a Managing Principal with the Compensation Consulting Services at Newport Group. With 20+ years of diverse consulting experience assisting clients in executing their strategic HR and compensation initiatives she has a degree in Economics and Japanese from the UW Madison and an MBA. Somersan lived abroad for 16 years in Japan and Turkey, returning to the US in 2008. While in Turkey, Somersan started a consulting firm that represented the Hay Group and did compensation for multinational firms including Coca-Cola, Nissan, and the United Nations. Somersan's expertise includes the design of workforce and executive compensation programs, performance management systems and leadership development in a variety of industries. She is a National SHRM and World at Work member as well as Metro Milwaukee SHRM’s 2014-2015 President.

    Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Friday EB2-2 (Tamarind/Guava) Understanding and Avoiding Employers' Number One Risk: Retaliation Claims
    Mark Johnson
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    EL
    Claims of retaliation, based on both federal and state law, continue to be filed by employees with ever-increasing frequency, and the general view is that they are easier for plaintiffs to pursue than other claims. During this session, we will discuss the current state of retaliation law, the reason why retaliation claims are so popular with plaintiffs and their counsel, common situations that can lead to retaliation claims and strategies human resources professionals can use to avoid and mitigate the risk of such claims.

    Takeaways include:
    • Understand the basic legal principles behind retaliation claims and the defenses to such claims.
    • Recognize common situations which can give rise to retaliation claims.
    • Understand practical steps human resources professionals can take to avoid retaliation claims.

    Mark A. Johnson has a wide range of experience representing businesses in matters involving labor and employment law. Mark has represented employers in hundreds of cases in federal and state courts and before federal and state administrative agencies in Wisconsin and throughout the country. His practice also includes advising employers on how to avoid litigation. Mark is a frequent speaker on topics related to litigation and labor and employment law.

    Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Friday EB2-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Feedforward and Coaching for Behavioral Change
    Mike McKay
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    PD
    Providing feedback has long been considered to be an essential skill for leaders. Employees need to know how they are doing as they work to achieve the goals of the organization. But there is a fundamental problem with all types of feedback: it focuses on the past, on what has already occurred- not the infinite variety of opportunities that can happen in the future. Enter Feedforward. Tested on thousands of executives by Marshall Goldsmith, feedforward is a productive strategy for already successful people who want to become better. Layer on that strategy. Goldberg's coaching essentials for behavioral change, centered on what to stop doing, and active questioning techniques, and leaders become equipped with powerful tools to change themselves and their teams.

    Takeaways include:
    • The Feedforward approach and its use in teams.
    • Learn the 5 classic "stop" behaviors for leaders and how to actually stop them.
    • Learn about active questioning and take the AQ challenge.

    Mike gets up every day to do what he does best, coach business owners and entrepreneurs to perform at their highest level, so they can live a better life, and the people around them can live a better life as well. His drive is the pursuit of decisive results. Mike is an award winning global executive coach. With experience in the public and privately held business community, Mike started his business in 2012, merging with Susan to create ActionCOACH of Madison, LLC in 2014.

    Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Friday EB2-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) Fiduciary Fundamentals: The Growing Need for Fiduciary in a Corporate Sponsored Retirement Plan
    Kelly S. Kuglitsch, Michael Poludniak
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    Fiduciary Fundaments: A specific review of all levels of plan fiduciary and the management model of process to achieve a fiduciary level of coverage.

    Takeaways include:
    • Outline of the various levels of plan fiduciary from administrative to investment to education.
    • A detailed outline DOL/ERISA standards of expectations and best practices to achieve these standards.
    • A practical implementation model with quarterly and annual check lists to review, document and file for future use. A deep dive into the 'Audit File' all plans should maintain in the event of an audit.

    Michael delivers a service model for 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plan clients with a primary focus of providing support to the plan sponsor in addressing the liability of fiduciary responsibilities, plan management and creation of customized services for business owners.

    Room Number: Tamboti
    Credit Hours: 1.00
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    7:30 AM to 9:45 AM
    Friday All Attendee Breakfast Keynote
    Avish Parashar
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    TITLE – "Ding Happens! How to Improvise, Adapt, and Innovate in an Ever-Changing World!"

    SPEAKER – Avish Parashar

    Avish Parashar is an energetic and humorous speaker who uses his 20+ years of experience performing, teaching and studying improv comedy to show organizations and individuals how to deal with the unexpected quickly, effectively, and with a sense of humor. Avish is the author of "Improvise to Success!" and the Amazon best-seller, "Say 'Yes, And!'" He has also created dozens of other products on applying improv skills to business and life.

    Weaving together humorous stories, jokes, audience interaction, and improv comedy games, Avish keeps the audience engaged while imparting a key lesson: Planning is Important, but Improvising is Essential! No matter how well you plan, things will go wrong, surprises will arise, and the Universe will throw you a curveball. Your success and sanity are directly related to how you respond these challenges. By the end of one of Avish's presentations you will have key tools to flow with all that life throws at you.

    Avish has spoken to the very creative (actors and directors), the very un-creative (accountants), the very casual (college students), and the very business-like (sales professionals). The end result is always the same - smiles, laughs, and a new way of looking at life and business.

    Throughout the program, you will laugh your head off watching Avish play a variety of challenging and highly-entertaining improv comedy games – sometimes with volunteer help! Each game not only gets you laughing, but also teaches your critical lessons and skills about how to improvise with the unexpected:

    You'll learn:
    • The critical mentalities that lead to great change management and that allow improvisers use to flow with the unexpected.
    • The approaches great improvisers take to finding opportunities in setbacks.
    • The techniques great improvisers use to create new opportunities that let them jump ahead into new territory.

    You will be captivated as Avish seamlessly combines humorous stories, improvisation, and solid business advice to achieve one goal: show you how they can improvise, adapt, and innovate in an ever-changing world.

    Room Number: Suites A-H
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    10:00 AM to 11:15 AM
    Friday L5-1 (Banyan) Reinventing Career Transition: Creating Partnerships with Talent Acquisition
    Greg Simpson
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    Today, organizations of all sizes are forced into making rapid, strategic workforce changes. The skills necessary for success today are different than they were a year ago; in a year’s time, the skills equation will change again. That reality requires organizations to constantly transform their workforces as a matter of course. Unfortunately, although necessary and pragmatic, these workforce changes can lead to the inadvertent shedding of legitimate talent. Even worse, that pool of displaced talent is often left in a state of limbo, not sure why they were let go in the first place and unable to make a connection with other talent-starved organizations.

    This tension between the need to move quickly, to hire and fire, requires a more holistic approach to workforce management. What we need is a workforce transformation, where organizations plan ahead, and where possible, act prior to a termination date to shorten landing times and protect the employer’s brand. How do we help our clients plan for workforce change to ensure the right people are retained? At the same time, how can we help those same organizations tap into the growing pool of non-working talent?

    Takeaways include:
    • The trends that are affecting workforce transformation.
    • How organizations are proactively preparing to redeploy or place transitioning employees prior to termination.
    • How career transition firms need to step up and become an active participant in talent acquisition.

    As the Senior Vice President, Career Transition Practice Leader for Lee Hecht Harrison, Greg is responsible for developing, disseminating and monitoring the direction of career transition services for the world’s largest career services firm. This includes identifying and articulating global trends while assisting in the development and implementation of the short and long term global strategy of the organization.

    Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Friday L5-2 (Tamarind/Guava) Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues in the Workplace
    Mark Johnson
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    Working with, accommodating, and supporting employees who struggle with alcoholism, substance abuse, or mental health issues can be a complex task due to the sensitive nature of the situation and the numerous employment laws that may be implicated. Addiction and mental health issues can lead to absenteeism, poor performance, on-the-job injuries, or even workplace violence. This session will provide employers with practical guidance on how to handle the complex issues that can arise when addressing addiction and mental health in the workplace, as well as ensuring that safety in the workplace is not compromised.

    Takeaways include:
    • Better command of the often-complex set of laws, including the Family Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act and their state law counterparts, that can apply to situations involving substance abuse, addiction and mental health issues in the workplace.
    • Reduce the risks of legal claims that can arise when dealing with employees with substance abuse or mental health issues.
    • Respond more effectively to employees who present issues involving substance abuse and mental health issues.

    Mark A. Johnson has a wide range of experience representing businesses in matters involving labor and employment law. Mark has represented employers in hundreds of cases in federal and state courts and before federal and state administrative agencies in Wisconsin and throughout the country. His practice also includes advising employers on how to avoid litigation. Mark is a frequent speaker on topics related to litigation and labor and employment law.

    Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Friday L5-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Kicking and Screaming: The Challenges of a Reluctant HR Transformation
    Mary Faulkner
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    Businesses are demanding more of HR and the profession is evolving. The call for HR transformation is loud and clear...but the reality is not everyone is equally ready or willing to make that transformation. In this session, we will examine real world examples of the obstacles to HR transformation and solutions for overcoming them - from both the business side AND the HR side. Participants will walk away with actionable solutions to start immediately making a real change in their HR department, as well as long-term strategies to set HR up for success in the future.

    Takeaways include:
    • Make the business case for HR transformation with executive leadership AND within HR.
    • Identify potential obstacles to a successful HR transformation before they happen.
    • Create a high-level roadmap towards a successful HR transformation.

    Mary is a talent strategist and business leader with over 10 years’ experience in helping organizations achieve their goals. After working on the Operations side of start-ups and small companies, Mary landed in HR by way of learning and development, with extensive experience in leadership and organizational development, coaching, key talent planning, performance management, business partnering, HRIS, process and policy creation, and instructional design.

    Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Friday L5-4 (Wisteria/Portia) Five Tools to Own Your Career & Build an Engaged Workforce
    Taura Prosek, ACC
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    Employees today are seeking career management and career development support and resources and many organizations aren’t equipped with the knowledge, tools, and resources to meet this demand. In a similar way that leaders are responsible for determining the future vision of the organization, employees are responsible for determining the future of their careers. By arming our employees with some tips and techniques to take ownership of their careers, a more engaged workforce will result. A career management framework will be presented including the topics of discovery, personal branding, and networking, and synergies will be identified between performance management processes and systems and other leadership development efforts.

    Takeaways include:
    • A career management framework will be presented that can be customized for implementation at any organization.
    • Career coaching questions will be created and shared that to support the career conversations between hiring leaders and their employees.
    • Participants will share ideas and best practices related to incorporating career management, development, and advancement into current talent management systems and processes.

    Taura Prosek is an experienced coach and consultant with Stewart Leadership and brings to her clients over 20 years of experience in the areas of talent management, coaching, training, and business development. Prior to joining Stewart Leadership, she worked for diverse organizations such as GE Healthcare, Cielo Talent, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Taura specializes in coaching, 360-degree assessments, training, career transitions, communication, executive presence, and building high performing teams. She has an MBA from Kellogg, BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coach Federation.

    Room Number: Banyan
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Friday L5-5 (Tamboti) Partial Self-Funding and Level Funding: is it right for your firm?
    Dean M Hoffman
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    This session is geared towards business owners and human resource benefit managers who are either new or seasoned in the concept of self-funding group health plans. This session begins with the basics of self-funding a health and welfare plans and progresses to more advanced topics. Mr. Hoffman breaks down Third Party Administrative (TPA), Administrative Services Only (ASO) and Level funding models into easy-to-understand segments and explains the “plug and play” approach to claims administration; stop loss, disease management, pharmacy plan and direct provider contracting and high cost carve out features. He also provides a review of stop loss “contract types” including run in, run out, incurred and terminal liability. Self-funding group health plans is not a new concept for larger employers; however, many small and midsized employers are seeking this funding method as result of healthcare reform and the Affordable Care Act.

    Takeaways include:
    • Consider the pros and cons of a self-funded plan and learn the differences between TPA, ASO and Level funded models
    • Understand the stop loss function and contract variations with a deep dive into stop loss contract variations. Learn what the liability issues are and how they work with the employee's financial goals.
    • Review the surge in small group self-funding products and their specialty stop loss contracts.
    • Consider the cash flow requirements of implications of a self-funded group health plan.

    Dean M. Hoffman, Owner of an employee benefit consulting firm, Dean M. Hoffman, LLC provides customized training for employee benefit agencies, insurance carrier, third party administrator sales/support staff, project consulting and expert witness testimony work. He has been in the employee benefit industry for more than 40 years with an emphasis in large group self-funded health plans. Mr. Hoffman has expertise in a broad range of employee benefits including prescription plan analysis and all funding arrangements including conventionally insured, minimum premium, retrospective, experience refund, stop loss, level funded and self-funding. His strategic leadership process is centered on providing solutions to employers seeking to maximize their healthcare benefits, enhance employee satisfaction while managing their healthcare expenditure. His consulting process will utilize his technical skills, advanced knowledge of ERISA plans, stop loss contracting and data analytics to meet the needs of the Plan Sponsor and employees. Mr. Hoffman’s knowledge on self-funded arrangements has made him a favorite at many employee benefit and health care conferences around the country.

    Room Number: Tamboti
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Midlevel
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Friday L5-6 (Cypress) Keys to Employee Retention
    Jeffrey Russell
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    TA
    Why do people stick with you as an employer? What are the factors that cause people to stay or leave? Understanding employee retention involves examining these questions and others as you work to develop strategies for hanging onto your top talent.

    Takeaways include:
    • Retention starts before the hire: recruiting and hiring right.
    • The top reasons why employees leave their jobs and what you can do about it.
    • What do people want from their jobs? What the research on motivation and engagement tells us and how it should change the way we manage the work environment.
    • It’s all about the boss; retention is mostly about how employees are treated by their supervisors. Are your supervisors’ toxic to your retention goals?
    • Conducting Stay Interviews and Pulse employee engagement surveys to give you early warning of trouble signs.

    Jeffrey Russell, of Russell Consulting, Inc., specializes in guiding organizations in successfully responding to the challenges of continuous change. With a focus on leading change, strategic thinking and planning, employee engagement surveys, leadership, and performance management, Jeff has worked with organizations as diverse as Fortune 500 firms, nonprofits, the public sector, and small family businesses. Jeff is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences; including Wisconsin State SHRM Conferences, Minnesota State SHRM Conference, HR Florida State Conference, Twin Cities HRA Spring Conference, ATD International Conferences, and Jamaica Employer’s Federation Conferences.

    Room Number: Cypress
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Friday L5-7 (Marula/Aloeswood) The Top Benefit Trends in 2018 and Beyond
    Nicole Pfeiffer, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CEBS
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    In the world of employee benefits and human resources, your company is dealing with ongoing rising health care costs, an increasingly competitive job market, technological breakthroughs, constant compliance burdens, and ever changing workforce demographics. Employee benefits continue to be at the forefront of politics and business strategies. Face it, there’s a lot going on. It’s important for your own credibility that you stay on top of everything that is happening in this space.

    Takeaways include:
    • Learn the top benefit trends for 2018 that you should be monitoring to protect the financial wellbeing of your health plan, remain compliant, enhance HR efficiency and improve employee satisfaction.
    • Find out what percentage of other employers are implementing or plan to implement these benefit trends.
    • Strategies you can execute in order to support your employee benefits and organizational goals.

    Nicole Pfeiffer is a Vice President of Employee Benefits for Cottingham & Butler. Nicole has been with Cottingham & Butler since 2004. She offers consultative advice to business decision-makers regarding their employee benefit plans. Prior to Nicole’s role in Employee Benefits, she worked as the Vice President of Human Resources and Director of Marketing for the firm. Prior to joining Cottingham & Butler, Nicole was employed by Procter & Gamble.

    Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Friday L5-8 (Ironwood) Creating a Culture of Corporate Responsibility through Aligned Leadership
    Paul Cooke, Sarah Gibson
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    PD
    Scandal, outrage and frustration loom large in business news across the nation. “Do as I say, not as I do” rings out in headlines. Businesses say they value integrity, customer service and loyalty, but their actions don’t align with their values.

    The Aligned Leadership model introduces leaders to key steps revealing gaps between the values they claim as a business and with what’s truly happening at all levels of the organization. Join us to see and discuss the rebirth of the business done well.

    Takeaways include:
    • Match organizational values with actions through case study examples.
    • Identify key components of Aligned Leadership principles.
    • Assess key areas of organizational behavior which may not align with organizational values.

    With over 25 years in the HR field, Paul Cooke has put his business mindset and HR tools to work, across experiences spanning being an US EEOC Investigator to advising executives about organization design and culture change. He was worked in the public and private sectors at national and international firms and even had his own HR consulting firm, Ascolta Coaching and Consulting, LLC.

    Originally thinking he would be an opera singer, Paul loves the stage! A frequently-requested speaker and facilitator, Paul combines wit, humor with passion for his subject material for a fun, but thought-provoking experience. One recent executive invited him back to lead a two-day executive retreat because "[Paul] always makes me think. He challenges my assumptions, and provides new insights."

    Sarah Gibson founded Accent Learning and Consulting, LLC in 2004 because it allowed her to share her passion for speaking and teaching practical workplace skills that help individuals and businesses succeed. Since then, Sarah and her team have helped companies understand the impact of workplace communication through a large variety of professional development and leadership classes. Sarah wrote Geezer. Punk. Whatever. to help people learn more about the impact of generational pieces in the workplace. She has worked with more than 100 organizations across a variety of industries throughout North America. Beyond her corporate experiences, Sarah has also taught for the University of Wisconsin-Madison evening MBA program and as an adjunct instructor at Madison College, UW-Whitewater and North Dakota State University.

    Room Number: Ironwood
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Executive
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    Friday L5-9 (Crown Palm) Tackling Business Travel Compliance: Building Momentum for Change
    Katie Heath, John Jennings
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    While most organizations recognize that employee travel creates a variety of tax and immigration risks, most organizations are not actively addressing these risks. Why? While there are a number of contributing factors, a major challenge is the identification of a project sponsor. During this session, we will discuss some of the risks emanating from business travel and how the Global Mobility team can lead a multifunctional team to create the business case and lead the change.

    Takeaways include:
    • Recognize the risks arising from business travel.
    • Identify impediments to taking action.
    • Build a coalition and effective case for change.

    John is a Partner with Deloitte Tax LLP. For twenty years, John has assisted multinational organizations address the HR and tax challenges of transferring personnel and compensation plans across borders. With an international portfolio of clients, John has led numerous projects that restructure the employment and deployment of talent for companies in a wide array of industries. He has assisted corporations with various facets of their talent strategy, including long-term incentive and retirement plan design, improving the financial statement impact of compensation programs, establishing controls to enhance compliance, change management and developing special employment structures, policies and procedures to address the complexities associated with cross-border employees.

    Katie is a Global Mobility Specialist with extensive and varied experience in development, implementation and administration of Global Mobility programs. This includes policy and program design and administration, global compensation management and reporting compliance, process review and improvement, quality assurance initiatives, vendor review and management, development and implementation of technology solutions, training and mentoring.

    Room Number: Crown Palm
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: Senior
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    Friday L5-10 (Bamboo) The Effects of Bias on Your Workforce, Customers & Brand
    Jill Breidel, Alvin Hill, Ann Wales
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    Attendees will learn about the effects of bias on their workforce, customers/clients and brand. They will come away with a business case and a tool to overcome the effects of bias, both conscious and unconscious, that they can bring back to their own business/organization. The recipients of the 2017 Workplace Diversity, Inclusion and Workflex Award, Milwaukee Center for Independence and Gundersen Health System, will be leading this learning session and will be sharing their stories of becoming organizations that embrace diversity and value inclusion.

    Takeaways include:
    • The effects of conscious and unconscious bias on a business/organization’s workforce, customers and brand.
    • Understand the business case for being diverse and inclusive
    • Learn about a tool to overcome bias in employees and leaders

    Alvin C. Hill, Jr. is currently the Director of Diversity and Cultural Competence for The Milwaukee Center For Independence. (MCFI) Al was promoted into his current in September of 2006, and in this role, is responsible for the overall planning, implementation and oversight of MCFI’s workforce and supplier diversity strategies and initiatives.

    Prior to coming to MCFI, Al was an HR Generalist/Affirmative Action Officer for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Manager of Diversity Recruitment for a local staffing company and Manager of Recruitment and Human Resources for a local mid-size transportation company. Al also had an HR career in Affirmative Action and Diversity in the Wisconsin Army National Guard where he served for 25 years with 10 years as the Chief of the Equal Opportunity section for the 32D Separate Infantry Brigade. Al is a published author in HR Focus Magazine with an article entitled: “Ten Strategies for Managers in a Multicultural Workforce.

    Al received his AAS Degree in Marketing from Milwaukee Area Technical College and is a graduate of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute.

    Jill Breidel is an HR Consultant with Gundersen Health System and has been in this role for five years and with Gundersen for 13 years. In her current role Jill works on HR policies and the corporate policy manual system along with FMLA administration. Other projects she is involved in include Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Compliance and Affirmative Action Plans. Prior to this role, Jill worked in management of the Transcription Services Department at Gundersen Health System for five years. Jill has a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Sociology.

    Ann Wales, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, is an HR Consultant with Gundersen Health System and has been in this role for 10 years. Ann works on numerous human resource projects for Gundersen that include Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Compliance and Affirmative Action Plans. Ann also serves on the Greater La Crosse Area Diversity Council, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee and La Crosse County Jail Ministry Board. Previously Ann was the Liaison for the Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board for five years, was an Executive Team Lead Team Relations for Target Corporation for five years and taught English as a second language in Lebanon. Ann has a Master’s Degree and Bachelor’s in Communication.


    Room Number: Bamboo
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Human Resource Expertise
    11:45 AM to 1:00 PM
    Friday All Attendee Closing Keynote Presentation
    Jason Hewlett
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    PD
    TITLE – The Promise: It's All About The Engagement Experience
    SPEAKER – Jason Hewlett

    A life-changing message combined with world-class entertainment and an unforgettable audience experience, Jason Hewlett will provide a new perspective on goal setting and the engagement experience, showing you how the promises you make and keep to others affect every aspect of your life. Why set a goal when you can make a promise? Do you keep the promises you make to your clients, your team, your family, yourself? What promises might you be breaking? Does the commercial of what you advertise match the reality of the experience? The answers to these questions and more shape both your personal and professional lives. By looking inward and truly understanding how you are upholding your promises (or not), you can positively impact employee engagement, work and home relationships, work-life balance and embracing change, all while laughing out loud.

    Jason has delivered hundreds of presentations around the world and performed in every major casino in Las Vegas. He has also delivered hundreds of school assemblies for youth, teacher trainings for educators, as well as countless speeches for front-line motivation and management instruction for corporate events. Jason will share practical business principles applicable for leadership, entrepreneurship and cultural impact. One of the youngest inductees into the Speakers Hall of Fame, Jason will demonstrate how to keep The Promise using “I laughed til I cried” humor plus world class music and impersonations. This talk will touch your minds and hearts, while providing:

    • Leadership Promise Skills
    • Sales Promise Delivery
    • Work-Life Balance Skills
    • Customer Service Promise Keeping

    Room Number: Suites A-H
    Credit Hours: 1.25
    Level: All Levels
    Competency: Leadership and Navigation
    There are no sessions on this day that match the current filters. Clear Filters.
1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Wednesday PC1-1 (Wisteria/Portia) Utilizing Behavioral Finance Strategies and Revealing Viable Outcomes in Retirement
Todd Barden, Hugh O'Toole
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Learn how to significantly improve the design of your corporate retirement savings plan so that the goal of your participants is met to reach successful retirement outcomes. Based on 20 years of academic research led by Dr. Shlomo Benartzi at UCLA and Richard Thaler P.H.D. University of Chicago utilize powerful concepts to deliver proven strategies for your plan participants. Attend our session to learn how to use behavioral finance and psychology which is a powerful combination of psychology and investing. Save More Tomorrow: Practical Behavioral Finance Solutions to Improve 401(k) Plans.

Attendees will receive a valuable understanding of the financial impact of a workforce unprepared for retirement. Viability Advisory Group has developed a patent-pending technology to accurately predict the retirement readiness of their employee population. The retirement readiness analysis is then overlaid with each employer's actual wage, healthcare, and disability, and other marginal cost factors.

Takeaways include:
• Understanding the association between your retirement program and an aging workforce that may choose to continue working rather than retiring.
• Understand the marginal cost drivers inherent with an aging workforce and predict the financial impacts that will affect the viability of your workplace
• Know how to evaluate, explain, and predict the financial impact of your organization.

Todd Barden is Corporate Retirement Director at Morgan Stanley in downtown Milwaukee and has been working closely with Plan Sponsors to help American workers retire with dignity since 1990. “Helping people retire successfully is not just a job for me, but a passion. When employees are better prepared for retirement, I believe everyone wins: your company, your employees, and society.”

Todd has earned the significant industry designations of Certified 401(k) Professional (C(k)P®), Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®). The C(k)P® designation represents the pinnacle of achievement for professional retirement advisors. Todd received the C(k)P® designation through the retirement advisor University (TRAU) at UCLA Anderson School of Managements’ Executive Education Program. Todd utilizes behavioral finance principles with assisting plan sponsors in their efforts to improve participant outcomes. Todd is adjunct lecturer for the Plan Sponsor University (TPSU) leading interactive retirement plan fiduciary and management education at Marquette University.

Todd was recognized as one of the “Top 401 Retirement Advisors” by the Financial Times in May of 2015.

Hugh O'Toole is Senior Vice President of the Viability Advisory Group, responsible for directing and promoting the firm's efforts to quantify the value of helping employers and employees make the most of their retirement and other employee benefits.
Viability developed a patent-pending analysis program to help companies evaluate the financial costs associated with their employees being unprepared for retirement and the loss of productivity attributed to employees' lack of financial security.

O'Toole has an established track record as a disruptor in the retirement plans and benefits marketplaces. After founding Viability in 2014, O'Toole then joined MassMutual in 2015 when the insurer acquired the assets of his firm.

Previously, O'Toole headed distribution and relationship management for MassMutual for seven years, when the insurer more than doubled its retirement plan assets under management. MassMutual then doubled its assets again when O'Toole helped lead the acquisition of The Hartford's Retirement Plans unit in 2013.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 3.50
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Wednesday PC1-2 (Tamarind/Guava) The Annual Legal Overview-Keeping Up with the Times
Bob Gregg, Jennifer Mirus, Doug Witte
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HR professionals are constantly challenged to keep up with the ever-changing workplace, employment laws, and technology. This program will bring you up to speed on key recent developments in areas of importance for Wisconsin employers and provide the opportunity for questions and answers. The program will highlight three areas:

Legal Update and Lessons from the Past Year
• Recent laws and new regulations affecting your business.
• A review of the most important Supreme Court and Wisconsin employment-related cases.
• Other significant employment law cases, including the “most unusual cases of the year.”
• Coming attractions and trends you should be ready for.
• Best practices and practical guidance.

This session addresses key developments of the past year and “red flags” issues for the future, including: the growing scope of joint employment (your potential liability to contingent workers and to the employees of your contractors); potential risks for personal liability for investigating employment complaints; the issue of growing incivility in the workplace; legal concerns with bring your own device to work policies; the newest FMLA/FLSA concerns; and more.

A Closer Look at the ADA Interactive Process
Disability-related lawsuits are on the rise and many employers find themselves in legal hot water due to failures in the ADA/WFEA interactive process. While disability accommodations require individualized assessments, this program will present a practical roadmap for the interactive process that can guide most accommodation requests and will highlight common employer missteps. We will also address key ways in which the ADA and FMLA interact when accommodations are needed. This program will help you highlight how to improve your disability accommodation process and give you best practices to get there!

So You’re Going to Do an HR Audit! – In Depth Advice
Being aware helps prevent problems. A good HR self-audit is the key. This program provides an outline for an in-depth HR self-audit. Be organized and save time and effort by learning the checklists, priorities and reasonable scope of your audit. This session will include critical areas to focus on including: lawful hiring practices; I-9 and immigration; wage and hour compliance; eliminating discrimination and harassment; and, lawful discipline, investigations and terminations.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 3.50
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Wednesday PC1-3 (Marula/Aloeswood) Can We PLEASE Evolve the Diversity Talk and Start Taking Action?!
Alonzo Kelly
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There is an age old saying that quotes 'What got us here today, won't be enough to get us where we need to be tomorrow'. Whether or not that is true depends on how we have evolved the narrative and definition of the words 'Diversity' and 'Inclusion'. If the Constitution is approximately 230 years old and we still can't agree on its current interpretation for today, then it is fair to say that laws/policies/rules aimed at addressing diversity 50 years ago are still under review. This dynamic presentation explores the intentions of rules of the past and their current impact of the issues of today.

Takeaways include:
• Appreciate the intention of early laws and policies to understand the goals they were intended to achieve and the challenges with using those same rules for diversity/inclusion/equity goals of today.
• Prioritize very specific action steps and strategies to efficiently and effectively create an employment culture of authentic inclusion.
• Feel comfortable discussing, inquiring, and debating topics of diversity that lead to better appreciation and understanding of people and communities.

A dynamic Executive Coach, Professor, 3x Best Selling Author, and Radio Host, Alonzo Kelly has gained international and global attention as a premier consultant, strategist, and coach. Alonzo is recognized as one the nation’s leading experts on leadership development, strategic planning, and professional goal achievement. He has appeared on America’s Premier Experts which airs on major networks across the country including ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Alonzo has served over 1,000 individuals through personal and professional development, delivered training to a plethora of fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations, and is consistently retained to be the keynote speaker at large and small events across the country. Kelly is the host of a dynamic live internet radio show “Leadership; The Way I See It”.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 3.50
Level: Senior
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Wednesday PC1-4 (Mangrove/Aralia) Company Culture & Employee Engagement
Zach Blumenfeld, Scott Kohl
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ThirdSpace will provide an overview of research they have conducted over the past two years in regard to the following: Employee Engagement, Company Culture, Onboarding, and Capturing Institutional Knowledge. This session will also include a workshop to strategize around these topics.

Takeaways include:
• Create and deliver an epic culture.
• Give your employees the tools and skill sets to master their career and enhance their journey on your team.
• Discussion will lead to generational topics including Millennials, GenX, Boomers.

Zach Blumenfeld is ThirdSpace's VP of sales and marketing. Seasoned in customer development, account management, and business development, and with experience in verticals from sports to healthcare he brings vigorous energy and keen experience. Recently, Zach moved on from his Regional Sales Director role at TASC, where he lead business development and brokered relationships within the state of Wisconsin. From 2012 through 2015, Zach was a Regional Sales Director for Power Designers where he created and maintained a dealer network across an 11-state territory for F1000 clients. Zach has a passion for engaging the workforce and creating a strong company culture.

Scott Kohl has over 20 years steeped in software development, gamification, higher education, business development and entrepreneurship. Kohl is a triple threat with a technical background in IT, business background and highly trained in Design Thinking and Lean Innovation by former leaders from Intuit. In 2012 Kohl left the safety of the corporate world to launch Ronin Studios, a game-based learning company which then lead him to co-found ThirdSpace. Scott is highly regarded in the startup community and often asked to assist with coaching, mentoring and even judging business plans for other early stage companies. Recently Scott has been a Lean Innovation coach for a major Fortune 500 company.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 3.50
Level: All Levels
Competency: Relationship Management
4:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Wednesday Evening Event in Exhibit Hall
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Wednesday Evening Event in Exhibit Hall - Heavy hors d'oeuvres. There will be multiple selections, including chicken wings, cheese quesadillas, vegetable egg rolls, crab cakes, and vegetable crudité. Assorted desserts will also be provided.

Join us on Wednesday evening for great conversation and activities in our exhibit hall as we showcase some of HR’s top talent. Reach for the stars as you meet our talented HR Exhibitors who offer a wonderful opportunity for you to partner with them and learn from their expertise. Collect enough stars to be entered to win a prize on Wednesday night!

As you learn more about all the talent in our exhibit hall, be sure to try this year’s specialty drink.

Take time for a photo opportunity in our new mirrored photo booth or stop in to win at the money booth.

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6:30 AM to 7:30 AM
Thursday EB1-1 (Tamboti) Tell Me A Story – Branding Your Corporate Wellness Program
Robyn Adair
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It is not enough to develop your corporate wellness program and hope “if you build it, they will come”. On the flip side, you don’t want to inundate your employees with carnival-barker messages expounding only on the greatness of the program. Today consumer wants to know what is in it for them and demands a different marketing approach, “a marketing story” that creates a wellness experience to illustrate what is in it for your employees. By effectively branding your wellness program and then positioning that brand in a compelling way, you can create lasting relationships between your employees and wellness program. In the process, you can create brand champions who will do some of your marketing for you!

Takeaways include:
• Thoughts on effective branding and positioning of your wellness program.
• People love a story and part of building a brand is creating a story that will resonate with your employees, resulting in engagement and motivation of your employees. You will learn how to develop those stories and see what tools are available to help communicate those stories.
• There are many channels you can use to promote your brand (corporate wellness program.) There are also many challenges and benefits of that come with those channels (social, digital and physical.) You will learn how to choose and use your chosen channels seamlessly to drive employee participation in your wellness program

Robyn Adair is a brand builder, storyteller, marketing professional and speaker with more than 20 years of marketing experience. She began her career as a graphic designer, journalist and photographer in the publishing industry. Robyn current role is Director of Marketing and chief storyteller at Sensia, a Milwaukee-based independent medical provider specializing in corporate healthcare. She is a champion of creating environments and experiences where clients and people thrive. She also coaches track and cross country at Waterford High School. Robyn holds a Master of Arts in Advertising and PR from Marquette University.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Communication
Thursday EB1-2 (Tamarind/Guava) Understanding the FMLA and the ADA Maze
Marina Galatro
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Both the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) often apply to employees who are seriously ill or injured. When this happens, employers may be required to grant leave and to accommodate the employee under both the FMLA and the ADA.

The legal requirements of the FMLA and the ADA are similar in some regards, at times an employer may find that the requirements of one law contradict the other, and the employer cannot comply with both laws. In these cases, it is important to know which law takes precedence, or trumps the other.

This session will highlight the similarities and differences between the FMLA and the ADA. Explanations of the basic statutory obligations
of the two laws will be addressed. In addition, guidance on which law should be followed when the laws contradict each other.

Takeaways include:
• Similarities and differences between the FMLA and the ADA.
• Understand the basic statutory obligations.
• Guidance on which law should be followed when the laws contradict each other.

Marina has more than 20 years of HR experience and provides consultation, best practice guidance and support to companies on a variety of topics such as: California laws, compensation, employment law compliance/state regulatory analysis, HR management, leave of absence, paid time off, performance management, policy and procedure development and review, total rewards, and training and development.

Her clients comprise a wide variety of industries including retail, manufacturing, health care, professional services, not-for-profit agencies, utilities, government, software development, technology and telecommunications. Prior to joining Willis Towers Watson, Marina held a senior-level HR consulting and account management role with a professional employer organization (PEO) for six years and was a director of human resources in the sports and entertainment industry for 14 years. She has spoken on numerous HR topics at national and local events and is a regular contributor to Willis Towers Watson blogs and publications.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday EB1-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Talent Pipelines: Impact Recruitment Using Strategic Concepts
Traci Sherck
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Connecting with the right talent, right now and growing them for future opportunities using the right technology and social media is a balancing act for most HR professionals. This program will introduce strategic talent pipelines that utilize collaborative relationships with local and state resources to incent and engage entry level staff and help with their growth to fill hard to fill positions in the future. We will walk through best practices relating to collaboration with your community partners, training plans, mentoring, talent development and the impact of the employee experience.

Takeaways include:
• Rethinking recruitment ----Moving from tactical to strategic while utilizing technology and maintaining the human touch.
• Designing talent pipelines that incorporate community collaboration.
• Exploring the efficiencies in talent development that create a positive employee experience.

Traci has in-depth experience partnering with business owners to identify needs and propose solutions which will benefit the organization, employees and customers. As a senior human resource consultant with HK Payroll Services, Inc. (HKP) she listens to client concerns and assists with creating a plan to solve their issues and further their human resource and business objectives.

In previous roles, she has been responsible for strategic planning, creating and implementing policies, procedures and creative talent development pipelines, developing safety and wellness initiatives, evaluating and instilling cultural competence, and administration of payroll and benefits. She has both non-and for profit experience in a wide array industries including union and non-union environments.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: Senior
Competency: Business Acumen
Thursday EB1-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) Focus at Work–How Mindfulness Can Improve Employee Attention and Well-Being
Jennifer Pulvermacher
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In today’s distracted workplace, the ability to manage attention is becoming a highly desirable skill. Mindfulness is a practice that helps to train your attention; enabling you to stay focused in the present moment. More and more companies are introducing mindfulness programs to their employees as a way to improve productivity, reduce stress and enhance overall well-being.

In this session, you will experience a corporate mindfulness training session first-hand and explore the potential benefits for your organization. You will also learn how to begin strengthening your own attention with some simple exercises that you can practice at work or at home.

Takeaways include:
• Understand the benefits and the science behind strengthening your attention.
• Practice simple and discrete exercises to strengthen your focus throughout the day.
• Experience a corporate mindfulness training session and learn how it fosters greater attention.

Jennifer is a Partner and Co-founder of Mind Groove, a boutique consultancy that enables organizational effectiveness through corporate mindfulness training solutions. She has worked with leaders and teams to train attention and to promote mindful leadership, well-being, and compassion in the workplace.

With more than 25 years’ experience as a management consultant, Jennifer specializes in leading organizations through change. She has worked with Fortune 500 and mid-market companies across a wide range of industries through major transitions. Through her work with executives, front-line employees, and cross-functional teams, Jennifer has implemented process improvements to enhance operations, facilitated culture change, and managed effective communications across diverse stakeholder groups.

Jennifer is passionate about working with leaders to create and sustain work environments that support organizational effectiveness and overall well-being.

Dana is Partner and Co-Founder of Mind Groove, LLC, a boutique consultancy that enables organizational effectiveness through corporate mindfulness training solutions. As a former global HR director, Dana has witnessed the difficulties leaders and employees face in maintaining focus amid stressful work environments. Dana sees mindfulness as a means to bring about transformational change in the workplace that benefits both employees and organizations. With over 20 years of experience as a Human Resources practitioner, Dana has worked with Fortune 500 manufacturing and professional services industries. Her clients include Johnson Controls Inc., Brady Corporation, Robert W. Baird and Quad/Graphics.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
Thursday EB1-5 (Wisteria/Portia) Re-examining Compensation and Benefit Trends – You Get What You Pay For
Rena Somersan
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Take part in this interactive program that frames up a discussion of the trends and pain-points that compensation and benefits professionals are grappling with in the new political and economic climate. Topics covered will include salary budget and compensation trends, pay-for-performance myths and pitfalls and fundamental shifts in healthcare and retirement programs. Using trends research and case-study examples, this session will frame up the employer-employee value proposition of the Total Rewards program and how it has and will change over the coming years. Rena Somersan will facilitate conversation from the group on pros and cons as well as opportunities and threats posed by these changes.

Takeaways include:
• Over-arching implications of the trends and best practices in compensation, retirement and benefits as shown in the CRB Trends Survey conducted by Newport Group for 2016-2017.
• Tips on solving the challenges of engaging talent in the backdrop of continued uncertainty in the economy and labor market.
• Typical strategic approaches to total rewards initiatives

Rena Somersan is a Managing Principal with the Compensation Consulting Services at Newport Group. With 20+ years of diverse consulting experience assisting clients in executing their strategic HR and compensation initiatives she has a degree in Economics and Japanese from the UW Madison and an MBA. Somersan lived abroad for 16 years in Japan and Turkey, returning to the US in 2008. While in Turkey, Somersan started a consulting firm that represented the Hay Group and did compensation for multinational firms including Coca-Cola, Nissan, and the United Nations. Somersan's expertise includes the design of workforce and executive compensation programs, performance management systems and leadership development in a variety of industries. She is a National SHRM and World at Work member as well as Metro Milwaukee SHRM’s 2014-2015 President.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
8:00 AM to 9:15 AM
Thursday All Attendee Keynote Presentation
Josh Bleill
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Title - One Step at a Time
Speaker - Josh Bleill

The events of September 11, 2001 that shook the entire nation motivated Josh Bleill to follow his father’s footsteps and serve our country. A couple years later, Josh enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed shortly thereafter. It was during his deployment that Josh was involved in a blast, losing two friends and both of his legs. He spent two years of extensive rehabilitation recovering and currently has 32 pins in his hip and a 6-inch screw holding his pelvis together.

“One Step at a Time: A Young Marine's Story of Courage, Hope, and a New Life in the NFL” follows Josh's journey from his enlistment then on to active duty in Fallujah, through two years of rehab, and ultimately to his job as the community spokesman for the Indianapolis Colts. Everyone has had that "one bad day". Josh discovered that life begins when we embrace our bad days and keep going forward, one step at a time. Audience members will be inspired by his undying enthusiasm, infectious joy, and sense of humor.

Josh Bleill is not only a polished professional speaker but he is a speaker telling his life story with humor and humbleness that connects with the attendees. Josh has traveled the country speaking to groups of top executives, professional athletes, associations, corporations and too many youth organizations to mention. This powerful message will help you believe it is imperative for a never give up, positive attitude to be able to take “One Step at a Time” through difficult times, personally and professionally.

Room Number: Suites A-H
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
10:15 AM to 11:30 AM
Thursday L1-1 (Wisteria/Portia) The Things Oprah Taught Me About Great HR
John Hudson
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Do you feel there is something missing within your employee base? Is there a lack of trust or a feeling of a lack of purpose in your culture? We will dig deep and explore areas around building a trustful environment where employees can find purpose and meaning in their work. We will also discuss easy to use programs around wellness, rewards and recognition, and employee engagement. John Hudson spent 8 years with Harpo, Inc and will share his insights and learnings based on the influences of Oprah Winfrey.

Takeaways include:
• How to build trust in your organization and get your employees to show up as their best selves.
• Get your employees to be engaged in their work and find purpose and meaning regardless of your employer brand.
• Learn and discuss programs HR professionals can implement that engage their employees, have an impact, and don't require a lot of budget.

John Hudson is a Chicago-based Midwest HR Business Partner with Slalom, LLC. With 20 years of experience in the Human Resources field, John provides consultation and expertise in the areas of performance management, employee development, employee relations, compensation, and recruiting. John has worked with top brands such as Harpo Studios, Discovery Channel, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, PepsiCo, and CNA Insurance. He has supported various departments including IT, Legal, Finance and Operations. John has a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Indiana University and the SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications. Follow him on Twitter @johnphudson.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L1-2 (Tamarind/Guava) It Was Just a Tweet! Navigating Social Media Landmines in the Workplace
Sofija Anderson, Jill Hamill Sopha
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Social Media is an ever growing and ever changing part of every employee’s work and personal life. Companies that don’t properly navigate how they address social media in their business practices can run into legal, business and employee morale landmines. In this session, employment attorney mediator and SHRM-SCP Jill Hamill Sopha and employment attorney Sofija Anderson will use their combined legal and HR backgrounds to highlight recent trends and best practices for the business use of social media, to explain the laws impacting employer use of social media, and to provide tips on how to reduce risk when navigating social media issues in the workplace.

Takeaways include:
• Recent trends and best practices for the use of social media to provide business value while reducing legal risk.
• Laws impacting the business use of social media and how to avoid common landmines and mistakes.
• Social media best practices including the practical application of how to properly navigate tricky social media issues in the workplace.

Sofija Anderson is a Shareholder in Littler’s Milwaukee office, where she represents employers in litigation of labor and employment-related disputes in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, as well as in the arbitral forum. Experienced in both single plaintiff matters and class actions, her practice includes defending claims of: employment discrimination; unlawful harassment; retaliation/whistleblowing; wrongful discharge/violation of
public policy; breach of contract; interference with prospective economic/business advantage; unfair business practices; wage and hour violations; fraud; defamation; and privacy violations.

In addition to litigation, Sofija assists employers, of all sizes, with customizing and implementing state-of-the-art employment policies and procedures. She also offers compliance counseling and advises employers on a variety of employment and labor-related issues, ranging from employee on-boarding, performance management/discipline, accommodation, contract negotiations to plant closures. She also offers training seminars on a variety of topics.

Jill Hamill Sopha is Owner and Managing Director of Sopha Mediation LLC, a company dedicated to helping employers and employees find early and efficient alternatives to workplace disputes and litigation through mediation. Jill has over 20 years of experience as an employment attorney (UW, 1996) and is also Senior Certified Human Resources Professional (SHRM-SCP). Prior to starting her mediation business, Jill was Chief Counsel, Human Resources for Fortune 500 Company Harley-Davidson where she provided primary direction and guidance on all HR-related legal issues and was responsible for global HR compliance. Before her work at Harley-Davidson, Jill spent five years as an employment attorney at law firms in Madison, WI, and Chicago, IL.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L1-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Impact on Employers’ Health Care Strategies
Molly Iacovoni
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With change in the wind comes new rules and regulations in health care for America. How do employers prepare in the short-term and what are the projections and impacts in the long-term? Answers to these and other questions will be delivered by legislative subject matter expert Molly Iacovoni, who spends her time in Washington, D.C. addressing these issues and enhancing for Aon Risk Solutions' thought leadership with colleagues, clients and other organizations we work with.

Takeaways include:
• Find out the latest on where the A.C.A. legislation is at.
• Hear strategies for timing and potential impact issues for you and your employees.
• Find out what middle-market to major sized employers are doing.

Molly B. Iacovoni, J.D., Senior Vice President is an attorney in the Aon Hewitt Health & Benefits Practice (Consulting) Lincolnshire, IL. She has been with Aon Hewitt for a total of 17+ years. Began her career at Hewitt in 1990 in its defined contribution administration practice. After attending law school and practicing employee benefits law, she rejoined Hewitt in 1997 and spent a number of years providing legal support to Hewitt’s outsourcing practice and, then, Aon Hewitt’s health and welfare consulting practice. Molly assists clients and clients’ counsel with employee benefits issues, focusing on health and welfare plan requirements under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. Molly’s specialty includes requirements under the Affordable Care Act (i.e., health care reform), HIPAA, COBRA, Medicare, including the retiree drug subsidy, and various state laws. Also, is a key contributor in the drafting of Aon Hewitt’s Knowledge Alerts on health and welfare legal matters. Due to Molly’s administrative and design background, Molly is sensitive to both the design and administrative impact of the various federal and state employee benefit laws. She has been quoted in various periodicals including the Chicago Tribune, Business Insurance, and the Wall Street Journal on health and welfare technical matters. Molly received her Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI and graduated magna cum laude in 1990. She received her J.D. degree from DePaul University in Chicago, IL in 1995 and is licensed to practice in Illinois and Michigan.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L1-4 (Bamboo) The Power of Coaching: How to Transform Your Talent Management Strategies
Regina Kramer, Nicole Pulito
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While the use of professional coaches has grown significantly over the last 10 years there is still an opportunity to ensure Leaders have the tools, knowledge and resources necessary to develop a solid coaching strategy and implementation plan for themselves and their organizations. Everything from when coaching is appropriate to how to select a qualified coach to measuring ROI/ROE. At the ICF Wisconsin Chapter we have developed a dynamic, highly interactive presentation that offers practical tips, tools and access to resources that will dramatically improve your ability to execute a comprehensive coaching strategy.

Takeaways include:
• Identify the benefits and value coaching can offer in achieving business goals/objectives.
• Differentiate between coaching and other supportive professions such as counseling, consulting and training.
• Establish criteria and processes for selecting qualified professional coaches including measuring ROI/ROE.

Nicole Pulito is the current President of the ICF Wisconsin Chapter. As an organizational psychologist and executive coach, Dr. Pulito brings 20 years’ experience working with individuals, teams and organizations to ignite transformational change. As a certified Integral Coach® with an PCC credential from the International Coach Federation (ICF), an ICF Board member and experienced leadership assessor, she brings a unique combination of expertise in leader effectiveness, psychology and integral coaching to her clients.

Regina Kramer is the Founder and Chief Executive Coach of Winsight Coaching. For over 25 years’ she has delivered high-impact talent management solutions for complex, multi-national companies. She is passionate about helping each individual optimize their abilities to achieve their personal / professional goals and meet the challenges of today’s business environment. As a prior Senior Executive herself, she is ideally suited to help her clients navigate the complex, global business environment to deliver bottom line results.

She holds an MLIR from Michigan State University, and a BS in Psychology from Aquinas College. Regina is a member of, and an ACC certified coach, with the International Coaching Federation.

Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Relationship Management
Thursday L1-5 (Tamboti) Setting Your Compensation Strategy to Enhance the Employee Work “Experience”
Michael Maciekowich
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HR and Compensation Strategies have undergone dramatic changes in the past few years. More emphasis has been placed on employee engagement and the employee work experience. This program will review how to incorporate past efforts in enhancing the customer experience and customer retention strategies into new HR and compensation strategies replacing traditional performance appraisal and reward systems with ones focused more on employee development, coaching and rewards tied to competencies and results.

Takeaways include:
• Why have a formal compensation strategy?
• What is the new employee “work experience” model?
• Strategies to move from performance appraisal to performance coaching and development. Pay for Results strategies--the icing on the cake.

Michael F. Maciekowich is a National Director for Astron Solutions. His areas of expertise include the development, design, and implementation of executive, physician, & employee base pay systems, short- & long-term incentive programs, sales incentive programs, and performance management systems in all industries. Michael has 38 years of consulting and industry compensation experience. Michael is a sought-after speaker in total rewards program design. He has presented at national ASHHRA (American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration) and WorldatWork conferences, as well as numerous local ASHHRA & SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters. Michael is an active member of WorldatWork, the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Michael received a lifetime achievement award from WorldatWork. Michael received bachelor’s degrees in political science and philosophy, and a master’s degree in industrial relations, from the Loyola University of Chicago.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L1-6 (Ironwood) How to Utilize Talent Assessments to Improve Hiring and Reduce Employee Turnover
Thomas Hamilton
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An educational presentation on a best practices approach to utilizing pre-employment testing that includes education on the history of utilizing testing in the workplace, the legality do’s and dont's, validity of use, implementation at different levels (non-exempt, exempt), utilizing as a training and development tool, expected outcomes over time and expected employee turnover reduction etc.

Takeaways include:
• The legality and validity of employment testing.
• Implementation at different levels (non-exempt, exempt).
• Utilizing as a training and development tool.

Mr. Hamilton is the founder of Selection Resources whose expertise and hiring tools help organizations connect employment decisions to business results. Since 1999, Selection Resources has offered advanced talent assessments and background searches to help drive an organization's financial performance through improved employee selection and reduced employee turnover. Selection Resources is part of the Hamilton Group and serves hundreds of clients nationwide from small organizations to multi-location fortune 500 businesses. Mr. Hamilton serves as Board Chair and/or in leadership positions on multiple non-profit and for-profit Boards advising them on hiring issues. Mr. Hamilton received his B.A. in Business and Marketing from Drake University and is a frequent presenter on the subject of best practices employee selection and talent assessments.

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Consultation
Thursday L1-7 (Banyan) How to Create an Inclusive Workforce Through Mindfulness
Ed Maxwell
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Everyone would love a quick, easy solution to achieve diversity, and plenty of programs offer just that. However, traditional ways of trying to build diversity, such as grievance systems and mandatory diversity training, have actually been shown to undermine diversity, according to the latest Harvard research. Worse yet, people tend to overestimate how diverse their groups are, as recent experiments at Stanford have revealed.

Takeaways include:
• Understand how and why mindfulness training creates a more inclusive, diverse workforce.
• Know the most common hurdles to implementing a long-term mindfulness program.
• Learn how to cultivate one’s own mindfulness program.

A former teacher and athletic coach with an M.Ed in history education, Ed Maxwell applies his love for and knowledge of learning to everything he does, including his personal practice of mindfulness. He’s been trained by the Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School. After earning his MBA from the Wisconsin School of Business, he combined his passion for teaching, business, and mindfulness by founding Third Left Wellness, a company that offers onsite mindfulness training to employees. His goal is to apply mindfulness to the most pressing needs organizations face, including how to build more inclusive workplaces.

Room Number: Banyan
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
Thursday L1-8 (Cypress) How to Recruit Great Employees Now----When Great People are Tough to Find & Competition is Fierce
Greg Oelerich
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TA
Do you ever have a tough time finding "A" players for your team (or keeping them)? Do you ever dread the hiring process because it's time consuming and isn't attracting the kind of people you really want? Are you doing "double duty" because you don't have the right people in the right spots - and afraid that you can't grow because you just don't have the capacity right now?

Join Greg to learn about a radically different (and fun!) approach to hiring - one that consistently attracts only those people who are a great fit for your culture and for the role you need to fill. Best of all - it's quick! What used to take months, can now take weeks instead. So you get to do what you need-time to focus ON, the business; AND. you get an "A" player who can really help you grown. It's a beautiful thing.

Takeaways include:
• Learn what makes their companies attractive in the first place-why candidates would be interested in them vs. other companies that do what they do.
• Learn about a recruiting process that is proven to attract great candidates who are willing to work hard to be considered for their companies.
• Learn how to use psychometric profiles to dramatically improve the odds of a solid match with person and role.

Greg delivers steady expertise earned from over 25-years’ experience working in business development, sales management, and strategic planning. He consistently develops and motivates both individuals and large teams. He has an extensive background across multiple business sectors, including mortgage finance, real estate development, construction management, and personal finance. He leverages his experience to help his clients reach their full business potential.

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
Thursday L1-9 (Crown Palm) Emerging Workforce Study---How to Engage a Diverse Workforce
Patti Dunning
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TA
Since 1997, Spherion has been tracking worker mindsets and trends through our pioneering study of the Emerging Workforce. The ninth edition of this study leverages 20 years of groundbreaking research to track changing attitudes and expectations of today’s workers and uncover the strategies that will help companies attract/recruit top talent, engage/retain their workforce, build leadership and plan for future talent needs, and transform employees into brand advocates.

Takeaways include:
• Understand the key factors impacting candidate attraction and effective outlets to recruit top talent.
• Understand how social media and a company's online reputation influence worker perspectives.

As a senior vice president of Spherion Staffing Services, with more than 20 years of experience focused on operational excellence and business development, Patti supports Spherion franchise business owners in more than 50 U.S. offices. Her guidance enhances their ability to partner with clients to build a high-performance workforce.
A seasoned executive with broad-based experience in the staffing industry and a keen understanding of the U.S. workforce and the issues that drive performance, Dunning is a compelling and articulate speaker. She has shared the findings and implications of the Spherion Emerging Workforce® Study with numerous business groups. The Emerging Workforce Study leverages 20 years of groundbreaking research to reveal key insights into today’s workforce, and how companies employ and deploy their talent engine.

Room Number: Crown Palm
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L1-10 (Marula/Aloeswood) Become the Strategic HR Business Partner Your Organization Needs!
Liz Weber
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BS
Are strategic and personnel decisions made without your input? Do other members of the management team treat you as an adversary instead of an advisor? Would you like to learn why you are NOT viewed as a strategic business partner?

Takeaways include:
• Learn what it takes to become a strategic HR business partner and why you might be missing out.
• Highlight your strategic value by simply saying things differently.
• Learn the one key question to ask to enhance your value and be seen as a key business partner

Liz Weber, CMC, CSP, works with ownership, executive, and leadership teams. She specializes in strategic and succession planning, and leadership development. Liz is one of fewer than 100 people in the U.S. to hold both Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designations.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
12:45 PM to 2:00 PM
Thursday L2-1 (Bamboo) Collaborating with Competitors: Sharing Talent Pools to Meet Workforce Challenges
Melissa Hassett
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BS
Businesses are looking for growth and need access to the right talent to help them keep pace. But as the talent shortage heats up, employers are having more and more difficulty finding the talent they need. Because of this, it’s time to consider a revolutionary new solution: The key to finding talent in the future may very well require competitors in the same industry to share talent pools.

Takeaways include:
• Discuss current workforce trends that suggest the need for a new approach to hiring.
• Learn about a new model that would allow employers and talent to capitalize on shared labor pools.
• Hear about the specific types of employers that would likely benefit from this model.

Melissa Hassett has been commended for her ability to streamline processes, launch and manage large scale staffing programs, and entrench herself in the client’s business to deliver customized staffing solutions. Melissa previously managed recruiting, training and quality assurance for a 600+ agent call center. With a varied background in HR, she understands the entire employee life cycle including initial employment branding, first contact with candidates, selection tools, onboarding, retention, employee relations and separations. She has expertise in sales positions, call centers, retail, customer service, insurance, financial services and more.

Melissa is a balanced manager, skilled at orchestrating staffing systems, processes and a recruiting team. She is an expert at making processes and employees more efficient. She is able to communicate with all levels of employees, as well as sit at the table with C-level executives. Her employees are engaged and excited members of a productive team.

Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L2-2 (Tamarind/Guava) The Nightmare Employee
Julia Arnold, Sarah Miracle
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EL
HR professionals are required to work with challenging employees on a daily basis. This presentation will provide an overview of some common types of difficult, or “nightmare", employees and disruptive workplace behaviors that provide risk to your organization, then provide you with practical solutions to address these employees and behaviors.

Takeaways include:
• Practical advice regarding how to identify workplace behaviors that are problematic and/or create risk for your organization.
• Practical advice for effectively managing common problematic behaviors.
• Practical advice for addressing and mitigating risk created by problematic workplace behaviors and/or employees.

Julia Arnold advises and represents employers in a broad range of employment law matters arising under federal and state law. She defends management in administrative charges and employment litigation before the state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division, and the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission. She has handled appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Wisconsin Courts, and the Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission.

Sarah Miracle is experienced in assisting employers with a variety of employment law and litigation matters arising under state and federal law. She has defended employers against claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She has handled employment litigation and administrative charges in state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L2-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Improving the Employee Experience to Drive Engagement & Retention
Tara Conger, SHRM-SCP, PHR
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TA
Employee engagement is defined broadly as an employee's job satisfaction, loyalty and his or her inclination to put forth effort to help achieve an organization's goals. It is considered a top talent issue for today's organizations. According to Deloitte, "Building an environment that is fulfilling, meaningful, and fun is not only good for employees, but can also potentially result in better business outcomes, including higher productivity, increased efficiency, higher levels of customer satisfaction, and better overall business results." While many companies intuitively understand the importance of employee engagement, only a fraction of them feel that they are very good at it.

Tara Conger, VP, Human Resources, Palmer Johnson Power Systems (PJ), will discuss creating a culture of engagement. In 2016, Palmer Johnson Power Systems won a national "When Work Works Award" for its use of effective workplace strategies to increase business and employee success. Tara will share the things they have done at her company to achieve positive results for business success, employee well-being and productivity.

Takeaways include:
• Inspire you to influence your organization to implement the "human element" within your walls with blending work and family.
• Share creative ways, at little or no cost, to keep your employees happy and productive and which you can immediately apply.
• Learn strategies PJ has put in place to help with retention; this varies from employee development to recognition and beyond.

Tara has over 10 years of business and HR experience and she knows that engaged employees are the key to workplace success! Tara is redefining the HR world by never operating in a status quo mindset. She is an HR “disruptor” and will take on the challenges and risks leading to continual improvement. What you can expect to learn today is how to develop a culture of engagement, how to scale it to your organization and how to get others to be supportive and engaged in the process.

Tara is the Vice President of Human Resources at Palmer Johnson Power Systems. In her spare time, Tara and her husband Josh are engaged in their community and support a number of organizations. They enjoy travel, spending time at their cabin in Eagle River and having fun with their daughter Cassidy.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Relationship Management
Thursday L2-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) Influence Without Authority
Julie Henszey
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PD
The ability to influence without authority is one of the most important skills an individual can master. Unfortunately, we unknowingly thwart our own success through habitual behavior. Learn three critical components of building social influence to maximize the efforts of others. You have more power than you realize, even over individuals who--so far--have resisted you.

Takeaways include:
• Recognize default mindsets and explore the advantages of cultivating a growth mindset to more successfully influence others.
• Discuss a "give and take" behavior model and examine how a responsibility bias can prevent us from earning respect and thus influencing others.
• Learn a method to assess the world of resistant or distant individuals and explore what they would value in exchange for the influence we seek.

Julie Henszey is an executive coach, outdoor adventure guide, and founder of Next Step Goals, a leading coaching practice in the Milwaukee area. She is widely recognized as an expert in personal empowerment. Her solo travel to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and a goal to complete 100 sprint triathlons demonstrate her commitment to growth as she helps others explore their own potential. Julie is credentialed through the International Coach Federation, teaches continuing education courses at UW-Milwaukee and has lived in Norway, Iceland, and Australia.

Julie is the author of Ten Critical Strategies for Finding Fulfillment in a Hectic World and in addition to coaching, offers a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon each year to unplug from the stress of daily life.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Thursday L2-5 (Tamboti) Seven Health Plan Metrics Every HR Person Must Know
Matt Chadwick, GBA
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Are you managing your company's health care plan wisely? Are you in tune with the numbers that are driving costs on your plan? Calculating the seven metrics will provide insight into the financial efficacy of your company’s health plan. Using these metrics, you can clearly identify areas in which your company may be overspending. You will also be able to see how your company’s metrics stack up against a bench-marked average. Ultimately, these metrics can assist your company in crafting a benefits plan to maximize financial effectiveness.

Takeaways include:
• Learn how to measure and monitor seven metrics that give insight into the financial well-being of your health plan.
• Discover how to compare your company’s metrics with benchmark data.
• Obtain strategies to reduce health plan overspending.

Matt Chadwick has been in the employee benefits consulting industry for the last 10 years. During that time, he’s held multiple positions from benefits implementation and administration to strategic program building and design. Along with his team at Cottingham & Butler, Matt specializes in self-funded medical programs for Wisconsin based organizations, and the integration of focused, outcome based wellness programs aimed at addressing the unsustainable costs of lifestyle related chronic conditions. Matt’s clients range from 50 person single site organizations to 7,500 employee corporations with international facilities.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Business Acumen
Thursday L2-6 (Cypress) Hiring 2020: Brand. Source. Hire. Engage. Retain.
Sarah Brennan
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TA
As technology and social media continues to evolve, the approach companies are needing to take to compete for top talent is evolving rapidly. No longer is simply posting a job enough. From small business to global enterprise, what happens before the “submit application” button is touched is having a bigger impact than most organizations know; and not just in recruiting. The impact of branding on your turnover, engagement, even customer satisfaction scores and bottom line results shock most organizations! Learn about Employment Branding, Recruitment Marketing and Candidate Experiences strategies that don’t require big budgets to have huge impacts and ROI at your company.

Takeaways include:
• Learn about the impact technology is having on candidate expectations, and why it has changed.
• Discuss the importance of brand on decision making for prospective and current employees as well as how to improve your own.
• Learn about the connection between Talent Acquisition and Business Strategy.

With nearly two decades dedicated to researching, developing and executing strategies related to hiring the right talent, Sarah Brennan, Principal Consultant, Talent Acquisition at Cornerstone OnDemand, is a sought-after mind in human resources. In her role today, she works globally, with companies of all sizes on their talent strategy and business alignment. She has been featured in national media such as Huffington Post, Fast Company, NBC News, Bloomberg, and ABC; spoken at HR, Marketing & Technology conferences in 6 countries and written for numerous industry publications. She is the founder of HRTechBlog, a co-founder of WomenofHR.com and served on the Candidate Experience Awards Board. Prior to joining Cornerstone, she was CEO of Accelir; Principal Analyst at Bersin; Chief Strategy Officer at HRMDirect & HR & Talent Acquisition Practitioner.

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Business Acumen
Thursday L2-7 (Ironwood) HRA’s Role and the Triple Bottom Line
Amy Bettis
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TA
Learn how HR can be a strategic partner in driving sustainability efforts for an organization, maintaining the balance of the Triple Bottom Line --- People Planet and Profit.

Takeaways include:
• Deliverables HR must help generate that impact the Triple Bottom Line ---People Planet and Profit?
• How can HR leverage employee motivation and engagement through sustainability?
• What is HRÃ’s responsibility to communicate a sustainable employer brand?

Amy Bettis’ 27-year career in print manufacturing has transitioned from production, to graphic design, project management, marketing and human resources. Currently, she is an HR and Marketing Specialist at Empire Screen Printing in Onalaska, WI. Embracing her career shift, she has recently earned her SHRM-CP certification. As a volunteer, she channels her marketing, communication and HR expertise into her local SHRM chapter, as the La Crosse Area SHRM’s Communications Coordinator.

Amy is one of the founding members of Empire’s Green Team, and a veteran member of the MPower cohort at Western Technical Colleges Sustainability Institute. Through Empire’a green team and MPower, she has worked to educate others about sustainability and how it relates to business, strategic planning, branding, community involvement, employee recruitment, and retention. Sustainability has become a cornerstone of who she is and who she chooses to work for.

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Business Acumen
Thursday L2-8 (Banyan) Ted Talks
Sarah Gibson, Regina Kramer, Drew Leatherberry, Stephen Utech, Brad Yocum
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PD
The Imposter Within - Sarah Gibson
Ever feel like a fraud? Afraid your team will wake up and realize you really don't know what you are doing? This TED Talk session will challenge the insecurities we all face and challenge you to embrace your full strengths and contributions in the workplace. Specifically, we’ll look at what causes us to think we are imposters, how to gain true perspective on the gifts you bring to your team, and how to free others around us to embrace who they are.

Business Strategy in HR Strategy - Regina Kramer
Over the last 10 years the role of HR has increasingly become more critical to a company’s success in achieving their business strategy. Whether the goal is organic growth or acquisition, cost containment or expansion, increased productivity or customer satisfaction, the HR programs and policies you deploy are critical to ensuring people are aligned around the objectives. Past practice of developing a standalone HR strategy runs the risk of missing critical business factors that may be in conflict with or commit the organization to activities that don’t have a direct impact on the business strategy. All of which results in a diminution of the impact and value that HR can bring.

This presentation explores an approach to strategic planning which focuses on picking one of the five primary HR pillars of Talent Management, Rewards, Selection, Compliance and Engagement, and then building strategies and actions around that pillar that unite the other pillars in a collaborative way to achieve business strategy. Using the analogy of a circus Big Top Tent, the key to success is selecting a strong center pole that will raise the tent high ensuring your Company becomes the “Greatest Show on Earth”.

Making Employee Benefits the Star of the Recruiting & Retention Show - Drew Leatherberry
With a changing workforce, a costly healthcare landscape and ever-expanding technologies, benefit plans are evolving. They can demand more resources than ever to manage while becoming a weakness in job satisfaction and even causing a lack of productivity. So how do you turn benefits from being a liability to the star of your recruiting and retention strategy?

With sustainable financial program design, relevant employee education tools and a meaningful well-being philosophy, your benefits can go from being a line item to the star of the show. In this session, Forsite Benefits’ experts coach you on several innovative strategies that will make your benefit program stand out from the crowd. And it doesn’t have to cost you more to deliver the right value in an effective way.


The Mean Makers - Stephen Utech
Stephen Utech offers a unique experience diving into the difficulties of workplace dynamics that can hold us back from living fully. By delving into the interplay between our behaviors, feelings, and self-concept, we can address the fears that create barriers for us to create meaningful interactions with those around us. When organizations pursue a culture of awareness, openness and accountability, they are able to navigate difficulties more efficiently and effectively as they arise, driving greater results and revenue.

Talent Acquisition Analytics - Workforce Strategy & Analytics - Brad Yocum
Utilize analytics to fuel talent attraction, improve the candidate experience, and ultimately use data to determine Talent Acquisition strategies.

Room Number: Banyan
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Thursday L2-9 (Crown Palm) Talent Day --- Determining Culture Fit
Kendl Behling, Wes Powell, Jay Stephany, SHRM-SCP, PHR
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Have you ever hired someone who is not a culture fit? What if you could assess culture fit before offering employment? Talent Day answers these questions by engaging candidates outside of the traditional interview. Candidates are assessed based on their ability to lead, solve problems, think critically and make difficult decisions in a controlled yet chaotic environment. Talent Day allows the selection team to observe candidates perform and lead under stress while increasing their awareness of the organization and themselves.

Takeaways include:
• How to use Talent Day as a component of selection and gain tips on getting buy-in from leadership.
• How to immerse candidates into your culture by creating a controlled yet chaotic environment.
• How to observe and assess the leadership characteristics and competencies exhibited by the candidates to determine culture fit.

As a Seeker of Talent with Goodwill NCW, Kendl Behling is responsible for organizational recruitment and selection efforts, strategies and employment brand. As a co-facilitator of Talent Day, her passion for the culture of Goodwill drives her to ensure candidates fit through the selection and onboarding process.

As Senior Learning and Development Specialist, Wes Powell is responsible for training and development initiatives on the Goodwill University team as well as co-facilitating Talent Day. In Wes’ role, it is important that candidates align with the culture of Goodwill to ensure success with the organization through The Best Possible U Journey.

As a Senior Seeker of Talent with Goodwill NCW, Jay Stephany is responsible for leading the organization’s recruitment and selection efforts and strategies. In addition, Jay develops and leads Goodwill NCW’s employment brand and implements its market pricing compensation strategy.

Room Number: Crown Palm
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L2-10 (Wisteria/Portia) Critical Thinking in HR
Moira Kelly, Michael Rust
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BS
Savvy HR professionals know how, when, and why parties in conflict can benefit from the elements of critical thinking in discussing their issues and framing their concerns. Using appropriate and effective neutral standards in solution development can improve the sustainability and acceptance of final outcomes. This session will help HR professionals recognize the importance of these advanced level skills.

Takeaways include:
• Gain a better understanding of the framework of the critical thinking methodology.
• Understand the use of neutral standards development in facilitating satisfactory outcomes to conflict.
• Ability to apply the critical thinking and neutral standards methodology to conflicts within their organization.

“The Dispute Doctor” is president of KELLY CONSULTING LLC, a firm that concentrates in consulting and training on dispute resolution, labor relations, and organizational effectiveness. She has extensive experience in resolving problems within unionized and non-unionized firms. Moira has worked with numerous organizations and agencies to improve workplace effectiveness and to reduce workplace conflict.

Prior to Kelly Consulting, Moira served in management capacities for domestic and international manufacturing and utility firms, including as vice-president of human resources and labor relations for firms with over $100 million in sales. She served on Wisconsin’s first Labor + Management Cooperation Council and in 2011, received the Melvin Lurie Labor-Management Cooperation Prize from the UW- Milwaukee. In 2015, she received the President’s Award from the Wisconsin Association of Mediators. Moira has taught in several graduate and law school programs throughout Wisconsin and holds a Masters in Dispute Resolution, Master of Science in Management, and a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Michael D. Rust, J.D. is the Executive Director of the Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, Inc. He is the Past-President of the Wisconsin Association of Mediators and the Past-Chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, being the first person ever to hold both positions. Mr. Rust graduated from Carthage College with degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology before attending Marquette University Law School. He practiced law for several years before devoting his practice to conflict resolution. As Executive Director of the WCRC, Mr. Rust oversees a roster of over 50 volunteer mediators and a caseload of over 500 mediations a year with a huge case variety in addition to having performed hundreds of mediations himself and having trained hundreds of mediators. He has received recognition by the American Bar Association and the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France, for his work in mediation. He is also a frequent speaker on topics ranging from conflict, ethics, communication, and leadership having spoken to groups from coast to coast.

Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Business Acumen
2:30 PM to 3:45 PM
Thursday L3-1 (Tamarind/Guava) Make the Business Case! Presenting Your HR Solutions to the C-Suite
Rob Lapota
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Looking to raise the credibility and contributions of HR in your organization and become a trusted business partner? Want to get your ideas heard and considered by the C-Suite? In any business, money talks. If you’re not speaking the language of business, your great HR ideas can be overlooked. Trusted HR business partners solve business problems with HR solutions - documenting the problem, the cost of the problem, the HR solution and cost, and the final impact on the bottom line, profits! Learn how to effectively communicate your great ideas to the C-Suite and impact the success of your business!

Takeaways include:
• Identify business problems where HR solutions can be most valuable.
• Learn how to place a dollar value on the problems, solutions, and profit increase.
• Create business proposals that solve business problems with HR solutions.

Fun is core to Rob’s style of instruction. Can learning about COBRA be fun? Yes, Rob can make it fun. Can learning about FMLA be fun? Yes, Rob makes that fun, too! Rob is driven by a passion for HR leaders to be engaged as strategic partners in their organizations, solving business problems through HR solutions and showing bottom-line impact of HR initiatives.

Drawing on more than 29 years of experience in HR and executive HR management, Rob helps employers find workable solutions to human resource issues. His career includes hands-on management and leadership responsibilities in all facets of human resources as well as experience developing ISO, QS 9000, and Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award compliant HR systems, metrics, and practices. He is certified as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L3-2 (Wisteria/Portia) Leveraging Mediation Techniques to Avoid and Resolve Workplace Conflict
Jill Hamill Sopha, Michael Rust
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ELL
HR is often tasked with serving as the intermediary when employees are in conflict. However, many HR professionals have never been trained in conflict or dispute resolution and, therefore, may not be aware of certain tools or methods that could increase their effectiveness in these situations. In this session, mediators Michael Rust and Jill Hamill Sopha will use their combined legal, mediation and HR experience to provide real life examples and tips on how HR professionals can use the fundamental skills of mediation to better address and resolve employee conflict. Artful use of these skills results in less workplace stress, better resolutions for the employees, less stress on the HR professional and a positive result for the business in general. Come to this session to learn 10 mediation tips that will help HR improve their ability to facilitate an efficient and effective conflict resolution session.

Takeaways include:
• Attendees will learn about the importance of efficiently and effectively addressing workplace conflict and about several innovative tools that mediators use to resolve conflict.
• Attendees will learn the best practices for using mediation tools such as active listening and effective questioning, identifying individual needs and interests and “expanding the pie” to address workplace conflict.
• Attendees will learn the practical application of these mediation tools with real-life examples of how the use of these tools will improve HR’s ability to facilitate an efficient and effective conflict resolution session.

Michael D. Rust, J.D. is the Executive Director of the Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, Inc. He is the Past-President of the Wisconsin Association of Mediators and the Past-Chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, being the first person ever to hold both positions. Mr. Rust graduated from Carthage College with degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology before attending Marquette University Law School. He practiced law for several years before devoting his practice to conflict resolution. As Executive Director of the WCRC, Mr. Rust oversees a roster of over 50 volunteer mediators and a caseload of over 500 mediations a year with a huge case variety in addition to having performed hundreds of mediations himself and having trained hundreds of mediators. He has received recognition by the American Bar Association and the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France, for his work in mediation. He is also a frequent speaker on topics ranging from conflict, ethics, communication, and leadership having spoken to groups from coast to coast.

Jill Hamill Sopha is Owner and Managing Director of Sopha Mediation LLC, a company dedicated to helping employers and employees find early and efficient alternatives to workplace disputes and litigation through mediation. Jill has over 20 years of experience as an employment attorney (UW, 1996) and is also Senior Certified Human Resources Professional (SHRM-SCP). Prior to starting her mediation business, Jill was Chief Counsel, Human Resources for Fortune 500 Company Harley-Davidson where she provided primary direction and guidance on all HR-related legal issues and was responsible for global HR compliance. Before her work at Harley-Davidson, Jill spent five years as an employment attorney at law firms in Madison, WI, and Chicago, IL.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Thursday L3-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Emerging Trends and Innovations in Healthcare
Mike Johnson, Tracy Kleist
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BS
Without question 2017 is the year of change. During this period of significant change in company-sponsored health care plans, employers are forced to pull multiple levers to better manage escalating costs, improve health and employee engagement while complying with legislative and regulatory changes. No matter how committed an organization is to provide the best care, it’s often difficult to take the steps necessary to kick off change without some kind of financial impact to employees and their families. Now more than ever, employers need to understand the trends and innovations shaping the future of healthcare delivery and administration.

Takeaways include:
• Identify opportunities surrounding emerging trends in health care to prepare for future challenges.
• Strengthen your ability to distinguish between fads and important trends.
• Learn about the various healthcare financing strategies.

Tracy Kleist joined Cottingham & Butler in 2011 and has worked in the insurance industry for over 25 years. Tracy offers insight and develops strategies to help clients manage risk and provide a competitive employee benefits package. Prior to joining C&B, Tracy worked for Humana in marketing, product development and sales. She has spent the last 13 years working as a consultant on the agency side.

Mike Johnson is a benefits consultant out of Cottingham & Butler's Madison, WI Office. Mike has worked in Human Resources consulting capacity for the past 6 years specializing in benefits, recruiting and retention strategies, compliance and overall human resource practices.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Business Acumen
Thursday L3-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) My Leaders Have Problems! Developing Leaders to Deliver Both Business and People Results
Daniel J. Stewart
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PD
How do you build leadership with someone who is solely focused on operational results? How can they learn to also pay attention to engagement, managing change, developing others, and team dynamics? Arming you and your leaders with proven, on-the-go tools will enable complete leadership development to happen even for the busiest executives.

Takeaways include:
• Discover what effective leadership looks like in today's constantly changing marketplace.
• Identify the necessary leadership behaviors required to build and manage key relationships with a leader's boss, direct reports, peers, and customers.
• Apply proven tools to develop leaders to accomplish both business and people results and create a tailored action plan to build your organization's leaders.

Daniel J. Stewart is a sought-after talent, change, team and leadership development consultant and coach with proven experience advising senior leaders, leading change, and designing leadership-rich organizations. He leads Stewart Leadership, an international human capital consulting firm.

Over the past fifteen years, he has been an internal and external organizational development executive and consultant delivering talent and team development solutions, executive leadership coaching, group facilitation, change management, organizational design, and strategic planning for companies that include JetBlue Airways, Avaya Telecommunications, Lockheed Martin, The Weihs Group (Venture Capital), Kohl’s Department Stores, and Aurora Health Care.

He is the co-author of the award-winning book, LEAD NOW! A Personal Leadership Coaching Guide for Results-Driven Leaders, which was awarded First Place by the National Indie Excellence Book Award for best leadership book published over the last 5 years. He has also published articles in Executive Excellence, Practicing OD, Proposal Management, and HR.com.

Daniel is originally from California and Oregon and lives near Milwaukee, WI with his wife, Katie, and their 4 children.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Thursday L3-5 (Bamboo) Use ROI to Get Compensation Programs Approved
Neil Lappley, Rich Sperling
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TR
Compensation programs don’t happen unless they are embraced by top management. Compensation programs compete for funds with manufacturing, marketing, sales, engineering, and every other function in the organization. To get top management engaged in compensation program proposals, we need to show that the programs produce results that the leaders care about results that enhance organization performance and produce positive financial outcomes.

This workshop focuses on methods to identify, articulate, and value the outcomes of new or modified compensation programs in terms that are meaningful to business leaders. We will provide client examples of ways to get business leaders’ attention, engagement and approval of compensation programs.

Takeaways include:
• Learn how to propose compensation programs in ways that engage top management.
• Learn how to assess and communicate compensation programs in terms of organization performance and financial outcomes, while considering qualitative objectives as well.
• Learn to identify, articulate, and value compensation program outcomes.

Neil Lappley heads a human-resources consulting practice that focuses on the development and implementation of reward and recognition programs that impact clients results. He has worked as a compensation and human-resources consultant for over 30 years. Neil has comprehensive experience in compensation systems, including executive compensation, salary management, sales-force incentive plans, board of director compensation, market-pricing, development of compensation surveys, and performance management.

Neil has advised a wide-range of clients including manufacturing, industrial, consumer, service, financial and technology organizations. His clients are both public and private and include for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. He has counseled multinational clients at the corporate and subsidiary levels.

Neil holds Bachelors and Masters’ degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Rich Sperling leads a human resource consulting practice that works with clients to build jobs, organizations, and reward programs that support and enable their business strategies and objectives. He provides expert consulting services in job evaluation, job families, roles and role relationships. Rich helps clients understand, plan, and manage spans of control. He also provides independent job evaluation reviews and dispute resolution for clients. Rich helps clients build the foundations for integrated performance management; career pathing; management development; succession planning; and reward strategies, architecture, and programs.

Rich holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a BS from Yale University. He is a frequent author and speaker on jobs, organization, and rewards.

Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L3-6 (Banyan) The New Talent Landscape and the High Cost of “One Size Fits All” Recruiting
Kelly Renz, SHRM-SCP
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TA
When businesses engage and recruit candidates using 'one-size-fits all' approaches, they are not acknowledging individual career goals, talents and paths. Candidates, rather than experiencing how their skills and contributions will shape the company, are treated like one of many and they know it. The rote and uninspired candidate experience (you know it well ”the apply online and we’ll automate every response to you” ATS approach) will not attract employees looking for something more than a paycheck. Companies that don’t change or adapt will be left behind in the war for talent.

Businesses need to find ways to engage people by their unique career interests and goals whenever possible, a strong Employer Value Proposition can make all the difference. Candidates should get a glimpse of the culture and values that make the business unique, enough to pique their interest.

Takeaways include:
• Discuss and share how the landscape and how candidate expectations have changed over the past 5 years. Knowing when technology and social media channels are helpful and when they will hinder your recruitment process.
• EVP -- Employer Value Proposition: how to develop it, implement it and capitalize on it.
• Ideas of how Human Resources can adapt to the hyper-competitive talent market: for organizations of all sizes and budgets. And, how these efforts for recruiting translate into retention results as well.

With nearly two decades of executive leadership experience in both human capital and operations/P&L roles, Kelly has found that organizational transformation and developing business execution excellence is where she thrives. Whether it is a start-up, change management, turn-around/reorg or high growth environment, she enjoys working on complex business problems across an enterprise. She has lead a breadth of practice areas supporting overall business effectiveness, M&A (deal project management, due diligence and integration lead roles), global human resources, organizational effectiveness and efficiency (including process improvement and workforce effectiveness), talent acquisition, talent development, org design/OD, employee relations and risk management, performance management and other core business operations and P&L management in operations.

Kelly is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Bachelor’s in English, Minor in Communications and the Keller Graduate School of Management, Master’s in Human Resource Management.

Room Number: Banyan
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L3-7(Cypress) HOLY COW! Create an Amazing Workplace that Steers Passion
Tracy Stock, CSP
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PD
Are you and your people bringing all of their passion, commitment, and skills to the workplace every day? Do you need a way to inspire fragmented teams to collaborate better and perform at a higher level? Are dysfunctional viruses such as whining, gossip, and negativity contaminating the spirit of success and prosperity you want to create? Leaders and teams can continue to talk about issues like these; however, until action-based strategies are learned, loved, and lived, positive change won’t happen.

Discover how to significantly alter workplace behaviors and performance, where people feel safe and empowered to do their best work, trust and respect their leaders to propel the company forward, and willingly cooperate and collaborate with one another in meaningful and effective ways. Inspire change in dysfunctional, under-performing teams to become inspired, accountable and committed team-members, ready and willing to perform their best. Start influencing a transformation of your workplace culture today.

Takeaways include:
• Identify traits that drive business impact and then hire those individuals who not only have talent and expertise, but also understand and exemplify your company values, character and culture. Aim for amazing and never compromise on quality. Ever.
• A leader’s responsibility at its core is to influence others toward a common objective. Discover how to best exercise this skill so others choose to follow you, not because of your leadership title, but because you are worthy of following.
• Transform your culture by inspiring positive behavior change and enhancing workplace performance where people feel safe, committed and empowered to do their best work. Apply results-focused engagement strategies that harness excitement, energy and effort.

As an in-demand and top-rated speaker, Tracy Butz delivers powerful, life-changing messages, where audiences can be found sitting on the edge of their seats, laughing aloud and brushing away tears as she masterfully recounts each story, aligned with a key point, an impactful meaning, and an enduring message. She is well known for her engaging, captivating and dynamic style, as she delivers action-based strategies and solutions to further engage employees, energize workplace culture and empower high performance.

With more than 20 years of experience, Tracy actively engages both large- and small-size audiences, from a wide range of industries, including the US Army, Motorola, Shopko, US Bank, and Subway, just to name a few. As a coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Tracy holds the highest honor in the speaking profession, held by on 12 percent of speakers worldwide.

In addition to her reputable speaking career, Tracy is an accomplished author of four books with her newest 2017 release entitled, HOLY COW! How to Create an Amazing Workplace that Steers Passion, Performance & Prosperity. Her thought-provoking writing style immerses readers with compelling content, poignant stories and vivid examples, as evidenced in her books, as a featured monthly magazine columnist, a contributor to numerous industry journals, and the online publisher of a monthly ezine, Monday’s Motivational Message and Butz’s Blog. She influences the lives of many through her keynote presentations, training programs, Leadership Excellence Certification, Impact Central online learning center, books and DVDs. Tracy’s inspiring words and compelling content illustrate practical strategies for audiences and individuals to drive and enjoy success in their careers, their relationships and their lives.

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Thursday L3-8 (Ironwood) Cultivating Passion: Using Culture Analytics to Drive Retention
Dan Ritter, Stephen Utech
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BS
Today's labor pool is shrinking making talent in short supply. One of the primary differentiators employees are seeking is a strong workplace culture. In this session learn what separates the good companies from the great companies, and how to apply it to attracting and retaining talent. Start learning how to think more strategically about developing your workplace culture.

Takeaways include:
• Identify an easy to use operational metric to assess the strength of your workplace culture.
• Investigate the top three drivers correlated to a strong workplace culture based on a culture study completed in 2016.
• Gain an experience in interpreting and applying culture data to make strategic recommendations to improve retention.

Stephen Utech is an entrepreneur and business leader who is a principal at The Utech Group, a second-generation consulting firm specializing in culture development, team development and leadership development. In 2016, Stephen and his firm launched their own culture analytics platform called illumyx to give leaders a way to quantify their workplace culture through data visualization. Stephen is using illumyx to help companies improve their cultures and also assists companies in integrating two or more cultures in the case of mergers and acquistions.

Dan Ritter is the illumyx Culture Analytics Specialist at The Utech Group. Before joining the team, Dan was a logistics manager who lead operations from last place rankings to top of class. He attributes his success to a combination of metric-based performance analysis and intentionally cultivating a positive work experience for his team. Dan has been in the trenches of culture change. He has experienced the struggles and the rewards firsthand. That experience drives him to help other organizations create their own thriving culture. Using illumyx, Dan works closely with organizations to explore their culture, highlight was is contributing to success, and diagnosis what can be improved. He wants everyone to love coming to work.

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
Thursday L3-9 (Crown Palm) Give Your Employees C.R.A.P. ---the Success Formula for Building Employee Loyalty
Jeff Kortes
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TA
Have you ever wondered why some bosses have people who are incredibly loyal to them and who will do anything for them while others have a revolving door of turnover? Those bosses and organizations people want to follow give their employees lots of C.R.A.P.! (Caring, Respect, Appreciation and Praise).

Takeaways include:
• Prepare participants to advocate to senior leadership that the C.R.A.P. Formula must be at the heart of your employee loyalty or retention strategy if they wish to survive and thrive in the future.
• Understand reasons that employees love being on the receiving end of the C.R.A.P Formula and how to best give their employees C.R.A.P.
• Understand why the C.R.A.P. Formula is important to different generations and how to give people C.R.A.P. that gives them actionable takeaways.

Jeff has more than 25 years’ experience in human resources. He has worked at companies that specialize in manufacturing, construction, textiles and software development. During his entire career, he has worked to recruit, retain and develop employees, at all levels, at companies including ConAgra Foods, industrial equipment supplier SPX, and automotive retailer Midas International, and more.

Jeff runs his own company, Human Asset Management LLC, which helps organizations to recruit, engage, develop and retain their best people. He is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and a frequent speaker on the topic of retention, engagement, and recruitment to human resources departments, associations and business groups. Jeff is the author of Employee Retention Fundamentals: No Nonsense Strategies to Retain Your Best People and Welcome to Dodge Tales from the Frontiers of Business. For more information visit http://www.jeffkortes.com and follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffkortes

Room Number: Crown Palm
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Relationship Management
Thursday L3-10 (Tamboti) Nationwide Recuiting Tool
Jessica Williams
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TA
The ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) is a nationally-recognized and transferable credential that demonstrates an individual is work ready and possesses the essential skills required for success in today's workforce across jobs and industries.

Awarded in four levels, an NCRC confirms that a candidate is, at a minimum, proficient in workplace tasks related to Applied Math, Workplace Documents, and Graphic Literacy.

Wisconsin High School Juniors are completing ACT WorkKeys assessments as part of the statewide assessment program. More than 65,000 Wisconsin students and job candidates earn this credential each year.


Takeaways include:
• What is the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)? What does it mean when a candidate has one?
• Consider elevating your 401(k) options to 'speak' to all generations by discussion investment trends such as socially conscious investments.
• What are the benefits to employers who recognize the credential? How can employers use it as part of their recruitment and retention strategies?
• What does it mean to prefer or require the NCRC? What are the steps needed to prefer or require the NCRC at your company?

Jessica comes with over six years of experience working with at-risk youth, employers, military members, and local entities revolved around the same goal, helping Wisconsin's community. Her past includes working with the Wisconsin Challenge Academy at Ft. McCoy positively changing lives of at-risk 16-18 year olds, The JCEP/WERC program helping Service Members and their families find employment and various positions within Alverno College, The Childrens Hospital, Oshkosh Leach Amphitheater, and Japan's USA Summer Camp where she was a crucial stepping stone to resources, marketing, events, and mentorship needed by the community. Not to mention, Jessica is a Veteran herself and still currently serves in the Army Reserves. She has a Corgi puppy named Duchess and is part of a women's organization Beta Sigma Phi, Epsilon Zeta. Currently she provides a win-win situation for Employers and Job Seekers by introducing the ACT, National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) as an employment recruitment tool and as a Job Seeker validation tool.


Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
4:00 PM to 5:15 PM
Thursday L4-1 (Wisteria/Portia) Just Culture: A Roadmap to a Risk Management Strategy
Jennifer Walther
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BS
Employers are increasingly implementing “Just Culture” policies as a risk management strategy intended to promote safe practices and behavior in the workplace, often replacing “zero tolerance” and punitive discipline practices. A Just Culture is a culture of trust, learning and accountability. Programs implementing a Just Culture focus on a revised understanding of human and systemic behavior, accepting that both humans and systems are imperfect, and need regular tuning, maintenance, and improvement over time. A Just Culture seeks to manage organizational risk by encouraging (even rewarding) people for providing essential safety and risk-related information, while still making clear the line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. It seeks to balance between the extremes of punishment and blamelessness. It is a culture that applies to both individuals and organizations, accepting both personal accountability and corporate self-regulation.

Takeaways include:
• What are Just Culture programs, how do they work, and how do they help achieve your risk management goals?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of a Just Culture program?
• How do you implement a Just Culture program?

Jennifer S. Walther has been representing employers in labor and employment matters since 1990. She works with companies to implement preventive measures to avoid larger problems and protect the employer from expensive litigation. She regularly counsel’s employers on all aspects of the employment relationship, including issues related to discrimination, harassment, disabilities, wage and hour compliance, worker’s and unemployment compensation, employment contracts, employee handbooks, discipline and discharge, reductions in force, drug testing, FMLA issues, and ADA compliance. When necessary, she defends employers in employment litigation in federal and state courts, and administrative agency proceedings. Ms. Walther is a Wisconsin native. She received her B.A. degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She is a cum laude graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, 1990.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness
Thursday L4-2 (Tamarind/Guava) Transgender 101
Ellen Krug
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EL
What does it mean to be a “trans person? What can other humans do to make trans people feel welcomed and accepted? What actions or words should they avoid? How does “passing” or not “passing” or the absence of legal rights in many states play into a transgender person’s daily life?

Takeaways include:
• Understanding the basics about what it means to be transgender, defining/discussing gender identity, gender expression, and social/surgical gender transitioning. This includes a discussion about whether gender identity is something that one can consciously “choose”.
• Understanding that not only do transgender persons who come out in their “true” genders “transition” but that family members, co-workers, intimate partners and others also “transition” in their thinking and interactions as well. This also includes understanding what it means to “pass” in one “true” gender and the challenges that both the trans person and cisgender people face when, like Ellie (due to her voice), a transgender person doesn’t “pass 100 percent”.
• Appreciating the need for proper pronoun usage and “allyship” as ways of welcoming/being accepting of a trans person. This includes what not to say/what questions not to ask.

Ellen (Ellie) Krug, while an Iowa civil trial attorney with 100+ trials, transitioned from male to female in 2009. She later became one of the few attorneys nationally to try jury cases in separate genders. The author of Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change (2013), Ellie currently speaks, trains and consults on diversity and inclusion topics to governmental entities, court systems, corporations, law firms, social service organizations, and colleges and universities.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L4-3 (Tamboti) Using an Exchange to Modernize a Benefits Strategy Through Choice
Rob Harkins
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TA
Today's workforce comprises multiple generations with diverse needs. High performing employers must develop their benefits strategy to solve challenges in supporting an evolving workforce. Using a private exchange to modernize your benefit strategy - through choice and education - enables you to offer the appropriate benefits to employees while simplifying administration. It can help your employees take greater responsibility for their buying decisions, become better health care consumers, realize the value of their benefits and derive more satisfaction. This presentation will focus on how consumer-centric technology modernizes benefit enrollment with decision support tools that enable employee choice based on customized individual needs.

Takeaways include:
• Ensure creativity and flexibility in benefits design and distribution to address the different needs of today's workforce.
• Examine how private exchanges can help consumers navigate choice.
• Help you understand why choice is key to a good consumer experience.

Rob Harkins leads the Willis Towers Watson initiative for private exchanges, which focuses on a Defined Contribution benefits approach, emphasizing cost management through a total population health management strategy. Mr. Harkins has over 30 years of experience developing, implementing and managing programs focused on emerging employer benefit strategies. Most recently, he was Vice President of Sales for Extend Health, the nation’s largest private exchange.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Consultation
Thursday L4-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) HR Can Deliver Talent: How to Bridge the Knowing-Doing Gap
Bob Von Der Linn
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GH
Multiple recent studies show that the perceived quality of leadership across virtually all organizations is low, and that the ROI for leadership development training is lower. What has gone wrong? Most leaders know what successful leaders should do. However very few actually put these ideas into action. This has been referred to as the knowing-doing gap.

In this session, we will revisit forgotten lessons from the most successful business transformation in history, and walk through several tools that any organization can start implementing right away, that will bridge the knowing-doing gap and immediately make their leaders more effective.

Takeaways include:
• Participants will be able to explain the problem of the leadership knowing-doing gap.
• Participants will be able to explain three basic rules of leadership that that every leader must practice.
• Participants will be able to implement practical tools that guarantee leadership behaviors that bridge the knowing-doing gap.

Bob has had the privilege of a long career “fighting in the trenches” between mahogany row executives and individual contributors, developing strategies to make senior leadership vision bear fruit. He proudly wears the smiles and scars earned while working with dozens of organizations, most notably General Electric from 1997-2009. Since then, Bob has been president and principal consultant for Change Leadership Resources, LLC, bringing expertise in change management, performance development, and technology-enabled learning to clients around the country.

Bob is currently President-Elect of the Metro Milwaukee chapter of SHRM. Long ago he earned an M.S. in Training & Learning Technology from the New York Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Management of Technological Systems from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Thursday L4-5 (Bamboo) Compensation Strategy – How to Develop, Communicate, and Use
Neil Lappley, Richard Sperling
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TR
How do you know if you are spending the right amounts in the right ways to get the results you want? Your organization compensation strategy is an essential part of making your compensation programs effective. It provides your company with a roadmap; you need to know where you want to go to plan effective routes, monitor progress, and know when you have arrived. Compensation strategy connects business strategy and human resource strategy to compensation program design and management. It guides the design of new pay programs, tests the alignment of current programs, and determines the need for change.

This workshop focuses on methods to identify, articulate, communicate, and use your organizations compensation strategy. Increasing the effectiveness of your compensation programs helps to support and enable the achievement of your organizations overall business objectives.

Takeaways include:
• Learn why a compensation strategy is necessary.
• Learn what is a compensation strategy and how to develop one.
• Learn how to utilize a compensation strategy in developing pay programs.

Neil heads a human-resources consulting practice that focuses on the development and implementation of reward and recognition programs that impact clients results. He has worked as a compensation and human-resources consultant for over 30 years. Neil has comprehensive experience in compensation systems, including executive compensation, salary management, sales-force incentive plans, board of director compensation, market-pricing, development of compensation surveys, and performance management.

Neil has advised a wide-range of clients including manufacturing, industrial, consumer, service, financial and technology organizations. His clients are both public and private and include for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. He has counseled multinational clients at the corporate and subsidiary levels.
Neil holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Rich Sperling leads a human resource consulting practice that works with clients to build jobs, organizations, and reward programs that support and enable their business strategies and objectives.

He provides expert consulting services in job evaluation, job families, roles and role relationships. Rich helps clients understand, plan, and manage spans of control. He also provides independent job evaluation reviews and dispute resolution for clients. Rich helps clients build the foundations for integrated performance management; career pathing; management development; succession planning; and reward strategies, architecture, and programs.

Rich holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a BS from Yale University. He is a frequent author and speaker on jobs, organization, and rewards.

Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Thursday L4-6 (Mangrove/Aralia) Moving the Needle on Engagement
Kristi Haase
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ELL
Engagement results are in and they aren’t pretty. Now what? Recent studies show that less than 40% of employees are fully engaged at work. That directly impacts productivity, profitability and leaves your employees wide open to other job opportunities. Employers need to focus on keeping the talent they have. This session will equip you with best practices for creating targeted action plans that increase employee engagement.

Takeaways include:
• Use engagement survey data to drive engagement initiatives.
• Discover how to overcome common roadblocks to employee engagement.
• Create a long-term employee engagement plan.

Kristie’s passion is strengthening the relationship between employee and employer to meet business needs. She bases her approach on Kelley and Thibaut’s Interdependence Theory and Rusbult’s Investment model. Both hold the premise that an individual’s commitment to an organization is determined by a combination of three factors--satisfaction, investment, and alternatives. Kristie’s mission is to align satisfaction and investment as well as realistically evaluate alternatives for both employee and employer. The result: a satisfied, engaged employee committed to the organization. While an undergraduate student, Kristie worked as an assistant to Dr. Caryl Rusbult on the Investment Model Scale.

Kristie has served as an HR generalist for 17 years in the manufacturing, distribution, and health insurance industries. She has worked in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Known for her customer focus, Kristie’s clients describe her as an advisor, coach, and trusted business partner.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Relationship Management
Thursday L4-7 (Cypress) Control Conflict! Collaborate more. React Less.
Tracy Stock, CSP
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PD
Conflict happens. Everyone approaches conflict differently but usually in the way that makes them feel most comfortable. For some, this may be direct confrontation, but for others, it may be avoidance. As a professional who deals with difficult situations each and every day, you're expected to assess each conflict on an individual basis while resisting the innate urge to drift into your personal comfort zone.

Having the skills to resolve intense and stressful opposing opinions effectively is one of the biggest challenges in today's business world and is vital to success. This program uncovers results-focused strategies to help prevent, minimize and resolve negative conflict in the workplace, helping to work more collaboratively with both internal and external customers, to achieve successful outcomes plus enhanced relationships.

Takeaways include:
• Understand common causes of negative workplace conflict, better prevent it from arising, decrease defensiveness, and better control emotional reactions, leading to faster and more effective outcomes.
• Enhance productivity and morale by fostering an environment that encourages differing points of view and enhanced personal accountability.
• Resolve conflicts more collaboratively and effectively, allowing for healthier, stronger and deeper relationships---with individuals both within and outside your organization.

As an in-demand and top-rated speaker, c delivers powerful, life-changing messages, where audiences can be found sitting on the edge of their seats, laughing aloud and brushing away tears as she masterfully recounts each story, aligned with a key point, an impactful meaning, and an enduring message. She is well known for her engaging, captivating and dynamic style, as she delivers action-based strategies and solutions to further engage employees, energize workplace culture and empower high performance.

With more than 20 years of experience, Tracy actively engages both large- and small-size audiences, from a wide range of industries, including the US Army, Motorola, Shopko, US Bank, and Subway, just to name a few. As a coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Tracy holds the highest honor in the speaking profession, held by on 12 percent of speakers worldwide.

In addition to her reputable speaking career, Tracy is an accomplished author of four books with her newest 2017 release entitled, HOLY COW! How to Create an Amazing Workplace that Steers Passion, Performance & Prosperity. Her thought-provoking writing style immerses readers with compelling content, poignant stories and vivid examples, as evidenced in her books, as a featured monthly magazine columnist, a contributor to numerous industry journals, and the online publisher of a monthly ezine, Monday’s Motivational Message and Butz’s Blog. She influences the lives of many through her keynote presentations, training programs, Leadership Excellence Certification, Impact Central online learning center, books and DVDs. Tracy’s inspiring words and compelling content illustrate practical strategies for audiences and individuals to drive and enjoy success in their careers, their relationships and their lives.

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Communication
Thursday L4-8 (Ironwood) Trumped! Impacts of Changes in Employment Related Immigration Law on HR
Scott Cooper
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PD
Rapid and significant changes to US immigration laws will be impacting the recruitment and hire of foreign national employees and raising the ante on immigration compliance. You will learn what these changes mean, the adjustments in HR policy and practice which need to be considered, and what other employers are doing to continue to retain highly skilled personnel and ensure compliance.

Takeaways include:
• Learn how changes to US immigration laws will impact their employers.
• Be able to adjust foreign national recruitment, hire and retention policy and practice to best adapt to the new rules.
• Be prepared to address changes and to serve as a resource for their company’s government relations and immigration compliance programs.

Scott F. Cooper has advised employers for over 30 years on immigration compliance matters. As a Partner and Senior Counsel with Fragomen Worldwide, he has provided advice and counsel to employers in industries including manufacturing, education, health care, information technology, research, financial services, and professional services. Scott is admitted to practice law in the states of Illinois, Michigan, New York and Wisconsin as well as in the US District and Supreme Courts.

He has been listed in the International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers, Best Lawyers, SuperLawyers, dBusiness Top Lawyers, and is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. He is a recipient of the Employee Relocation Council;s Distinguished Service Award and is a former Fulbright Scholar. Scott has served on the board of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and as Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Committee on Immigration and Nationality Law. He has taught at the IIT/Chicago-Kent and University of Detroit Mercy Schools of Law and for the Illinois and Michigan Institutes of Continuing Legal Education. He has presented at national conferences including those of the Council for Global Immigration, American Immigration Lawyers Association, American Society of Employers, and SHRM. Scott has been a contributing author to Thomson West's International Human Resources Guide and other publications.

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Ethical Practice
Thursday L4-9 (Crown Palm ) Absence Costs You as Much (or More) than Healthcare: Making the Business Case for Action
Janis Moebus
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PD
HR professionals work with all lines of benefit coverage and can calculate the costs for each program. Yet, the total cost of absence remains a mysterious figure and tends to be de-emphasized among other HR priorities. The primary objective of this session will reveal that absence can be quantified, including both evident and hidden costs. Once the dollar figure is calculated, the importance of taking action can be communicated to leaders.

The session will begin with a review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (through 2016) costs of absence and healthcare. Since we do not yet know the future of the Affordable Care Act, organizations are putting their healthcare strategy, on hold, for now and focusing on absence. In the second half of the session, we will review a case study illustrating a client’s total cost of absence and how they used these financial analytics to make a business case for change.

Takeaways include:
• Demonstrate how the total cost of absence can be measured and a business case for change can be developed to influence senior leaders.
• Describe various sources of information to calculate the total cost of absence.
• The participant will be able to identify the risk of absence to their organization.

Janis Moebus is a vice president in Aon’s Absence Practice. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Janis consults across the nation. Janis began working in the absence and disability industry in the 1980’s. Her career focus includes all aspects of absence and disability, from mainstream absence management and disability, to employee health management, employee assistance programs, workers’ compensation, and other related topics. Her experience spans operations, product management, sales, and consulting. Janis’ expertise includes project management; program integration (between absence disability and other initiatives, such as well-being); data driven analysis of performance improvement; compliance; quality assurance; training and development.

Janis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Master of Arts degree from University of St. Thomas, St. Paul Minnesota. She is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences and has published multiple articles.

Room Number: Crown Palm
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Business Acumen
Thursday L4-10 (Banyan) How to Select Professional Business Partners for Your Organization
Anthony Fioretti, Kris Hackbarth-Horn
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TR
Whether it’s your labor attorney, benefits broker or investment advisor, these important professional relationships sometimes need to be re-evaluated and, potentially, changed from time to time. But do you know how to ensure the best outcome when it’s all said and done?

Your speakers have participated in hundreds of professional services RFP’s over the years and bring perspective from both sides of the table. They will share their experiences (good and bad) and a non-traditional approach to selection that leads to a “ready to roll” implementation and a successful “long term partnership” for all.

Takeaways include:
• Understanding of how traditional RFP processes sometimes work against finding the best partner.
• Ways to incorporate cultural fit and work product assessments into the evaluation process.
• A process and structure that consistently helps you to make the best selection when future business partner needs arise.

Anthony Fioretti has 25+ years of experience serving the health care needs of mid-sized and large employers and has led multiple Wisconsin benefits consulting operations (Johnson & Higgins/Mercer, Hays, Palmer & Cay/Wachovia, HNI). In his consulting capacity, Anthony frequently conducts seminars and has been the featured speaker covering topics such as health care innovation, the Affordable Care Act, consumer engagement and a variety of other employee benefits related matters.

Kris Hackbarth-Horn has more than 20 years of experience as a human resources professional. She is passionate about creating an intentional culture, developing talent to achieve results, and fostering collaborative relationships in the workplace and in community partnerships.

Room Number: Banyan
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Business Acumen
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6:30 AM to 7:30 AM
Friday EB2-1 (Wisteria/Portia) An Update to the Trend to Scrap Performance Appraisals
Rena Somersan
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BS
There have been a lot of news articles and hype around the idea of scrapping performance management as we know it but let’s take a dive into how organizations who have done this are faring in this new world. This program will contain insights from interviews completed by Rena Somersan of firms who have been cited as scrapping performance appraisal systems. How have they done it? What are some of the preliminary outcomes? How has the journey been? How are they doing compensation adjustments? Join us for a lively interactive presentation with audience participation encouraged!

Takeaways include:
• What exactly are organizations doing when they say they’ve scrapped performance reviews.
• If an organization has scrapped performance reviews, what are they doing in place of them?
• How are organizations managing compensation after scrapping reviews?

Rena Somersan is a Managing Principal with the Compensation Consulting Services at Newport Group. With 20+ years of diverse consulting experience assisting clients in executing their strategic HR and compensation initiatives she has a degree in Economics and Japanese from the UW Madison and an MBA. Somersan lived abroad for 16 years in Japan and Turkey, returning to the US in 2008. While in Turkey, Somersan started a consulting firm that represented the Hay Group and did compensation for multinational firms including Coca-Cola, Nissan, and the United Nations. Somersan's expertise includes the design of workforce and executive compensation programs, performance management systems and leadership development in a variety of industries. She is a National SHRM and World at Work member as well as Metro Milwaukee SHRM’s 2014-2015 President.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Friday EB2-2 (Tamarind/Guava) Understanding and Avoiding Employers' Number One Risk: Retaliation Claims
Mark Johnson
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EL
Claims of retaliation, based on both federal and state law, continue to be filed by employees with ever-increasing frequency, and the general view is that they are easier for plaintiffs to pursue than other claims. During this session, we will discuss the current state of retaliation law, the reason why retaliation claims are so popular with plaintiffs and their counsel, common situations that can lead to retaliation claims and strategies human resources professionals can use to avoid and mitigate the risk of such claims.

Takeaways include:
• Understand the basic legal principles behind retaliation claims and the defenses to such claims.
• Recognize common situations which can give rise to retaliation claims.
• Understand practical steps human resources professionals can take to avoid retaliation claims.

Mark A. Johnson has a wide range of experience representing businesses in matters involving labor and employment law. Mark has represented employers in hundreds of cases in federal and state courts and before federal and state administrative agencies in Wisconsin and throughout the country. His practice also includes advising employers on how to avoid litigation. Mark is a frequent speaker on topics related to litigation and labor and employment law.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Friday EB2-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Feedforward and Coaching for Behavioral Change
Mike McKay
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PD
Providing feedback has long been considered to be an essential skill for leaders. Employees need to know how they are doing as they work to achieve the goals of the organization. But there is a fundamental problem with all types of feedback: it focuses on the past, on what has already occurred- not the infinite variety of opportunities that can happen in the future. Enter Feedforward. Tested on thousands of executives by Marshall Goldsmith, feedforward is a productive strategy for already successful people who want to become better. Layer on that strategy. Goldberg's coaching essentials for behavioral change, centered on what to stop doing, and active questioning techniques, and leaders become equipped with powerful tools to change themselves and their teams.

Takeaways include:
• The Feedforward approach and its use in teams.
• Learn the 5 classic "stop" behaviors for leaders and how to actually stop them.
• Learn about active questioning and take the AQ challenge.

Mike gets up every day to do what he does best, coach business owners and entrepreneurs to perform at their highest level, so they can live a better life, and the people around them can live a better life as well. His drive is the pursuit of decisive results. Mike is an award winning global executive coach. With experience in the public and privately held business community, Mike started his business in 2012, merging with Susan to create ActionCOACH of Madison, LLC in 2014.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Friday EB2-4 (Marula/Aloeswood) Fiduciary Fundamentals: The Growing Need for Fiduciary in a Corporate Sponsored Retirement Plan
Kelly S. Kuglitsch, Michael Poludniak
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Fiduciary Fundaments: A specific review of all levels of plan fiduciary and the management model of process to achieve a fiduciary level of coverage.

Takeaways include:
• Outline of the various levels of plan fiduciary from administrative to investment to education.
• A detailed outline DOL/ERISA standards of expectations and best practices to achieve these standards.
• A practical implementation model with quarterly and annual check lists to review, document and file for future use. A deep dive into the 'Audit File' all plans should maintain in the event of an audit.

Michael delivers a service model for 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plan clients with a primary focus of providing support to the plan sponsor in addressing the liability of fiduciary responsibilities, plan management and creation of customized services for business owners.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
7:30 AM to 9:45 AM
Friday All Attendee Breakfast Keynote
Avish Parashar
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PD
TITLE – "Ding Happens! How to Improvise, Adapt, and Innovate in an Ever-Changing World!"

SPEAKER – Avish Parashar

Avish Parashar is an energetic and humorous speaker who uses his 20+ years of experience performing, teaching and studying improv comedy to show organizations and individuals how to deal with the unexpected quickly, effectively, and with a sense of humor. Avish is the author of "Improvise to Success!" and the Amazon best-seller, "Say 'Yes, And!'" He has also created dozens of other products on applying improv skills to business and life.

Weaving together humorous stories, jokes, audience interaction, and improv comedy games, Avish keeps the audience engaged while imparting a key lesson: Planning is Important, but Improvising is Essential! No matter how well you plan, things will go wrong, surprises will arise, and the Universe will throw you a curveball. Your success and sanity are directly related to how you respond these challenges. By the end of one of Avish's presentations you will have key tools to flow with all that life throws at you.

Avish has spoken to the very creative (actors and directors), the very un-creative (accountants), the very casual (college students), and the very business-like (sales professionals). The end result is always the same - smiles, laughs, and a new way of looking at life and business.

Throughout the program, you will laugh your head off watching Avish play a variety of challenging and highly-entertaining improv comedy games – sometimes with volunteer help! Each game not only gets you laughing, but also teaches your critical lessons and skills about how to improvise with the unexpected:

You'll learn:
• The critical mentalities that lead to great change management and that allow improvisers use to flow with the unexpected.
• The approaches great improvisers take to finding opportunities in setbacks.
• The techniques great improvisers use to create new opportunities that let them jump ahead into new territory.

You will be captivated as Avish seamlessly combines humorous stories, improvisation, and solid business advice to achieve one goal: show you how they can improvise, adapt, and innovate in an ever-changing world.

Room Number: Suites A-H
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
10:00 AM to 11:15 AM
Friday L5-1 (Banyan) Reinventing Career Transition: Creating Partnerships with Talent Acquisition
Greg Simpson
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BS
Today, organizations of all sizes are forced into making rapid, strategic workforce changes. The skills necessary for success today are different than they were a year ago; in a year’s time, the skills equation will change again. That reality requires organizations to constantly transform their workforces as a matter of course. Unfortunately, although necessary and pragmatic, these workforce changes can lead to the inadvertent shedding of legitimate talent. Even worse, that pool of displaced talent is often left in a state of limbo, not sure why they were let go in the first place and unable to make a connection with other talent-starved organizations.

This tension between the need to move quickly, to hire and fire, requires a more holistic approach to workforce management. What we need is a workforce transformation, where organizations plan ahead, and where possible, act prior to a termination date to shorten landing times and protect the employer’s brand. How do we help our clients plan for workforce change to ensure the right people are retained? At the same time, how can we help those same organizations tap into the growing pool of non-working talent?

Takeaways include:
• The trends that are affecting workforce transformation.
• How organizations are proactively preparing to redeploy or place transitioning employees prior to termination.
• How career transition firms need to step up and become an active participant in talent acquisition.

As the Senior Vice President, Career Transition Practice Leader for Lee Hecht Harrison, Greg is responsible for developing, disseminating and monitoring the direction of career transition services for the world’s largest career services firm. This includes identifying and articulating global trends while assisting in the development and implementation of the short and long term global strategy of the organization.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Friday L5-2 (Tamarind/Guava) Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues in the Workplace
Mark Johnson
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EL
Working with, accommodating, and supporting employees who struggle with alcoholism, substance abuse, or mental health issues can be a complex task due to the sensitive nature of the situation and the numerous employment laws that may be implicated. Addiction and mental health issues can lead to absenteeism, poor performance, on-the-job injuries, or even workplace violence. This session will provide employers with practical guidance on how to handle the complex issues that can arise when addressing addiction and mental health in the workplace, as well as ensuring that safety in the workplace is not compromised.

Takeaways include:
• Better command of the often-complex set of laws, including the Family Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act and their state law counterparts, that can apply to situations involving substance abuse, addiction and mental health issues in the workplace.
• Reduce the risks of legal claims that can arise when dealing with employees with substance abuse or mental health issues.
• Respond more effectively to employees who present issues involving substance abuse and mental health issues.

Mark A. Johnson has a wide range of experience representing businesses in matters involving labor and employment law. Mark has represented employers in hundreds of cases in federal and state courts and before federal and state administrative agencies in Wisconsin and throughout the country. His practice also includes advising employers on how to avoid litigation. Mark is a frequent speaker on topics related to litigation and labor and employment law.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Friday L5-3 (Mangrove/Aralia) Kicking and Screaming: The Challenges of a Reluctant HR Transformation
Mary Faulkner
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BS
Businesses are demanding more of HR and the profession is evolving. The call for HR transformation is loud and clear...but the reality is not everyone is equally ready or willing to make that transformation. In this session, we will examine real world examples of the obstacles to HR transformation and solutions for overcoming them - from both the business side AND the HR side. Participants will walk away with actionable solutions to start immediately making a real change in their HR department, as well as long-term strategies to set HR up for success in the future.

Takeaways include:
• Make the business case for HR transformation with executive leadership AND within HR.
• Identify potential obstacles to a successful HR transformation before they happen.
• Create a high-level roadmap towards a successful HR transformation.

Mary is a talent strategist and business leader with over 10 years’ experience in helping organizations achieve their goals. After working on the Operations side of start-ups and small companies, Mary landed in HR by way of learning and development, with extensive experience in leadership and organizational development, coaching, key talent planning, performance management, business partnering, HRIS, process and policy creation, and instructional design.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Friday L5-4 (Wisteria/Portia) Five Tools to Own Your Career & Build an Engaged Workforce
Taura Prosek, ACC
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PD
Employees today are seeking career management and career development support and resources and many organizations aren’t equipped with the knowledge, tools, and resources to meet this demand. In a similar way that leaders are responsible for determining the future vision of the organization, employees are responsible for determining the future of their careers. By arming our employees with some tips and techniques to take ownership of their careers, a more engaged workforce will result. A career management framework will be presented including the topics of discovery, personal branding, and networking, and synergies will be identified between performance management processes and systems and other leadership development efforts.

Takeaways include:
• A career management framework will be presented that can be customized for implementation at any organization.
• Career coaching questions will be created and shared that to support the career conversations between hiring leaders and their employees.
• Participants will share ideas and best practices related to incorporating career management, development, and advancement into current talent management systems and processes.

Taura Prosek is an experienced coach and consultant with Stewart Leadership and brings to her clients over 20 years of experience in the areas of talent management, coaching, training, and business development. Prior to joining Stewart Leadership, she worked for diverse organizations such as GE Healthcare, Cielo Talent, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Taura specializes in coaching, 360-degree assessments, training, career transitions, communication, executive presence, and building high performing teams. She has an MBA from Kellogg, BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coach Federation.

Room Number: Banyan
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Friday L5-5 (Tamboti) Partial Self-Funding and Level Funding: is it right for your firm?
Dean M Hoffman
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TR
This session is geared towards business owners and human resource benefit managers who are either new or seasoned in the concept of self-funding group health plans. This session begins with the basics of self-funding a health and welfare plans and progresses to more advanced topics. Mr. Hoffman breaks down Third Party Administrative (TPA), Administrative Services Only (ASO) and Level funding models into easy-to-understand segments and explains the “plug and play” approach to claims administration; stop loss, disease management, pharmacy plan and direct provider contracting and high cost carve out features. He also provides a review of stop loss “contract types” including run in, run out, incurred and terminal liability. Self-funding group health plans is not a new concept for larger employers; however, many small and midsized employers are seeking this funding method as result of healthcare reform and the Affordable Care Act.

Takeaways include:
• Consider the pros and cons of a self-funded plan and learn the differences between TPA, ASO and Level funded models
• Understand the stop loss function and contract variations with a deep dive into stop loss contract variations. Learn what the liability issues are and how they work with the employee's financial goals.
• Review the surge in small group self-funding products and their specialty stop loss contracts.
• Consider the cash flow requirements of implications of a self-funded group health plan.

Dean M. Hoffman, Owner of an employee benefit consulting firm, Dean M. Hoffman, LLC provides customized training for employee benefit agencies, insurance carrier, third party administrator sales/support staff, project consulting and expert witness testimony work. He has been in the employee benefit industry for more than 40 years with an emphasis in large group self-funded health plans. Mr. Hoffman has expertise in a broad range of employee benefits including prescription plan analysis and all funding arrangements including conventionally insured, minimum premium, retrospective, experience refund, stop loss, level funded and self-funding. His strategic leadership process is centered on providing solutions to employers seeking to maximize their healthcare benefits, enhance employee satisfaction while managing their healthcare expenditure. His consulting process will utilize his technical skills, advanced knowledge of ERISA plans, stop loss contracting and data analytics to meet the needs of the Plan Sponsor and employees. Mr. Hoffman’s knowledge on self-funded arrangements has made him a favorite at many employee benefit and health care conferences around the country.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Friday L5-6 (Cypress) Keys to Employee Retention
Jeffrey Russell
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TA
Why do people stick with you as an employer? What are the factors that cause people to stay or leave? Understanding employee retention involves examining these questions and others as you work to develop strategies for hanging onto your top talent.

Takeaways include:
• Retention starts before the hire: recruiting and hiring right.
• The top reasons why employees leave their jobs and what you can do about it.
• What do people want from their jobs? What the research on motivation and engagement tells us and how it should change the way we manage the work environment.
• It’s all about the boss; retention is mostly about how employees are treated by their supervisors. Are your supervisors’ toxic to your retention goals?
• Conducting Stay Interviews and Pulse employee engagement surveys to give you early warning of trouble signs.

Jeffrey Russell, of Russell Consulting, Inc., specializes in guiding organizations in successfully responding to the challenges of continuous change. With a focus on leading change, strategic thinking and planning, employee engagement surveys, leadership, and performance management, Jeff has worked with organizations as diverse as Fortune 500 firms, nonprofits, the public sector, and small family businesses. Jeff is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences; including Wisconsin State SHRM Conferences, Minnesota State SHRM Conference, HR Florida State Conference, Twin Cities HRA Spring Conference, ATD International Conferences, and Jamaica Employer’s Federation Conferences.

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Friday L5-7 (Marula/Aloeswood) The Top Benefit Trends in 2018 and Beyond
Nicole Pfeiffer, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CEBS
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TR
In the world of employee benefits and human resources, your company is dealing with ongoing rising health care costs, an increasingly competitive job market, technological breakthroughs, constant compliance burdens, and ever changing workforce demographics. Employee benefits continue to be at the forefront of politics and business strategies. Face it, there’s a lot going on. It’s important for your own credibility that you stay on top of everything that is happening in this space.

Takeaways include:
• Learn the top benefit trends for 2018 that you should be monitoring to protect the financial wellbeing of your health plan, remain compliant, enhance HR efficiency and improve employee satisfaction.
• Find out what percentage of other employers are implementing or plan to implement these benefit trends.
• Strategies you can execute in order to support your employee benefits and organizational goals.

Nicole Pfeiffer is a Vice President of Employee Benefits for Cottingham & Butler. Nicole has been with Cottingham & Butler since 2004. She offers consultative advice to business decision-makers regarding their employee benefit plans. Prior to Nicole’s role in Employee Benefits, she worked as the Vice President of Human Resources and Director of Marketing for the firm. Prior to joining Cottingham & Butler, Nicole was employed by Procter & Gamble.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Friday L5-8 (Ironwood) Creating a Culture of Corporate Responsibility through Aligned Leadership
Paul Cooke, Sarah Gibson
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PD
Scandal, outrage and frustration loom large in business news across the nation. “Do as I say, not as I do” rings out in headlines. Businesses say they value integrity, customer service and loyalty, but their actions don’t align with their values.

The Aligned Leadership model introduces leaders to key steps revealing gaps between the values they claim as a business and with what’s truly happening at all levels of the organization. Join us to see and discuss the rebirth of the business done well.

Takeaways include:
• Match organizational values with actions through case study examples.
• Identify key components of Aligned Leadership principles.
• Assess key areas of organizational behavior which may not align with organizational values.

With over 25 years in the HR field, Paul Cooke has put his business mindset and HR tools to work, across experiences spanning being an US EEOC Investigator to advising executives about organization design and culture change. He was worked in the public and private sectors at national and international firms and even had his own HR consulting firm, Ascolta Coaching and Consulting, LLC.

Originally thinking he would be an opera singer, Paul loves the stage! A frequently-requested speaker and facilitator, Paul combines wit, humor with passion for his subject material for a fun, but thought-provoking experience. One recent executive invited him back to lead a two-day executive retreat because "[Paul] always makes me think. He challenges my assumptions, and provides new insights."

Sarah Gibson founded Accent Learning and Consulting, LLC in 2004 because it allowed her to share her passion for speaking and teaching practical workplace skills that help individuals and businesses succeed. Since then, Sarah and her team have helped companies understand the impact of workplace communication through a large variety of professional development and leadership classes. Sarah wrote Geezer. Punk. Whatever. to help people learn more about the impact of generational pieces in the workplace. She has worked with more than 100 organizations across a variety of industries throughout North America. Beyond her corporate experiences, Sarah has also taught for the University of Wisconsin-Madison evening MBA program and as an adjunct instructor at Madison College, UW-Whitewater and North Dakota State University.

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Executive
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
Friday L5-9 (Crown Palm) Tackling Business Travel Compliance: Building Momentum for Change
Katie Heath, John Jennings
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GH
While most organizations recognize that employee travel creates a variety of tax and immigration risks, most organizations are not actively addressing these risks. Why? While there are a number of contributing factors, a major challenge is the identification of a project sponsor. During this session, we will discuss some of the risks emanating from business travel and how the Global Mobility team can lead a multifunctional team to create the business case and lead the change.

Takeaways include:
• Recognize the risks arising from business travel.
• Identify impediments to taking action.
• Build a coalition and effective case for change.

John is a Partner with Deloitte Tax LLP. For twenty years, John has assisted multinational organizations address the HR and tax challenges of transferring personnel and compensation plans across borders. With an international portfolio of clients, John has led numerous projects that restructure the employment and deployment of talent for companies in a wide array of industries. He has assisted corporations with various facets of their talent strategy, including long-term incentive and retirement plan design, improving the financial statement impact of compensation programs, establishing controls to enhance compliance, change management and developing special employment structures, policies and procedures to address the complexities associated with cross-border employees.

Katie is a Global Mobility Specialist with extensive and varied experience in development, implementation and administration of Global Mobility programs. This includes policy and program design and administration, global compensation management and reporting compliance, process review and improvement, quality assurance initiatives, vendor review and management, development and implementation of technology solutions, training and mentoring.

Room Number: Crown Palm
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
Friday L5-10 (Bamboo) The Effects of Bias on Your Workforce, Customers & Brand
Jill Breidel, Alvin Hill, Ann Wales
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Attendees will learn about the effects of bias on their workforce, customers/clients and brand. They will come away with a business case and a tool to overcome the effects of bias, both conscious and unconscious, that they can bring back to their own business/organization. The recipients of the 2017 Workplace Diversity, Inclusion and Workflex Award, Milwaukee Center for Independence and Gundersen Health System, will be leading this learning session and will be sharing their stories of becoming organizations that embrace diversity and value inclusion.

Takeaways include:
• The effects of conscious and unconscious bias on a business/organization’s workforce, customers and brand.
• Understand the business case for being diverse and inclusive
• Learn about a tool to overcome bias in employees and leaders

Alvin C. Hill, Jr. is currently the Director of Diversity and Cultural Competence for The Milwaukee Center For Independence. (MCFI) Al was promoted into his current in September of 2006, and in this role, is responsible for the overall planning, implementation and oversight of MCFI’s workforce and supplier diversity strategies and initiatives.

Prior to coming to MCFI, Al was an HR Generalist/Affirmative Action Officer for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Manager of Diversity Recruitment for a local staffing company and Manager of Recruitment and Human Resources for a local mid-size transportation company. Al also had an HR career in Affirmative Action and Diversity in the Wisconsin Army National Guard where he served for 25 years with 10 years as the Chief of the Equal Opportunity section for the 32D Separate Infantry Brigade. Al is a published author in HR Focus Magazine with an article entitled: “Ten Strategies for Managers in a Multicultural Workforce.

Al received his AAS Degree in Marketing from Milwaukee Area Technical College and is a graduate of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute.

Jill Breidel is an HR Consultant with Gundersen Health System and has been in this role for five years and with Gundersen for 13 years. In her current role Jill works on HR policies and the corporate policy manual system along with FMLA administration. Other projects she is involved in include Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Compliance and Affirmative Action Plans. Prior to this role, Jill worked in management of the Transcription Services Department at Gundersen Health System for five years. Jill has a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Sociology.

Ann Wales, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, is an HR Consultant with Gundersen Health System and has been in this role for 10 years. Ann works on numerous human resource projects for Gundersen that include Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights Compliance and Affirmative Action Plans. Ann also serves on the Greater La Crosse Area Diversity Council, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee and La Crosse County Jail Ministry Board. Previously Ann was the Liaison for the Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board for five years, was an Executive Team Lead Team Relations for Target Corporation for five years and taught English as a second language in Lebanon. Ann has a Master’s Degree and Bachelor’s in Communication.


Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise
11:45 AM to 1:00 PM
Friday All Attendee Closing Keynote Presentation
Jason Hewlett
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PD
TITLE – The Promise: It's All About The Engagement Experience
SPEAKER – Jason Hewlett

A life-changing message combined with world-class entertainment and an unforgettable audience experience, Jason Hewlett will provide a new perspective on goal setting and the engagement experience, showing you how the promises you make and keep to others affect every aspect of your life. Why set a goal when you can make a promise? Do you keep the promises you make to your clients, your team, your family, yourself? What promises might you be breaking? Does the commercial of what you advertise match the reality of the experience? The answers to these questions and more shape both your personal and professional lives. By looking inward and truly understanding how you are upholding your promises (or not), you can positively impact employee engagement, work and home relationships, work-life balance and embracing change, all while laughing out loud.

Jason has delivered hundreds of presentations around the world and performed in every major casino in Las Vegas. He has also delivered hundreds of school assemblies for youth, teacher trainings for educators, as well as countless speeches for front-line motivation and management instruction for corporate events. Jason will share practical business principles applicable for leadership, entrepreneurship and cultural impact. One of the youngest inductees into the Speakers Hall of Fame, Jason will demonstrate how to keep The Promise using “I laughed til I cried” humor plus world class music and impersonations. This talk will touch your minds and hearts, while providing:

• Leadership Promise Skills
• Sales Promise Delivery
• Work-Life Balance Skills
• Customer Service Promise Keeping

Room Number: Suites A-H
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation
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