
Southern California CHRO Community
Executive Summit
December 11, 2025 | Marriott Long Beach Downtown
December 11, 2025
Marriott Long Beach Downtown
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Southern California's top CHROs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CHROs today:
Advance leadership, change management, and culture to drive retention and performance.
Leverage technology and data for workforce planning, recruitment, and development.
Elevate well-being, rewards, and HR’s strategic influence.
Southern California CHRO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CHROs, For CHROs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs

Dina Barmasse-Gray
The Cheesecake Factory
Chief People Officer

Kari Durham
Skyworks
SVP, Human Resources

Jeff Fraley
Big 5 Sporting Goods
SVP, Human Resources

Samantha Khoury
Los Angeles Lakers
VP, Human Resources

Michelle Kwait
Herbalife
Chief Human Resources Officer

Tracy Ting
Encore Capital Group
CHRO
What to Expect
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Opening Comments & Keynote
Kick off the day with a peer's discussion of a top community priority. Additional details coming soon.
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Redefining Leadership and Development in a Disrupted World
Hosted by ADP

Christian Gomez
Vice President, Strategy
ADP

Kim Eskierka
CHRO
UC San Diego Health and Health Sciences
As AI, hybrid work and workforce transformation reshape organizations, leadership development is more critical and nuanced than ever before. In this roundtable, CHROs from top companies will discuss innovations like AI-powered coaching, skills-based pathways and inclusive leadership. Join us to share ideas and reimagine what tomorrow’s people leaders need to succeed.
In this roundtable, we’ll discuss:
- Leadership mandates driven by AI and agility
- Innovations in skills-based, inclusive development
- Measuring leader effectiveness and impact
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Aligning Mental Health Investments to Measurable ROI and Business Performance
Hosted by Spring Health

Nicole Roger
Director, Clinical Partnerships
Spring Health

Anne Buchanan
CHRO
Guitar Center

Rian Medlin
Vice President, CHRO
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
Forbes reports that employees’ claim managers impact their mental health as much as a spouse. People leaders know employee resilience is foundational to business success; how do you secure buy-in?
Join this roundtable to discuss:
- Empowering managers and HR teams to proactively address mental health
- Preparing for a workplace crisis with effective support structures
- Helping leaders identify ROI and cost containment elements of effective mental health programs
10:25am - 11:10am Networking Break
10:35am - 11:00am Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session
From Crisis to Catalyst — Sparking Inspiration in the Workplace
Hosted by O.C. Tanner

Ariane Hibo Ezeh
Workplace Culture Strategist
O.C. Tanner
Only 16% of employees say they’re thriving in their roles — a staggering number that cannot be ignored. Yet, new insights from O.C. Tanner’s 2026 Global Culture Report reveal how workplaces can become a source of renewal and resilience in uncertain times.
Join this session to discuss:
- Why healthy performance requires both expectations and support
- The 5 behaviors that shape inclusive, high-performing teams
- Why integrated recognition creates a cultural multiplier effect
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Delivering Workforce AI to Connect People With Work
Hosted by Visier

Andrea Derler
Principal, Research & Value
Visier
All CHROs must now consider AI as they grow the enterprise, but how is AI transforming HR? The challenge is combining data-driven insights with action-oriented solutions to connect people and work. CHROs can implement AI to optimize workforce decisions to drive business performance and decision making.
Join this boardroom to explore:
- Leading and transforming HR using the power of generative AI
- Empowering front line leaders with data to streamline workflows
- Discovering practical strategies to adopt AI for progress
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Getting it Right — Dissecting Leadership Development and Succession Planning
HR leaders report to Gartner that their expectations of people managers have increased across every dimension. With Gen Z entering the workforce, baby boomers waiting to retire and more millennial leaders, how should the C-suite think about workforce strategy?
CHROs will discuss:
- Ensuring leaders have skills to thrive through development
- Staying ahead of leadership competency and succession planning
- Building a robust talent bench for an evolving industry landscape
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Southern California CHRO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Marriott Long Beach DowntownParking
- $25 discounted parking validation available at Hotel Front Desk.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Marriott Long Beach Downtown at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 1-888-236-2427.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $250 USD (plus tax) is November 10, 2025.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.