Chicago Agenda
Thursday May 1st 2025
Aon Center; 200 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601
8:00 – 8:45
Registration, Networking, Meeting and Connections
8:45 – 8:55

Welcome and Setting the Scene

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Chris Cummings
CEO, Sonas Group, (Wellbeing At Work)
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8:55 – 9:20

Welcome Address from Aon
Is Your Company’s Culture More Connected Than TikTok?


Kembre Roberts, PhD
Senior Vice President, Health Transformation Leader, AON

9:20 – 9:45

The Connection Between Physical and Financial Health on Women’s Wellbeing
Kweilin will explore the foundational wellbeing topics of physical health and financial health on women’s health. While women live longer than men on average, they spend 25% longer in poor health and spend more on healthcare over a lifetime. That, combined with lower average retirement savings on average that needs to stretch for more years, is a challenging equation.


Kweilin Ellingrud
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company and Co-Author, The Broken Rung

9:45 - 10:15
Leadership Panel: The Role of Wellbeing on Organizational Performance
How can leaders ensure wellbeing is a long-term, strategic and outcome-driven priority? What can employers do to ensure all aspects of an organization are human-centric? How do leaders model behaviors in managers that promote well-being and high performance? How can employers holistically support employees through the reward and recognition strategy?



Christy Harris
Chief Human Resources Officer, CCC Intelligent Solutions




Angela Mancuso
Chief Human Resources Officer, AIT Worldwide Logistics




Bahar Ozkan
Senior Director, Wellbeing, Concentrix




Matt Percia
Strategic Advisor, Navigate Wellbeing Solutions

10:15 – 10:45
Morning Conversation & Connection Break
10:45 – 10:55

Deepening Your Personal Sense of Support, Safety, and Wellbeing
A 10-minute guided experience and original music

Nathan Peterson
Singer-Songwriter, National Speaker, and Author
10:55 – 11:25
Leadership Panel: The Future of Work - Key Challenges and Opportunities
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions to the experts on the key challenges facing the future of work, including: How do we deal with stress and burnout in demanding workplaces? Why should organizations consider reducing time at work? How can employers combat un-addressed menopause symptoms in the workplace? How will the future of wellness drive ROI?



Joe O’Connor
Chief Executive, Work Time Revolution




Elizabeth Pol
CEO, Resilient Heroes and Chicago Police Department Officer and Arlo




Gretchen Scheidler
Firm Ombud, Global Colleague Care & Mind Matters Lead, McKinsey & Company, Inc




Moderated by: Thomas Lundquist
CEO, HealthNEXT

11:25 – 12:15
Leadership Workshop Discussions
12:15pm – 1.15 pm
Lunch, Meetings and Connections
1.15pm – 1:30 pm

Post-Lunch Audience Energiser


Alicia Archer
Master Trainer, STRETCHIT

1:30pm – 1:50 pm
Centering Financial Well-Being Through Intentional Workplace Benefits
Studies show that 65% percent of Americans feel their finances are their biggest source of stress.That financial stress carries over to the workplace, with 49% of employees reporting being distracted by their finances at work, spending three or more working hours each week thinking about or dealing with personal financial issues. We’re seeing that organizations are committed to their people more than ever— while still having some recurring challenges like recruiting, retention, and attrition), and productivity loss, absenteeism, and delayed retirement —and not knowing how to navigate that.One proven way to navigate employee financial stress and the effect of it on the organization is to be intentional in leveraging your workplace benefits; recognizing your employees are your greatest asset.Once employers have an understanding of what is plaguing their workforce, then they can be intentional about solving for the most junior employee, there will be natural and organic results for all. ‘Rising tide lifts all boats.’



Charvi Gandotra
Senior Director, Commonwealth




Mercedeh Mortazavi
Head of Financial Health, JPMorganChase

1:50pm – 2:25pm
Leadership Panel: Well-being for All – an Approach to Well-Being That Attracts Talent
Well-being for all – what part does an employee-centered approach have in attracting talent? What part does data play in implementing a rewards strategy that gives employees what they want? How do organizations implement recognition strategies that foster employee well-being? What should be done to create a framework of belonging that attracts talent



Jasmine Guy
Senior Equity Officer, Chicago Fire Department




Aaron Eubanks
Head of Talent Acquisition, City of Chicago




Cassandra Blackburn
Head of DEI & CSR, Sprout Social




Moderated by: Dr. Airies Davis
Adjunct Faculty, PhD in Social Justice and Entrepreneurship, Dominican University

2.25pm – 2:45pm
Conversation & Connections Break
2:45pm – 3.05 pm
Leadership Panel
High Performance and Wellbeing
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Will Ajayi
Head of Well-Being, Netflix




Darryl A. Smith
Chief Executive Officer, Das & Associates


Moderated By:

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Chris Cummings
Chief Executive Officer, Sonas Group, Wellbeing At Work
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3:05pm – 3:45pm
Legal Leadership Panel - The Right Not to Remain Silent: The Truth About Well-Being in The Legal Profession
The legal profession is known for its high-pressure environment, long hours, and intense demands, often taking a significant toll on mental health. This panel brings together legal professionals who have navigated or supported others through mental health challenges in the field. Through candid conversations and personal insights, panelists will explore the stigma surrounding mental health in law, share strategies for resilience, and discuss how the profession can better support well-being.



Alicia Hawley
Of Counsel, K&L Gates




Nicky Boothe
Dean, University of Illinois Chicago Law School




Karen Munoz
JD and Founder, Roaring Grace


Moderated By:


Janet Thompson Jackson
Founder & CEO, Well-Law

3:45pm – 3:50pm

Closing Remarks


Chris Cummings
CEO, Sonas Group, Wellbeing at Work

3:50pm – 5.00pm