Christine is a senior talent and organizational development leader with 15+ years of experience shaping enterprise learning strategies and building workforce capabilities across complex, global environments. She specializes in modernizing the employee experience, strengthening leadership pipelines, and aligning talent priorities with business outcomes.

Throughout her career, Christine has partnered with executives and HR leaders to design and deliver initiatives that enhance onboarding, elevate leadership capability, and scale global talent programs. Her work has driven workforce engagement, accelerated career growth, and fostered a culture of readiness and resilience.

Sherrie joined Thrivent in 2020 and has held progressively responsible leadership roles during her tenure. Notable achievements include leading large-scale change and transformation efforts, elevating HR service delivery, and advancing the role of HR Business Partners from transactional allies to trusted advisors, thought partners, and coaches enabled to provide outcome-based human capital consultation and solutions. In her current role, Sherrie serves as the strategic partner to six (6) C-Suite Executives and leads a Team of 10 HR Business Partners supporting all Corporate Functions and a workforce of 3,400.

Sherrie collaborates closely with executives to diagnose gaps between current and desired organizational performance. Her work is focused on the design and deployment of talent solutions that advance enterprise priorities, improve organizational effectiveness, build workforce capability, and deliver on business commitments. Driving human resource best practices, talent strategies, and change management to scale is her passion. Committed to a “people first” strategy, Sherrie’s expertise is optimizing cultures where leaders and employees are inspired and enabled to do their best work.

Sherrie’s experience includes leadership roles in medium to large organizations, both Fortune 300 and privately held companies across hospitality, manufacturing, supply chain services, retail, technology, higher education, and financial services sectors.

Ryan J. Seman is Vice President of Health & Well-Being (Total Rewards) at Starkey, a global leader in advanced hearing technology headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He is responsible for leading the organization’s global strategy across compensation, benefits, and employee well-being programs supporting more than 5,000 employees worldwide.

Ryan’s work centers on building scalable Total Rewards frameworks that align employee experience with organizational performance. His leadership spans compensation design, benefits governance, workforce well-being initiatives, and HR transformation programs. He has led numerous strategic initiatives including global benefits optimization, job family architecture development, HR technology modernization, and enterprise well-being programs designed to improve employee health and engagement.

Known for his pragmatic and data-driven approach, Ryan focuses on ensuring Total Rewards programs are competitive, financially sustainable, and aligned with the evolving expectations of today’s workforce. His work helps organizations strengthen talent attraction, retention, and engagement while supporting long-term business performance.

Ryan frequently speaks on topics including compensation strategy, workforce well-being, HR technology transformation, and the future of Total Rewards in a global workforce.

Michelle is a strategic learning and development leader with deep experience building enterprise-wide learning ecosystems that strengthen capability, accelerate growth, and enhance performance. As Vice President, she oversees enterprise learning and talent strategies, including technical training, professional and personal development, career mobility initiatives, performance and talent review processes, and engagement strategies that support a high-performance, high-retention culture.

She partners closely with business executives and HR leaders to align learning, talent, and organizational priorities, creating scalable frameworks that elevate skills readiness, improve internal mobility, and strengthen leadership pipelines. Known for connecting people development directly to business outcomes, Michelle focuses on building environments where employees can grow, contribute, and thrive.

Carita Hibben currently serves as Vice President, Human Resources (HR) at C.H. Robinson, where she leads a broad range of domestic & global programs and capabilities, including Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, HR Operations, HR Technology, Payroll, and Global Mobility. She also serves as Executive Sponsor for the company’s HR Digital Transformation and supports the Talent & Compensation Committee. Over the past 20+ years, Hibben has been formally recognized for her leadership, integrity, and collaboration, and is known for her sharp business acumen in aligning HR functions with organizational strategies. Her deep experience ranges from food & beverage to international defense to aerospace industries, among others, also encompassing both privately held and publicly traded companies in the Fortune 500. She currently serves on the Make-A-Wish Minnesota Board of Directors. Carita lives in Champlin, Minnesota with her husband Dan and her two sons and dog!

Josh Lemon is a seasoned Total Rewards professional with over 20 years of experience, specializing in compensation, benefits, and performance management. As the Senior Director of Global Total Rewards at Resideo, he leads a team supporting employees in 32 countries, driving strategic initiatives that enhance employee engagement and organizational effectiveness.

An early adopter of AI technology in HR, Josh leverages innovative tools to transform the Total Rewards landscape. He has led workshops, presented at industry events, and shared practical insights on using AI to streamline processes and improve communication. His commitment to continuous learning and embracing new technologies is reflected in his efforts to foster transparent workplace cultures and reshape leadership strategies.

Josh holds an MBA and a BA in Economics from the University of Minnesota. He is dedicated to empowering individuals through meaningful rewards and benefits programs, striving to create workplaces where employees can thrive and grow.

Heidi is a results-driven HR leader who is highly collaborative and has a passion forlearning. She brings a strategic and pragmatic approach to creating and operationalizingtalent strategies for innovative and high growth businesses. She has experience in alldisciplines of HR and loves to solve problems where she brings all the pieces together in away that enables the business to achieve their strategic goals. Heidi can navigate througha variety of industries and companies, from highly matrixed global corporations to privateequity owned businesses.

Megan Thompson is an award-winning television producer and special correspondent for PBS News Weekend. She spent thirteen years at WNET, New York City's PBS station, where she served as a substitute anchor, on-air reporter, editor and videographer for a variety of national news and documentary programs. She has reported on a wide range of issues - from health care and climate change to poverty and criminal justice - across the U.S. and from 20 countries around the world. Her work has earned her three Emmy nominations, four Headliner Awards, three Gracies and a Student Academy Award. Megan holds a BA from Wellesley College and an MA in Journalism from New York University. She lives in Minneapolis with her family.

Evan moved to the Twin Cities and joined the Star Tribune in 2013. Ramstad previously worked for The Wall Street Journal in Seoul, Hong Kong and Dallas, and the Associated Press in New York, Washington and Dallas and briefly at the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He grew up in Grinnell, Iowa, where he got a start in journalism at radio station KGRN.

Colleen Flaherty Manchester, PhD, is a Professor in the Work and Organizations department and Faculty Director of the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies at the Carlson School of Management. She completed her PhD in economics from Stanford University, with a specialization in labor economics and public finance. She also received her B.A. in both public policy and economics from Stanford University. Her research investigates workplace practices, including benefits and policies, implemented by employers and their effects on the careers of workers, including differences by gender and caregiving role. Research areas of interest include incentives, flexible work policies, human capital investment, and retirement policies. She seeks to advance a multidisciplinary, multi-method research agenda for studying the effects of workplace practices on the careers of workers.

Dr. William Ferro is a chiropractic physician, entrepreneur, and proud “quack” by conventional standards—mainly because he believes something radical: the body is actually designed to heal itself. While the healthcare system often focuses on managing symptoms, Dr. Ferro has spent his career asking a different question: what’s getting in the way of the body working the way it’s supposed to? As the founder of Betr Health, he’s helped tens of thousands of people feel better by removing the interference instead of piling on more solutions. Known for mixing science, common sense, and a little bit of rebellion, Dr. Ferro has a way of making people laugh, think, and occasionally question everything they thought they knew about health.

Bill George is a prominent American business leader, academic, and author best known for his work on authentic leadership. He serves as an Executive Education Fellow and was previously a professor at Harvard Business School, where he taught leadership from 2004 to 2022. Before entering academia, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic from 1991 to 2001, helping transform it into a global leader in medical technology. Over the course of his career, he has also served on the boards of major corporations such as Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Novartis, and Target.

In addition to his corporate achievements, he is a bestselling author of leadership books including True North and Authentic Leadership, and a frequent contributor to publications like Fortune Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Recognized for his impact on business leadership, he received the Bower Award for Business Leadership from The Franklin Institute and has been widely regarded as a leading voice in values-based leadership.

Patty Babler is the Senior Vice President HR, Global Talent Acquisition, Employee & Labor Relations and HR Operations at Cargill.

Jen Bailey is an accomplished human resources executive with experience in total rewards and shared services spanning nearly 20 years across large organizations and impactful community engagement.

Currently serving as Vice President of Total Rewards and HR Shared Services at Allina Health. Jen is passionate about women in business, focusing on those preparing for college or their first career step. She contributes to the community as a Board Member and Governance Chair at Mission Animal Hospital, she is also involved with TeamWomen. 

Academically, Jen holds a Master of Arts in HR-IR from the University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Gustavus Adolphus College.

She brings her full, unfiltered self to business—energetic, positive, and unapologetically real—proving you do not have to change who you are to get outstanding results. Jen Bailey is a dynamic business leader who proves success does not require fitting into a corporate mold.

She lives in White Bear Lake with her husband and two rescue pups, Gilly, and Mabel. Her favorite job is being Fun Auntie to her 7 nieces and nephew. 

Sales leader with 20+ years of experience specializing in partnering with HR leaders to elevate employee engagement through strategic gifting and recognition solutions that strengthen culture, improve retention, and increase employee satisfaction. My focus is simple: help organizations create meaningful experiences that make employees feel valued and appreciated, driving performance and loyalty. Army veteran bringing discipline and a mission-first mindset. Husband of 25 years and proud father of three, grounded in integrity and service.

Allison (Ali) Kaplan is Director of Innovation & Engagement for the Minnesota Star Tribune, working with the newsroom on multimedia initiatives and storytelling that deepens community connection. She brings to this newly created role more than two decades of experience as a journalist, radio show host, podcaster, television contributor, emcee, and entrepreneur. Previously, she served as editor in chief of Twin Cities Business and vice president of content for the magazine division of its parent company, MSP Communications. A career side hustler, Ali is also the co-founder of Mother Of, a digital media platform that spotlights and offers advice to mothers of the bride and groom.  

Painter has been with the Minnesota Star Tribune for more than a decade. As a reporter, she covered an array of beats – from commercial real estate to the food industry to airlines – before moving into an assistant business editor role for several years. Before joining the Minnesota Star Tribune, she was a business reporter at The Denver Post. Painter has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder and bachelor's degree in history from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two kids.

Elissa Beach, SHRM-SCP is a Human Resources Director with extensive experience supporting multiple organizations across healthcare, consumer, retail, and non-profit sectors.  She currently serves as an HR Director at WCG (WIRB-Copernicus Group), the world's largest provider of regulatory and ethical review services for human research which has grown to include a suite of complementary services and technologies for clinical research professionals.  Here she partners with leaders to drive organizational design, talent management, performance management, and compensation strategy.  Known for her collaborative, people-centered approach, Elissa brings deep expertise in employee relations, employment law, and workforce planning, helping organizations build strong, engaged employees and leaders.