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2017 Workplace Summit

The 3rd annual MA Conference for Women Workplace Summit was held on December 6, 2017 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Learn more about the day’s program and speakers below:


2017 AGENDA

12:45 pm—Registration/Arrival        

1:00 pm—Welcome Remarks and Keynote One

Welcome Remarks
featuring Kathy Horgan, EVP and chief human resources and citizenship, State Street Corporation and board member, Massachusetts Conference for Women

C4WARD TO MOVE FORWARD: How to Overcome Bias and Embrace Otherness Otherness featuring VERNĀ MYERS, lawyer, entrepreneur, best-selling author and cultural innovator
Our world is at a crossroads. Politics, race, class, gender, and geography are dividing us more than ever. We are pulling back from each other, drawing the idea of family and community too small, clinging to people who are like us, and being afraid of the “other.” But separation and retrenchment are not the way forward. To overcome the epidemic of hatred, bigotry, and oppression, we need to expand and reimagine a more inclusive community and society. We each need to act – we need to commit to reaching across our differences instead of giving into isolation, fear, and hatred. In this compelling talk, Vernā shares her vision of how we can all move forward, sharing the four Cs of progress – Cultural Curiosity, Compassion, Consciousness, and Courage. Participants will leave energized and with practical tools for connecting in small and large ways to people who are different.

2:00 pmKeynote Two

Intro Remarks
featuring  JILLIAN MANSOLF, vice president, commercial sales division and Americas channels, Riverbed Technology

PIONEERING PAY AND GENDER EQUITY featuring CINDY ROBBINS, president and chief people officer, Salesforce
Includes Speech, Q&A and Interactive Exercise

In 2015, Salesforce became one of the first companies in the nation to audit its employee pay to determine if gender gaps existed among its employees. As a result, the company spent $3 million to address differences in pay. After a year of record growth, the company did a second assessment and spent another $3 million — $6 million to date. The pay assessments were pioneered by Cindy Robbins and her colleague, Leyla Seka, who brought the idea of doing an assessment to Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff. Cindy will share her personal story of bringing equal pay to the forefront of her company. She’ll also share best practices and lessons learned, as well as discuss the importance of engaging men as allies, fostering a culture of equality, and why diversity is not just the right thing to do, but is good for business.

3:00 pmNetworking Break and Book Signings

3:30 pm—Keynote Three

Intro Remarks                                             
featuring LYNN D. TINNEY, successful technology executive and board member, Massachusetts Conference for Women

MARCO IRIZARRY, global manager, diversity and inclusion, Akamai Technologies

Building a Culture Of Originality featuring ADAM GRANTWharton’s top-rated professor, recognized as one of the world’s 25 most influential management thinkers and best-selling author

Culture is a cornerstone of success, but many leaders struggle in managing the cultures of their teams. What are the characteristics, behaviors and norms that comprise your team? Is your team filled with like-minded and similar individuals? Do you foster an environment that encourages groupthink or are you stifling the voices and thoughts of others without even realizing you’re doing it? To survive and thrive, teams need original thinking with diverse perspectives. Using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment, renowned professor Adam Grant explores how to recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose the right time to act, manage fear and doubt, and build a culture that welcomes dissent and diversity of thought. By making small conscious tweaks to your leadership style, Grant will show you how to build a culture of originality and ultimately create a workplace that works for all—especially for you and your bottom line!

Closing Remarks
featuring CAROL FULP, president, and CEO, The Partnership, Inc. and board member, Massachusetts Conference for Women

4:30 pm—Networking Break, Book Signings, and Wine Reception

The Wine Reception will take place for 30 minutes and offers a great chance to keep the conversation going! Afterwards, head over to Opening Night at the Conference. Click here to learn more and register!


2017 KEYNOTES:


Adam Grant


Adam Grant is Wharton’s top-rated professor. He has been recognized as one of the world’s 25 most influential management thinkers and Fortune’s 40 under 40. He is the New York Times bestselling author of two books translated into 35 languages. Give and Take was named one of the year’s best by Amazon, the Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Originals was a #1 national bestseller praised by J.J. Abrams, Richard Branson, and Malcolm Gladwell. Grant’s two TED talks have been viewed over eight million times; his keynote speaking and consulting clients include Facebook and Google, the NBA, the Gates Foundation, Goldman Sachs, and the U.S. Army and Navy. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, writes for the New York Times on work and psychology, and serves on the Lean In board and the Department of Defense Innovation board. He received his BA from Harvard and his PhD from the University of Michigan. Grant is a former magician and junior Olympic springboard diver. His third book, Option B with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, is on facing adversity and building resilience. @adammgrant


Vernā Myers


Vernā Myers rose out of Baltimore’s working class to become a Barnard-educated and Harvard-trained lawyer, entrepreneur, author, activist, and cultural innovator. She is the founder of The Vernā Myers Company, a boutique consulting firm committed to eradicating barriers of race, gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation in the workplace. Myers has delivered inspirational keynotes at The World Bank, National Geographic, 21st Century Fox, NASA, Warner Bros., the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and tech companies such as Qualcomm and others. Notably, she was a recipient of The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business. Myers’ appearances and transformative message of power and possibility have touched millions of lives including her TED talk, How to Overcome Our Biases? Walk Boldly Toward Them, which has reached over 1.5 million views. Myers is also the author of two best-selling books, a contributor to Refinery 29 and Huffington Post, and a cited expert for The Atlantic, Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, and TED NPR Radio. In July 2017, she appeared on The Bachelorette in support of her nephew who was a participant. Because she openly spoke about race and breaking barriers on national television, Myers went from CEO to #AuntVerna and trended worldwide within minutes across all time zones. Currently, she serves on the board for The Center for Urban Families, Thread, and UC Hastings College of Law’s Work Life Law Program. @vernamyers


Cindy Robbins


Cindy Robbins is president and chief people officer at Salesforce — one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies according to Forbes and one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For nine years in a row. In this role, Robbins leads the company’s efforts to attract, develop and retain the best talent. Robbins has more than 15 years of experience in the field of human resources. At Salesforce, Robbins’ previous leadership roles within employee success include overseeing recruiting and global business partners. Prior to joining Salesforce in 2006, she held positions at major technology companies including BEA, OpenWave, Plumtree Software and Excite@Home. Robbins earned a BS in political science from Santa Clara University. @salesforce


 

SPEAKERS


Carol Fulp


Carol Fulp is president and CEO of The Partnership, Inc., New England’s premier organization dedicated to enhancing the competitiveness of the region by attracting, developing, retaining and convening multicultural professionals. Prior to The Partnership, Fulp was senior vice president of corporate responsibility and brand management at John Hancock Financial. Here she led the company’s marketing and sponsorships departments, while directing the company’s twelve million dollar philanthropic giving program. Previously, Fulp was the director of community programming and human resources for WCVB, the ABC-TV Boston affiliate. She also served as the corporate employee relations manager for the Gillette Company. Given her leadership in business and public service, President Obama appointed Fulp as a representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Governor de Jongh appointed her as a trustee of the University of the Virgin Islands, and Mayor Walsh appointed her as a member of the City of Boston compensation advisory board. Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg also appointed Fulp to her advisory committee on Wage Equality. Fulp serves on the board of trustees for Eastern Bank as well as the board of directors for American Student Assistance Corporation. Her civic involvement includes the Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board and trustee of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation. In addition, she is on the board of directors of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston University and Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE). She is also a founding co-chair of the Massachusetts Conference for Women. @masswomen


Kathy Horgan


Kathy Horgan is executive vice president and chief human resources and citizenship officer at State Street Corporation. She leads all global functions related to talent acquisition, education and training, career development, performance management, succession planning, diversity and inclusion, and leadership development company wide. Horgan joined State Street in April 2009, initially as the head of human resources for State Street Global Advisors. Prior to joining Sate Street in 2009, Horgan was an executive vice president of human resources at Old Mutual Asset Management. Prior to that, she spent more than ten years at Mellon Financial Corporation as human resources director for its global asset management business. Prior to Mellon, she was a human resources manager at Boston Scientific Corporation, and began her career with Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Horgan chairs State Street’s North American Benefits Committee, and a is member of the company’s Professional Women’s Network global advisory board and “Leading Women,” a mentoring program for senior women across the company.  She serves on the board of trustees for Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts. Horgan was named to Profiles in Diversity Journal’s annual list of Women Worth Watching in 2017. Horgan graduated with a BS in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University. @statestreet


Marco Irizarry


Marco Irizarry is the global manager of diversity and inclusion at Akamai Technologies, Inc., a global leader in content delivery network services. His role is the global development of Akamai’s ERGs, development of diversity and Inclusion strategy and diversity training strategies. Irizarry is the former manager of diversity initiatives at Travelers Insurance. Prior to Travelers, he began his career at State Farm Insurance where he held positions in claims, executive support and financial compliance. For over ten years, Irizarry volunteered as an arbitrator for Arbitration Forums handling insurance company disputes. He has presented at diversity conferences and corporations with audiences of over two hundred on the value of ERG Leadership as a development opportunity for future senior leaders. Irizarry is the past president of Prospanica Connecticut Chapter (formerly National Society of Hispanic MBAs) where he led an organization of ten board members, over two hundred members and seven Fortune 100 corporate sponsors. Irizarry earned a BS in philosophy and English from Brooklyn College-City University of New York and an MBA in management from Dowling College. He currently is a Master’s candidate in organizational psychology at the University of Hartford. @akamai


Jillian Mansolf


Jillian Mansolf is vice president of the commercial sales division and Americas channels for Riverbed Technology. She is responsible for commercial sales, as well as the channel and inside sales teams for all business segments in the Americas. Prior to her current role, she was the chief commercial officer at Xirrus Wi-Fi, where she was responsible for the commercial strategy, as well as global sales including channels, inside sales, business development, and sales operations. Mansolf is a seasoned global sales and marketing leader with more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry. Previously, she was an executive officer and SVP of global sales and marketing at Overland Storage. Mansolf was also part of the founding management team at Snap Appliance, acquired by Adaptec for $110M and was VP of large corporate accounts at Dell Computer where she ran an $800M business. Mansolf serves on the customer advisory board for SFDC, and is a board advisor to multiple Silicon Valley high tech companies. She has been named a Channel Chief by CRN Magazine for the past seven years, and was inducted into The Power 100, which recognizes the 100 most powerful women executives in the Channel. @riverbed


Lynn D. Tinney


Lynn D. Tinney is a successful technology executive whose career includes Cisco, Siemens, Compaq and IBM. Her roles include sales, marketing, operations and channels. Tinney’s leadership style maintains high expectations for her team while developing each person’s skills in a culture of trust that allows and expects them to take risks and think big. She strives to keep her teams ahead of market changes by driving plans that identifying business requirements, leveraging all available resources and measure against aggressive targets. Tinney has been committed to diversity and learning from all voices throughout her career. Her penchant to support the growth of women in technology continues and is cornerstone to her reputation through sustained action. Tinney earned an MBA at Bentley University’s McCallum School of Business, and has been selected as a CRN Women of the Channel for 2015, 2016 and Power 100 – Most Powerful Women in the Channel for 2016 and 2017. @maswomen


2017 SPONSORS