America and the world have become more polarized. People have diverse and strong opinions about societal, social and political issues, and this divisiveness is seeping into our workplaces. Some employees may be outspoken about their beliefs or opinions, and some may quietly feel intimidated or unsafe. Many employees are looking to company leaders to speak out on topics that are important to them.

Our desired outcomes for this event are:

1. Equip HR leaders to initiate actions and conversations that can mitigate polarization.
2. Consider proactive strategies - guiding principles; a communication strategy; or actions and programmatic approaches - to help manage polarizing topics before those topics cause organizational disruption.

Our focus will be on the role HR leaders play in shaping how organizations manage divisiveness of all kinds. We will explore:

• How are companies addressing polarization that may emerge in the workplace? What has worked well, and not worked?
• What messaging and programs have been initiated and how effective have they been?
• What impact have governmental, judicial or societal shifts and turbulence had on corporate culture, employee wellbeing, or DEI efforts.

Join us via Zoom on Thursday, July 17 from 12:00-1:30 EST/9:00-10:30 PST to learn more about how you can proactively and strategically manage workforce challenges in this polarized environment.

Our Panelists

Natasha Kehimkar

Founder

Malida Advisors

Natasha Kehimkar is a strategic advisor and executive coach. As CEO and founder of Malida Advisors, she and her team enable companies to achieve their goals faster by reducing friction and building resilient, inclusive teams. With over 25 years of experience in leading human resources, talent, and DEIB across multiple industries and six continents, Natasha has a track record of coaching teams, developing leaders, and expediting company and business unit turnarounds, earning her a reputation as the "rapid response expert" in navigating significant challenges, such as restructuring, culture change, executive team transitions, and acquisitions and divestitures.

Natasha has served in leadership roles in startup to enterprise-level companies, including OpenTable, Data.ai, Pfizer, and Guardant Health. Her expertise has been recognized by private companies and nonprofits, where she serves in both board and advisory roles. She holds a BA in Sociology and a Master's degree in HR and Labor Relations and has received executive coaching and team coaching accreditations.

Sheryl Lewis

President

ROI Communication

Sheryl Lewis is president of ROI Communication, a leading employee communication and engagement consulting firm. In her 23 years with ROI, she has worked on a wide range of initiatives, including strategy development, change management, leadership alignment and organizational design all with an eye toward business results and building great places to work.

Prior to joining ROI, Sheryl worked at Quantum Corporation, where she served in a broad array of roles including VP of talent management, director of management and organizational development, director of business excellence and director of product marketing. Prior to joining Quantum, Sheryl worked at Data Resources Inc. as an economics consultant to Fortune 500 companies. Sheryl earned a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She speaks regularly at national events on the topics of change, innovation, influence and the future of work.

The last 5 years have brought tremendous change to the business world and the employee experience. First there was COVID, then the AI explosion, coupled with inflation, supply chain challenges, remote and hybrid work challenges, and layoffs and restructuring. Along the way the workforce has become more diverse in multiple ways (e.g., five generations of workers together for the first time in history). 

In this session we will explore the changes and the challenges associated with the turbulence we have all experienced and how HR Leaders can help business leaders to respond to these multifactor changes and ensure both healthy productive work environments and successful business results. We’ll look at: 

• What steps have been/can be taken to build a resilient workforce that adapts quickly to changes both past and future?

• How do you support employees through change efforts so they not only survive but thrive?

• Do you address a multi-generational workforce any differently and, if so, how?

• How does diversity impact change resilience?

• How must leaders adapt so that they can effectively lead their teams through multiple changes?

• Are there HR policies and practices that can build workforce agility?

In today's economic landscape, organizational success hinges not just on financial strategy, but on a resilient employee population that drives innovation and results. In this session our panelists will set the stage for a participant discussion that will emphasize practical, tangible practices to help you navigate economic uncertainty while maintaining a robust, engaged, and psychologically supported workforce. 

Questions we hope to answer include: 

• What does a "healthy workplace" look like in 2025?

• How do you turn business constraints into opportunities for organizational strength, employee well-being, and sustainable growth.

• How do you maintain employee trust during uncertain times?

• How can organizations be both financially prudent and employee-centric?

Our goal is to give you a strategic roadmap to help you not only survive economic volatility, but emerge stronger, more adaptive, and fundamentally human-centric.