Event Details

No matter the industry you are in, change is all around us.   Some changes are large-scale such as mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and intentional drives toward culture changes.   Some changes are smaller in scale such as changes in new programs, new benefit plans at open enrollment, new performance metrics, or new safety initiatives.   Please join our panel for an interactive discussion on engaging employees during change.  Our speakers will bring different perspectives and will share examples of some of the changes they helped maneuver, the approaches they used and what they have learned along the way.  

About our Presenters:

Paul Ingraham, Employee Benefits Consultant, will share with us his experience in helping manage change and messaging around employee benefits plans.  Paul is an employee benefits professional with 30+ years of experience in US and international employee benefits.  He has expertise in health & welfare, defined benefit (DB), defined contribution (DC) retirement plans, as well as non-US benefits.   He is currently working as an independent consultant to assist organizations in need of temporary help with their benefit programs.   Paul most recently was the Director of Global Benefits for Siemens and prior to that was with Unilever.   Paul has a B.S. in Business Management from Northern Illinois University and an MBA in International Business from DePaul University.  

Traci Ellis, Executive Director, Human Resources at the Illinois Math and Science Academy will share with us her expertise in leading change with respect to diversity and inclusion.  Traci D. Ellis is an attorney, HR professional and adjunct professor of HR management, diversity & inclusion, and organizational change, as well as a frequent speaker on legal, HR and social justice topics.   Traci earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Business & Industry at Florida A & M University and a Juris Doctor degree at The Ohio State University, College of Law.  She is licensed to practice law in Georgia and Illinois.  In addition to her professional pursuits, she is also very active in her community.  She is an elected official, serving her second term as a member of the Elgin Area School District U-46 Board and also is a member of the board of directors for Advocate Sherman Hospital.   Traci is married to and she and her husband are the proud parents of two sons, 26 and 22 years old and the grandparents of a 3 year old grandson.
 
Kim Vidlak, HR Business Partner, Northwestern Medicine
Kim will share with us her success stories in helping lead change through not one, but two mergers/acquisitions.   Kim has been an HR Professional for 10 years all with Northwestern Medicine, previously named Delnor and Cadence Health.  Her background is in Benefits and Compensation and she have been in the HR Business Partner role for four years.  During these four years she have served as the primary consultant providing guidance and support to Northwestern Medicine-West Region, Ambulatory Services including: NM Regional Medical Group, Convenient Care, Oncology Services, Delnor Physician Group, and NM Physician Partners totaling 120 departments and 1800 employees, including physicians.
In the HR Business Partner role, she has had the opportunity to participate and lead many system initiatives within Ambulatory Services including: acquisitions and mergers, recruitment and retention strategies, employee engagement, and leadership and physician development.

Dianne Korizon, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer at Northern Illinois Food Bank, will share with us how she has maneuvered some of the “change” challenges she has encountered during the rapid period of expansion that was required by the Food Bank to feed more hungry neighbors.   She will give insight into how she believes Human Resources can be a valuable partner in leading change initiatives.    Dianne joined Northern Illinois Food Bank in November 2010. She is a CPA and has an MBA from DePaul University.  She over twenty five years’ experience in accounting and finance.  Prior to Northern Illinois Food Bank she was with Philips Lighting.