Darlene Hunter, Vice President and Head of Human Resources at Eastridge, demonstrates how culture can become a true competitive advantage. She connects belonging, clear expectations, and development to productivity, retention, and profitability. Darlene explains why leaders must speak the language of EBITDA while practicing empathy and accountability. She closes with a challenge to define, test, and live an authentic culture of care.

Eric Chin, Chief Financial Officer at Akido Labs, brings unique insight as both a CFO and former Head of HR. He explains how HR leaders can frame proposals in terms of net savings, ROI, and measurable outcomes to gain CFO support. Eric also outlines strategies for building stronger cases around training, development, and retention by linking them to financial impact. He also emphasizes the importance of timing, proactive planning, and continuous improvement as key elements for achieving long-term success.

Dan Bovee, Director, Talent Acquisition & Development at Morey, breaks down how to hire, align, and grow high-performance teams. He explains the concept of “right people, right seats” and why culture drives results. Dan details a challenge-and-encourage leadership approach for promoting psychological safety. He connects culture directly to measurable business outcomes.