In-person attendees may check in and connect with fellow participants before the program begins.

Barb Marder, President and CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO, SHRM

As healthcare costs continue to climb, employers face mounting pressure to provide meaningful benefits while managing expenses and supporting workforce well-being. With health benefit costs projected to rise at their fastest pace in more than two decades, organizations must confront difficult questions about affordability, access, and the long-term sustainability of employer-sponsored coverage.

This fireside chat brings together leaders representing the employer, pharmaceutical, and financial wellness perspectives to examine the challenges reshaping health benefits. Drawing on new SHRM and EBRI research, the conversation will explore rising costs, the financial pressures facing workers, evolving pharmacy benefit models, and the growing disconnect between investments in employee health and measurable workforce outcomes.

The discussion will also consider the role of AI and emerging health care innovations, the challenges of funding long-term health improvements, and what employers, manufacturers, and policymakers must do differently to create a more affordable, effective, and sustainable benefits system.
 

Rodney Bolden, Executive Director, Head of Workplace Benefits Insights, Morgan Stanley at Work (Moderator)

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO, SHRM

Kevin Hern, Senior Vice President, Lilly Employer, Lilly USA LLC

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how employers, health plans, and providers use data to understand risk, anticipate health needs, and design more effective benefits strategies. From identifying gaps in care and predicting high-cost claims to personalizing employee engagement and improving population health outcomes, AI-powered tools are creating new opportunities to move from reactive benefits management to proactive health strategy.

This panel will explore how organizations are leveraging AI, advanced analytics, and predictive modeling to improve decision-making across the health benefits ecosystem. Panelists will discuss emerging applications, practical use cases, and the challenges associated with data quality, privacy, bias, and governance. The conversation will examine how predictive health technologies can help employers better manage costs, improve workforce well-being, and deliver more targeted, patient-centered benefits in an increasingly data-driven environment.

Alex Alonso, Chief Knowledge Officer, SHRM (Moderator)
 

Rachelle Graham, Strategic Advisor AI & HCM, Oracle
 

Bobbi Jo Allan, Vice President, NF Digital Product Management and Innovation, Nationwide

As pharmacy benefits continue to evolve, employers, health plans, and policymakers are reassessing how well the current system serves the people at its center—patients. Rising costs, expanding therapeutic innovation, and increasing scrutiny of pricing and incentives are driving a shift toward more transparent, accountable, and outcomes-focused models.

This panel brings together leaders from across the pharmacy ecosystem to examine how roles and relationships are changing among PBMs, manufacturers, health plans, providers, and employers. Panelists will explore what it means to truly put patients first in benefit design and delivery, including how to align incentives, improve access and adherence, and measure value beyond short-term cost. The discussion will also highlight practical strategies and emerging models that can deliver better health outcomes and a healthier workplace while maintaining long-term sustainability for employers and the broader health system.

Perry Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, The TPG Family of Companies (Moderator)
 

Susan Cantrell, Chief Executive Officer, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
 

C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research (P-SHOR), and Executive Director of The PATIENTS Program, Univ. of Maryland School of Pharmacy
 

Michael Stull, Chief Sales Officer, Employers Health

Mary Bellanti, RPh, VP, Clinical Strategy & Sales, MedImpact

Take a moment to connect with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and continue the conversation on the issues shaping workforce health benefits.

Ashley Miller, M.A., SHRM-SCP, Director of Thought Leadership Operations & Partnerships, SHRM (Moderator)

Gene Raymondi, Founder and CEO, eni and Bree Health

Anna Bobb, MPH, Executive Director, Path Forward Coalition

Enjoy lunch and make meaningful connections with fellow attendees while continuing the conversation beyond the sessions.

Health benefits are becoming increasingly consumer-driven, giving employees more choice – and more responsibility – in selecting and managing their health coverage. Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs) represent one of the most significant innovations in employment-based health benefits in decades, offering employers a new approach to financing coverage while allowing employees to choose the individual market plan that best meets their needs. As interest in ICHRAs grows, employers are weighing the promise of greater flexibility and cost predictability against concerns about implementation, employee decision-making, and the evolving individual insurance market.

This panel will explore how ICHRAs are reshaping the employer-sponsored health benefits landscape and what they may signal for the future of health coverage. Drawing on perspectives from employers, insurers, benefit technology providers, and new EBRI research, panelists will discuss adoption trends, implementation experiences, employee engagement, and the opportunities and challenges associated with moving toward a more individualized approach to health benefits. The discussion will examine whether ICHRAs represent a niche solution for specific employers or the beginning of a broader transformation in how employment-based health coverage is designed and delivered.

Paul Fronstin, EBRI (Moderator)
 

Brandy Thompson, CEO, benefitbay
 

Louis DeStefano, Chief Growth Officer, Oscar Health

Jake Spiegel, EBRI (Moderator)

Brian Whorley, CEO and Founder, Paytient

Take a moment to connect with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and continue the conversation on the issues shaping workforce health benefits.

Employers spend billions on benefits designed to help workers thrive—yet the most transformative benefit of the next decade may not be health coverage or retirement matching. It may be access to artificial intelligence. As AI tools reshape how work gets done, organizations face a defining choice: reserve these capabilities for knowledge workers and executives, or extend them to every employee as a core benefit of employment. This panel makes the case for the latter. Panelists will discuss and explore what it means to treat AI access, literacy, and augmentation as a benefit for all workers—frontline to C-suite—including the business case, the equity implications, and the practical mechanics of delivering AI as part of the total rewards package.

Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the “AI as a benefit” model, how it differs from conventional AI deployment strategies, and where AI access and literacy fit within a total rewards framework. Drawing on evidence related to ROI, retention, skills development, and career mobility, the discussion will examine the business and equity case for extending AI tools to all worker populations—including frontline, deskless, and hourly employees. Attendees will also learn how to build a practical implementation roadmap that addresses tool selection, training and AI literacy, governance, and the measurement of employee utilization and organizational impact.

Mike Aitken, EVP of Membership & Communities, SHRM (Moderator)

Kathleen Pearson, CHRO at Opensity Solutions

Lisa Gardelle, Senior Principal, Business Consulting, Infosys

Employers are navigating an increasingly complex benefits landscape shaped by rising health care costs, rapid technological innovation, changing workforce expectations, and growing pressure to demonstrate value. Today's CHROs are balancing investments across physical health, mental health, financial wellness, and employee experience while ensuring that benefit strategies support organizational goals, attract and retain talent, and improve workforce productivity.

This panel brings together senior human resources leaders to discuss how employers are redefining the role of health and well-being benefits in an evolving workplace. Building on the themes explored throughout the Symposium, panelists will share their perspectives on emerging priorities, lessons learned, and the decisions that will shape the next generation of employment-based benefits. The discussion will examine how organizations are evaluating new technologies, responding to rising pharmacy costs, supporting employee financial well-being, and designing benefits that deliver measurable value for both employees and employers.

Jim Link, CHRO, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) (Moderator)

Jesse Goodrich, SVP Human Resources, Riverside Health

Demi Gilmore, CHRO, TidalHealth

Brian Dickens, CHRO, Higher Education Sector

Barb Marder, President and CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)