As student loan repayments resume after a five-year pause, financial stress is fueling burnout, disengagement, and turnover across the workforce. In this session, HR leaders will learn how addressing student debt as a strategic initiative can strengthen recruitment, retention, and productivity. Our experts will share the latest on federal and state programs that unlock free dollars for employees, real-world success stories from leading employers, and actionable steps to embed student loan support into a competitive, future-ready people strategy.
Key takeaways:
Why financial stress drives burnout, turnover, and lost productivity
How federal and state programs boost take-home pay without extra budget
What successful student loan benefit programs look like in action
How to use student loan support as a differentiator to attract and retain top people
Meet the Presenters
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Mason Hawkins is a Senior Manager of Client Success at Summer- Moderator
Mason Hawkins is a Senior Manager of Client Success at Summer, where he oversees a wide portfolio of enterprise and institutional partners.
With experience in the student loan benefits space since 2021, Mason specializes in guiding organizations through the evolving landscape of repayment, forgiveness, and financial wellness solutions.
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Rich Williams, Chief Customer Officer
Rich Williams is the Chief Customer Officer at Summer. Rich most recently served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Policy, Planning, and Innovation at the U.S. Department of Education, leading high-impact college affordability and student loan repayment initiatives affecting students at over 6,000 colleges and more than 40 million student loan borrowers. He previously held senior roles at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and in the U.S. Congress. His expertise on student loans has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.
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Christine Chakmakjian, SHRM-CP Director, Total Rewards, Fairlife
Christine Chakmakjian is the Director of Total Rewards at fa!rlife, specializing in Total Rewards strategy for all fairlife locations and 1,000+ employees. Specialties include HRIS and Analytics, Benefits, Compensation, Wellness, Leave of Absence, Policy Oversight and Governance, Rewards & Recognition, and Employee Experience.
With over 10+ years in Total Rewards, she is passionate about designing a Total Rewards strategy that is inclusive and innovative, with programs and tools to better support employees, in and out of work, and meet them on their personal wellbeing journey.
SHRM certification has approved this webinar for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webinar.